Pottsville Area High School is a coeducational 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 Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...

. It is part of the Pottsville Area School District

Pottsville Area School District

Pottsville Area School District is a public school district located in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, serving students in central Schuylkill County. The district includes the City of Pottsville and five additional municipalities: the boroughs of Mechanicsville, Mount Carbon, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, and...

 and is the largest public high school in Schuylkill County

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....

. It was founded in 1853 and has an enrollment of approximately 1,250 students in ninth through twelfth grades. Students from neighboring Saint Clair Area School District

Saint Clair Area School District

The St. Clair Area School District is a public school district in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Centered on the borough of St. Clair, it also encompasses the boroughs of Middleport and New Philadelphia, plus the townships of Blythe Township, New Castle Township, and East Norwegian Township. The...

 attend the high school, with their district paying tuition to PASD.

History

Founded in 1853, the Pottsville Area High School offers a comprehensive program for approximately 1250 ninth through twelfth grade students residing within the city limits as well as in neighboring communities and townships. It is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The school building, with its Italian Gothic brickwork, retains its architectural and historical integrity while housing modern facilities such as four science labs, a planetarium and observatory, four computer labs, three art and two music studios, and two gymnasiums. The library has a collection of 10,000 volumes and more than 40 magazine subscriptions and access to resources throughout the state through computer systems. A formal 1500-seat auditorium and a little theater are unique features of the building. Within the district complex are tennis courts, athletic fields, and a sports complex including a natatorium.

High School

The high school is in School Improvement I AYP status due to persistently low graduation rate in 2010. The attendance rate was reported as 94%.

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading

• 2010 - 76% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 66% of 11th graders on grade level.
• 2009 - 68%, State - 65%
• 2008 - 60%, State - 65%
• 2007 - 60%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 60% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 - 55%, State - 56%
• 2008 - 36%, State - 56%
• 2007 - 50%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 36% on grade level. State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 31%, State - 40%
• 2008 - 27%, State - 39%

Graduation requirements

The Pottsville Area School Board has determined that students must earn 23 credits to graduate including: 4 credits of English, 4 credits of Social Studies, 4 credits of Mathematics, 3 credits of Science, 2 credits of Humanities 1 credit of Health and Electives. Additionally, proficiency on the PSSA Reading and Mathematics Examinations or successful completion of English 12 and/or Mathematics 12 is required.

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.

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.

Curriculum

Pottsville Area High School has an extensive catalogue of elective courses available to its students. The courses can range anywhere from Exploring Microsoft Office to Advanced Placement Calculus.

• Credits: The primary requirement for Pottsville Area High School students to graduate is to obtain 23 credits from their courses. Credits are arbitrarily assigned values of either 1 credit or .5 credits depending on its length, with year classes being worth 1 credit and semester courses being worth .5 credits. Credits also determine if a student is allowed to pass on to the next grade level. Students also have a required amount of credits they need to take each year, though atypically the required credits are surpassed by the amount of credits given with their required classes per year.

• Quality points: As well as being worth credits, all courses are worth specific quality points. While not required to graduate, quality points determine class rank and the valedictorian. Courses are assigned quality points based on length and difficulty. As of the 08-09 school year the quality point system will be revised with a larger range of points. Advanced courses will then be worth 6.0 quality points while semester courses will be worth 1.5-2.0 quality points. Standard year classes will continue to be worth 4.0 quality points. However, unlike credits, quality points are multiplied by the students final grade for the year. Therefore, a student who averages a B in the first marking period in a 4.0 class will only receive 3.0 quality points. At the end of each year quality points are totaled and class ranks are assigned accordingly.

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, 23% of Pottsville 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 the Pennsylvania 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 offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. In 2010 the district received $2,832.00. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions. 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.

Performing Arts

• Marching and Concert Band: Pottsville is also home to one of the most advanced big ten style marching band and an excellent concert band. One of the band's trademark drills is the Script Tide which is modeled after the famous Ohio State University Marching Band. The PAHS Stage Band is one of the most influential Jazz bands in the area. Such greats coming out of this band were Alan Reese, Craig Shoener, Ron D'Angelo, Dave Sterner, Ron Stabinsky, and Lawrence O. Koch. The band has worked with professional jazz trumpet players Dave Stahl, Vaughn Nark, and Andy Gravish. The Stage band participates in many of the adjudications, finishing with top honors.

Directors:

Professor George Seltzer-(c.1900-1927)
Mr. Earl Haviland-(1928–1932)
Mr. Leo Minnichbach-(1933–1952)
Mr. Arthur Delpaz-(1953–1971)
Mr. Rollin Miller-(1972–1977)
Mr. Richard Fries-(1978–present)

Athletics

Pottsville Area High School has a longstanding tradition of football dating back to the days of the Pottsville Maroons

Pottsville Maroons

The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...

. The school is as of late known as a three time District XI

PIAA District 11

District 11 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is an interscholastic athletic association in Northeastern Pennsylvania. District 11 is one of the PIAA's 12 athletic conferences and comprises mostly high schools within the Lehigh Valley and a few surrounding counties. Member...

championship holder, losing the title in the 2007 season. Pottsville Area High School also went to two State Championship games back-to-back, but lost. Pottsville Area High School's primary football rival is Reading High School. The two schools compete annually for a trophy known as "The Rock" (in reality a large chunk of coal) - their upcoming game on October 22, 2010 will be the 89th meeting between the two schools. The trophy is currently in the possession of Pottsville.

Pottsville's biggest rival for all sports is Blue Mountain High School, as the two schools are separated by less than five miles and are the two largest schools in Schuylkill County.

Boys

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Football:
• Golf
• Soccer
• Swimming and Diving
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Water Polo
• Wrestling

Girls

• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Golf
• Soccer
• Swimming and Diving
• Softball
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Water Polo

(Girls teams participate under the nickname "Lady Tide")

External links

• Pottsville Area High School
• Pottsville Area High School - Crimson Tide Football
• Pottsville Area High School Alumni Band