Muhlenberg High School

In 2013, Muhlenberg School District’s graduation rate rose to 91%.[7] In 2012, Muhlenberg School District’s graduation rate was 84%.[8] In 2011, Muhlenberg School District's graduation rate was 89%.[9]

In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Muhlenberg High School's rate was 88% for 2010.[10]

Former AYP graduation rate:

• 2010 - 89%[11]
• 2009 - 90%[12]
• 2008 - 91%
• 2007 - 91% [13]

Muhlenberg High School achieved 79.1 out of 100. Reflects on-grade-level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 80.87% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 60.65% showed on-grade-level skills. In Biology, 42% showed on-grade-level science understanding.[14] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, they now take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.[15]

In 2012, Muhlenberg High School declined to School Improvement II AYP status, due to chronic, low student achievement in both reading and mathematics.[16] Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the school administration was required to notify parents of the school's poor achievement outcomes and to offer the parent the opportunity to transfer to a successful school within the district. Additionally the school administration was required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to develop a School Improvement Plan to address the school's low student achievement. Under the Pennsylvania Accountability System, the school district must pay for additional tutoring for struggling students.[17] The high school is eligible for special, extra funding under School Improvement Grants which the school must apply for each year.[18]

• 2011 - declined to School Improvement I due to lagging student achievement in reading and math.
• 2010 - Warning AYP status
• 2009 - declined to Warning AYP status
• 2003 - 2008 - achieved AYP status[19]

Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012. The exams were administered in the Spring of each school year. 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.[20]

In 2013, Muhlnberg High School offered 8 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 Muhelberg High School 30% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.[37]

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 38% of Muhlenberg School District 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.[38] 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.[39] 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 math, reading or English.

Muhlenberg 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 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.[40] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[41] 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.[42]

For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $9,380 for the program.[43] In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis.

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The Muhlenberg School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 23.82 credits to graduate, including: Science 4 credits (1 in Physical Sciences and 1 in Life Sciences), mathematics 4 credits, English 4 credits, social studies 4 credits (1 in Economics Government), Arts/Humanities - 2 credits, Health - 0.75 credit, Driver Educations - 0.25 credits, Family & Consumer Science 0.25 credits, Career Explorations - 0.25 credits, Physical Education - 1.32 credits and electives 3 credits. Mandated courses vary for Career & Technology students.[44]

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.[45] Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.[46]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams.[47] The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade. Students have several opportunities to pass the exam, with those who do not able to perform a project in order to graduate.[48][49] 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.[50] 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.[51] 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.

In 2013, Muhlenberg High School students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 477. The Math average score was 486. The Writing average score was 454. 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.[52]

In 2012, 178 Muhlenberg High Hchool students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 475. The Math average score was 482. The Writing average score was 454. 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, 173 Muhlenberg High School students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 476. The Math average score was 474. The Writing average score was 447.[53] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[54] 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.[55]

Students who live in the Muhlenberg 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 Muhlenberg 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 2012 tuition rate at Muhlenberg High School - $9,286.83.[56]

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. Muhlenberg School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07 nor in 2007-08. In 2008-09 it received $158,935. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards [57] Among the public school districts in Berks County the highest award was given to Reading School District which received $1,294,497. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

The Muhlenberg School District administration reported there were zero incidents of bullying in the high school in 2012. Additionally, there were eight thefts and 2 sexual incidents involving students. The local law enforcement was involved in nine incidents at the schools.[58][59] Each year the school safety data is reported by the district to the Safe School Center which then publishes the compiled reports online.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act established the Unsafe School Choice Option.[60] Each state that receives federal funds was mandated to establish a statewide policy requiring that a student at a “persistently dangerous” public school be allowed to transfer/enroll in a safe public school. The policy permitted a student who becomes the victim of a violent criminal offense, while in or on the grounds of any public school that he or she attends, to transfer to a safe public school. Each year since 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has released a list of Persistently Dangerous Schools. Muhlenberg School District schools have not been included on the lists.[61]

The Muhlenberg School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online.[62] All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students.[63] The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.[64][65]

Education standards relating to student safety and anti harassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.[66]

Muhlenberg School Board established a district Wellness Policy in 2012.[68] 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.[69] At Muhlenberg School District, the Assistant Superintendent is responsible for ensuring implementation and compliance with the wellness policy.

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.[70] The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.

Muhlenberg High School 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 medications to students during the school day.

Muhlenberg High School offers both a free school breakfast and 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.[71] The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.[72]

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.[73]

Muhlenberg School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, costly sports program. Eligibility for participation is set by school board policy [74] and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. According to Pennsylvania’s Safety in Youth Sports Act, all sports coaches, paid and volunteer, are required to annually complete the Concussion Management Certification Training and present the certification before coaching.[75] The school plays in PIAA District 3.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the Muhlenberg School 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.[76]

Muhlenberg School District has an extensive athletics staff including: Athletic Director, Head Athletic Trainer, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Aquatics Director, Director of Youth and Age Group Programs and an Equipment Manager.[77]

• Doug Clemens, former Major League Baseball player