Riverside Junior Senior High School

Graduation rate

In 2014, the District’s graduation rate was 84%.

Academics

Riverside Junior Senior High School achieved a score of 64.4 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - only 63% of tested students were on grade level. In Algebra 1, just 58% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 50% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. In 8th grade - 65% of pupils showed on grade level writing skills. 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.

Riverside Junior Senior High School achieved 68.2 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 65.5% of tested pupils were on grade level. In Mathematics/Algebra 1, 61.39% showed on grade level skills. In Science/Biology, 42.35% of students showed on grade level science understanding at the end of the course. In 8th grade - 73.53% of pupils demonstrated on grade level writing skills. 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

In 2012, Riverside Junior Senior High School declined even further to Corrective Action I due to a low graduation rate coupled with low student academic achievement in both reading and mathematics.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, beginning in 2011, the Riverside Junior Senior High School administration was required to notify parents of the school's poor achievement outcomes and to offer the parent the opportunity to transfer to a successful school within the District. There is no alternative operated by the District. Additionally, the school administration was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to develop a School Improvement Plan to address the school's low student achievement. Under the Pennsylvania Accountability System, the school district must pay for additional tutoring for struggling students. Riverside Junior Senior High School is eligible for special, extra funding under School Improvement Grants which the school must apply for each year.

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.

Science in Motion

Riverside Junior Senior 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 region.

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 35% of Riverside Senior 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

The Riverside Junior Senior 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. For the 2009–10 funding year, Riverside School District received a state grant of $87,483 for the program. In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the dual enrollment grants to students.

In 2014, the District does not offer the Penn CollegeNOW program provided by the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

SAT scores

In 2014, Riverside Junior Senior High School students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 468. The Math average score was 492. The Writing average score was 462. 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, 72 Riverside Junior Senior High School students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 476. The Math average score was 496. The Writing average score was 466. 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, 87 Riverside Junior Senior High School students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 459. The Math average score was 494. The Writing average score was 456. 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, Riverside Junior Senior High School students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 476. The Math average score was 508. The Writing average score was 463. 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.

AP Courses

In 2014, Riverside Junior Senior High School offered 5 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. High School students can take the AP exam in the spring. The fee for each AP Exam is $91 (2014). 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 Riverside Junior Senior High School 20% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.

Junior high school

Seventh grades have been tested in reading and mathematics since 2006. Eighth graders are tested in: reading, writing, mathematics and Science. Beginning in the Spring of 2013, eighth graders, who are enrolled in Algebra I take the Keystone Exam for Algebra I at the end of the course. The testing of 8th grade in reading and mathematics began in 1999, as a state initiative. Testing in science began in 2007. 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 focus on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The standards were published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. In 2014, the Commonwealth adopted the Pennsylvania Core Standards - Mathematics.

8th Grade Science:

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 2006–2009. Riverside School District did not apply in 2006–07. In 2007–08 the District received $203,422. For the 2008–09, school year the District received $45,413 for a total of $248,835. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards. Among the public school districts in Lackawanna County, the highest award was given to Scranton School District which received $888,647. Two school district in Lackawanna County chose to not participate in the grants. 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.

Project 720 grant

Project 720 was a high school reform program implemented for three years under the Rendell administration. The intent was to increase academic rigor and improve the instruction of teachers in the Commonwealth’s high schools. Teachers were expected to use data driven instructional practices and to meet the needs of diverse learners. The 720 in the name referred to the number of days a student was in high school in ninth through 12th grades. High schools applied for funding and were required to agree to report to the PDE their plans, their actions and the outcomes. In 2007-08 budget year, the Commonwealth provided $11 million in funding. School Riverside School District was not among of 161 PA public school districts to apply. For 2010-11, Project 720 funding was decreased to $1.7 million by Governor Rendell. The grant program was discontinued effective with the 2011-12 state budget.

Extracurriculars

The Riverside Junior Senior HIgh School offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate is determined by the school board and in compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students 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

Riverside School District offers numerous extracurricular activities made available to its students. Riverside SD is in PIAA District 2. The athletic teams take part in PIAA athletics and club sports. The district's colors are red and navy blue. The mascot is the Viking. 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.

The District funds:

According to PIAA directory July 2014

Clubs and activities

Riverside School District offers over twenty different clubs to the student population.