Westwood High School (Austin, Texas)
Encyclopedia
Westwood High School is a public high school in Anderson Mill
Anderson Mill, Texas
Anderson Mill is a former census-designated place in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 8,953 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Anderson Mill is located at...

, Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

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

, and is part of the Round Rock Independent School District
Round Rock Independent School District
Round Rock Independent School District is a school district headquartered in the city of Round Rock, Texas, United States. As of 2007, the school district served 39,079 students....

. It is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) north of downtown Austin and 12 miles (19 km) west of downtown Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887....

. As of the 2006-07 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,551 students and 155 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...

 basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 16.5.

Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...

, US News & World Report, and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

in recent years have listed Westwood amongst the top 10 high schools in the state of Texas and amongst the top 100 in the nation. This is a result of the school’s robust college matriculation rate, as well as honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. Westwood was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 1994-96 and it is well-renowned for attracting and keeping some of the best teachers in the area. In 2008-09, Westwood was rated Exemplary
Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system
The Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system rates all public schools, charter schools, and school districts in the State of Texas.The criteria are the same for schools and districts, and are discussed below...

 by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...

.

Academics

In the class of 2009, 53.7% of Westwood seniors took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exam, averaging 5.1 exams per test taker, with a participant pass rate of 91.2%. For the class of 2010, the mean composite SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...

 score was 1801 out of 2400, and the mean ACT score was 26.4 Westwood also produces many National Merit Scholars
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...

, as well as numerous winners of major American math and science competitions. In 2010, Westwood had 35 out of 38 the National Merit Scholars in RRISD. Westwood has also produced USAMO qualifiers, and physics olympiad semifinalists.

Block Schedules

Westwood uses a type of academic scheduling in which each student has fewer classes per day for a longer period of time. Each class is called a block. On Orange days students have blocks 1 through 4 and on White days students have blocks 5 through 8. Orange and White days alternate each schoolday. This is also an advantage for students who have off blocks or free periods, as it allows them a longer free period. School hours at Westwood last from 9:05 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.

International Baccalaureate

Westwood also houses an independent, district wide International Baccalaureate academy that operates under a selective admissions system. In recent years, the program has achieved a perfect or near perfect pass rate amongst those sitting for the Diploma examinations, with many scoring in the highest levels of the point schema (including perfect scores). Hence, it has frequently placed amongst the best IB programs in North America by median score (although this rate is bolstered by a majority attrition process over the four years of study). Almost all students who receive the IB Diploma also receive the AP Scholar Award with varying degrees of additional attainment, with the school having several AP National Scholars each year. In general, the graduates from the program each year make up the highest ranked graduates in each class, and go on either to attend state flagship honors programs on merit scholarships (primarily at the University of Texas in Austin), or selective, private colleges (Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...

 and Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...

 institutions being the most popular). In the class of 2009, all 60 IB Diploma candidates graduated with an IB Diploma.

However, Westwood's IB academy also has what some consider to be negative effects on the student population. As highly talented and gifted
Intellectual giftedness
Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average. It is different from a skill, in that skills are learned or acquired behaviors...

 students transfer to Westwood from across the Round Rock Independent School District to join the IB program, a distinct disadvantage drops on to regular students since their class rank is not disaggregated from these magnet enrollees. As a result, the class ranks of many otherwise strong students (often carrying a significant number of honors or AP courses) drop dramatically in relation to where they would place in nearby local schools given their performance. This topic has been highly debated in light of state colleges such as the University of Texas and Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

 rarely accepting students outside of their top quartile of class rank, largely due the legal limits imposed by the Texas State Legislature's mandated Top Ten Percent Rule.

AFJROTC

Westwood TX-861st AFJROTC cadets have been proven to be of high quality, discipline, and military excellence, as evidenced at their participation and drill meets and leadership schools. Westwood AFJROTC cadets have consistently obtained Distinguished Graduate at leadership schools, graduating at the top ten percent of the school out of 200 select cadets from all over Texas, Oklahoma, and even as far as Kansas. In 2003, 83% of the Westwood cadets at Cadet Command and Staff School achieved Distinguished Graduate. The TX-861st has also been praised for their participation in various community service activities, such as the BP MS 150 bike race, where cadets help out the race in order to raise money for multiple sclerosis. In addition to summer leadership schools, AFJROTC is competitive a variety of extracurricular activities, such as the drill team, color guard, and rocketry team, as well as an intense physical fitness program. The drill team and color guard distinguish themselves from Westwood's more popular drill team and color guard, with more precision and intense drill. For example, the AFJROTC drill team spin 12 pound M1 Garand rifles while the Westwood drill team spin one pound foam rifles. The sabres the AFJROTC drill team uses are sharp, real sabres as compared with the fake sabres of the Westwood drill team. The AFJROTC color guard present the National and State Colors and prestigious events such as basketball games, football games, and even the state female championship televised at the Frank Erwin Center.

Athletics

The athletics department at Westwood has dominated many sports in the past, winning multiple district, bi-district, area and so on championships including one volleyball state championship. The Westwood Warrior football team has won a handful of district championships, most recently when the 2006 Warriors qualified as area finalists after winning the first playoff game in school history. The 2009 Westwood Warrior football team again qualified for playoffs but lost to Cy-Woods
Cypress Woods High School
Cypress Woods High School is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, near Houston.The principal of Cypress Woods is Sue McGown , who was previously the principal of Hamilton Middle School before being promoted to the principal of Cypress Woods...

.
The Warrior basketball team has also had success throughout the years, obtaining a record of above .500 since the team began in 1981. The Warriors baseball team has made the state playoffs almost every year in the team's existence.
The Warriors Swimming and Diving Team continues to dominate the district and consistently produce state champions. Between 1999 and 2008 Warriors Swimming and Diving dominated 9 consecutive district meets and had multiple perfect regular season records.
The Warrior Athletic site is operated by the football booster club and can be found here.

Band

The Westwood Marching Band advanced to the finals at the Westlake Marching Festival in 2005 winning 4th prize for its show "Rhythms of a New Era." In 2006, the band took 4th place at the Cedar Park Marching Festival with their show "Chain Reaction." Also in 2006 and later in 2010, the Westwood Drumline won 1st place in the CBS 42/Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q Marching Band Challenge -- a competition that featured 15 other high school drumlines throughout the area. The Westwood band also placed 9th at Westlake finals and 10th at Area finals in San Antonio in 2010. In 2011, the Westwood Band unexpectedly placed 22nd out of 27th in Bands of America with their show "Harvest".
The Westwood Band consistently places members into the Texas All-State Band. It has performed in conjunction with the Westwood Orchestra, collaboratively winning the 2010 State Honor Orchestra award.

Chess Club

Westwood's serious appearance at the competitive chess scene is relatively new, but its chess team instantly leaped to the top. From 2007 to 2009, Westwood has ranked amongst the top three high schools in the state in the annual Texas Scholastic Chess Championships, the largest such tournament in Texas; in 2007 Westwood tied for first. In the 2005 Texas State Grade & Collegiate chess tournament, a Westwood student tied for first in the 12th grade sections, while the 6th and 8th grade sections were both won by students from Canyon Vista Middle School
Canyon Vista Middle School
Canyon Vista Middle School is a middle school located in Austin, Texas. It is part of the Round Rock Independent School District. It has three subsidiary elementary schools:*Laurel Mountain Elementary School...

, which feeds into Westwood. Westwood won first place in the 11th grade section of the 2008 Texas State Grade & Collegiate tournament.

In 2009 Westwood traveled to the National Scholastic K-12 Championship, where the 10th grade team won first and the 12th grade team tied for first; the 9th and 11th grade teams placed third and fourth in their sections respectively.

Choir

The Westwood Choral program has long since proved itself to be one of the most outstanding high school choral ensembles in the State of Texas. Currently directed by Dr. David Lee Means r who came on board in 2007 and Linda Hester who came on board in 2008, the choir regularly places students into the highly competitive All-State Choir, and the choir itself has achieved high marks in nearly every state singing and sightreading contest. Westwood choir boys are some of the best choir boys in the state. The choir has been selected to tour nationally to several cities including Boston, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. The entire choral department (some 200 singers) has also been asked to perform at festivals in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 (1998) as well as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 (2004), and has also performed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 as part of the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

 National High School Choral Festival (1995). Westwood has often boasted at least one student as one of the top five singers in the state.

Debate

Westwood High School Speech and Debate, started by former TFA President Rosemary Kincaid and under the current leadership of Jeremy Martin, has long been a part of school life and offers events in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...

, Extemporaneous Speaking
Extemporaneous speaking
Extemporaneous Speaking, also known as extemp, is a competitive event popular in United States high schools and colleges, in which students speak persuasively or informatively about current events and politics...

, and Original Oratory
Original Oratory
Original Oratory is a competitive event in the National Forensic League, National Catholic Forensic League, and other high school forensic competitions in which competitors deliver an original speech on a subject of their choosing, though the speech must be factual....

, as well as other events. Westwood is actively involved in the Texas Forensic Association
Texas Forensic Association
The Texas Forensic Association is an organization to provide competition in speech, debate, and drama for qualified high school Texas students....

 (TFA), where participants compete against debaters from other schools. Many students have received multiple awards through success at the tournaments, including qualification to attend the most prestigious national tournament, the Tournament of Champions, in 05-06 and 08-09 and 09-10 for CX debate.

The team went through a particularly strong period in the late 1990s through early 2000s when several students dominated the national LD circuit. Three students repeatedly qualified and placed at the Tournament of Champions and took finishing places at significant national tournaments. The Westwood Policy Debate team qualified the maximum of two teams for the 2007 UIL State Tournament. The teams placed 3rd and 1st in the 5A league. In 2008, the Westwood Policy Debate team once again qualified the maximum two teams for the UIL State Tournament. Westwood once again won fifth and first place to complete the back to back championships.

DECA

Westwood's chapter of DECA
DECA (organization)
DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...

 has grown in recent years to have a membership of over 150 members in 2009-2010 school year. Westwood DECA takes the most competitors from District 5 to district and state competitions. It had the most competitors from Texas qualify for the international DECA competition in the 2008-2009 (36) and 2009-2010 (33) school years. A past international president, past state presidents, and numerous district officers have come from Westwood. The Texas DECA state president for 2009-2010 was a member of Westwood. Westwood DECA excels especially in written events, and has produced multiple preliminary finalists, and usually one finalist team each year at internationals each year for the past several years.

German Club

Under the leadership of Frau Evelyn Saucier, the Westwood German Club consistently dominated statewide competitions. The overwhelming success of this club has led to it often being referred to as "Das Vierte Reich" by students and teachers alike. In the spring of 2008, German students became regional champions at Sprachfest for the 17th year in a row and state champions at German State Competition for the 10th year in a row, competing in such events as plays, skits, prose, poetry, written exams, quizbowl, and folk dancing.

Journalism Department

Westwood's journalism department includes newspaper, yearbook, photojournalism, and Journalism 1 class. Judy Gaines serves as adviser to the department. The 2006 yearbook won the top Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is an international student press association, founded in 1925, whose goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges, textbooks, critiques and award programs...

 award, the first time in Westwood history. Also, four journalism students founded Candid Austin Teen Magazine
Candid Austin Teen Magazine
Candid Austin Teen Magazine is the first magazine published, written, and run solely by teenagers for college-bound teenagers in Austin, Texas. The fourth issue of Candid was released Fall 2008. Candid is a 28-page...

 in the summer of 2006.

Orchestra

The Westwood Orchestra has earned several statewide distinctions, the most recent of which has been the title of 2010 State Honor Orchestra award, given to the top Texas high school full orchestra each year by the Texas Music Educators Association
Texas Music Educators Association
Texas Music Educators Association, or TMEA, is an organization of over 9,000 Texas school music educators. Its stated goals are to provide professional growth opportunities, to encourage interaction among music education professionals, to foster public support for music in schools, to offer...

. The Westwood High School orchestra consistently ranks among the top student groups in the state; it also held the State Honor Orchestra title in 2000 and 2006. Since Susan Williams took the podium in 2001, it has continuously been a finalist in the State Honor Orchestra contest and received full sweepstakes at UIL.

Also, participating student musicians have earned places in region and state orchestras. Each year, Westwood students number nearly a third of the local all-region orchestra, an ensemble determined by an audition process. In addition to the several students each year who qualify for and perform in the prestigious all-state orchestras, Westwood students have recently held the titles of statewide first-chair viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...

 and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

 players. In 2006 a Westwood junior was the first chair violist of the Texas All State Symphony Orchestra, and in 2009 a Westwood junior was the first chair violinist and concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...

 of the Texas All State Symphony Orchestra.

Skills USA

Westwood has 16 students who won at District and State levels in Texas. In the summer of 2010, 16 students proceeded to the National level to compete in their competitions. There were 10 students that metaled, 9 with gold. Westwood Students placed first in competitions such as Robotics, and Opening & Closing Ceremonies (OCC).

UIL Academics

Westwood has a remarkable performance in several academic contests of the University Interscholastic League
University Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....

. The school usually does exceptionally well in Computer Science
Computer Science (UIL)
Computer Science is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League.Computer Science is designed to test students' programming abilities...

, taught by Jeff Mickel. In 2006 a Westwood junior won first place in the state, and in 2009 the team ranked third. In 2010 the state meet saw a 9-way tie for first place in computer science: two of the co-champions were Westwood students, and the team again ranked third. Westwood is also able to produce state qualifiers in other subjects, notably in Mathematics
Mathematics (UIL)
Mathematics is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League...

 and Science
Science (UIL test)
Science is one of several academic events sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League. It is also a competition held by the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association, using the same rules as the UIL....

.

List of clubs

Westwood offers the following clubs:
  • ASL
  • Asian Club
  • Astronomy Club
  • Badminton Club
  • Band
  • Break Dance Club
  • Cheerleading
  • Chess Club
  • Chinese Club
  • Choral Music
  • Copastetics
  • Cricket Club
  • Culture Club
  • Cube Club
  • DECA
  • Diamonds
  • Drama Club
  • Dugout Dawgs
  • Environmental Club
  • FCA
  • FCCLA
  • Film Club
  • French Club
  • Frontage Roads
  • Game Development Club
  • German Club
  • Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)
  • HOPE
  • HOSA
  • IBSO
  • Indian Culture Association
  • Interact
  • Interfaith
  • Investment Club
  • Japanese Culture Club
  • JCL-Latin
  • JSA
  • KIT
  • KWAC
  • Math Circle
  • MIC
  • Movie Watchers Club
  • Mu Alpha Theta
  • National Honor Society
  • National French Honor Society
  • National Latin Honor Society
  • National Spanish Honor Society
  • Newspaper
  • Orchestra
  • Outreach
  • PDA
  • Ping Pong Club
  • PROS
  • Random Acts of Kindness
  • Red Cross Westwood
  • Robotics Club
  • Russian Club
  • School Store
  • Science Club
  • Scrabble Club
  • Skills USA
  • Soccer Sweethearts
  • Spanish Club
  • Speech and Debate Club
  • STAND
  • Student Council
  • Sun Dancers
  • The Tribe
  • Venkat Club
  • UFO
  • UIL Academics
  • Waffle Club
  • Westwood AFE
  • WHO
  • Warrior Pride
  • Warriors For Christ
  • World Affairs Club
  • Yearbook
  • Yoga Club
  • Youth Alive

Feeder Patterns

Two middle schools feed into this school:
  • Canyon Vista
    Canyon Vista Middle School
    Canyon Vista Middle School is a middle school located in Austin, Texas. It is part of the Round Rock Independent School District. It has three subsidiary elementary schools:*Laurel Mountain Elementary School...

  • Grisham
    Noel Grisham Middle School
    Noel Grisham Middle School is a Middle School located in the Anderson Mill community in northwest Austin. It is a IB Middle Years Programme school.It is part of the Round Rock Independent School District...



Six elementary schools feed into this school:
  • Kathy Caraway
  • Laurel Mountain
    Laurel Mountain Elementary School
    Laurel Mountain Elementary School is a K-5 school in Austin, Texas administered by the Round Rock Independent School District.In May 2003, HR 999 of the 78th Texas State Legislature, proposed by representative Stick, commended the school and its principal, Jan Richards, for being awarded exemplary...

  • Spicewood
    Spicewood Elementary School
    Spicewood Elementary is a K-5 school located in far Northwest Austin, Texas. Part of Round Rock Independent School District, Spicewood was rated "exemplary" by the Texas Education Agency. Spicewood follows on to Canyon Vista Middle School. It has also been an International Baccalaureate school...

  • Anderson Mill
  • Canyon Creek
  • Purple Sage


It is also possible for students attending other schools in the district to enroll in this high school through the IB Academy or Fine Arts Academy, unless either of the two programs are offered at their home school.

Notable alumni

  • Rick Trevino
    Rick Trevino
    Ricardo Treviño, Jr. , known professionally as Rick Trevino, is a Mexican American country music artist. Signed to Columbia Records in 1993, Trevino began his career that year with the release of his debut single, "Just Enough Rope", the first mainstream country music single to feature separate...

     (born 1971), American country music
    Country music
    Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

     artist
  • Kandace Krueger
    Kandace Krueger
    Kandace Gayle Krueger Matthews is an American television personality and former beauty queen who has held the Miss USA title. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She was born to Larry & Barbara Johnson Krueger...

     (born 1976), Miss USA 2001
  • Brian Vera
    Brian Vera
    Bryan Lee Vera is a Mexican-American boxer in the super middleweight division. He trains in Cedar Park, Texas...

     (born 1981), American boxer
  • Kelly Johnson
    Kelly Johnson (baseball)
    Kelly Andrew Johnson is a Major League Baseball second baseman.-Atlanta Braves:Johnson was drafted in the first round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves...

     (born 1982), baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks
    Arizona Diamondbacks
    The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

     (MLB)
  • Brent Clevlen
    Brent Clevlen
    Brent Aaron Clevlen is a Major League Baseball outfielder who currently plays in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.-Personal life:Clevlen graduated from Westwood High School in 2002.-Major leagues:...

    (born 1983), baseball player.

External links

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