Schools

SVHS Tops Academic Performance Index of LV High Schools

Saucon Valley High School topped the 2012-2013 overall academic performance rankings for Northampton and Lehigh County high schools according to data released Wednesday by the PA Department of Education and shared by the Saucon Valley School District

Saucon Valley High School topped the 2012-2013 overall academic performance rankings for high schools in Northampton and Lehigh counties, according to data released Wednesday by the PA Department of Education and shared by the Saucon Valley School District.

According to the data posted online, SVHS achieved an academic performance score of 94.7.

The next best-performing high school in Northampton County was Wilson Area High School, which scored 82.3 on the index, and the next best-performing school in Lehigh County was Emmaus High School, which earned a score of 92.5.

According to the Department of Education, "the score for a school is based upon indicators that define a high performing school. Many data elements come together to create the academic score," including the following five categories (the first three categories represent 50 percent of the school's academic performance score):

  • Indicators of Academic Achievement - Include PSSA/Keystone performance, industry standards-based competency assessments, grade three reading proficiency and SAT/ACT college ready benchmarks.
  • Indicators of Closing the Achievement Gap - All student scores are used to define how well a school is making progress toward proficiency of all students.
  • Indicators of Closing the Achievement Gap - Historically Underperforming Students’ scores are used to define how well a school is making progress toward proficiency. The high needs students are students who have historically not demonstrated proficiency.

This category represents 40 percent of the school academic performance score:

  • Indicators of Academic Growth/PVAAS - Measures the school’s impact on the academic progress of groups of students from year-to-year.

This category represents 10 percent of the school academic performance score:

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  • Other Academic Indicators - Assesses factors that contribute to student achievement (e.g., graduation rate, promotion rate, attendance rate).
To see a list of Lehigh Valley, Berks and Bucks high schools and their 2012-2013 rankings provided by the Saucon Valley School District, click here.

Detailed information and breakdowns of Saucon Valley High School's demographics and data from 2012-2013, as well as information about the statewide ranking system, is posted on the Dept. of Education website.


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