William Allen High School

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William Allen High School
Location
126 North 17th Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania
United States
Coordinates 40°35′55″N 75°29′36″W / 40.598672°N 75.493197°W / 40.598672; -75.493197
Information
Type Public
Established 1858
School district Allentown School District
Principal Michael Rodriguez
Grades 9-12
Number of students 3,705 [1]
Color(s) Canary and Blue         
Mascot Canary
Newspaper 'The Canary'
Yearbook 'The Comus'
Website Official website

William Allen High School is one of two public high schools of the Allentown School District located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States.

The school, which is located at 126 North 17th Street, serves students from the western and southern parts of the city. Allentown's other public high school, Dieruff High School, serves students from the city's eastern and northern parts. Until Dieruff's opening in 1959, William Allen High School was known as Allentown High School.

With 3,705 students in the 2006-2007 school year, William Allen High School is the largest high school in the city of Allentown, the largest high school in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, and the third largest high school in the state of Pennsylvania.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Allentown High School was first established in a building on South Penn Street in 1858. In 1869, the first commencement ceremony took place - three students graduated. A new high school was built in 1894 (which is now used as Central Elementary School) at Lumber and Turner Streets. In 1916, a new Allentown High School was opened at its current location on Seventeenth Street. The Annex and Little Palestra were built in 1930, and the Linden Street Wing was opened in 1957. The school was renamed William Allen High School in 1960. In 1975, a Library-Science Center was built on the site of the Little Palestra. In 2010 a new 9th grade center was built on the site where the St. Cloud Building was located at the corner of Linden and St. Cloud streets. It was then dedicated as the "Clifford S. Bartholomew Building".

In 2010 and 2011, the largest and most expensive renovation in its history took place at William Allen High School while still maintaining the architectural features in the older structures, It resulted in a new building. Along with 1 Million Dollars spent in the auditorium to give students access to the most advanced stage equipment and to restore it to the beauty it was when it was first built, from new curtains, new seating, and restoration done to the historic plaster work that adorns the walls and ceilings, a stage extension was also built, and as one patron said, "Parkland may have a nice theater, but this is class". Also, all of the remaining buildings were gutted, and each one received new walls, new ceilings, new floors, new windows, new paint, new doors/ stair wells, and air conditioning throughout all 6 buildings. Along with new dance studios, art rooms, chorus and band facilities, and up graded science lab equipment, new tables in the cafeterias, a multimedia center, and upgrades in the black box theater, and hundreds of new and refurbished class room spaces, also, elevators were put in buildings that were without and accessible facilities were created for the disabled. In all the campus looks as fresh and new as the day it was opened.

The school is named after William Allen, Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania and former mayor of Philadelphia. He founded the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1762.

[edit] Demographics

The school's class size is approximately 17 students per teacher, with the Pennsylvania average at 15 per teacher.[2] The student ethnicity is as follows: Hispanic 52%, White 22%, Black 20%, Asian & Pacific Islander 1%, and Native American & Native Alaskan less than 1%.[3] 68% of students are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch, with the state average at 33%.

[edit] Academic achievement

The Allentown School District was ranked 482nd out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts, in 2010, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic achievement on four years of PSSA results in: reading, writing, mathematics and two years of science.[4]

2009 - 481st
2008 - 480th[5]
2007 - 485th[6]

In 2010 the high school is in Corrective Action II 4th Year level in AYP status due to chronically low student achievement for the past five years.[7] The Pennsylvania Department of Education identified the school as Persistently Low Performing in its application for the 2010 federal School Improvement Grant funding.

Graduation rate:
2010 - 70%[8]
2009 - 69%[9]

11th grade Reading:
2010 - 51.6% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders are on grade level in Reading. [10]
2009 - 46%, State - 65%[11]
2008 - 42%, State - 64%

11th grade Math:
2010 - 35.5% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level in Math
2009 - 32%, State - 55%
2008 - 39%, State - 56%

11th grade Science:
2010 - 12% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 39% of 11th graders are on grade level in Science.
2009 - 13%, State - 40%[12]

[edit] Past academic honors

  • 2005:
  • In its annual ranking of the nation's "Top Public High Schools," Newsweek magazine ranked Allen High School the ninth best public high school in Pennsylvania and the 924th best in the nation.[13]
  • 2003:
    • Second Place, Odyssey of the Mind, State Finals (Fooled Ya)
    • Fifteenth Place - Odyssey of the Mind, World Finals
  • 2001:
  • 1992:
  • 1991:
  • 1988:
    • Second place, Scholastic Scrimmage (losing to Parkland High School in the finals).[17]
    • Pennsylvania State Champions, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").[18]
    • World Finals - Fourth place, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").[19]
  • 1987:
    • Pennsylvania State Champions, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").[20]
    • World Finals - Second place, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").[21]
  • 1986:
    • Pennsylvania State Champions, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").[22]
    • World Finals - 16th place, Odyssey of the Mind ("structural problem").[23]

[edit] Athletics

See also: Lehigh Valley Conference

William Allen is one of 12 high schools that compete in the Lehigh Valley Conference. The school plays its home football and some of its soccer games at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Most of its indoor athletics are played in the school's J. Milo Sewards Gymnasium. The school's primary athletic rivalry is with cross-town Dieruff High School.

[edit] Athletic honors

[edit] Basketball

  • 2010-2011:
  • 2009-2010:
  • 2007-2008:
    • PIAA District XI AAAA Girls Basketball Champions.[24]
  • 2005-2006:
  • 2003:
    • Second place, PIAA District XI AAAA Boys Basketball.
  • 2002:
    • First place, PIAA District XI AAAA Boys Basketball.
  • Historical:
    • Five-time Pennsylvania State Boys Basketball Tournament Champions.
    • One-time Pennsylvania State Girls Basketball Tournament Champions.
    • 7th in Pennsylvania History for all time Boys Basketball wins 1,588

[edit] Football

  • 520 overall wins
  • 21 Conference Championships
  • District 11 champions 1992[25]
  • Eight undefeated teams (1929, 1930, 1931, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953, and 1957).

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Alma mater

William Allen High School's Alma mater was written by Dorothy Newhard Knoff in 1912, and was set to music composed by Dr. Warren F. Acker in 1900.[27]

All hail our Alma Mater dear,

Our voice of praise and glory hear
To whom all reverence we bear,
Of you forgetful we'll be ne'er.
We shall forever for you yearn
And cherish all that we may learn
Through future days of life,
'Mid joy and strife;
True may we stand, both to you
And Canary and Blue.

Throughout the land of you we'll sing,
Loud will our praises ever ring,
Of days that have passed by,
Fond memories of dear old high.
Oh Alma Mater, hear our praise;
To you all honor we do raise;
Through future days of life,
'mid joy and strife;
True may we stand, both to you

And Canary and Blue.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Pennsylvania Department of Education: 2006-2007 Public Enrollment by County, LEA, School, and Grade". http://www.pde.state.pa.us/k12statistics/lib/k12statistics/0607PubEnrCtySchGra.xls. Retrieved 2007-11-11. 
  2. ^ http://www.greatschools.org/cgi-bin/pa/other/90#from..HeaderLink
  3. ^ http://www.greatschools.org/cgi-bin/pa/other/90#toc
  4. ^ Statewide Honor Roll Rankings 2010, released April 30, 2010.
  5. ^ Honor Roll Rank - state public districts, Pittsburgh Business Times, June 2008
  6. ^ Three of the top Districts in state hail from Allegheny County. Pittsburgh Business Times, May 23, 2007
  7. ^ Allentown City School District Report Card 2010
  8. ^ William Allen Senior High School Academic Achievement Report Card data table 2010
  9. ^ William Allen Senior High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2009
  10. ^ William Allen Senior High School Academic Achievement Report Card Performance levels 2010
  11. ^ William Allen Senior High School 2009 PSSA information The Morning Call 2009
  12. ^ 2009 PSSA results: Reading, Writing, Math and Science
  13. ^ "America's Top Public High Schools," Newsweek magazine, 2005.
  14. ^ Musolino, Nick; Simpson, Wendy (June 8, 2001), "Parkland Beats Allen In Finals Of "Scholastic Scrimmage' ** Final Score Is 540 To 200. Students Flex Their Brains On A Variety Of Tough Questions", The Morning Call: B.1, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=73815034&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  15. ^ Csencsits, Sonia (June 5, 1992), "Allen High Again Defends Title, Wins 4th Scholastic Scrimmage", The Morning Call: B.1, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92021428&sid=3&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  16. ^ Harry, Rich (June 7, 1991), "Allen High Holds On To Win TV Scholastic Scrimmage", The Morning Call: B.1, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=91928872&sid=4&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  17. ^ Harry, Rich (June 10, 1988), "Showdown Pits High IQs At 20 Paces Parkland Trounces Allen 385-25 In Scholastic Scrimmage Final", The Morning Call: B.1, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92454549&sid=5&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  18. ^ "AHS Kids Attempt To Build A Stronger Structure", The Morning Call: N.03, May 19, 1988, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92451149&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD . "In April, the team won a gold medal in the state finals held at Altoona, Blair County."
  19. ^ Guth, Phyllis (June 9, 1988), "Team Doesn't Mind 4th Place", The Morning Call: N.09, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92453674&sid=7&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  20. ^ "Allen High Team Wins State Olympics Of Mind", The Morning Call: B.03, March 30, 1987, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92389992&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  21. ^ "AHS Kids Attempt To Build A Stronger Structure", The Morning Call: N.03, May 19, 1988, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92451149&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD . "Last year, in world competition with 46 teams, the Allen group captured second place."
  22. ^ "Allen Team Reaches 'Olympics Of Mind' World Finals", The Morning Call: B.10, April 9, 1986, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92325409&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  23. ^ "Olympians' From Allen Take 16th At Finals Tasks Challenge Their Minds", The Morning Call: B.05, June 3, 1986, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92345226&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  24. ^ a b c "Lehigh Valley Conference District Titles" (PDF). Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference. http://www.lviac.net/pdf/district_titles.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
  25. ^ Groller, Keith (March 4, 1993), "Canaries And Their Outgoing Coach Celebrate District 11 Football Title", The Morning Call: N.45, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=92116324&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=53705&RQT=309&VName=PQD 
  26. ^ Lauer-Williams, Kathy (June 7, 2009), "Designs on a Tony: Allentown Native Michael McDonald is Nominated for Broadway's Top Honor for Costumes for 'Hair'", The Morning Call 
  27. ^ "WAHS - Tradition - Alma Mater". Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20080531075111/http://www.allentownsd.org/WAHS/Campus/alma+mater.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-17. 

[edit] External links
Allen High School • Allentown Central Catholic High School • Bangor Area High School • Bethlehem Catholic High School • Catasauqua High School • Dieruff High School • Easton Area High School • Emmaus High School • Freedom High School • Lehigh Career and Technical Institute * Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts • Lehigh Valley Christian High School • Liberty High School • Moravian Academy • Nazareth Area High School • Northampton Area High School • Northern Lehigh High School • Northwestern Lehigh High School • Notre Dame High School • Parkland High School • Pen Argyl Area High School • Phillipsburg High School • Pius X High School • Roberto Clemente Charter School • Salem Christian School * Salisbury High School • Saucon Valley High School • Seven Generations Charter School * Southern Lehigh High School • Whitehall High School • Wilson Area High School

Football only: Louis E. Dieruff High School • William Allen High School
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