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"Above and Beyond" -- A record of success

           Colonial School District students performed extremely well on the 2005-2006 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), and all seven district schools met or exceeded Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets as established by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002.  The percentage of students scoring at the proficient level continued. These results can be attributed to various efforts implemented over the past five years through our ‘Above and Beyond’ program.”  

             At the fifth grade level, 82 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level in reading, and 86 percent were proficient or above in math. Fifth graders also took a PSSA writing exam for the first time during the 2005-2006 school year, and 81 percent of the students scored at or above the proficient level, which places Colonial in the top five out of all 34 school districts in Montgomery and Bucks counties.  In the eighth grade, 89 percent of students scored at or above the proficient level in reading, and 77 percent were proficient or above in math. Both of those percentages represent double digit increases from the 2003-2004 school year. On the writing exam, 83 percent of the eighth graders scored at the proficient level or above.  Eleventh grade scores also continue to make steady improvement as 73 percent of the students scored at or above the proficient level in reading and 63 percent were proficient or above in math. The reading score is up eight percent since the 2003-2004 school year while the math score has climbed five percent. On the writing exam, 85 percent of the 11th graders scored at the proficient level or above.             

            In addition to the PSSA, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a benchmark of student performance. The national college entrance exam was revamped last year with the addition of a writing component. The new test was significantly longer than past tests, and one result was a nationwide drop in scores. However, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PWHS) scores were consistent with local results from the past four years and remained above the state and national averages. The top 100 students in the Class of 2006 posted an average score of 611 in critical reading and 654 in math.  

            More students are taking the American College Testing (ACT) College Entrance and Placement Exam, because it is becoming more widely accepted than the SAT. The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading and science.

Fifty-two PWHS students took the ACT in 2006, more than twice the number that took the exam the previous year. Like the SAT, average scores for PWHS student are above the national and state averages. The average English score was 22.6 as compared to the state average of 21.3 and the national average of 20.6. On the math exam, PWHS students averaged 23.6, while the state average was 21.7 and the national mean was 20.8. PWHS students averaged 22.8 in reading compared to state and national averages of 22.2 and 21.4, respectively. Finally, the science average for the PWHS students was 22.9 compared to the state average of 21.4 and the national average of 20.9. Overall, scores for the recent PWHS students were nearly four points higher than those posted by PWHS students in 2003. 

More Highlights Of Above and Beyond Program

  • All seven Colonial schools exceeded Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets during the 2005-2006 school year.

  • In September 2006, the Colonial School District (CSD) received more than $382,000 in state grants to support innovative programs.

  • CSD recently received the 2006 Pennsylvania Staff Development Council Best Practices in Staff Development Award.

  • CSD was named a Gold Medal District by Expansion Management Magazine in its annual review of school districts with at least 3,300 students in grades K-12.

  • SAT scores have seen statistically significant increases in recent years.

  • Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PWHS) is accredited by the Middle State Commission on Secondary Schools.

  • More than 17 percent of the PWHS Class of 2006 had a final GPA of 4.0 or above.

  • Members of the PWHS Class of 2006 received nearly $2.6 million in scholarships. Class members will attend many of the nation’s prestigious colleges and universities, including: Penn, Columbia, Cornell, Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, New York University, Brandeis, University of Southern California, California-Berkley, McGill, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Haverford, George Washington, Oberlin, Lehigh, Franklin and Marshall, Wesleyan, William and Mary, Gettysburg, Muhlenberg and Lafayette.

  • Advanced Placement test scores and participation rates continue to improve and are significantly above the global average.

  • Three PWHS seniors were recently named National Merit Scholars.

  • Five Colonial Middle School (CMS) students scored with distinction on "above-grade-level" exams sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. To score with distinction means the students scored higher than the average college-bound high school senior.

  • CSD has a nationally recognized Master Teacher Program.

  • All Colonial teachers hold the appropriate state certification, nearly 75% have master’s degrees, and two have achieved National Board Certification.

  • "Above and Beyond" and Pathways programs define district, building and classroom goals, as well as a comprehensive district-wide School Improvement Planning Process.

  • CSD utilizes effective data management systems to improve teaching and learning at the district, building and classroom levels. The system is used in combination with local, standards-based, benchmark assessments.

Paid for by the Colonial School Board Campaign Committee