Tunkhannock Area High School


Tunkhannock Area High School lies in the valley of the Endless Mountains. The school is located at 135 Tiger Street, Tunkhannock in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. It is the sole high school operated by the Tunkhannock Area School District. By 2014, enrollment at Tunkhannock Area High School declined to 836 pupils in 9th through 12th grades, with 34.78% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 17% of pupils received special education services, while 4% of pupils were identified as gifted. Tunkhannock Area High School employed 57 teachers. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In 2012, enrollment was 860 pupils grades 9th through 12th.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 1,023 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 279 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The school employed 81 teachers, yielding a student teacher ratio of 13:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 3 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind Act.
Tunkhannock Area High School students may choose to attend Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center for training in the construction and mechanical trades, cosmetology, Food Management and other careers. The Luzerne Intermediate Unit IU18 provides the school with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services and professional development for staff and faculty.

Graduation rate

In 2014, Tunkhannock Area School District's graduation rate was 89.18%.
;According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
;Low achievement scholarship list
In April 2015, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released a report identifying Tunkhannock Area High School being among the lowest achieving schools for reading and mathematics in the state of Pennsylvania. Parents and students may be eligible for scholarships to transfer to another public or nonpublic school through the state's Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program passed in June 2012. The scholarships are limited to those students whose family's income is less than $60,000 annually, with another $12,000 allowed per dependent. Maximum scholarship award is $8,500, with special education students receiving up to $15,000 for a year's tuition. Parents pay any difference between the scholarship amount and the receiving school's tuition rate. Students may seek admission to neighboring public school districts. Each year the PDE publishes the tuition rate for each individual public school district. Tunkhannock Area High School is the sole Wyoming County public school on the low achievement list in 2015-16.
;2014 School Performance Profile:
Tunkhannock Area High School achieved 64.2 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 67% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 46% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 38.7% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. Statewide, the percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in Algebra I increased to 39.7% to 40.1%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in reading/literature declined to 52.5%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in biology improved from 39.7% to 41.4%.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.
;2013 School Performance Profile:
Tunkhannock Area High School achieved 69.3 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 76% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 58% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 34% showed on grade level science understanding. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.

AYP history

In 2012, Tunkhannock Area High School declined further to Corrective Action Level II Adequate Yearly Progress status, due to chronic, low student achievement. The school missed all 6 academic metrics measured.
;PSSA Results:
Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012, in all Pennsylvania public high schools. The exams were administered in the Spring of each school year. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam included content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies. The mathematics exam included: algebra I, algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.
In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade. year.
11th Grade Reading
11th Grade Math:
11th Grade Science:
Science in Motion Tunckhannock Area High School took advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brought college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate. Wilkes University provided the science enrichment experiences to schools in the Wyoming County region.

College remediation rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 15% of Tunkhannock High School graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

SAT scores

In 2014, Tunkhannock Area High School students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 496. The Math average score was 500. The Writing average score was 479. Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board also reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing.
In 2013, 146 Tunkhannock Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 403. The Math average score was 494. The Writing average score was 471. The College Board reported that statewide scores were: 494 in reading, 504 in math and 482 in writing. The nationwide SAT results were the same as in 2012.
In 2012, 161 Tunkhannock Area High School students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 484. The Math average score was 476. The Writing average score was 465. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.
In 2011, 171 Tunkhannock students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 491. The Writing average score was 466. Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. In the United States 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, compared the SAT data of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to students in urban areas. From 2003 to 2005, the average total SAT score for students in rural Pennsylvania was 992, while urban students averaged 1,006. During the same period, 28 percent of 11th and 12th graders in rural school districts took the exam, compared to 32 percent of urban students in the same grades. The average math and verbal scores were 495 and 497, respectively, for rural students, while urban test-takers averaged 499 and 507, respectively. Pennsylvania’s SAT composite score ranked low on the national scale in 2004. The composite SAT score of 1,003 left Pennsylvania ranking 44 out of the 50 states and Washington, DC.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education reported that 71 percent of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania chose to continue their education after high school in 2003, whereas 79 percent of urban high school graduates opted to continue their education.

Curriculum

The Tunkhannock High School Curriculum allows students to take the appropriate class according to their learning level. General, Academic, Honors, and Advanced Placement on select courses are the choices the students and their parents can choose from to meet their needs. If a student takes Advanced Placement course, he/she can test out of college courses they will need post high school. The Tunkhannock High School Curriculum contains classes that apply to many post high school careers. It prepares its students for post high school education and Standardized Testing. Students who go over and beyond what they are expected to do, can also receive student of the month.
In 2014, Tunkhannock Area High School offered 8 Advanced Placement courses at a higher cost than regular courses. The fee for each AP Exam was $91. The school normally retains $9 of that fee as a rebate to help with administrative costs. In 2012, the fee was $89 per test per pupil. Students have the option of taking College Board approved courses and then taking the College Board's examination in the Spring. Students, who achieve a 3 or better on the exam, may be awarded college credits at US universities and colleges. Each higher education institution sets its own standards about what level of credits are awarded to a student based on their AP exam score. Most higher education give credits for scores of 4 or 5. Some schools also give credits for scores of 3. High schools give credits towards graduation to students who take the school's AP class. At Tunkhannock Area High School 55% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.

Graduation requirements

Tunkhannock Area School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 26 credits to graduate including: math 4 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 3 credits, science 3 credits, Arts and/or Humanities 2 credits, Computer 1 credit, Physical Education/health 1 credit and electives 8 credits. Students must take a minimum of 6.25 credits each year while enrolled in the Tunkhannock Area High School. Students not being proficient on the PSSA have an alternate means of demonstrating proficiency on the PSSA as outlined in the board policy.
By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district. Students must complete 15 hours of community service as their high school graduation project. Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.
By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams. The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade.
Students have several opportunities to pass the exam. Schools are mandated to provide targeted assistance to help the student be successful. Those who do not pass after several attempts can perform a project in order to graduate. For the class of 2019, a Composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements. In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level. Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

School safety and bullying

The Tunkhannock Area School District administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying in Tunkhannock Area High School in 2014. Additionally, there were three simple assaults on students, three knife related incidents and one case of sexual harassment involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in eighteen incidents at the schools, which resulted in no arrests.
Each year the school safety data is reported by the district to the Safe School Center which then publishes the compiled reports online. Nationally, nearly 20% of pupils report being bullied at school.
The Tunkhannock Area School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online. All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.
Education standards relating to student safety and anti harassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.

Music Program

The music program at Tunkhannock High School allows students to delvep into the study and performance of music through instruments and singing. The Drama and Music Department works together to perform their annual fall plays and spring musicals. The music program is highly respected, and one of the best in surrounding counties.
Courses offered:
This program is available to all students that would like to experience the work force while still in high school. Students may also work in or job shadow several a variety of careers to help them decide their future plans. Some of the opportunities that students may take part in are Cooperative Vocational Education, Internship Program, Job Shadowing Summer Tech Prep Co-op Program, Skills VSA/VICA, and Transitional Job Shadowing/Job Training.

Wellness policy

Tunkhannock Area School Board established a district wellness policy in 2010. The policy deals with nutritious meals served at school, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age appropriate nutrition education for all students, and physical education for students K-12. The policy is in response to state mandates and federal legislation. The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006." Most districts identified the superintendent and school foodservice director as responsible for ensuring local wellness policy implementation.
Tunkhannock Area High School offers both a free school breakfast and a free or reduced-price lunch to children in low income families. All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are provided a breakfast and lunch at no cost to the family. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level can be charged no more than 30 cents per breakfast. A foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household is eligible for both a free breakfast and a free lunch. Runaway, homeless and Migrant Youth are also automatically eligible for free meals. The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.
In 2013, the USDA issued new restrictions to foods in public schools. The rules apply to foods and beverages sold on all public school district campuses during the day. They limit vending machine snacks to a maximum of 200 calories per item. Additionally, all snack foods sold at school must meet competitive nutrient standards, meaning they must have fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein in them or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D. In order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 all US public school districts are required to raise the price of their school lunches to $2.60 regardless of the actual cost of providing the lunch. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandates that districts raise their full pay lunch prices every year until the price of non-subsidized lunches equals the amount the federal government reimburses schools for free meals. That subsidy in 2013-2014 was $2.93.
In 2014, President Obama ordered a prohibition of advertisements for unhealthy foods on public school campuses during the school day. The Food and Drug Administration requires that students take milk as their beverage at lunch. In accordance with this law, any student requesting water in place of milk with their lunch must present a written request, signed by a doctor, documenting the need for water instead of milk.
Tunkhannock Area School District provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. A nurse is available in the building to conduct annual health screenings and to dispense prescribed medications to students during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with all the State Department of Health’s extensive immunization mandates. School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance. Nurses also monitor each child's weight.

Cell phone search

IN 2010 a student sued the districts and the high school principal for illegally searching her cell phone in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution. The district settled with the American Civil Liberties Union admitting no wrongdoing, but paying $33,000 in settlement.

Extracurriculars

Tunkhannock Area School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program in association with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.
According to PA Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act 126 of 2014, all volunteer coaches and all those who assist in student activities, must have criminal background checks. Like all school district employees, they must also attend an anti child abuse training once every three years.

Athletics

Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.
According to Pennsylvania’s Safety in Youth Sports Act, all sports coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to annually complete the Concussion Management Certification Training and present the certification before coaching.
;Varsity:
;Boys:
;Girls:
According to PIAA directory 2014-15, July 2014
In the fall of 2009, the Tunkhannock Area Boys' Cross Country team won the District II PIAA Championship and then went on to compete in state meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In June 2010, the Tunkhannock Area Baseball team were crowned District II AAA Champions. The team advanced to the Quarterfinals of the state playoff before being defeated by Conrad-Weiser. In June 2011, the Tunkhannock Area Baseball team advanced to the AAA State Championship for the first time in school history. In May 2013, the Tunkhannock Area Boys' Track and Field team won the District II PIAA Championship for the first time in school history.