Benton Middle-Senior High School

In 2013, Benton Middle High School offered 2 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. Students have the option of taking College Board approved courses and then taking the College Board's examination in the Spring. Students, who achieve a 3 or better on the exam, may be awarded college credits at US universities and colleges. Each higher education institution sets its own standards about what level of credits are awarded to a student based on their AP exam score. Most higher education give credits for scores of 4 or 5. Some schools also give credits for scores of 3. High schools give credits towards graduation to students who take the school's AP class. At Benton High School 52% of students who took an AP course in 2013 earned a 3 or better on the exam.[8] In 2014, Benton Middle Senior High School offered 3 AP courses, with 53% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.[9]

The Benton Middle Senior High School offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and a well-funded sports program. 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.[10][11]

Music (band and choral) are offered, as well as Drama Club, Key Club, SADD, and FFA, Yearbook Club, Odyssey of the Mind, Technology Club, Academic Tutors, Library Club and a chapter of the National Honor Society. Advisors receive compensation in accordance with the teachers' union contract.

Varsity and junior varsity athletic activities are under the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and the regional Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference.[12] The Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference is a voluntary association of 25 PIAA High Schools within the central Pennsylvania region. Eligibility for participation is determined by Benton Area School Board policy.[13][14] All sports coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to annually complete the Concussion Management Certification Training and present the certification before coaching, as per Senate Bill 200 of Session 2011, the Safety in Youth Sports Act, effective July 1, 2012.[15] The Athletic Director is Bill Pasukinis. The District has contracted with Geisinger Sports Medicine for athletic trainer services.

According to PA Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act 126 of 2014, all volunteer coaches and all those who assist in student activities, must have criminal background checks. Like all school district employees, they must also attend an anti child abuse training once every three years.[16][17][18]

Benton Area School District does not provide its athletics disclosure form on its web site.[19] Article XVI-C of the Public School Code requires the disclosure of interscholastic athletic opportunities for all public secondary school entities in Pennsylvania. All school entities with grades 7-12 are required to annually collect data concerning team and financial information for all male and female athletes beginning with the 2012-13 school year and submit the information to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, all non-school (booster club and alumni) contributions and purchases must also be reported to PDE.[20]

Coaches receive compensation as outlined in the teachers' union contract. When athletic competition exceeds the regular season, additional compensation is paid.[21]

According to PIAA directory July 2012, the district funds:

Middle School Sports

The Benton Area School Board has determined that a student must complete at least 25 credits for graduation, including: English 4 credits, Math 4 credits, Science 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Health 0.50 credit, Physical Education 1.32 credits, Computer 2 credits, Drivers Ed 0.33 credits and 6.85 electives.[22]

By Pennsylvania State School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2020,[23][24] public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams.[25][26][27] For the class of 2019, a composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements.[28] In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level.[29] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

Students have several opportunities to pass the exams. Schools are mandated to provide targeted assistance to help the student be successful. Those who do not pass after several attempts can perform a project in order to graduate.[30][27] The original intent was to gradually add seven more exams including civics and geometry. In 2017, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation that eliminated developing any more Keystone Exams in other subjects.[31] School district superintendents have the discretion to graduate up to 10% of pupils who do not pass the exams or project.

In 2017, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed House Bill 202,[32] which makes modifications of the Keystone Exam mandates for students who attend VoTech and Career Tech schools. These pupils will be allowed to use alternate assessments or industry-based certifications.[33][34]

In 2016, Benton Area School District graduation rate was 100%.[35]

In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate.[41]

Former AYP graduation rate

Before the new cohort graduation rate was issued by the state Department of Education, BMSHS experienced similar graduation rates.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, Benton Middle Senior High School reported an enrollment of 341 pupils in grades 7th through 12th, with 146 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The school employed 33.5 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 10:1.[47] Per a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.[48]

In 2013, enrollment was 313 pupils in grades 7th through 12th, with 26% of pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 17.25% of its pupils received special education services and 6% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 34 teachers.[49] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In 2014, enrollment had declined to 295 pupils grades 7th through 12th. In 2013, enrollment was 313 pupils in grades 7th through12, with 26% of pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 17.25% of its pupils received special education services and 6% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 34 teachers.[49] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In 2016, enrollment was reported as 299 pupils in 7th through 12th grades, with 35% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. Additionally, 19.4% of pupils received special education services, while none of the pupils were identified as gifted.[50] The school employed 27 teachers.[51] Per the PA Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.[52]

Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs, are NCLB-related examination given in the Spring of each school year. From 1999 to 2012, Pennsylvania eleventh graders took the PSSAs in reading, mathematics, science and writing. Sixth and seventh grades are tested in reading and mathematics since 2006. Eighth graders are tested in: reading, writing, mathematics and Science. Beginning in the Spring of 2013, eighth graders, who are enrolled in Algebra I take the Keystone Exam for Algebra I at the end of the course. The testing of 8th grade in reading and mathematics began in 1999. Testing in science began in 2007. The goal is for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focus on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.[53]

2016: the PSSA mandated testing results were: 70% of students in 8th grade were on grade level in reading, while just 23% of students demonstrated on grade level in mathematics. In science, 77% of eighth grade pupils demonstrated on grade level science understanding.[54] In 7th grade, 60% of pupils were on grade level in reading, while just 24% demonstrated on grade level math skills.

2015: The PDE also reported that 61% of 8th grade students at Middle School students were on grade level in reading on the PSSAs given in April 2015. In math/Algebra 1, 20% of 8th grade students showed on grade level skills. In science, 75% of the school's 8th graders demonstrated on grade level science understanding. No eighth grade writing scores were reported. In 7th grade, 66% were on grade level in reading, while 30% showed on grade level math skills.[55] Statewide 58% of eighth (8th) graders were on grade level in reading, while 29% demonstrated on grade level math skills. Pennsylvania 7th graders were 58% on grade level in reading and 33% demonstrated on grade level math skills.[56]

2014: The PDE also reported that 61% of 8th grade students at Middle School students were on grade level in reading on the PSSAs given in April 2015. In math/Algebra 1, 20% of 8th grade students showed on grade level skills. In science, 75% of the school's 8th graders demonstrated on grade level science understanding. No eighth grade writing scores were reported. In 7th grade, 66% were on grade level in reading, while 30% showed on grade level math skills.[55] Statewide 58% of eighth (8th) graders were on grade level in reading, while 29% demonstrated on grade level math skills. Pennsylvania 7th graders were 58% on grade level in reading and 33% demonstrated on grade level math skills.[56]

The School Performance Profile (SPP) is a measure of a school's performance based on its students Keystone scores.

The Keystone Exams are meant to be graduation requirements in the State of Pennsylvania. However, they are frequently suspended by the Pennsylvania General Assembly due to low passing rates. In 2016, the requirement that pupils pass the Keystone Exams in reading, algebra I and bIology I in order to graduate was postponed until 2019 by the Assembly because less than 60% of 12 grade pupils statewide would have been eligible for graduation from high school due to failing one or more Keystone Exams.[57] Fifty-four percent of the 2,676 public schools in Pennsylvania achieved a passing score of 70 or better.[58]

In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year.[59] The following percentages are the amounts of students that passed the related Keystone exam.

In 2016, BAHS ranked 11th out of 17 CSIU16 region public high schools for academic achievement.[65]

Before 2013, the PSSAs were used to evaluate the grade levels now assessed by the Keystone Exams. (The PSSAs are now exclusively for pupils in younger grade levels, ending in the 8th grade.) As with the above table, the percentages stand for the number of pupils who tested on grade level: in addition, the "state" numbers stand for the number of students across Pennsylvania that tested on grade level. Here are the scores from that time period:

Comparatively, here are the average scores for the State of Pennsylvania during the same years.

While the SAT is not a required test, it is a common barometer for college admissions, meaning that a significant number of pupils at Benton Area High School opt to take the exams yearly. The chart below is a compilation of the average scores of BASD students.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, compared the SAT data of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to students in urban areas. From 2003 to 2005, the average total SAT score for students in rural Pennsylvania was 992, while urban students averaged 1,006. During the same period, 28 percent of 11th and 12th graders in rural school districts took the exam, compared to 32 percent of urban students in the same grades. The average math and verbal scores were 495 and 497, respectively, for rural students, while urban test-takers averaged 499 and 507, respectively. Pennsylvania’s SAT composite score ranked low on the national scale in 2004. The composite SAT score of 1,003 left Pennsylvania ranking 44 out of the 50 states and Washington, DC.[88]

The Pennsylvania Department of Education reported that 71 percent of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania chose to continue their education after high school in 2003, whereas 79 percent of urban high school graduates opted to continue their education.

Like most rural schools in America,[89] Benton Area High School has certain educational deficits. These are reflected both within the school and beyond it, when its graduates go on to college.

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 20% of Benton 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 or community colleges.[90] 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.[91] 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 mathematics, reading or English.

In 2012, Benton Middle Senior High School declined to Warning Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status due to lagging student academic achievement.[92] In 2011 and 2010, Benton Middle Senior High School achieved AYP status. From 2004 to 2009, Benton Middle Senior High School achieved AYP status each school year. In 2003, the school was in Warning AYP status due to lagging student achievement.

In 2009, Benton High School ranked 444 out of 610 Pennsylvania high schools, vocational schools, and charter schools for student academic achievement as demonstrated on the PSSAs for math and reading.[93]

When it was available, the Benton Area High School did not offer the Pennsylvania dual enrollment program, which permitted students to earn deeply discounted college credits while still enrolled in high school. The program was offered through over 400 school districts with the assistance of a state grant.[94] In 2010-11, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, due to a state budget crisis.

The High School does not participate in the Penn College NOW classes offered by Pennsylvania College of Technology to schools in the region.[95]

Benton Middle High School students have access to Bloomsburg University's Summer College and Advanced College Experience (ACE) during the summer of their sophomore, junior and senior years (after high school graduation). Tuition is deeply discounted to 75% of the regular student rate.[96] Successful students earn college credits that can be transferred to other Pennsylvania public colleges and universities through the Pennsylvania TRAC system.[97]

Benton Middle Senior High School did not take advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brought college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate.[98] Susquehanna University provided the science enrichment experiences to schools in the region.

Students who live in the District's attendance area may choose to attend one of Pennsylvania's 157 public charter schools. A student living in a neighboring public school district or a foreign exchange student may seek admission to Area School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education sets an annual tuition rate for each school district. It is the amount the public school district pays to a charter school for each resident student that attends the charter and it is the amount a nonresident student's parents must pay to attend the Benton Area School District's schools. The 2012 tuition rate for the Benton Middle Senior High School was $9,914.11.[99]

In 2013, Benton Area School District did not participate in a state Safe Schools Targeted Grant. The maximum of $25,000 grants were awarded through a competitive application process.[109] The funds must be used for research based interventions, like: peer mediation, staff training in managing behavioral issues and creating a positive school climate. Nor did the Benton Area School Board apply for a Pennsylvania School Resource Officer and Police Officer grant in 2013.[110]

In 2011, Benton Area School District received funding through a Highmark Healthy High 5 grant. Benton Area High School received $4,848 which was used to purchase equipment to implement the Benton Wii Play 60 program to enhance current physical education programming.[113] Beginning in 2006, Highmark Foundation engaged in a 5-year, $100 million program to promote lifelong healthy behaviors in children and adolescents through local nonprofits and schools.

Benton Middle Senior High School offers both a free school breakfast and free or reduced-price lunch to low-income children. The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.[114] All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are provided a breakfast and lunch at no cost to the family. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level can be charged no more than 30 cents per breakfast. A foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household is eligible for both a free breakfast and a free lunch. Runaway, homeless and Migrant Youth are also automatically eligible for free meals.[115] The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.[114]

In 2013, the USDA issued new restrictions to foods in public schools. The rules apply to foods and beverages sold on all public school district campuses during the day. They limit vending machine snacks to a maximum of 200 calories per item. Additionally, all snack foods sold at school must meet competitive nutrient standards, meaning they must have fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein in them or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D.[116] In order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 all US public school districts are required to raise the price of their school lunches to $2.60 regardless of the actual cost of providing the lunch.[117] In 2014, President Obama ordered a prohibition of advertisements for unhealthy foods on public school campuses during the school day.[118] The Food and Drug Administration requires that students take milk as their beverage at lunch. In accordance with this law, any student requesting water in place of milk with their lunch must present a written request, signed by a doctor, documenting the need for water instead of milk.[119][120]

Benton Area School District provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. Nurses are available in each building to conduct annual health screenings (data reported to the PDE and state Department of Health) and to dispense prescribed medications to students during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with all the State Department of Health’s extensive immunization mandates. School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance.[121] Nurses also monitor each child's weight.