Written by Jim Doane, principal
It is my pleasure to inform you of the current status of Valparaiso High School relative to the recent state of Indiana Reports concerning education in Indiana. The pride that all of us have in VHS is rooted in the strong tradition of academic excellence provided to our students and supported by families and our community. I would like to share some recent data with you which compare the students at our high school with averages from the state.
VHS, State Averages
- Graduation rate: 91.6%, 81.5%
- Attendance rate: 96.4%, 96.1%
- College attendees: 90%, 76.9%
- Academic honors diplomas: 46%, 30.9%
- ACT composite scores: 25.5, 22.3
- SAT verbal/writing: 521/512, 496/480
- SAT math: 547/507
As you can see, Valparaiso High School fares very well when compared to the state statistics. To accomplish these successes, a commitment to a robust, well-rounded curriculum with lofty expectations has been strategically developed for the students by a professional faculty of highly qualified teachers.
The partnership of school, families, and community in Valparaiso provides a foundation for education valued by all of us.
At this time, the enrollment of Valparaiso High School is approaching 2,100 students. We at VHS consider ourselves a small city where our “citizens” are our top priority.
As with any high school, we face the same challenges that are present in our society. I challenge myself and our staff every day to show compassion to each of our students as they enter the door to the Viking School House.
We work diligently to provide the needed resources and support so that all of our VHS students can have a successful high school experience and graduate with their heads held high.
As in the past, we continue to explore new opportunities for our students. Our Dual Credit Partnerships with Purdue University, Ivy Tech and Vincennes University has certified over fifty current courses from which in excess of 1,000 college credits have been earned at a great financial savings to our students.
Additionally, students are taking advantage of credit recovery and extended term opportunities which have enabled struggling students to get back on the track with their graduation plans.
Each and every student at Valparaiso High School is important to us. It is the goal of all administrators, teachers and support staff to provide a pre-eminent high school experience that encourages students to enhance their intellectual skills, to develop as leaders, to excel in extra-curricular activities and to respect the diversity of life reflected in our community and in our society.