It is my pleasure to provide an update of various programs, initiatives and accomplishments at Valparaiso High School as we reflect on the first grading period of the 2011-12 school year.
Enrollment is up at VHS as we have 2,156 students. Supported by a dedicated teaching staff of 112 highly qualified instructors, our students are provided a rigorous curriculum in full compliance of local and state educational guidelines. The school year has brought several changes to VHS. We welcome Jennifer Simon to our school in her role as assistant principal. She is leading our Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) this year.
Two components addressed this first term are the "Dress for Success" and the "Perfect Attendance/Punctuality" programs. Students have enjoyed the recognition for their efforts and have been rewarded with cinnamon roll breakfasts and ice cream sandwich treats. Pictures of our winners can be viewed on the VHS web site, www.valpo.k12.in.us/Domain/44.
We also welcome Reid Amones to VHS as our other new assistant principal. Amones served as principal of Hammond Clark High School for the past six years and brings vast knowledge with him in the areas of curriculum development and state accreditation. Amones has been working with our faculty School Improvement Team (SIT) in reviewing current course offerings as well as new courses for our students.
We strive to provide a challenging educational experience at VHS supported by extensive fine arts classes and extracurricular activities. We host over 25 student clubs in addition to full offerings in athletics, intramurals and community service participation. I annually challenge all of our students to get involved in at least one after-school activity during the school year. These are great opportunities to enhance a student's high school experience and build a resume helpful when searching for employment or applying to a college.
The state of Indiana rates schools based on standardized tests, student attendance and graduation rates. I am always pleased when we review our scores but my joy is tempered by the state's method of grading our schools. For example, 85 percent of our first-time End of Course Assessment (ECA) test takers passed both the English and Math tests. This was an increase of nearly 3 percent.
However, schools with greater increases of success, no matter what the overall percentage was, are rated higher than VHS because of their larger percentage of increase. I strongly argue that producing a dramatic increase when you start at 85 percent is much more difficult than when a school starts at 65 percent and is rewarded due to a 10 percent improvement to 75 percent.
Regardless of the state's methods of assessing schools, the VHS staff stays committed to seeing that 100 percent of our students are successful in passing the ECA tests. After retesting, we now have less than 5 percent of our students from the 85 percent cohort group who have yet to pass the tests. Our staff has used the new collaboration time to develop targeted strategies for each of our students to provide support and guidance as they prepare for the next testing period in December. Our current student attendance rate is 96.7 percent, and our graduation rate last year was just a fraction below 90 percent.
Our attendance office works diligently with parents in getting students to school, and our after-school Credit Recovery program has helped many students to get back on their educational track for an on-time graduation. We anxiously await next year's state reports to see the data which we anticipate will reflect quantified improvements in the areas I have addressed.
As principal of Valparaiso High School, I am very appreciative of the parental partnership we have, which produces successful students and "great kids." Each student at VHS is important to us and will be supported and encouraged with our full professional efforts.
I remind students often that we expect them to strive for excellence, enjoy their high school years and keep a positive attitude at all times. We have a great student body that have responded to our challenges for success and continue to represent our school in an exemplary manner. I am proud of each and every student at Valparaiso High School.