Springfield High School (Pennsylvania)

Springfield High School is a public high school in Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is a part of the Springfield School District. In addition to Springfield Township, its attendance zone includes Morton.

Springfield High School
Address
49 West Leamy Avenue

Springfield
,
Pennsylvania

USA
Coordinates39.9280°N 75.3383°W / 39.9280; -75.3383
Information
TypePublic high school
Motto"We Believe that Every Child Can Read" (at grade level or higher)
Established1932
School districtSpringfield School District
PrincipalJoseph Hepp
Faculty~150 staff members
Grades9-12
Enrollment1209
Color(s)  Blue
  Gold
MascotThe Cougar
Yearbook"Scrivener"

History

Prior to the school's establishment, Springfield families could choose to send their children to Lansdowne High School, Media High School, or Swarthmore High School. Springfield High was established in 1931. The building originally had 13 classrooms. Harvey Saybold was the first principal.[1]

Earl R. Knorr became the principal in 1970.[2]

In 1977 a fire destroyed the original building.[1]

Knorr retired in 1990.[2]

There will be a new high school, with fewer than 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of space. The district began planning for it circa 2009.[3] In 2015 the school board voted to build a new facility, with eight in favor and one, Bruce Lord, against. The former baseball field was chosen as the site of the new building.[4] Construction began in 2018. The previous main gymnasium and stadium were dismantled as part of the process. By summer 2019 the school's steel structure had been established.[3] As of 2018 the estimated cost was $130 million.[5]

Campus

The Frances "Chickie" Giuffre Dining Center Complex and Katherine G. “Kay” Voglesong Bus Driver Commons Room in the new building are named after former employees. Giuffre's son Nicholas Giuffre gave the Springfield Area Education Foundation $1 million, and the cafeteria and bus driver room were in turn named after his mother and his mother-in-law. The son was a member of the Class of 1974.[6]

In the old campus, Knorr is the namesake of the theater.[2]

Demographics

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, the Springfield High School reported an enrollment of 1,204 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 147 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. In 2011, the school employed 77 teachers, yielding a student-teacher ratio of 15:1.[7] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.[8]

Academic performance
2013 school performance profile

Springfield High School achieved 86.2 out of 100. Reflects on-grade-level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 82% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 79% showed on-grade-level skills. In Biology, 30% showed on-grade-level science understanding.[9] 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, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.[10]

AYP history

In 2012, Springfield High School declined to Warning Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status, due to underachievement in mathematics.[11] In 2010 and 2011, Springfield High School achieved AYP status.[12] From 2003 through 2009, Springfield High School achieved AYP status each school year. Effective with Spring 2013, the Pennsylvania Department of Education discontinued administering the PSSA's to 11th graders and reporting AYP status on schools.

College remediation rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 53% of the Springfield 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.[13] 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.[14][15] 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.

SAT scores

In 2013, Springfield School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 499. The Math average score was 527. The Writing average score was 489. 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.[16]

In 2012, 245 Springfield School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 524. The Writing average score was 496. 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.

In 2011, Springfield School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 491. The Math average score was 523. The Writing average score was 484.[17] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[18] 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.[19]

Curriculum

Dual enrollment

Springfield 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 offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[20] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[21] Under state rules, other students that reside in the district, who attend a private school, a charter school or are home schooled are eligible to participate in this program.[22] In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis. For the 2009-10 funding year, the Springfield School District received a state grant of $1,781 for the program.[23]

AP courses

In 2013, Springfield High School offered 15 Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. The student pays the fee for the exam which was $89 per test per pupil in 2012. 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. The high school gives credits towards graduation to students who take the school's AP class. At Springfield High School 97.7% of students who took an AP course earned a 3 or better on the exam.[24]

Physical education

Springfield High is known for one of the most rigorous Physical Education programs in Delaware County. It is run by Kim Smith, Jeff Smith, and John Brian Francis.[25]

Culture

The "Festival of the Arts" was established by Knorr.[2]

References
  1. Springfield Historical Society (2004-06-23). Springfield Township, Delaware County. Arcadia Publishing. p. PT141. ISBN 9781439629017.
  2. Downey, Sally A. (2007-07-28). "Earl R. Knorr, 80, Delco high school principal". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  3. Serbin, Susan L. (2019-09-03). "New Springfield High School is on the rise". Delco Times. Retrieved 2020-04-21. The project, known as the High School Master Plan, was a decade in the making. Over the course of the 10 years,[...]
  4. Serbin, Susan L. (2015-06-11). "Springfield School Board votes to build new high school". Delco Times. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  5. Serbin, Susan (2018-10-07). "New Springfield High School cost hits $130 million". Delco Times. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  6. Boccella, Kathy (2019-04-25). "Springfield HS alum donates $1 million to honor his lunch lady mom, bus-driver mother-in-law". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  7. National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core Data - Springfield High School, 2011
  8. Pennsylvania Department of Education, Professional Qualifications of Teachers Springfield High School 2012, September 21, 2012
  9. Pennsylvania Department of Education (October 4, 2013). "Springfield High School Academic Performance Data 2013".
  10. Eleanor Chute & Mary Niederberger (December 11, 2013). "New assessment shows fuller picture of Pa. schools". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  11. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2012). "Springfield High School AYP Overview 2012".
  12. Pennsylvania Department of Education, Springfield High School Academic Report Card 2011, September 29, 2011
  13. Pennsylvania Department of Education (January 20, 2009). "Pennsylvania College Remediation Report,". Archived from the original on December 11, 2013.
  14. National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 2008
  15. Achieve.org (2014). "THE VALUE OF THE COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY AGENDA IN PENNSYLVANIA" (PDF).
  16. College Board (2013). "The 2013 SAT Report on College & Career Readiness".
  17. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2011). "Public School SAT Scores 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-10-15.
  18. College Board (September 15, 2011). "SAT Scores State By State - Pennsylvania".
  19. "While U.S. SAT scores dip across the board, N.J. test-takers hold steady". NJ.com. September 15, 2011.
  20. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Dual Enrollment Guidelines".
  21. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (March 2010). "Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement".
  22. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "Dual Enrollment Guidelines". Archived from the original on 2014-10-17.
  23. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2009). "Pennsylvania Dual Enrollment Allocations to school districts for 2010-11".
  24. PDE, School Performance Profile - Academic Performance Data - Springfield High School, December 2013
  25. "Physical Education". SSDCougars.
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