Brashear High School is a large, urban, magnet, public school in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Brashear is one of four high schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. In the 2010–2011 school year, the school had 1,214 pupils with 615 males and 566 females. It employed 87 teachers. Since then, the school has acquired students from the transition with Langley High School. It is currently the largest high school in the district, with approximately 1,480 students and 105 teachers. Free and reduced lunch eligible pupil numbered 788 in 2010.
Feeder District
The City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods which are served by Brashear High School are as follows: Banksville, Beechview, Brookline, Chartiers City, Crafton Heights, Duquesne Heights, East Carnegie, Elliot, Esplen, Fairywood, Mount Washington, Oakwood, Ridgemont, Sheriden, South Shore, Southside Flats, West End, Westwood, and Windgap.
Graduation rate
In 2011, Brashear High School graduation rate was 90%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Pittsburgh School District's rate was 69% for 2013. Graduation rate:
2010 - 84%
In 2011, Brashear High School declined again to Corrective Action II 2nd Year status due to chronic, low student achievement. In 2011, Brashear High School declined to Corrective Action II 1st Year status due to continuing low student achievement. Since 2005, the school was mandated by No Child Left Behind to offer students the opportunity to transfer to a successful school in the Pittsburgh School District. Additionally, the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education required the school and district to develop a school improvement plan to raise student academic achievement. The plan had to be submitted to the state for approval. Statewide 23 schools have declined to Corrective action level 2 status in 2011. Brashear High School is one of 13 schools, in the Pittsburgh School District, that are in Corrective Action.
Academic achievement
Brashear High School was ranked 108th out of 122 western Pennsylvania high schools, in 2011, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on five years of student academic performance on the reading, writing, math and three years of science PSSAs. The 2011 Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools rates the academic performance of districts and schools within a seven-county area. The guide includes information on all public and private schools operating in the region. It includes Allegheny County, Washington County, Beaver County, Westmoreland County, Armstrong County, Fayette County and Butler County.
2011 - 45% on grade level,. State - 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2010 - 44% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 66% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2009 - 48%. State - 65%
2008 - 59%. State - 65%
2007 - 54%. State - 65%
11th Grade Math:
2011 - 45% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2010 - 35%,. State - 59%
2009 - 48%,. State - 56%.
2008 - 66%,. State - 56%
2007 - 57%,. State - 53%
11th Grade Science:
2011 - 18% on grade level. State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2010 - 12%. State - 39%
2009 - 19%. State - 40%
2008 - 18% s. State - 39%
In 2009, US News and World report ranked 21,000 public high schools in the United States, based on three factors. First, the schools were analyzed for the number of students who achieved above the state average on the reading and math tests in 2008. Then they considered how the economically disadvantaged students performed against the state average. Finally, they considered the participation rate and the performance of students in college readiness by examining Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data. Seventy Pennsylvania high schools achieved ranking bronze, silver or gold rating. Fifty three Pennsylvania high schools achieved bronze. Brashear High School achieved Silver ranking. Eight high schools in Allegheny County and 3 Pittsburgh School District schools achieved inclusion in the ranking.
Brashear High School offers the Computer Science magnet for the City of Pittsburgh. Students take four years of programming courses.
History
Established in 1976, it is named in the honor of John A. Brashear, an astronomer and inventor. It was created to help with segregation issues in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The Pittsburgh Board of Education closed Fifth Avenue High School, Gladstone High School in Hazelwood and South Hills High School and merged the students in the building with 5000 or more students attending. The school opened with protesters from Brookline and Beechview communities, as well as the Hill and Hazelwood, the school had mass media coverage, and School Security and local Police were on hand the first week of school in 1976. The school colors are black and gold, and the original school mascot were Bullets, depicted by two large bullets with mean faces and fists clenched. They were replaced in the mid 1990s with a new mascot the Bull in response to parental complaints that the Bullets mascot could incite violence in students.
