Camp Hill High School

Camp Hill High School is a coeducational public high school located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Camp Hill School District and is the smallest public high school in Cumberland County. It is located approximately ten minutes from the city of Harrisburg. It was founded in 1907 and has an enrollment of approximately 352 students in ninth through twelfth grades.^[1] As part of an unusually small school district, with fewer than 100 students in recent graduating classes. The high school's enrollment is projected to continue to decline through 2018.^[2] The High School shares a building with Camp Hill Middle School, although classes, teachers, and even administrators are mostly separate.

US News and World Report ranked 21,000 public high schools, in the United States, based on three factors. First, the schools were analyzed for the number of students who achieved above the state average on the reading and math tests. Then they considered how the economically disadvantaged students performed against the state average. Finally, they considered the participation rate and the performance of students in college readiness by examining Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate test data. Camp Hill High School was ranked silver. Seventy Pennsylvania high schools achieved ranking bronze, silver or gold rating. Fifteen Pennsylvania high schools achieved silver.^[3] The school has produced one Nobel laureate.

Graduation Rate

In 2011, the graduation rate declined to 97%.^[4] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Camp Hill High School's rate was 95% for 2010.^[5]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 99% ^[6]
• 2009 - 96% ^[7]
• 2008 - 97% ^[8]
• 2007 - 97% ^[9]
• 2006 - 97% ^[10]
• 2005 - 92% ^[11]

High school

In 2011 and 2010, the Camp Hill Senior High School achieved AYP status.^[12]

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

• 2011 - 84% on grade level, (7% below basic). 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[13]
• 2010 - 82.6%, State - 67% ^[14]
• 2009 - 93%, State - 65% ^[15]
• 2008 - 91%, State - 65%
• 2007 - 77%, State - 65% ^[16]

11th Grade Math:

• 2011 - 72%, on grade level (15% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2010 - 86%, State - 59% ^[17]
• 2009 - 84%, State - 56% ^[18]
• 2008 - 84%, State - 56%
• 2007 - 74%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2011 - 64% on grade level (8% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2010 - 74%, State - 39%
• 2009 - 78%, State - 40% ^[19]
• 2008 - 70%, State - 39% ^[20]

College Remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 24% of Camp Hill 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.^[21] 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.^[22] 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.

Dual enrollment

Camp Hill 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 at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.^[23] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.^[24]

For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $2,660 for the program.

History

Before the construction of the first building in 1907, the high school shared a building with students from nearby East Pennsboro Township. The historic structure, directly adjacent to the current high school/middle school complex, was completed in 1907, and graduated its first students in 1910. In 1953 the old school was torn down and replaced with a new three-story brick structure located at the corner of Chestnut Street and South 24th Street.^[1]

The new school was substantially larger than the old 4-classroom building, with a cafeteria which doubled as a fallout shelter, a gymnasium and locker rooms, and many more classrooms. The school was expanded in 1960 with the addition of music classrooms, a woodworking shop, and a 900-seat auditorium. A new library and instructional media center were added above the main courtyard in 1977.^[1] In 2003 a new cafeteria, and building-wide air conditioning were added to the school, and the old cafeteria and the front courtyard were converted into classrooms.

Graduation project

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.^[25] Rather than adding another project onto student's workload, Camp Hill incorporates projects from individual classes and allows them to fill the project requirement.

Extracurriculars

The high school offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports for students who meet eligibility requirements set by the school board and the respective governing organization.^[26][27] One of the most successful of these teams is the quiz bowl team, which in 2012 won third place in the small schools division of the NAQT High School National Championship tournament.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.^[28][29][30]

Athletics

The school athletic teams participate in District 3 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs high school sports for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The school mascot is the Lion. Camp Hill won the state championship in 1999, 2008, and 2009 for baseball, 1988 for football, and 2015 for boys cross country. The 1988 football team was the first PIAA State champs due to the tournament beginning that year. Until 2001, Football games unusually took place on Saturday mornings instead of Friday nights, due the lack of stadium lighting at Christian Siebert Memorial Park, the home athletic field of the schools' team. Installation of stadium lighting at the field was financed by Coca-Cola, and included an agreement which involved installing vending machines at school district athletic fields and buildings.

Camp Hill has had a strong scholastic wrestling program since 1958, producing two state champions, Bob Cochran in 1976 and Tim Cochran in 1981.

Traditionally, there is a rivalry between Camp Hill High School and nearby larger Catholic recruiting school Trinity High School (Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) The two schools compete against each other in basketball, football, soccer, cross-country, track and field, baseball, softball, and tennis. These games are highly attended by fans, spectators, and other members of the community.

The school has enjoyed a successful soccer program. They were District III finalists and PIAA State semifinalists in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Notable alumni

• William Daniel Phillips, winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.^[31] A Bronze plaque is installed in the auditorium lobby to commemorate his award. It is tradition for students to rub the protruding nose of the plaque for good luck before taking a test or an exam (usually only physics or chemistry exams, though the marching band has begun to call this tradition their own). The nose is, as a result, very worn down in its color.
• Park Dietz, forensic psychologist

See also

• Camp Hill School District

References

External links

• Camp Hill High School
• Camp Hill Stories

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Schools
Main School Districts Big Spring Big Spring High School Camp Hill Camp Hill High School Carlisle Area Carlisle High School Cumberland Valley Cumberland Valley High School East Pennsboro Area East Pennsboro High School Mechanicsburg Area Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School South Middleton Boiling Springs High School
Other Schools Charter schools Commonwealth Connections Academy Charter School Private schools Bible Baptist School Faith Tabernacle School Harrisburg Academy Heritage Christian Academy Yellow Breeches Education Center Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg Trinity High School Shippensburg Area (partially located in Franklin County) Shippensburg Area High School West Shore (partially located in York County) Cedar Cliff High School Red Land High School Career and Technology School (VoTech) Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School

Coordinates: 40°14′18″N 76°55′34″W / 40.2383°N 76.9260°W / 40.2383; -76.9260