McKeesport Area High School
Encyclopedia
McKeesport Area High School is a public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 located in McKeesport
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the United States; it is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 19,731 at the 2010 census...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The school, which is located at 1960 Eden Park Boulevard, serves students from Dravosburg
Dravosburg, Pennsylvania
Dravosburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census...

, McKeesport
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the United States; it is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 19,731 at the 2010 census...

, South Versailles
South Versailles Township, Pennsylvania
South Versailles Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 351 at the 2010 census. Early in its history, South Versailles contained three villages known as Coulter[ville], Emblem, and Osceola.-Geography:...

, Versailles
Versailles, Pennsylvania
Versailles is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,515 at the 2010 census. Despite being named after the extraordinary Palace of Versailles, the name of the borough is almost universally pronounced ver-sales by residents of the area.-Geography:Versailles...

, and White Oak
White Oak, Pennsylvania
White Oak is a suburban Pittsburgh borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,862 at the 2010 census.The borough's motto is "Come Grow With Us."-Geography:White Oak is located at ....

.

The school is a member of The Consortium for Public Education; which is a member of the Public Education Network.

McKeesport Area High School

When this new high school was completed in September 1961, the School Board named it McKeesport Senior High School. From 1967 until 1983, the building was known as McKeesport Area Senior High School whereupon the "senior" was dropped in 1984. From 1984 until now, it has been known as McKeesport Area High School.

The high school became a Grade 9-12 building with the start of the 1979-1980 school year. In 2003-2004, new additions to the high school building provided room for the five remaining vocational/technical classes that were previously housed at North Hall. Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Building Construction, Auto Body, and Auto Mechanics are now all a part of the comprehensive high school that offers its entire academic and vocational/technical curriculum under one roof.

Highlights of the high school project included a modern Tiger Inn restaurant for the culinary arts program, new cosmetology labs, an expanded graphic occupations department, modern office areas for the vocational/technical program, and an expanded physical fitness area, along with, much needed, additional classroom space.

Upgrades were also made to the Weigle-Schaeffer Tiger Stadium that features a new artificial grass field, and an updated all weather track that includes specialized areas to conduct field events.

Academic achievement

The high school ranks 113th of 123 high school in western Pennsylvania for academic achievement based on three years of PSSA
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...

 results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science, by the Pittsburgh Business Times in May 2009.

In 2009, the high school is in Corrective Action II 3rd Year for poor academic achievement.

Graduation rate

2009 - 87%

2008 - 87%

2007 - 87%

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

2009 - 49% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.

2008 - 51%, State - 65%

2007 - 36%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math:

2009 - 23% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.

2008 - 29%, State - 56%

2007 - 19%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

2009 - 8% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.

2008 - 12%, State Avg. - 39%

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...

 study released in January 2009, 48% of the McKeesport Area 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
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...

 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
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...

, 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 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 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. 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, the school district received a state grant of $27,646 for the program.

Graduation project

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.

McKeesport Area Technology Center Programs

  • Allied Health Technology
  • Auto Body and Collision
  • Auto Mechanics
  • Biotechnology
  • Blueprint Reading
  • Building Construction
  • Business/Office Administration
  • Child Care
  • CISCO IT Essentials/C-Tech Networking
  • Computer Aided Design and Drafting
  • Computer Service Technology
  • Cosmetology
  • Culinary Arts
  • Engineering Technology
  • Graphics/Commercial Art
  • Web Page Design

Extracurriculars

The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.

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.

Athletics

McKeesport Area High School competes in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....

 (PIAA). It also is a member of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...

 (WPIAL).
  • Baseball
    Baseball
    Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

  • Basketball
    Basketball
    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

  • Cheerleading
    Cheerleading
    Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

  • Color Guard
    Color guard
    In the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...

  • Cross Country
    Cross country running
    Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

  • Dance
    Dance
    Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

  • Football
    American football
    American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

  • Golf
    Golf
    Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

  • Soccer
  • Softball
    Softball
    Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

  • Swimming
    Swimming (sport)
    Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

  • Tennis
    Tennis
    Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

  • Track
    Track and field
    Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

  • Volleyball
    Volleyball
    Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

  • Winter Guard
    Winter Guard
    The Winter Guard is a fictional team of Russian superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe.The Winter Guard are noted for being "Russia's answer to the Avengers",.. Several members of the group formerly belonged to the Soviet Super-Soldiers, the People's Protectorate and the Supreme Soviets...

  • Wrestling
    Wrestling
    Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...


Athletic Championships

  • 2005:
    • WPIAL AAAA Football Champions
    • PIAA AAAA Football Champions
  • 1998:
    • WPIAL AAAA Girls Basketball Champions.
  • 1995:
    • WPIAL AAAA Boys Basketball Champions.
  • 1994:
    • WPIAL AAAA Football Champions.
    • PIAA AAAA Football Champions.
  • 1963:
    • WPIAL Baseball Champions.
  • 1955:
    • WPIAL Baseball Champions.
    • WPIAL Basketball Champions.
    • PIAA Basketball Champions.
  • 1953:
    • WPIAL Baseball Champions.
  • 1945:
    • WPIAL Baseball Champions.
  • 1925:
    • WPIAL Basketball Champions.
    • PIAA Basketball Champions

Organizations and Activities

The school's numerous and varied organizations include:
  • Band
    Band (music)
    In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...

  • Bowling
    Bowling
    Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...

     Club
  • Chess
    Chess
    Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

     Club
  • Children's Play
  • Choir
    Choir
    A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

  • Color Guard
    Color guard
    In the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...

  • Culinary Arts Club
  • Cultural Diversity Club
  • Cultural Heritage
    Cultural heritage
    Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...

     Club
  • Environmental
    Environmentalism
    Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...

     Club
  • Equestrian
    Equestrianism
    Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

     team
  • Foreign Language Club
  • Future Business Leaders of America
  • Future Nurses of America
  • Gay-Straight Alliance
    Gay-straight alliance
    Gay–straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in North American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies .-Goal:The goal of most, if not all,...

  • Interact Club
  • Marching Band
    Marching band
    Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

  • Model United Nations
    Model United Nations
    Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....

  • Musical Theater
  • National Honor Society
    National Honor Society
    The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...

  • Orchestra
    Orchestra
    An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

  • P.A.W.S.S.
  • P.E.P.P.
  • Powder Puff
    Powder Puff
    Powderpuff is a reference to the division of a traditionally male sport reserved for females regardless of the age of the participants.Powderpuff football games are an annual tradition at many high schools and universities in the United States and Canada...

     Football
  • PTSA
  • Red & Blue Newspaper
  • Senior Class
  • Skills U.S.A.
  • Speech Club
  • Stage Crew
  • Students Against Driving Drunk/Drug Awareness Committee S.A.D.D.
  • Student Council
    Student council
    Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...

  • Theatre Arts
  • Vision Poetry Magazine
  • Winter Guard
    Winter Guard
    The Winter Guard is a fictional team of Russian superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe.The Winter Guard are noted for being "Russia's answer to the Avengers",.. Several members of the group formerly belonged to the Soviet Super-Soldiers, the People's Protectorate and the Supreme Soviets...

  • Yearbook
    Yearbook
    A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...

     (Yough-A-Mon)

History

The very first building to be designated solely as a high school in McKeesport was located on Shaw Ave. In 1916, McKeesport Technical High School, also known as "Tech High" opened on 1600 Cornell St. (back then, it was just a part of the Evans Family Homestead). In 1961, the high school was relocated to its current location. The new building was adjacent to the McKeesport Vocational School located on 3600 O'Neil Boulevard. The two buildings were used jointly for a variety of high school coursework. In 2000, the 1960 Eden Park Blvd. building (also known as "South Hall") housed all 9-12 grade non-vocational classes. In 2003, additions to the physical plant enabled the vocational programs to also relocate. "North Hall" was renamed Founders' Hall and housed 7-8 grade.

The school has been named McKeesport High School, McKeesport Technical High School, McKeesport Senior High School, McKeesport Area Senior High School, and its current name, McKeesport Area High School.

Notable alumni

  • Swin Cash
    Swin Cash
    Swintayla Marie Cash , better known as Swin Cash, is an American WNBA player who plays for the Seattle Storm. A prolific scorer and rebounder, as well as a capable ball handler and defender, she helped lead the University of Connecticut women's basketball team to national titles in 2000 and 2002...

     - Women's Professional Basketball Player (WNBA), 2 time (2000, 2002) NCAA Women's College Basketball Champion (UCONN), Olympic (Basketball, 2004) Gold medalist.
  • Rick Krivda
    Rick Krivda
    Rick Michael Krivda pitched 12 years in professional baseball and won a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics....

     - former Professional Baseball player (MLB,1991–2003), Olympic (Baseball, 2000) Gold Medalist,
  • Tim Conroy
    Tim Conroy
    Timothy James Conroy was a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals ....

     – former MLB pitcher,
  • Brian Holton
    Brian Holton
    Brian John Holton , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from 1985-1990. He was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series winners, notching a save in game 5 of the 1988 NLCS against the New York Mets along the way...

     – former MLB relief pitcher,
  • Tom Qualters
    Tom Qualters
    Thomas Francis Qualters , nicknamed Money Bags, is a former right-handed major league baseball pitcher, born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He played with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox in the 1950s....

     – former MLB pitcher,
  • Mike Logan – former Pittsburgh Steelers safety,
  • Brandon Short
    Brandon Short
    Brandon Darrell Short is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League...

     - former NY Giants, Carolina Panthers linebacker,
  • Russell Stuvaints
    Russell Stuvaints
    Russell Stuvaints, is an American football defensive back for Team Arkansas of the All American Football League, and formerly for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.-High school career:...

     – former Pittsburgh Steelers safety,
  • Maurice Leggett
    Maurice Leggett
    Maurice Lamar Leggett is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He entered the NFL as a free agent in May 2008. He played college football for Valdosta State University. Won the Mack Lee Hill Award as the Kansas City Chiefs top rookie for 2008. On November 25, 2009, Leggett...

     – current Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs
    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

     cornerback
  • Sam Sneed
    Sam Sneed
    Sam Sneed is a producer and rapper. He originally got his start working as a producer for K-Solo and the Hit Squad.-Death Row Records:...

     – music producer,
  • Helen Richey
    Helen Richey
    Helen Richey was a pioneering female aviator and the first woman to be hired as a pilot by a commercial airline in the United States....

     – first woman pilot of a commercial airliner,
  • Jim Trimble
    Jim Trimble
    James W. "Jim" Trimble was a football coach who served as head coach in both the National Football League and Canadian Football League, but his legacy is more connected to football products, thanks to his "slingshot" goal posts...

     – former NFL and CFL head football coach,
  • Herbert Spiegel
    Herbert Spiegel
    Herbert Spiegel was an American psychiatrist who popularized therapeutic hypnosis as a mainstream medical treatment for patients suffering from pain, anxiety and addictions...

     – psychiatrist, "father of hypnosis",
  • Robert J. Stevens
    Robert J. Stevens
    Robert J. Stevens, born in 1951, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin.-Early life:Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Mr. Stevens is a summa cum laude graduate of Slippery Rock University from which he received the Distinguished Alumni Award...

     – chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin,
  • Donald M. Carpenter
    Donald M. Carpenter
    Donald Marshall Carpenter was an early naval aviator in the United States Navy flying from the and . These were the first two aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in the Class of 1916 representing Pennsylvania. He is the namesake of the .-Family:His father...

     – aviator in the U.S. Navy,
  • Harry Fisher
    Harry Fisher (Medal of Honor)
    Franklin J. Phillips also known as Harry Fisher, was a soldier and Marine, and after serving in the United States Marine Corps as a private, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Boxer Rebellion. Private Phillips was the first Marine whose Medal of Honor was awarded...

     (aka Franklin J. Phillips) – United States Marine and Medal of Honor recipient,
  • Robert Edward Franklin
    Robert Edward Franklin
    Robert Edward Franklin "REF" is an American poet and visual artist with a style reminiscent to Jean Dubuffet. He is best known for his paintings on wood panels, combining an array of collage and graffiti based on his own universe of symbols usually suspended in a thick layer oil or acrylic paints...

    (aka REF) - NYC poet and visual artist

Alma mater

The Red & Blue"

Hail, Alma Mater's colors proudly flying,

Red and Blue, we pledge to thee our love

Dearer to us than crimson's deep or purple.

Guide of our way, as true as stars above.

Chorus:

Though some love the blue and gray,

And others a gleam of gold;

The flash of the green or silvery sheen,

Displayed when the flags unfold:

Whatever the shade may be

That keeps others brave and true:

Though colors are many - You'll not find that any

Compare with the Red and Blue!

Emblem we love, thy colors softly blended,

Speak of the life that all our sons must share;

Red for the sun whose beams are shining on us,

Blue for the sky, so bright and so fair.

(Chorus)

References:

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK