Blue Mountain High School

Blue Mountain High School
Address
1076 W Market Street
Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, Schuylkill County 17972-9801
United States
Information
Type Public
School board 9 locally elected members
School district Blue Mountain School District
School number (570) 366-0511
Faculty 70 teachers 2011
Grades 9th-12th
Age 14 years old to 21 years old special education
Enrollment 978 students (2010-11)[1]
 • Grade 9 247
 • Grade 10 257
 • Grade 11 230
 • Grade 12 233
 • Other Enrollment projected to be 898 in 2018[2]
Website http://www.bmsd.org/HighSchool/ Blue Mountain High School website

Blue Mountain High School is a small, rural public high school located at 1076 W Market Street, Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania in Schuylkill County. It was built in 1957 and renovated from 1999 to 2001. It is part of the Blue Mountain School District. In 2013, enrollment at the school had declined to 913 pupils, with 22.5% coming from low income homes.[3] According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the High School reported an enrollment of 978 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 164 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. The school employed 70 teachers yielding a student teacher ratio of 13:1.[4] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind Act.[5]

An original Wanamaker Eagle was donated to the school when the department store it had decorated for many years went out of business. The bronze Eagle stands in front of the school. The current principal of the school is Mr. Berger, and the assistant principal is Mr. Rossi.[6]

Blue Mountain Elementary, Middle and High School have been assigned a dress code this year.[7] According to the Blue Mountain School District's webpage, bmsd.org, the dress code policies include: pants must be a solid color of casual, dress, or corduroy style; pants must be fitted, but not too tight or too loose; capri pants are permitted; shorts and skorts are permitted, between April 15 and October 15, and must be worn within two inches of the knee; shirts must fit the students appropriately and be a solid color; shirts must have a collar; sweaters, turtle necks and crew neck sweatshirts are permitted, but must be worn with a dress policy appropriate shirt.

Graduation rate

In 2013, Blue Mountain School District’s graduation rate was 90%.[8] In 2012, Blue Mountain School District’s graduation rate was 94%.[9] In 2011, the District's graduation rate was 90%.[10] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Blue Mountain High School's graduation rate was 90% for 2010.[11]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

Academics

2013 School Performance Profile

Blue Mountain High School achieved 82.1 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature -84% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 72% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 37.8% showed on grade level science understanding.[17] 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, they now take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.

AYP history

In 2012, Blue Mountain High School achieved AYP status. In 2011, Blue Mountain High School declined to Warning AYP status, due to lagging student achievement.[18]

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading

2005 – 75%, State – 65%

11th Grade Math
11th Grade Science

Science in Motion Blue Mountain 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.[32] Wilkes University provides the experiences to schools in the region.

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 22% of Blue Mountain 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.[33] 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.[34] 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

Blue Mountain 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, including the graduation ceremony. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[35] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[36]

For the 2009–10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $25,373 for the program.[37] In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis.

Graduation requirements

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The Blue Mountain School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 22 credits for the Class of 2015 (and beyond) to graduate including: math 3 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits, science 3 credits, Physical Education 2 credits, Arts and Humanities 1.5 credits and electives 3.5 credits.[38]

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.[39] At Blue Mountain High School, the project requires a typed research paper that crosses at least three different standards areas, and be a minimum of ten pages.[40] 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.[41]

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.[42] 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, with those who do not able to perform a project in order to graduate.[43][44] 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.[45] 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.[46] 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.

SAT Scores

In 2013, Blue Mountain School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 510. The Math average score was 513. The Writing average score was 496. 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.[47]

In 2012, 156 Blue Mountain School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 507. The Math average score was 516. The Writing average score was 497. 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, 165 Blue Mountain School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 500. The Math average score was 506. The Writing average score was 474.[48] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[49] 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.[50]

In 2006, Blue Mountain students had an average SAT score of 1070; average 527 in the verbal section and 543 in the math.

AP Courses

In 2013, Blue Mountain High School offered 9 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. 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 Blue Mountain High School 17% of students who took an AP course at the school earned a 3 or better on the exam.[51]

Tuition

Students who live in the Blue Mountain School District's attendance area may choose to attend one of Pennsylvania's 157 public charter schools. A student living in a neighboring public school district or a foreign exchange student may seek admission to Blue Mountain School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education sets an annual tuition rate for each school district. It is the amount the public school district pays to a charter school for each resident student that attends the charter and it is the amount a nonresident student's parents must pay to attend the Blue Mountain School District's schools. The 2012 tuition rates are Elementary School - $8,263.33, High School - $8,508.62.[52]

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. Blue Mountain High School did not apply for funding in 2006-07 nor 2007-08. For the 2008-09, school year the High School received $148,630 in state funding.[53] Among the public school districts in Schuylkill County, the highest award was given to North Schuylkill School District which received $245,673. 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. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards, while 50 never applied for funding.

Extracurriculars

Blue Mountain School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, costly sports program. In 2012, the Obama Administration's US Department of Education issued a directive that schools include students with disabilities in extracurricular activities including sports.[54]

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.[55]

Athletics Department

Blue Mountain, led by Co-Athletic Directors Harry Myers and Ruth Weidman, offers a variety of District XI sports. Doug Morgan and Jim Ebling are assistant athletic directors for the fall season, Burt Werdt and Jim Ebling are assistant athletic directors for the winter season, and Bob Hepler and Tom Bonner are assistant athletic directors for the spring season. Blue Mountain consists of football, boys and girls cross country, golf, girls tennis, and girls volleyball in the fall, boys and girls basketball, wrestling, and swimming and diving in the winter, and baseball, softball, track and field, girls soccer and boys tennis in the spring. In most sports, it is a AAA school, although swimming and soccer are AA.

Cross country

The Cross Country team started in 1968 as a club under the direction of Mr. Ralph Jeager, who would coach until 1987. Mr. Jordan Sullivan and Mr. Ed Taylor coached for several years each. In 1999, Mr. Cory Cantwell became head coach, assisted by Tyler Maley. From 1971 to 1984, the team met phenomenal success, winning League titles each year and District titles in twelve of the fourteen years. From 2001 to 2007 the cross country team has met phenomenal success because of coach Jared Buckman who took over the team. The girls cross country team won leagues three years in a row from 2005 to 2007 while placing third in the 2004 season. The boys team also succeeded by finishing in the top teams in the league meets for the past couple years. Blue Mountain's cross country team has also been doing well in districts and succeeding by sending multiple runners to the state meet.

Boys' Soccer

The Blue Mountain boys' soccer team was one of the first schools in the county to embrace soccer as a varsity sport thanks to the efforts of ex-Blue Mountain chemistry teacher and current head coach Rob Burcik. The team has won multiple league championships since its founding, most recently by 2011's varsity squad. Coach Burcik is assisted by coaches Joshua Ott and Bill Dukman.

Football

The Blue Mountain Football team was started in 1957 when the school was completed. The team's main rivals are Schuylkill Haven High School and Pottsville Area High School. They have a new head coach Cory Mabry and assistants Harry Myers, John Sanders, John Carestia, Matt Harrison, Michael Stankiewitch, Tony Sanders, Tom Bonner, Bill Swan, and Dave Shiffer.

Golf

The Blue Mountain golf team won the Schuylkill League ten straight years, from 1999 through 2008. The coach is Larry Bordan, who is the golf professional at Schuylkill County Country Club. It is one of the school's best teams. Larry Bordan went to Sch. haven in the 1970s and before he was the coach, back in the 1970s was Mr. Patton.

Girl's Softball

The Blue Mountain Varsity softball team won the Schuylkill League Championship in 2006, and advanced to the semi-finals in districts last year. They finished with a winning record.

Boy's and Girl's Swim Team

The Blue Mountain Girl's Varsity Swim Team won the District XI AA Title in 2007 for the second year in a row. The Girl's team also won the Schuylkill League Championships in 2007, 2013, and 2015. The boy's team has won the Schuylkill League Title in 2013 and 2014. Both teams have sent swimmers to the PIAA state meet.

Boy's Basketball

The Blue Mountain Boys Basketball team won the District XI Championship in 1996 and the Schuylkill League Championship in 2007 and played in the State Playoffs 3 straight years. The team's head coach is Mr. Dustin Werdt who has coached at Blue Mountain for only a few years.

Girl's Basketball

Blue Mountain's girls basketball team has had a very winning record and made it to the league playoffs and districts many times and were very successful there.

Wrestling

The Blue Mountain wrestling team is one of the school's sports teams. Placing top four in the 07-08 district 11 duals and qualifying for the past two years is a Blue Mt. first ever. They qualified 7 wrestlers to the Norhteast regional finals last season in 07-08 which is a new school record and had two state finalists last season one taking first and one taking second. The 08–09 season was even better as the team placed 6th at the Iron Man(toughest tournament in nation), and qualified for the state duals for the first time ever but fell in the state semis. They then had 8 qualify for northeast regionals. The team then qualified six wrestlers for states. The eagles had 5 state place winners then and were the state runner up giving blue mountain its first ever state trophy. The eagles have nine 100 wins. They are coached by Head Coach Todd Kindig and assistant coach Harry Myers, and Gary Keener.

Girl's Volleyball

The Blue Mountain girl's volleyball team is a growing sport at the school. In 2008, the team won the Division I league and played in the league semi-finals. In 2009, the team was Schuylkill League runner ups, losing in the finals to Nativity. Currently, Blue Mountain is coached by head coach, Nick Marrongelle and assistant coach, Kyle Rice.

Baseball

Blue Mountain's Baseball team is defending back-to-back District XI AAA Champions and was the 2007 District Runner-Up. The team is coached by Thomas Kramer and Bill Dobrolsky.

Varsity Club

The BMHS Varsity Club is a club for athletes with at least one varsity letter. It is dedicated to fulfilling service projects to the school and community.

Clubs

Art Club

Led by Mr. Whalen and Mr.Pasierb, this club is for people to make and enjoy art. The art club has several yearly contests such as the ornament contest and the Jambandoree poster contest. The art club is also responsible for hosting the yearly Jambandoree and Art Show. Profits from the Jambandoree benefit the art club.

Anime Club

Hosted by the chemistry teacher Mr. Bill Swan, the anime club is a club for teaching people the superior art of Japanese animation. It also teaches the Japanese language if anyone is interested. Formed by Blue Mountain Graduate Kelsey Shappell

Improv Club

A new addition to Blue Mountain High School, the Improv Club meets bi-weekly. Moderated by 1998 graduate Paul Weller, III, the Improv Club's goal is to show students that acting can be both fun and educational.

Yearbook

Every 9th period the yearbook staff gathers to work on forming the Blue Mountain Eagle Echo. This club is run by Mrs.Clemas and Mrs. Batory. The yearbook staff takes pictures, forms layouts, hosts club and activity picture day, and distributes the yearbooks to the school.

Newspaper

The BMHS newspaper is called the Aerie and carries information on school and world events.

Band

The band program at BMHS is led by Mr. Chris Evans. Band offers budding and experienced musicians a variety of ensemble choices.

Marching band

The Marching Band performs at football games and competes in various events throughout the season. The Marching Band has an auxiliary unit called the Guard, which is a flag corps. The marching band has competed in several major events. These include Tournament of Bands Championships at Lackawanna County Stadium, Cadets Marching Band Cooperative (now USBands) at Giants/Jets Stadium, Cavalcade of Bands, Walt Disney World Parade, Azalea Festival Parade in Richmond, Virginia, etc.

Symphonic Band

The Symphonic Band performs at spring concerts, adjudications, and school and community events throughout the spring semester. This ensemble studies and plays pieces spanning five centuries of musical genres.

Jazz Band

The Jazz Ensemble performs concerts each year. This ensemble features extra instrumentation in the rhythm section and allows selected band members to experience the jazz genre of music.

Indoor Drumline

In December of each year, the Indoor Drumline begins its intensive rehearsals for its competition season, during which it performs in weekly competitions beginning in March. The ensemble consists of snare drums, a series of pitched bass drums, quints, cymbals, and various pit instruments, including marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, timpani and other auxiliary instruments.

They won, in 2006, the Scholastic Novice championship in Wildwood, NJ.

Indoor Color Guard

As an extension of the outdoor marching band color guard the indoor guard was formed in the fall of 2001 to better serve the needs of the program year round. The color guard performs several times throughout the winter and spring months ending with championships in either late April or early May. The group can consist of as many as 30 members or as few as 5. Normally BMHS guard averages around 9–12 members. Each year the staff selects some sort of recorded music to which the color guard will perform. Equipment consists of flags, rifles, and sabers. The guard normally incorporates dance into the shows to add a layer of difficulty and design.

2008 the guard won the Chapter Championships and a week later qualified for the All-Chapter Championships and finished 8th.

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data - Blue Mountain High School, 2012
  2. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (July 2011). "Enrollment and Projections by school district".
  3. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, School Performance Fast Facts - Blue Mountain High School, 2013
  4. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, Common Care Data - Blue Mountain High School, 2010
  5. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Professional Qualifications of Teachers Blue Mountain High School 2012, September 21, 2012
  6. ↑ General Info: Faculty and Staff Listing, www.bmsd.org/HighSchool/
  7. ↑ Dress and Grooming Policies, www.bmsd.org
  8. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (December 5, 2013). "Blue Mountain High School Fast Facts".
  9. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "Blue Mountain School District AYP Data Table 2012".
  10. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, School District AYP Data Table 2011, September 29, 2011
  11. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (March 15, 2011). "New 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Now Being Implemented".
  12. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (January 2011). "Blue Mountain School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2010" (PDF).
  13. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Blue Mountain School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2009
  14. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Blue Mountain School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2008, August 2008
  15. ↑ Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children – High School Graduation Report 2007
  16. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Blue Mountain Academic Achievement Report Card 2006
  17. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (October 4, 2013). "Blue Mountain High School Academic Performance Data 2013".
  18. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Blue Mountain High School Academic Report Card 2011, September 21, 2012
  19. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2012). "2011-2012 PSSA and AYP Results".
  20. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA and AYP Results".
  21. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education Blue Mountain High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2010, February 2011
  22. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Blue Mountain High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2008, August 15, 2008
  23. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education report PSSA Math and Reading results by school and grade 2007
  24. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Blue Mountain High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2006".
  25. ↑ Pittsburgh Post Gazette (October 15, 2012). "How is your school doing?".
  26. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Blue Mountain High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2011, September 29, 2011
  27. ↑ The Times-Tribune (September 14, 2009). "Grading Our Schools database, 2009 PSSA results".
  28. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 15, 2008). "2007-2008 PSSA and AYP Results".
  29. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "Blue Mountain High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2012" (PDF).
  30. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA results in Science".
  31. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Report on PSSA Science 2008 results by school and grade
  32. ↑ The Pennsylvania Basic Education/Higher Education Science and Technology Partnership, Science in Motion annual report, 2012
  33. ↑ Pennsylvania College Remediation Report http://www.scribd.com/doc/23970364/Pennsylvania-College-Remediation-Report
  34. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics
  35. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education – Dual Enrollment Guidelines.
  36. ↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement. site accessed March 2010. http://www.patrac.org/
  37. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education Dual Enrollment Fall Grants 2009–10. August 2009
  38. ↑ Blue Mountain School District Administration, Blue Mountain High School Curriculum Guide, 2013-14
  39. ↑ "Pennsylvania Code §4.24 (a) High school graduation requirements".
  40. ↑ Blue Mountain High School Administration (August 2010). "Blue Mountain High School Curriculum Guide 2010" (PDF).
  41. ↑ Pennsylvania State Board of Education, Proposed changes to Chapter 4, May 10, 2012
  42. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Keystone Exam Overview" (PDF).
  43. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 2011). "Pennsylvania Keystone Exams Overview".
  44. ↑ Pennsylvania State Board of Education (2010). "Rules and Regulation Title 22 PA School Code CH. 4".
  45. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education, State Board of Education Finalizes Adoption of Pennsylvania Common Core State Academic Standards and High School Graduation Requirements, March 14, 2013
  46. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2011). "Keystone Exams".
  47. ↑ College Board (2013). "The 2013 SAT Report on College & Career Readiness".
  48. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2011). "Public School SAT Scores 2011".
  49. ↑ College Board (September 2011). "SAT Scores State By State - Pennsylvania".
  50. ↑ "While U.S. SAT scores dip across the board, N.J. test-takers hold steady". NJ.com. September 2011.
  51. ↑ PDE, School Performance Profile - Academic Performance Data - Blue Mountain High School, December 2013
  52. ↑ Pennsylvania Department of Education (May 2012). "Pennsylvania Public School District Tuition Rates".
  53. ↑ Pennsylvania Auditor General (2008-12-22). "Special Performance Audit Classrooms For the Future grants" (PDF).
  54. ↑ US Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education Clarifies Schools' Obligation to Provide Equal Opportunity to Students with Disabilities to Participate in Extracurricular Athletics, January 25, 2013
  55. ↑ Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, November 10, 2005

References

External links

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