Cambria Heights High School

Graduation rate

In 2014, Cambria Heights School District’s graduation rate was 99%.

Academics

US News and World Report rating In 2014, Cambria Heights High School was recognized by US News and World Report as a Bronze level high school in a nationwide school ranking. Among Pennsylvania high schools (traditional, charter and private) 56 achieved gold or silver medals. Another 103 high schools achieved bronze rating out of 698 Pennsylvania high schools reviewed. The study was conducted by American Institutes for Research which examined how many students attained performance levels that exceed statistical expectations given the school's relative level of student poverty, as measured by state accountability test scores for all the school's students in the core subjects of reading and math. The study also examined the success rate for the school's least advantaged student groups (e.g., black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students) that exceed state averages. The study included 752 high schools in Pennsylvania including traditional public schools, public charter schools and public magnet schools. In Pennsylvania in 2013, 112 high schools achieved a Bronze rating in 2013; 47 achieved a silver rating and 7 received a gold rating. The highest ranking went to Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in the School District of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Cambria Heights High School achieved 79.5 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature – 90% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 73.9% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 70% 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 (72 percent of 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.

Cambria Heights High School achieved 72.8 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature – 88% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 74% showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology, 58% showed on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania 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 PSSAs

In 2012, Cambria Heights High School achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status. From 2003 through 2011, Cambria Heights High School achieved AYP status each school year. Effective with Spring 2013, the Pennsylvania Department of Education discontinued administering the PSSA's to 11th graders.

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:

College Remediation Rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 6% of the Cambria Heights 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.

Dual enrollment program

Cambria Heights High School offers a dual enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions. Under state rules, other students that reside in the district, who attend a private school, a charter school or are home schooled are eligible to participate in this program. In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis. Cambria Heights School District received a grant of $4,147 in 2010-11 for the program. At Cambria Heights most dual enrollment courses (with the exception of Microcomputer Applications, Visual Basic Programming, and Anatomy and Physiology I and II) have a weighted credit value of 1.1. The weighted system is used to determine GPA, Class Rank, National Honor Society eligibility, and end of year Academic Banquet awards. Dual Enrollment courses are open only to juniors and seniors. Some courses are offered in association with Penn Highlands Community College and St. Francis University. In 2014, Cambria Heights High School did not offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Graduation requirements

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The Cambria Heights School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 24 credits to graduate, including: a required class every year in English, math – 3 credits, social studies 3 credits, science – 3 credits, Physical Education and health 2 credits and electives 9 credits. Additionally, students must demonstrate proficiency on the Keystone Algebra I, Biology, and Literature exams or demonstrate proficiency on the local assessment (Class of 2016 and 2017) or demonstrate proficiency on a Project-Based Assessment (Class of 2017 and beyond).

Through the class of 2016, students must complete a culminating graduation project as mandated by the state. By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required to 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. 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 (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP, regardless of their Keystone Exams results.

Challenge Program

The Challenge Program offers $250.00 cash incentives to Cambria Heights High School students who excel in the categories of: Academic Improvement, Attendance, Community Service and Academic Excellence. The program partners with businesses to motivate students both in and out of the classroom by encouraging good habits in students that will last throughout their education and into their future careers. For the 2010-2011 school year, the top 10% of students in each of the categories will be eligible to win $250.00. The school has partnered with C-B-W Schools Federal Credit Union and Highmark to offer the program.

SAT scores history

In 2014, Cambria Heights School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 476. The Math average score was 479. The Writing average score was 441. 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, 100 Cambria Heights School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 458. The Math average score was 479. The Writing average score was 439. 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, 73 Cambria Heights School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 478. The Math average score was 495. The Writing average score was 457. 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, 86 Cambria Heights School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 467. The Math average score was 476. The Writing average score was 445. 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 (out of 800) 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.

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006 to 2009. Cambria Heights School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07. In 2007-08, the District applied receiving $157,066. The District received $45,413 in 2008-09 for a total funding of $202,47. Among the public school districts in Cambria County, the highest award was given to Greater Johnstown School District which received $463,166. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

Wellness programs

Cambria Heights School Board established a district-wide Wellness policy in 2007. 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 (P.L. 108 – 265). The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq) "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.

The legislation placed the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts were required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation. Districts were offered a choice of levels of implementation for limiting or prohibiting low nutrition foods on the school campus. In final implementation these regulations prohibit some foods and beverages on the school campus. The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.

The Cambria Heights High School offers both a free school breakfast and a free or reduced-price lunch to students 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.

Cambria Heights 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 (data reported to the PDE and state Department of Health) 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 (23 required). School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance. Nurses also monitor each child's weight.

Highmark Healthy High 5 grant

In 2011, Cambria Heights School District received funding through a Highmark Healthy High 5 grant. Cambria Heights High School received $9,995 which was used to fund the National Strength and Condition Association (NSCA) Fly Solo Program. Beginning in 2006, Highmark Foundation engaged in a 5-year, $100 million program to promote lifelong healthy behaviors in children and adolescents through local nonprofits and schools. The School also receive a Healthy High 5 grant in 2008.

Extracurriculars

Cambria Heights School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, publicly funded sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by Cambria Heights School Board policies. The District is noncompliant with state law, due to failing to post its current Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities Disclosure Form on its website.

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

Passing regular schoolwork is a prerequisite to participating in sports activities. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association rules are in effect for all athletics for grades 7 through 12. The PIAA rules require students pass the equivalent of four credits on a weekly basis to be eligible the following week and four equivalent credits at the end of each marking period to be eligible for the twenty days after the report cards are issued. Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid. The District is located in PIAA District 6. The Athletic Director is Tom Boyle. The District is part of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.

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. The District has implemented the ImPACT Concussion Management Program.

The following athletics are offered at Cambria Heights:

According to PIAA directory July 2015