Northgate Junior

For schools of the same name, see Northgate High School (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 40°30′22″N 80°03′24″W / 40.5061°N 80.0566°W / 40.5061; -80.0566

Northgate Junior - Senior High School
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Information
Type	Public
Principal	Bryan Kyle[1]
Enrollment	794
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Red and Gold
Athletics conference	WPIAL
Website	http://www.northgate.k12.pa.us/

Northgate Junior – Senior High School is a public high school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, serving Northgate School District. It is located in Bellevue, a borough of Allegheny County. The school district is relatively small, consisting of only two elementary schools, one in Avalon, and one in Bellevue. The school combines grades 7-12 into one Junior-Senior High School.

Graduation rate

In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Northgate Senior High School's rate was 86% for 2010.^[2]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:

• 2010 - 91%
• 2009 - 90%
• 2008 - 89%
• 2007 - 89% ^[3]

Graduation Requirements

The school board has determined that a student must earn 26 credits to graduate including: English 4 credits, Math 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Science 4 credits, Oral Communication 0.5 credits, Computer Application 2 credits, Physical Education 2 credits, Health 0.5 credits and 5.5 electives.^[4]

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.^[5]

By Pennsylvania State 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.^[6]

11th Grade

In 2010, the high school's 11th grade ranked 91st out of 122 western Pennsylvania high schools based on five years of results in PSSAs on: reading, math writing and three years of science.^[7] In 2010 - 71st out of 105 schools.^[8] In 2009, the school ranked 64th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools ^[9]

11th Grade Reading

• 2010 - 59% on grade level (22% below basic). State - 66% of 11th graders were on grade level.^[10]
• 2009 - 61% (29% below basic), State - 65% ^[11]
• 2008 - 69%, State - 64% ^[12]
• 2007 - 66%, State - 65% ^[13]

11th Grade Math

• 2010 - 33% on grade level (42% below basic). State - 59% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 51% (28% below basic). State - 55%
• 2008 - 60%, State - 56%

11th Grade Science

• 2010 - 26% on grade level (22% below basic). State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 26% (21% below basic), State - 40%
• 2008 - 28%, State - 39% ^[14]

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 41% of Northgate School District 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.^[15] 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.^[16] 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 school district 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.^[17] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[18] Over 400 school districts in Pennsylvania offer a dual enrollment program in 2009. 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.^[19]

For the 2009-10 funding year, the high school received a state grant of $1,476 for the program.^[20]

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. Northgate High School received $256,903 in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received $250,000. For the 2008-09, school year the district did not apply again. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards.^[21]

Sports

The Northgate School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate are set by school board policy. Sports offered at Northgate include Varsity Football, Junior Varsity Football, Junior High Football (Grades 7-8), Varsity Cross Country, Junior High Cross Country, Golf, Swimming, Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Junior High Boys Basketball, Junior High Girls Basketball, Boys & Girls Bowling, Varsity Girls Volleyball, Junior High Girls Volleyball, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, and Varsity Track.^{[citation needed]}

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students who reside within the district's boundaries, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those home schooled, 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.^[22]

Statistics

• The enrollment in 2004 was 794.^[23]
• In 2005, the average SAT score was 1040, and the average ACT score was 23.^[23]
• In 2004, the student population consisted of 89.5% Caucasian ancestry, 10.2% Blackancestry, and 0.3% Hispanic ancestry.^[23]
• There were 15.3 students per teacher in 2005.^[24]

Enrollment

• 2010 - 629 ^[25]
• 2009 - 634
• 2008 - 664
• 2007 - 734
• 2006 - 789

References

1. ^ "Northgate Middle / High School". Northgate School District. http://www.northgate.k12.pa.us/HighSchool/directory.html. Retrieved 2009-04-17. 
2. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (March 15, 2011). "New 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Now Being Implemented". http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_department_of_education/7237/info/757639. 
3. ^ Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. "High School Graduation rate 2007". http://www.scribd.com/doc/23571629/PA-High-School-Graduation-Info-by-School-District-2007. Retrieved January 31, 2011. 
4. ^ Northgate School Board and School Administration (2011). "Northgate graduation requirements". http://www.northgate.k12.pa.us/HighSchool/guidance.html. 
5. ^ "Pennsylvania Code §4.24 (a) High school graduation requirements". http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/022/chapter4/s4.24.html. 
6. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 2011). "Pennsylvania Keystone Exams Overview". http://www.scribd.com/doc/47925315/Pennsylvania-Keystone-Exams-Overview-Sept-2010. 
7. ^ Pittsburgh Business Times, (April 2011). "Northgate School District ranking". http://www2.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/events/pennsylvania_schools/schooldetails.html?DistrictNumber=103026873&SchoolNumber=53. 
8. ^ Pittsburgh Business Times, (April 2010). "Northgate School District ranking 2010". http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/feature/schools/northgate_school_district.html. .
9. ^ The Rankings: 11th grade, Pittsburgh Business Times, May 15th, 2009.
10. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Northgate Junior Senior HIgh School Academic Achievement Report card". http://paayp.emetric.net/Content/reportcards/RC10S103026873000000053.PDF. 
11. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 14, 2009). "Reading, Math, Science and Writing PSSA Results 2009". http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442. 
12. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2009). "Northgate Junior- Senior High School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2009". http://www.scribd.com/doc/30131198/Northgate-Junior-Senior-High-School-Academic-Achievement-Report-Card-2009. 
13. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 2007). "Math and Reading PSSAs Results by School District and School 2007". http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442/2006-2007_pssa_and_ayp_results/507511. 
14. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 2008). "Science PSSAs Results by School District and School 2008". http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442/2007-2008_pssa_and_ayp_results/507514. 
15. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (January 2009). "Pennsylvania College Remediation Report". http://www.scribd.com/doc/23970364/Pennsylvania-College-Remediation-Report. 
16. ^ National Center for Education Statistics
17. ^ 2010-2011 Pennsylvania Department of Education - Dual Enrollment Guidelines.
18. ^ Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement. site accessed March 2010.
19. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education. (April 29, 2010). "Report: PA College Credit Transfer System Makes Higher Education More Affordable, Accessible". http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=7201&PageID=510952&mode=2&contentid=http://pubcontent.state.pa.us/publishedcontent/publish/cop_hhs/pde/single_web/newsroom_press_releases/news_releases/report__pa_college_credit_transfer_system_makes_higher_education_more_affordable__accessible.html. 
20. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education Dual Enrollment Fall Grants 2009-10. August 2009
21. ^ Pennsylvania Auditor General (2008-12-22). "Special Performance Audit Classrooms For the Future grants". http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/reports/performance/special/specff122208.pdf. 
22. ^ Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, (November 10, 2005). "Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities,". http://www.scribd.com/doc/35742869/Governor-Rendell-Says-Home-Schooled-Children-Can-Participate-in-School-District-Extracurricular-Activities. 
23. ^ ^{a b c} Standard & Poor's. "Northgate Middle School/High School: School Overview". The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. http://www.schoolmatters.com/app/location/q/stid=39/llid=118/stllid=153/locid=1693/catid=-1/secid=-1/compid=-1/site=pes. Retrieved 2007-01-15. 
24. ^ Standard & Poor's. "Northgate Middle School/High School: School Environment". The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. http://www.schoolmatters.com/app/data/q/stid=39/llid=118/stllid=153/locid=1693/catid=812/secid=3150/compid=771/site=pes. Retrieved 2007-01-15. 
25. ^ Enrollment and School Enrollment Projections, Pennsylvania Department of Education, July 2010