Trinity High School (Washington, Pennsylvania)

Trinity High School
Location
231 Park Avenue, Washington, Pennsylvania Coordinates: 40°09′53″N 80°14′58″W / 40.16472°N 80.24944°W
Information
Type	Public
School district	Trinity Area School District
Principal	Mr. Thomas Samosky
Grades	9–12
Color(s)	Blue&White
Mascot	Hiller
Information	[phone]
Website	Trinity High School
Trinity Hall
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation Landmark
Nearest city	Washington, Pennsylvania
Built	1857
Architect	Copeland,T.V.; McKim, Mead, and White
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP Reference #	76001681 [1]
Added to NRHP	September 27, 1976

Trinity High School is a public high school located on a hilltop overlooking the city of Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Its bell tower has been a landmark in Washington County for years.

It is designated as a historic public landmark by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.^[2][3]

History

The school was once an all-boys military academy frequented by former president Ulysses S. Grant.^[4] Today, Trinity is a modern public school housing approximately 1,279 students in grades 9–12 on a campus style setting.^[5]

Trinity Hall, the historic core of the campus, dates back to 1857, when it was built as a private home. The building was purchased in 1879, and turned into the Trinity Hall Military Academy, with dormitories added for 35 students. The building was sold in 1925 to establish a public high school. The building has been expanded and renamed, but the core of the 150-year-old original structure remains.^[4]

Academics program

Trinity High School offers 13 Advanced Placement classes and four languages. Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese. These language courses include classes from level one to level five honors. There are elective and core subjects in the areas of arts, music, business, English, science, history, mathematics, social studies, and journalism.

Graduation rate

In 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Trinity School District's graduation rate was calculated to be 85% for 2010.^[6]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 – 96%^[7]
• 2009 – 96%
• 2008 – 94% ^[8]
• 2007 – 94% ^[9]

Academic achievement

In 2011, Trinity Senior High School declined to 'Warning' AYP status due to lagging mathematics achievement. The math achievement fell below the State AYP goal of 67% for Math and below the statewide 11th grade achievement level of 60% on grade level. In 2010, the school achieved AYP status.^[10]

In 2011, the 11th grade ranked 40th among 122 western Pennsylvania school district 11th grades, for academic achievement as measured by five years of the PSSAs.^[11]

PSSA results

11th Grade Reading

• 2011 – 70% on grade level, (13% below basic). State – 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[12]
• 2010 – 75% (11% below basic). State – 66% ^[13]
• 2009 – 74% (16% below basic), State – 65% ^[14]
• 2008 – 75% (9% below basic), State – 65%^[15]
• 2007 – 82% (10% below basic), State – 65% ^[16]

11th grade math

• 2011 – 58% on grade level (21% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2010 – 64% (19% below basic). State – 59% ^[17]
• 2009 – 54% (28% below basic). State – 56%
• 2008 – 57% (29% below basic). State – 56% ^[18]
• 2007 – 67% (11% below basic). State – 53%

11th grade science

• 2011 – 40% on grade level (14% below basic). State – 40% of 11th graders were on grade level. .^[19]
• 2010 – 44% (12% below basic). State – 39%
• 2009 – 43% (13% below basic). State – 40%
• 2008 – 48% (7% below basic). State – 39%

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 18% of Trinity 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.^[20] 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.^[21] 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 high school offers the Pennsylvania Dual Enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. 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 offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.^[22] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[23] The Pennsylvania College Credit Transfer System reported in 2009, that students saved nearly $35.4 million by having their transferred credits count towards a degree under the new system.^[24] In 2010, the district received $17,753.00 in a state grant to be used assist students with tuition, fees and books.

Graduation requirements

The Trinity Area School District School Board has determined that students must earn 22 credits to graduate.^[25]

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.^[26] At Trinity High School the graduation project includes: community service, school visitation, job shadowing and a written paper.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.^[27]

Activities and athletics

Trinity High School offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities and sports. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, cross-country, track, wrestling, volleyball, golf, rifle, lacrosse, ice hockey, swimming, softball, tennis, and cheerleading are available at Trinity. They are in the WPIAL AAA and AAAA divisions for their sports. The ice hockey^[28] teams compete in the PIHL Open Division.

Eligibility to participate in all extracurriculars and athletics is set by Trinity School Board policies.^[29][30]

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.^[31][32]

In 2010, an investigation was conducted into the uncontrolled spending of the Trinity High School athletics coaches. The report called for various changes to assure appropriate, student focused, spending.^[33]

A number of clubs and societies are sponsored by the high school. Notable extracurricular activities include:

• The Rifle team has won 23 Section Championships, 16 WPIAL Championships and 5 State Championship. They have more gold medals than any other sport in the school. http://www.trinitypride.org/webpages/jmclaughlin/index.cfm?subpage=155107 and http://www.trinitypride.org/webpages/jhusk/rifle.cfm
• The Marching Band has a proud history. Beginning in 1984, it was 250 members strong and was nationally ranked with the MBA (Marching Bands of America), not to mention the Pennsylvania Federation of Bands. This marching force was continuously ranked in the Top 25 marching bands in the country and from that date until they stopped competing in the national arena in 1989. The band has attended many Bands of America (MBA) Regional festivals and placed in the Top 10 bands 14 times. Trinity's marching band has also won 9 consecutive PIMBA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association) championships.
• The American Music Conference has named Trinity one of the Top 100 Communities for Music Education .
• The Forensics Team, a member of the National Forensic League, has the 2001 National Champion in Expository, Justin C. Welch, to its record, two state champions, Elizabeth C. Dye and Justin C. Welch, and has had numerous individuals qualify to the National Tournament and PHSSL State Tournament every year. Additionally, the Forensics Team boasted a Student of the Year for the Pennsylvania District in 2013, Nathaniel Ecker ((http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:BB0bmYRa-RkJ:https://www.speechanddebate.org/downloadHandler.ashx%3FFile%3D/UserDocs/publicDocs/2013_DSOY.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari)). Two of the last three Policy Debate Teams have advanced to either the Top 32 or Sweet 16 Rounds of the National Public Policy Forum sponsored by the Bickel and Brewer Law Firm in New York City and New York University. The team also has members who compete in the American Legion Oratory Contest annually with one state champion who placed 4th nationally in 2008.
• The Mock Trial Team has competed in numerous local tournaments and has placed regionally and nationally. It remains one of the largest programs in the state, fielding three teams in the state competition, which only four other teams in the state were able to do. In 2009, the two teams placed 2nd and 3rd respectively at the annual University of Pittsburgh Tournament and won the 2008 National Mock Trial Competition in Boston. A number of outstanding attorneys and witnesses awards have been earned by the team over the years too. Trinity defeated Ringgold High School in 2011 to capture the District Championship (Ringgold defeated Trinity for the same title the previous year). In 2013, the Trinity High School Mock Trial Team also captured a district championship with both Trinity Mock Trial Teams placing 1st and 2nd respectively in the tournament as Trinity Team 1 defeated Trinity Team 2 in the district championship.
• The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Team has several individuals go to the state tournament every year.
• The Odyssey of the Mind program is one of the best in the state. It has had three teams qualify to the World Tournament and many teams have reached to the state championship. The 2009 team placed 3rd in the World Finals.
• National History Day has competitors involved have gone to the state and national championships .
• The Academic WorldQuest Team is consistently a top competitor at the Western Pennsylvania Regional Tournament, ranking in the top 15 among 50 teams every year. In 2003, the team won 1st place and competed in the National Tournament in Washington, D.C..
• The Hiller, the school's monthly newspaper, has earned numerous accolades for many years.
• The Academic League program is strong in Western Pennsylvania. The varsity team has gone undefeated a number of times and has competed in regional and statewide competitions.
• The Model United Nations and Model European Union programs have achieved recognition and awards at the University of Virginia, University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Westminster College^[34] over the years.
• Mayday used to be a Trinity Tradition since its founding, up until 1995, MayDay was celebrated in May with the crowning of a May Queen.q
• The football team has made the WPIAL playoffs for 6 years in a row until 2011. The head coach is Ryan Coyle.^[35]

Notable alumni

• Abraham Higginbotham, Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer
• Paul Jacobs, noted concert organist
• Joseph J. Krol, Jr., Rear Admiral,USN (Retired); Associate Administrator, Office of Emergency Operations, National Nuclear Security Administration (Retired)
• John Kanzius, inventor
• Jay Mariotti, sportswriter and broadcaster
• Joseph Albert Walker, American astronaut and test pilot
• Steve Wheatcroft, PGA golfer
• Adam Brock, American Idol contestant
• Faith Daniels, former network TV journalist and talk show host
• Dennis E. Wisnosky, Chief Architect and Chief Technical Officer of the US Department of Defense Business Mission Area (BMA) within the Office of Business Transformation. One of the creators and initiators of the Integrated Definition (IDEFs) language.

References

1. Staff (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "Trinity Hall". Landmark Registry – Public Landmark. Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. 2008. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
3. "Trinity Hall". Spotlight Buildings. Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
4. Crompton, Janice. "SUPERINTENDENT PUSHES FOR TRINITY HALL RESTORATION", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 29, 1998. Accessed July 31, 2007. "The elder Smith gave the current school its primary claim to fame by keeping letters from his friend, Ulysses S. Grant, who periodically visited the school and stayed with Smith."
5. Data for Trinity High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 31, 2007.
6. Pennsylvania Department of Education (March 15, 2011). "New 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Now Being Implemented".
7. "Trinity Area School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2010 data table". Retrieved March 3, 2011.
8. The Times-Tribune (June 25, 2009). "Washington County Graduation Rates 2008".
9. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. "High School Graduation rate 2007". Retrieved January 31, 2011.
10. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Trinity Senior High School AYP Overview".
11. Pittsburgh Business Times (April 4, 2011). "School And School District Information 2011 Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools".
12. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010–2011 PSSA and AYP Results".
13. "2010 PSSAs: Reading, Math, Writing and Science Results".
14. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 14, 2010). "2009 PSSAs: Reading, Math, Writing and Science Results".
15. "The 2008 PSSA Mathematics and Reading School Level Proficiency Results (by Grade and School Total)". August 2008.
16. Pennsylvania Department of Education. "PSSA Math and Reading results by School and Grade 2007".
17. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Trinity Area School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2010".
18. "Math PSSA Scores by District 2007–08 Trinity Area School District Results". The Times-Tribune. June 25, 2009.
19. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010–2011 PSSA results in Science".
20. Pennsylvania Department of Education (January 2009). "Pennsylvania College Remediation Report".
21. National Center for Education Statistics
22. Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Pennsylvania Department of Education – Dual Enrollment Guidelines.".
23. "Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement.". March 2010.
24. Pennsylvania Department of Education. (April 29, 2010). "Report: PA College Credit Transfer System Makes Higher Education More Affordable, Accessible".
25. Trinity Area School District Administration. "Trinity Area School District Student Handbook" (PDF).
26. "Pennsylvania Code §4.24 (a) High school graduation requirements".
27. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 2011). "Pennsylvania Keystone Exams Overview".
28. PIHL | Trinity Ice Hockey Club
29. Trinity Area School Board. "Extracurricular Activities Policy 122".
30. Trinity Area School Board. "Interscholastic Athletics Policy 123".
31. Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, (November 10, 2005). "Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities,".
32. Trinity Area School Board. "Extracurricular Participation By Home Education Students Policy 137".
33. "Athletic Department Investigation Trinity Area School District" (PDF). April 2011.
34. Two Westminster Students Win Model UN Awards
35. Trinity High School Football Schedule. maxpreps.com

External links

• National Register nomination form