Purchase Line Junior/Senior High School

Starting in 2011, students wishing to graduate from Purchase Line will need 24 credits in order to graduate.[2]

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.[3] The state's mandate for a graduation project, as a part of the graduation requirements, was abolished by the state in June 2012.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating class of 2017, 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. must pass the exam to graduate. The 11th grade PSSA were abolished effective 2013.[4][5][6] 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.[7] 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 2012, The District's graduation rate was 91%.[10] In 2011, the graduation rate was 89%.[11] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Purchase Line High School's rate was 88% for 2010.[12]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 95% [13]
• 2009 - 95% [14]
• 2008 - 95% [15]
• 2007 - 95% [16]

Purchase Line Junior Senior High School is located in Commodore, PA. In 2010, it served 510 students grades 7th through 12th grade with 45 teachers. Two hundred ninety students qualified for the federal free lunch due to family poverty.[17]

In 2012, Purchase Line Junior Senior High School declined further to Corrective Action II 2nd Year due to low achievement in reading and mathematics.[18] The school declined to Corrective Action II 1st Year status due to chronic, low student achievement.[19] In 2010, Purchase Line Junior Senior High School was in Corrective Action I status due to continuing low student achievement. The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the school's administration to develop a school improvement plan for improving student achievement. They were required to submit the plan to the state for approval. As a part of the plan to improve student achievement, the school offers free tutoring services to struggling students.[20] 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.

11th Grade Reading

• 2012 - 61% on grade level, (19% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.[21]
• 2011 - 76% (10% below basic). State - 69.1% [22]
• 2010 - 69% (19% below basic). State - 66% [23]
• 2009 - 69% (17% below basic). State - 65% [24]
• 2008 - 70% (19% below basic). State - 65% [25]
• 2007 - 69% (14% below basic). State - 65% [26]

11th Grade Math

• 2012 - 66% on grade level (22% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.[27]
• 2011 - 71% (15% below basic). State - 60.3% [28]
• 2010 - 70%, (17% below basic). State - 59%
• 2009 - 65%, (17% below basic). State - 56%.
• 2008 - 54%, (22% below basic). State - 56%
• 2007 - 54%, (22% below basic). State - 53%

11th Grade Science

• 2012 - 57% on grade level (19% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.[29]
• 2011 - 46% (8% below basic). State - 40% [30]
• 2010 - 44% (16% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 53% (16% below basic). State - 40% [31]
• 2008 - 47% (8% below basic). State - 39%

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 15% of the Purchase LIne 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.[32] 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.[33] 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.

In 2012, 29 Purchase Line School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 466. The Math average score was 484. The Writing average score was 446. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the US, 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.

From January to June 2011, 37 Purchase Line School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 485. The Math average score was 478. The Writing average score was 455.[34] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among state with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[35] 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.[36]

Purchase Line Senior 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 at Saint Francis University. The state offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books [37] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[38] For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $1,620 for the program.[39]

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced in March 2012, that the first-year data suggest student achievement was improving at campuses that participated in the School Improvement grant program. He reported that at nearly 60 percent of SIG schools, more students are demonstrating proficiency in reading and math. Nearly a quarter of those schools reported math improvement in the double digits, and close to 20 percent of schools saw double-digit gains in reading.[40]

In the summer of 2011, the District administration did not apply for School Improvement Grant funding, from the federal government (over $9.9 million available). The high school was eligible for funding due to chronic low achievement. The grant stipulates the funds be used for improving student achievement using one of four federally dictated strategies. The strategies are: transformation, turnaround, restart with new faculty and administration or closure of failing schools.[41] The Pennsylvania Education Secretary awarded $66 million to reform Pennsylvania's lowest achieving schools in August 2011. The funding is for three years.[42]

For the 2010-11 school year, Purchase Line School District administration applied for a School Improvement Grant. It was eligible for funding due to the chronic, low achievement at the junior senior high school and the elementary school. The High School received $46,180.[43]

In 2009-10, Pennsylvania received $141 million from the federal –US Department of Education, to turn around its worst-performing schools. The funds were disbursed via a competitive grant program. Purchase Line Junior Senior High School received $80,676.[44] The Pennsylvania Department of Education has identified 200 Pennsylvania schools as "persistently lowest achieving," making them eligible for this special funding.[45] Pennsylvania required low performing schools to apply or provide documentation about why they had not applied. The funds must be used, by the district, to turn around schools in one of four ways: school closure, restart - close the school and reopen it as a charter school. The other two options involve firing the principal. One would require at least half the faculty in a chronically poor performing school be dismissed. The second involves intensive teacher training coupled with strong curriculum revision or a longer school day.[46]

Students in grades 10-12 have the opportunity to attend the Indiana County Technology Center in White Township for part of their school day if they wish to obtain training in a specific area that the ICTC offers.

The Purchase Line School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and a costly, extensive sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by Purchase Line School Board policy and regulations under the PIAA.

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.[47]