Chestnut Ridge Senior High School

In 2015, Chestnut Ridge School District’s graduation rate was 93.75%.[8]

• 2014 - 92.11%[9]
• 2013 - 93% [10]
• 2012 - 92.8%.[11]
• 2011 - 87.3%.[12]
• 2010 - 92.8%, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate.[13]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 92%[14]
• 2009 - 95%
• 2008 - 90% [15]
• 2007 - 90% [16]

In 2014, 47 Chestnut Ridge School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 483. The Math average score was 490. The Writing average score was 442.[61][62] Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board also reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing.[63] In 2014, 1,672,395 students took the SATs in the United States.

In 2013, 49 Chestnut Ridge School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 483. The Math average score was 509. The Writing average score was 444. The College Board reported that statewide scores were: 494 in reading, 504 in math and 482 in writing. The nationwide SAT results were the same as in 2012.[64]

In 2012, 42 Chestnut Ridge School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 505. The Math average score was 503. The Writing average score was 477. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.

In 2011, 59 Chestnut Ridge School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 490. The Math average score was 510. The Writing average score was 450.[65] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[66] In the United States, 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.[67]

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.[68]

In 2014 and 2015, Chestnut Ridge High School did not offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses.[69]

The Chestnut Ridge Senior 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. 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.[70] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[71] 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.[72]

In 2010, Chestnut Ridge School District received $4,628. in a state grant to be used assist students with tuition, fees and books. The grants were discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell in his 2010-11 budget plan.

The Challenge Program, Inc. offers $250.00 cash incentives to Chestnut Ridge Senior High School juniors, and seniors who excel in the categories of: Academic Improvement, Attendance, Community Service and Academic Excellence. The program partners with businesses to motivate students both in and out of the classroom by encouraging good habits in students that will last throughout their education and into their future careers. For the 2010-2011 school year, the top 10% of students in each of the categories will be eligible to win $250.00.[73]

Students who live in the Chestnut Ridge School 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 Chestnut Ridge 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 district's schools. The 2013 tuition rates was $8,110.79 for the High School.[74]

Project 720 grants

Project 720 was a high school reform program implemented for three years under the Rendell administration. The intent was to increase academic rigor and improve the instruction of teachers in the Commonwealth’s high schools. Teachers were expected to use data driven instructional practices and to meet the needs of diverse learners.[75] The 720 in the name referred to the number of days a student was in high school in ninth through 12th grades.[76] High schools applied for funding and were required to agree to report to the PDE their plans, their actions and the outcomes. In 2007-08 budget year, the Commonwealth provided $11 million in funding. Chestnut Ridge School District was one of 161 PA public school districts to apply, receiving $150,718 funding over three years.[77][78] For 2010-11, Project 720 funding was decreased to $1.7 million by Governor Rendell. The grant program was discontinued effective with the 2011-12 state budget.[79]

Classroom for the Future grants

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. Chestnut Ridge School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07. In 2007-08, the district received $156,342. For the 2008-09 school year, the district received $45,413. Among Bedford County public school districts, Bedford Area School District received the greatest funding at $579,086 over two years. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 applied for and received Classrooms for the Future grant awards.[80]

Chestnut Ridge School Board established a district wellness policy in 2006.[81] The policy deals with nutritious meals served at school, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age appropriate nutrition education for all students, and physical education for students K-12. The policy is in response to state mandates and federal legislation (P.L. 108 – 265). The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq) "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006." Most districts identified the superintendent and school foodservice director as responsible for ensuring local wellness policy implementation.[82]

The legislation placed the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts were required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation. Districts were offered a choice of levels of implementation for limiting or prohibiting low nutrition foods on the school campus. In final implementation these regulations prohibit some foods and beverages on the school campus.[83] The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.

Chestnut Ridge Senior High School offers both a free school breakfast and a free or reduced-price lunch to children in low income families. 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.[84] The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.[85]

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.[86] 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.[87] The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandates that districts raise their full pay lunch prices every year until the price of non-subsidized lunches equals the amount the federal government reimburses schools for free meals. That subsidy in 2013-2014 was $2.93.

In 2014, President Barack Obama ordered a prohibition of advertisements for unhealthy foods on public school campuses during the school day.[88][89]

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.[90][91]

Chestnut Ridge Senior High School provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. A nurse is 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.[92][93] Nurses also monitor each child's weight.[94]

The Alma Mater to the Chestnut Ridge High School:[52]
Our voices raise with songs of praise
Of Chestnut Ridge High School
The knowledge we have gained from you
With guidance wise and true.
We hail thee Alma Mater
Tho’ we say farewell
Our loyalty remains with thee
In Chestnut Ridge to dwell.

Chestnut Ridge School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program. Eligibility to participate is set by school board policies.[95][96]

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.[97] They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.[98][99]

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.[100][101][102]