stangherlin - Salisbury High School Profile

Salisbury High School Profile

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	Date and Author:	Nov 7, 2008 4:11 am by rjstangherlin
	Comment:	none
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The History of the Institution and its Traditions
Geographic Location of the Institution

[[http://www.salisburytownshippa.org/info_history.shtml|Salisbury Township]] was born the year the [[http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/|Liberty Bell]] was hung and rung, 1753, according to traditions and legends, years before the formal history of our nation. On 20 March 1753, persons living in the territory along the Lehigh River, above Bethlehem, signed a petition to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Northamption County, of which Lehigh was a part, asking that a new township be demarcated. That petition was presented to the court at Easton on 20 May, along with similar petitions from Whitehall and Weissenberg. On 9 June 1753, the court records approved the Salisbury request:

"The Petition of Divers Persons, Inhabitants of a tract of Land about 8 miles long and three miles broad, Bounded on one side by the West Branch of Delaware, and on the other sides by the respective townships of Lower and Upper Sauycon, Upper Milford, Macungie, and Whitehall, Praying that the same may be laid out into a township, to be called Salisbury, was allowed, "according to a 1914 book. An earlier record dating from 1884 words the petition slightly differently but to the same effect. Local history disagrees about the correct name of the township, and reasons for thevarients are more numerous than the names themselves. Throughout its history, the township existed as Salsbert, Saltzburg, Salzbury, and Salisbury, its present-day official name.

Today, Salisbury is a suburban community bordering the southwestern section of Allentown and Bethlehem,

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/f/Copy%20%282%29%20of%20Map%203.PNG width="1033" height="898"]]
Salisbury street map in the 1970's

but at its inception, it was a larger land mass, including all of the borough of [[http://www.fountainhill.org/history.asp|Fountain Hill]] and the Moravian settlement of [[http://www.knausshomestead.com/about_emmaus.htm|Emmaus]] during the 1740s. Closed to Moravians only until 1835, Emmaus, at this time a part of Salisbury, spread, absorbing more of Upper Milford, cutting it into two parts, annexing its most easterly section, increasing Salisbury's land mass.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/f/Map%201.PNG width="1123" height="680"]]

In 1859, however, Salisbury lost Emmaus by its incorporation as a borough. Later, Emmaus annexed parts of the townhip in 1903, 1922, 1925, 1940, 1947, and 1951. The borough of South Allentown originally included land south of the Little Lehigh and the 8th Street Bridge as part of Salisbury Township. As the borough of South Allentown expanded, it took Trout Creek Park, Cumberland Gardens, the Mack Truck business compound, Fairview Park, Mountainville, Wilson School, the reservoir on South Mountain, Queen City Airport, Percy Ruhe Park, part of Alton Park, the Little Lehigh Park, and the area north of East Texas Boulevard and Mosser Street, Union Terrace Park and school area up to Old Reading Road from Muhlenberg Street east to Cedar Creek, all areas of Salisbury now lost in annexation. The history of annexing land from Salisbury Township created a geographically-split population divided by a west and east side, making the township the second smallest--11.3 square miles--in [[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=14297|Lehigh County]]. One [[http://www.stsd.org/wse/|elementary]] and the [[http://www.stsd.org/sms/|middle school]] are located in the western portion of the township and one [[http://www.stsd.org/hst/|elementary]] and the [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/|high school]] are located in the eastern portion of the township. There is a narrow band of township land between the city of Allentown and the Borough of Emmaus that connects the Eastern and Western portions of the township.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/f/Copy%20of%20Map%202.PNG width="1064" height="768"]]

Geographic division in the township coincides with topographical variation as well. The western part is almost entirely composed of gently rolling hills and flat areas. It is a mixture of farmland and subdivision developments. Western Salisbury is a limestone valley with a few surface streams and numerous sinks, the result of extensive underground drainage, with some outliers of slate and crystalline rocks, noticeable in the area of [[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2QKG|Western Salisbury Church]]. Eastern Salisbury has three distinctive features: South Maintain, rich in iron ores; Lehigh Mountain, undeveloped except for part of its southern slope; and level farm land occupying the area north of it to the Lehigh River, with some industry extant and subdivision emerging. Each area's unique features served as a backdrop for the development of the people and their professions in the early development of the township.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/f/Montage.PNG width="895" height="215"]]
Google Earth images of Salisbury Township and Salisbury High School

Although initially a grain-growing market economy with 2400 acres in seed, natural resources of the area helped fill the artisinal needs to grow a community. The Township boasted a wheelwright and a smith; a gristmill and two saw mills were propelled by the Little Lehigh. Though there were few school in the early history of Salisbury, some children did manage to attend. Children living in the east end attended the Moravian schools in Bethlehem; the west end pupils attended the Moravian school at Emmaus and the church school at the Western Salisbury Church. The central part of the township sent pupils to Allentown, and those living between Allentown and Bethlehem went to school at [[http://home.triad.rr.com/bnabooks/19th_century_rittersville_histor.htm|Rittersville]]. Parochial schools were the first ones available. When free (for poor children) and later public schools in Emmaus, Fountain Hill, and Aineyville (South Allentown) first began, they were part of Salisbury's schools until those areas became boroughs.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/f/Topo%20Salisbury.PNG]]
Topographial map of Salisbury Township

The oldest school district in Lehigh County, Salisbury's first school in 1812 was likely a free school stystem for poor students. The state public school system began in 1834. The oldest list of Salisbury public schools is found on a Township map of the 1870s. It showed schools at the following locations:

* northeast of Emmaus: Emmaus Moravian
* at Western Salisbury Church
* north of the church
* near Cedar Creek below Griesemersville, shared with South Whitehall
* near the Apple Hotel on an unnamed creek
* between Fairview and Strassburg
* below Trout Creek near the Washington Union Chapel
* near the top of the South Mountain south of the Lehigh Mountain Hotel
* south of Trout Creek on Emmaus Avenue
* north of the creek on Susquehanna Street.

An 1884 account and [[http://www.lehighcounty.org/Hist/hist.cfm?doc=hist_salisbury.htm|Lehigh County]] records showed fourteen townships schools:

* Markle (Merkle, variant spelling): at Brooke Avenue and Susquehanns Street, 1820
* Ritter: at Mack Boulevard and Emmaus Avenue, 1830-1840
* Eisenhard or Green Meadow: 1830-1840
* Yost: 1830-1840
* Hofferd (Hofford, variant spelling): 1830-1841; abandoned in 1880 with the erection of two-story brick Jeter near Bethlehem and Mountainville in 1883 on Pike or 4th Street
* Salisbury Church: around 1841
* Mountain: 1845 (became the second township high school when South Allentown became a borough; abandoned in turn when Allentown annexed the Mountainville area and there were insufficient pupils for a high school; no other high schools existed until the present high school was erected)
* Scholl: 1845
* Jeter: three-roomed school east of Wiley House, built in 1880
* Mountainville: two room, 1883
* Keck: on Dalton Avenue
* Wieand (later Fink): on Lindberg Avenue
* Aineyville at Front or Fillmore Street and Susquehanna Street (later the first township high school), 1871, with three rooms in 1877
* Bethlehem Woods: abandoned with the erection of two-story brick Jeter near Bethlehem and Mountainville in 1883 on Pike or 4th Street.

As the resident population increased, it grew into an industrial economy, largely influenced by its proximity to the [[http://www.canals.org/educators/curriculum/The_Lehigh_Coal_and_Navigation_Company|Lehigh Coal Company]], [[http://www.bethlehempaonline.com/bethsteel.html|Bethlehem Rolling Mills and Iron Company]], later known as [[http://www.bethlehempaonline.com/steel.html|Bethlehem Steel Company]], [[http://www.macktrucks.com/default.aspx?pageid=210|Mack Truck]], and [[http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/delaware/sil.htm|area silk mills]]. Two world wars fueled Bethlehem Steel's production of armor plate and large ordnance products. Many township residents can remember with pride their grandparents' stories of turning artilliary shells on a lathe, manufacturing trucks at Mack, or making silk parachutes for the nation's war effort. Salisbury Township even had its Rosies, riviting. Post-war and the GI Bill had its impact in the township as returning veterans built careers in college and purchased small homes. By 1955, new school facilities were necessary and a school building authority was established to plan and supervise new construction. Salisbury High School began construction in 1962 and opened its doors in [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/aboutus/construc.htm|1963]], but by [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/aboutus/renovat.htm|1989]], major renovations to refurbish classrooms and athletic fields began. In 2002, the [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/aboutus/cafe.htm|cafeteria]] was remodeled and a [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/aboutus/gym.htm|second gymnasium ]]added. The School Board has under consideration new construction plans to create a science addition to our existing structure, freeing classrooms to integrate [[http://www.stsd.org/sms/|Salisbury Middle School]]'s [[http://www.stsd.org/sms/9thgrade.pdf|ninth grade]] into high school community as it was at the building's inception.

Demographics and Social and Economic Characteristics of the Institution and its Immediate Community

Shift has already happened in Salisbury.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/FCKeditor/build-fck/editor/images/spacer.gif width="425" height="355"]]
The shift continues in the video [[http://salisbury21.pbwiki.org/f/Slideshow+Movie.mov|The Changing Faces of Salisbury]].

In 2000, as represented in Table 1 below, the average household size for the School District was larger than the Statewide and County average, and the County was slightly smaller than the Statewide average.

Recent Population Trends: Table 1|| Area || 1990 || 2000 ||
Compound Average Annual Percentage Change
1990-2000
|| || School District || 13,401 || 13,498 || 0.07% ||
|| Lehigh County || 291,130 || 312,090 || 0.70% ||
|| Pennsylvania || 11,990,040 || 12,281,054 || 0.24% ||

Table 2 suggests that if our growth as a Township continues, our School District will need to expand to accommodate the influx.

Age Composition: Table 2|| ||
0-17
Years
|| 18-64
Years || 65+
Years || Persons Per
Household ||
|| School District || 25.7% || 63.6% || 10.7% || 2.68 ||
|| Lehigh County || 22.7% || 61.9% || 15.4% || 2.51 ||
|| Pennsylvania || 23.5% || 61.1% || 15.4% || 2.57 ||

Long-term trends in employment distribution in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area which includes Salisbury Township shows a significant drop in goods-producing industries from 63,00 in 1954 to 13,000 in 2004. In service-producing industries, a rise is shown from 133,000 in 1954 to 237,000 in 2004. Despite the rise in service-oriented businesses, unemployment continues to escalate in the Lehigh Valley, as noted in Table 3.

Recent Trends in Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment: Table 3|| Lehigh County || 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 ||
Compound average Annual % Rate
|| || Civilian Labor Force (000) || 153.7 || 162.4 || 169.0 || 168.3 || 169.8 || 171.9 || 1.12 ||
|| Employment (000) || 151.9 || 155.6 || 159.3 || 158.7 || 160.7 || 164.6 || 1.83 ||
|| Unemployment (000) || 5.3 || 6.8 || 9.7 || 9.6 || 9.2 || 7.3 || -8.15 ||
|| Unemployment rate || 3.4 || 4.2 || 5.7 || 5.7 || 5.4 || 4.2 || ||

Recent trends in //per capita// income is the School District is somewhat higher than average //per capita// income in the County and the Commonwealth. Income is defined by the Bureau of the Census as the sum of wage and salary income, non-farm self-employment income, net self-employment income, Social Security and Railroad retirement income, public assistance income, interest, dividends, pensions, //etc.// before deductions for personal income taxes, Social Security, //etc.// School District income is the population-weighted average for political subdivisions, as reflected in Table 4 below.

Recent Trends in Per Capita Income: Table 4|| || 1990 || 2000 || Compound Average Annual Percentage Change 1990-2000 ||
|| School District || $20,364 || $28,073 || 3.26% ||
|| Lehigh County || 15,458 || 21,897 || 3.54% ||
|| Pennsylvania || 14,068 || 20,880 || 4.03% ||

Although the Lehigh Valley once supported a large industrial base, today the larger employers in the region are largely service-providing businesses, noted in Table 5.

Larger Employers in the Lehigh Valley: Table 5
|| Name || Product or Service || Approximate Employment ||
|| Lucent Technologies Inc. || Electronic components manufacturing || 7,000 ||
|| Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network || Acute-care hospital || 6,200 ||
|| Air Products and Chemicals Inc. || Industrial gasses, chemicals and manufacturing || 4,500 ||
|| St. Luke's Hospital || Acute-care hospital || 2,704 ||
|| Mack Trucks Inc. || Heavy-duty trucks and related components || 2,200 ||
|| Wood Dining Services || Food Service || 2,050 ||
|| Northampton County || Government || 2,000 ||
|| Allentown School District || Public School || 1,950 ||
|| Kids Peace || Children's services || 1,750 ||
|| Bethlehem Area School District || Public school || 1,740 ||

Yet when examining the economic impact of industry in the Lehigh Valley over a five-year period, a great diversity of manufactured products, frequently from small businesses, exists: steel products, trucks, industrial equipment, food products, pet foods, electrical and mechanical equipment, electronic components, modular storage cabinets, storage systems, musical instruments, clothing and textiles, and chemical and mineral processing equipment. The increasingly important service sector is characterized by the rapid growth of computer service, software companies, and firms which deal in information processing. In addition to the industrial base, a large number of higher-education institutions provide area residents with numerous educational and economic opportunities for growth. These institutions, while providing challenging academic and information literacy within integrated curricula, also support our School District's Technology and Implementation Plan 2007-2010, articulated by Randy Ziegenfuss, Director of Data and Technology: "...to provide integrated, evolving tools and resources to support the development of process skills such as flexibility, adaptability, critical and evaluative thinking, problem solving and collaboration which are essential to meet or exceed challenging academic standards in the [[http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/|21st century]]. These institutions consist of:

* [[http://www.desales.edu/|DeSales University]], Center Valley
* [[http://www.lehighvalley.edu/|Lehigh Valley College]], formerly Allentown Business School, Allentown
* [[http://www.cedarcrest.edu/Redesign/homepage5/index.htm|Cedar Crest College]], Allentown
* [[http://www4.esu.edu/|East Stroudsburg University]] (Monroe County), East Stroudsburg
* [[http://www.kutztown.edu/academics/liberal%5Farts/|Kutztown University]], Kutztown
* [[http://www.lafayette.edu/|Lafayette College]], Easton
* [[http://www3.lehigh.edu/default.asp|Lehigh University]], Bethlehem
* [[http://www.lccc.edu/|Lehigh Carbon Community College]], Schnecksville
* [[http://www.directoryofschools.com/Lincoln/Lincoln-Tech-Allentown-PA.htm|Lincoln Technical Institute]], Allentown
* [[http://www.moravian.edu/|Moravian College]], Bethlehem
* [[http://www.muhlenberg.edu/|Muhlenberg College]], Allentown
* [[http://www.lv.psu.edu/|Penn State University]], Fogelsville.

The area is served by the following medical institutions, providing excellent health care and employment opportunities:

* [[http://www.lvh.org/|Lehigh Valley Hospital]] (2 locations)
* [[http://www.hospital-data.com/hospitals/ALLENTOWN-OSTEOPATHIC-HOSPITAL-ALLEN951.html|Allentown Osteopathic Medical Center]]
* [[http://www.easton-hospital.com/|Easton Hospital]]
* [[http://www.goodshepherdrehab.org/good-shepherd-facilities/rehab-hospital-allentown/index.asp|Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital]]
* [[http://www.shh.org/|Sacred Heart Hospital]]
* [[http://www.slhn-lehighvalley.org/|St. Lukes's Hospital]].

Description of the Larger Organization of which the Institution is a Part

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/f/ZoomIn.png]]
Location of Salisbury Township in the United States

The [[http://www.salisburytownshippa.org/|District]] serves a suburban residential area and is small in comparison with many others in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Township,_Lehigh_County,_Pennsylvania|Lehigh Valley]], with approximate population at 13,989. However, size makes it possible for the schools to offer specialized and/or individualized services to students. In addition, Salisbury maintains a diverse, challenging curriculum which promotes flexibility and allows students to take advantage of opportunities which might not be available in larger, less intimate educational settings.

The Salisbury Township School District serves approximately 1,800 students in two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The [[http://www.stsd.org/cursttec/curricculum_docs.html|District curriculum]] aligns with [[http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=76716&stateboard_edNav=%7C5467%7C&stateboard_edNav=%7C3318%7C&k12Nav=%7C1146%7C|Pennsylvania State Academic Standards]] at all levels. The curriculum provides opportunities for integration, application, individualization, co-teaching, and cross-curriculum project-based learning with technology integration.

//Kindergarten through Fifth Grades//

Planned instruction in the following areas is provied to each student every year: language arts, mathematics, science and technology, environment and ecology, social studies, health, safety, physical education, the arts, and understanding the use of the library. By the end of the elementaryschool, the following courses are provided to every student at least once: History of the United States, History of Pennsylvania, geography, and civics.

//Sixth through Ninth Grades//

Planned instruction in the following areas are provided to each studet every year: language ars, mathematics, science and technology, environment and ecology, social studies, information skills, health, safety, physical education, the arts, career education, technology education, and family and consumer science.

//Tenth through Twelfth Grades//

Planned instruction in the following areas is provided to every student in the high school program: language arts, mathematics, science and technology, social studies, environment and ecology, the arts, the use of applications of computers and software, health, safety and physical education, and LifeSmarts. The following planned instruction is available to every student in the high school program: vocational-technical education, business education, world languages, technology education, and college level advanced placement courses.

A wide range of elective courses offer students learning opportunities competitive with offerings of other Lehigh Valley school districts. In doing so, many classes run with less students than the state uses in its formula to determine building capacity. It is not uncommon to have elective classes with the number of students ranging from 10-28 students, averaging in the teens.

Courses are designed to prepare students for entrance into college and/or employment and to provide for a general education. Despite a student's career pathway, academic literacy and technology integration shape students toward global citizenship. Students enrolled in vocational and technical courses pursue their academic work at Salisbury High School and their laboratory work at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute. Honors courses are offered in English, social studies, mathematics and science. Advance Placement courses are offeded in biology, calculus AB, English composition and literature, European history, and United States history. In partnership with Lehigh Carbon Community College, Salisbury High School offers dual enrollment courses in science and art. Distance Learning in science and mathematics curricula continue to fill specialized needs of students.

Social, Economic, and Political Factors that have an Effect on the Institution's Ability to Achieve its Mission and Growth and Improvement Objectives

To a large extent, the social, economic and political factors in Salisbury Township are inextricably linked to one another and impacted by the influence of geographic division throughout the years. In the early stages of development in the township, farms abounded in both sectors of the Township. Throughout the years, however, as farmers retired and sold larger tracts of land, development changed the social landscape, with larger residential dwellings dotting the Parkway System in Western Salisbury, and smaller residential housing starts reconfiguring a still semi-rural Eastern Salisbury. By the early 1960s, the West-East demarcation surfaced in the school populations which were educated in areas becoming increasingly separated by economic factors. While the consistency of the education process was unquestionable, social perceptions varied, driven by geography. The larger number of housing starts occurred in Eastern Salisbury, which voted and maintained a largely Eastern Salisbury School Board throughout the 1980s. Then, the political tide turned, and subsequent to the retirement of the District's first Superintendent, Dr. Daniel B. Knauer, and most of the existing Board, Western Salisbury residents succeeded in their bids for the School Board, more evenly representing the population demographics.

Today, as our population continues to shift and embrace diversity, the changing faces of Salisbury reflect everywhere. The District's population grew by approximately 440 people between 2000 and 2006, an increase of about 3.3%. The projected increase calls for an additional 100 people in 2015, and an additional 124 people by 2025. Even though these projections are low, they may have significant implications for Salisbury's planning process. Economically, the region has been in a state of transition for many years. In 1970, 42% of all employment centered in the manufacturing sector and 48% in the non-manufacturing sector. By 2000, 16% of the work force was in the manufacturing sector and 74% in the non-manufacturing sector. Non-manufacturing jobs are not only increasing in percentage, but also in total jobs available. The work force is expected to increase by approximately 37,000 jobs by 2025. The increase in job opportunities, both in the local area and the rapidly growing regions within commuting distance, coupled with the shift in the type of job opportunities, places tremendous responsibilities on the District to make certain that programs grow and change with the needs of the region.

To that end, our current School Board, who most visibly embodies the political entities of the Township, embraces and supports Administrators, faculty, staff, and students in our shared mission of empowering every student with an educational foundation necessary to be an accountable life-long learner capable of making responsible choices in 21st Century society. Because we are a small community, our political representatives, the Board, truly share a partnership among the all stakeholders in our learning community. School Board members, together with Administrators and Student Representatives, serve on a variety of sub-committes, including:

* District Curriculum and Technology
* Operations
* Student Activity
* Finance
* Budget
* Policy.

Size can limit or create affordances, but our District has always pursued the positive. Beyond the challenge of 21st century teaching, demands made on a small staff continue to grow as we diversify our roles as teachers. With only slight exception, most departments teach between 4-5 preparations a day, with 6 and occasionally 7 class assignments. Through retirement, building reconfigurations, and attrition, high school teaching positions are occasionally retired. Smaller staffs require multi-tasking, not only with faculty, but administrators as well. At present, we stretch to accommodate state-mandated directives, often placing stressors on the people within the system. Since we have operated on a zero-growth budget for several years, adding staff--beyond filling our largest-growing population in special education--it is not likely that new faculty positions will open.

In spite of these demands, we are truly a socially-networked community of learners, where outreach continues to be a goal we meet daily as we continue our conversations on various issues facing our District. Our mission, with an increasingly diverse learning community, is to empower every student with an educational foundation necessary to be an accountable life-long learner capable of making responsible choices in 21st Century society. In a small, economically and geographically separated district, one enduring understanding prevails throughout the township: a committment to insuring that each students learns to his/her fullest capacity. Because constructionist collaboration defines our mission and because of the School Board's committment to enabling and sustaining beliefs and initiatives within the District, there are likely no factors that would inhibit or impede the high school's ability to achieve its mission and sustain its growth and improvement objectives, unless the State should elect not to continue to fund its third year of the CFF grant cycle.

The Climate for Teaching and Learning in the Institution

As our teaching and learning, demographics, and student populations have shifted, so has the climate for teaching and learning in the high school. The affordances of a small community-centered institution create a collaborative network of nurturing students to their fullest potential. In an environment that fosters mutual respect and enables risk-taking initiatives at the personal level for teachers, students, and administrators, the climate fosters a transition to 21st century principles for the learning community. In any shift, the ability to digest and embrace what Will Richardson calls [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/unlearning/|unlearning]] takes time. Moving from [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/the_number_1620/|1620]]--the number of paper and pencil tests a students takes in 12 years--to [[http://www.libraryinstruction.com/infolit.html|information literacy]] and [[http://www.edutopia.org/techintegration|technology integration]] takes staff development. With the [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php|understanding]] of our Administrators and the support of our School Board, time and staff development enable a nearly-seamless transition.

As we shift our notions of teaching and learning with [[http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky+-+Digital+Natives,+Digital+Immigrants+-+Part1.pdf+-|digital natives]], we recognize that transitioning provides special challenges. Awareness is the beginning of change, as the video, //A// //Vision of K-12 Students Today// by B. Nesbit so poignantly demonstrates.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/plugin_helper.php?plugin=youtube&html=%3Cembed+src%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fskin-p%2Fmediaplayer.swf%22+width%3D%22425%22+height%3D%22350%22+type%3D%22application%2Fx-shockwave-flash%22+allowfullscreen%3D%22true%22+menu%3D%22false%22+flashvars%3D%22%26file%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fflvideo%2F12272.flv%26image%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fthumb%2F12272.jpg%26location%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fskin-p%2Fflvplayer.swf%26logo%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fimages%2Fgreylogo.swf%26frontcolor%3D0xffffff%26backcolor%3D0x000000%26lightcolor%3D0xFF0000%26screencolor%3D0xffffff%26autostart%3Dfalse%26volume%3D80%26overstretch%3Dfit%26link%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fview_video.php%3Fviewkey%3Dd1296214afd7cc367045%26linkfromdisplay%3Dtrue%26recommendations%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachertube.com%2Fembedplaylist.php%3Fchid%3D56%22%3E%3C%2Fembed%3E]]

We are in our first year of the [[http://www.pde.state.pa.us/ed_tech/cwp/view.asp?a=169&q=118828|Classrooms for the Future]] grant implementation. Because our initial proposal, when accepted, was cut twice, we had a smaller budget to fill originally-existing roll-out plans. We accomplished outfitting the same number of teachers by opting for non-mounted Polyvision Interactive White Boards, maximizing the number of core teachers joining the initial training. In addition, the District met the shortfall and provided each core teacher with a MacBook. Best of all, professional development was openly encouraged for all teachers, with some having already begun online training and others joining the Spring semester.

In an initiative that leaves some teachers temporarily out of the technology windfall, CFF decisions were shared by Administrators, School Board members, and high school teachers. The choice to accept less to share more worked for us, and the collaboration will continue to encourage non-core teachers to join in-house and online training programs, both reimbursed by District decisions and policy. What best summarizes the climate of our institution is an often-heard quotation from our principal, who summarizes Administrative policy: “We’ll be right there with you, learning as we go.”

Description of the Number and Characteristics of the Student Population

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/FCKeditor/build-fck/editor/images/spacer.gif width="425" height="355"]]
Summary Results of Assessments used by the Institution to Measure Student Performance

Salisbury High School Testing Summary consists of the following measures:

* PSSA Reading and Math - Grade 11
* PSSA Writing - Grades 11
* SAT Scores - Grades 11 & 12
* AP Scores - Grades 10 - 12.

PSSA RESULTS: GRADE 11

AYP Yearly Progress (AYP) Requirements: 2005-2006; 2006-2007

* Math - 45% Proficient
* Reading - 54% Proficient

In 2006-2007, AYP was attained in all Salisbury schools and all grade levels.

New AYP progress requirements for Spring testing, 2008:

* Math - 56% Proficient
* Reading - 63% Proficient.

State Assessments 
 2005-2006 & 2006-2007 PSSA TESTING RESULTS: GRADE 11
|| 2005-2006 || GRADE 11 || MATH || READING || WRITING || 2006-2007 || MATH || READING || WRITING ||
|| || ADVANCED || 44% || 48% || 30% || || 28% || 32% || 18% ||
|| || PROFICIENT || 27% || 35% || 65% || || 30% || 37% || 80% ||
|| || BASIC || 12% || 7% || 5% || || 23% || 20% || 2% ||
|| || BELOW BASIC || 17% || 10% || 0% || || 19% || 11% || 0% ||

Scholastic Aptitude Scores

2005-2006 & 2006-2007 SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE SCORES: GRADE 11
|| 2005-2006 || PARTICIPATION RATE || //CRITICAL READING//
SALISBURY NORMS || //CRITICAL READING//
NATIONAL NORMS || //MATH//
SALISBURY NORMS || //MATH//
NATIONAL NORMS || //WRITING//
SALISBURY NORMS || //WRITING//
NATIONAL NORMS ||
|| 2005-2006 || 70.3% || 498 || 503 || 511 || 518 || 493 || 497 ||
|| 2006-2007 || 77.0% || 520 || 502 || 536 || 515 || 515 || 494 ||

Advance Placement Test Results

2006-2007 ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST RESULTS|| TEST || TOTAL # STUDENTS IN CLASS || TOTAL # STUDENTS TESTED || # SCORE OF 5 || # SCORE OF 4 || # SCORE OF 3 || # SCORE OF 2 || # SCORE OF 1 || AVERAGE SCORE ||
|| EUROPEAN HISTORY || 16 || 9 || 1 || 2 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 3.4 ||
|| US HISTORY || 20 || 15 || 2 || 3 || 6 || 3 || 1 || 3.1 ||
|| CALCULUS AB || 37 || 5 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 2.0 ||
|| ENGLISH LIT/COMP || 23 || 11 || 0 || 6 || 4 || 1 || 0 || 3.5 ||
|| BIOLOGY || 14 || 11 || 3 || 5 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 3.9 ||
|| CHEMISTRY || N/A || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1.0 ||
|| AP CALCULUS BC || N/A || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5.0 ||

With the exception of midterm and final exams develped by individual discipline teachers, we have no locally-developed standardized tests.

Unique Components of the Educational Program and Services

In 2007, the high school added a required couse, [[lifesmarts:home|LifeSmarts]], for all tenth grade students. This course integrates instruction through the strands of Family and Consumer Science, Business Education, and Technology. Taught by a teacher from each strand, LifeSmarts incorporates real-world concepts and applications involving personal and family finances, carer planning, consumerism, and entrepreneurship. Providing the foundation for the planning and implementation for students' graduation projects, the course is designed to use 21st century Web 2.0 tools and skills, where students become the directors and managers of their own learning processes, guided and mentored by a team of teachers. 

In a similar initiative in position for the last decade, Advance Placement U.S. History and Honors English 11 classes engage in a year-long primary research-driven multimedia project-based learning experience that culminates in an hour-long stage presentation or video production. Students develop as independent thinkers and life-long learners, as well as team players adept in conflict-resolution skills. Taught by a teacher from each discipline, students work is showcased through [[http://www.pacomputerfair.org/|PA Computer Fair]], [[http://www.peteandc.org/exhibforms/2008ExhibitorInformation.pdf|PETE&C]], [[http://www.megaconferencejr.org/|Megaconference, Jr.]], and [[http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2008/|NECC]], reaching local, state, and global audiences. 

Unlike technology-infused projects, some of our very best curriculum is, quite literally, out-of-the-box learning. In [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/staff/reinert/index.htm|Environmental Science]] classes, a [[http://www.jgpress.com/IBArticles/2000/MA_24.htm|Bike and Boat Program]], sponsored by the [[http://www.wildlandspa.org/programs/education/pool_wildlife.html|Wetlands Conservancy]], takes students out of the classroom for a day of biking and canoeing for 5-10 miles of healthy site-based learning.

In addition, teaching partnerships continue to develop between core subjects as the Classrooms for the Future rollout and staff development, both district-facilitated and online curricula encourage joint ventures. Driven by [[http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.6a270a3015fcac8d0987af19e3108a0c/|Understanding by Design]] organizization , focusing on [[http://www.wested.org/stratlit/about/RA-2pg.pdf|Reading Apprenticeship]] and [[http://salisbury21.org/|Technology Integration]], units like //Is War Justified?// cross disciplines beyond core. Inclusion models among most core subjects bring special education teachers into the classroom, assisting and enabling our special needs populations in the least restrictive environment.

In a small school, personal service tailored to students abounds, but some of the most visible manifestations beyond the academic can be found in student-centered organizations. [[http://www.stsd.org/shs/sadd/index.htm|SADD]] engages students in year-long activities that foster and promote healthy living. These activities include Red Ribbon Week, participation in Healthy Living Expo, Healthy New Year school-wide activities, and pre-prom and graduation assemblies. Fun Fest, a recent county-wide initiative, promotes creating games for elementary students that focus on making good decisions. 

One of the student activities that works, like 21st century learning, 24/7, is Student Government Association. Homecoming, Winter Ball, 2 Model UNs--Kutztown and DC--just begin the list. Add 2 blood drives, theme days, First Fridays and the coffee and home-baked breakfast treats, student-served, and the list is just beginning. SpringFest rounds out the list, and you can watch the video below to get a snapshot of the day.

[[image:http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/FCKeditor/build-fck/editor/images/spacer.gif width="425" height="355"]]
Yet another stand-out community-based student activity is [[http://freewebs.com/salisburykeyclub/index.htm|Key Club]]. Serving the Salisbury, local, national and global communities, Key Club's list is almost never-ending, as is their collective energy toward doing good for all. Salisbury community outreach includes: Senior Citizen Luncheons; Reading Character Day and Ice Cream Festivals with elementary students; and Family Fun Night and Sean Recke Foundation Fundraising in the middle school. Active in the local community, Key Club works in the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen one a month, hosts Phoebe Home Bingo, brings holiday cheer to the [[http://www.lehighcounty.org/Nurse/nurse.cfm|Cedarbrook Nursing Home]], playing bingo as well. If it's Tuesday, then 10 students travel to Allentown School District's [[http://pa.localschooldirectory.com/schools_info.php/school_id/71842|South Mountain Middle School]] to tutor students. Add the 6th Street Shelter Christmas Party, the Home Run Derby and Batting Challenge, and the Miracle League and the list would likely be incomplete.
At a national and global outreach, Key Club participates in the [[http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls|Leukemia and Lymphoma Society]]'s //[[http://www.lightthenight.org+/|Light the Night Walk]]//. Factoring in the //Pennies for Patients// fundraiser, and these two events alone raised nearly $3000 for blood-related research. In all the footprints that SADD, SGA, and Key Club leave behind, many communities are better for their presence in them.

Financial Resources

According to Susan Famularo, District Business Administrator, our financial resources include the following information, detailed below.

The high school is a school within the Salisbury Township School District. The information that I gave you captures the district as a whole. There are no subsets of this information by school for the Tables shown in the official statement that I provided by school.
 
As a school district, the largest source of revenues is property taxes. These revenues, along with the others listed in the official statement are collected for the general benefit of the school district. The Administration prepares the budget for the school district and the school board approves the budget and works in conjunction with the administration to allocate funds according to curriculum program and buildings according to legal requirements and desired initiatives. 
 
There are no direct revenues associated with the High School. All are considered district revenues. Targeted funding, such as CFF will benefit the high school directly, but administration remains with central office, and the school board approves such funding.
 
The High School budget, including all personnel located in that building is about 14% of the districts annual general budget. For the current year, 2007-08, the high school total budget is $4,239,257 on a total budget of $31,178,579. This does not include athletic extracurricular activities. This number will vary slightly on an annual basis, depending on student enrollment, programs offered, etc. The largest portion of this budget are salaries and benefits for the building personnel. The personnel budget is administered at the district level, not at the school level. Needs are determined as per curriculum, activities, etc. All positions are approved by the board. This is consistent with state regulations. The budget also includes utilities such as electric, sewage and water and heating bills.
 
The portion of the budget that you as a teacher are familiar with seeing is the building allocation portion. This portion of the budget buys classroom instructional supplies, training, library books, copier paper, copier services, office supplies, a portion of field trips, assemblies, graduation, and other sundries. It is $165,000 for the current year and $160,000 for last year. The amount is developed administratively and provided to each principal. The principal uses that allocation to develop the budget for the high school for the items mentioned above.

Key Trends or Changes Occurring in the Institution's Community

The key trends in our District simultaneously indicate the changes occuring in our community. Both population expansion and increased ethnic and academic diversity continue to challenge the building's ability to accommodate growth. Long-range planning explores the possibility of creating an addition to the existing site. Should planning become fact, likely the ninth grade will relocate to the high school, still leaving room for ever-imminent township development, albeit limited.

With 2006-2007s district-wide wireless initiative, the School Board and Administrators made a committment to ensure 21st century learning used 21st century tools. Pockets of technology-infused pilot programs appeared throughout [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/discussion_forums_in_eschool_builder/|both]] [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/technology_is_alive_and_well_at_western/|elementary]], [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/who_said_pssa_review_has_to_be_boring/|middle]], and [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/life_in_the_making/|high]] [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/rj/21st_century_genocide_the_darfur_symposium/|schools]] in the last few years, but the wireless committment and the Classrooms for the Future grant propelled the high school forward in the Curriculum and Technology Committee's [[http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/District+Plan|three-year plan]] for access, effective teaching and learning, professional development, information literacy, and assessment and evaluation. Progress continues throughout the District, with [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/site/smart_classrooms_6th_grade/|6 Smart Classrooms]] operating in elementary and middle schools. [[http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/admin_blog/|Information literacy discussions]] at all building levels reshape professional development, with teaching and learning moving solidly into 21st century practices.

Annotated Bibliography

Beauchemin, Dr. Louise. Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Development. Personal interview. 4 January 2008. 

Gave overview of elementary and middle schools' demographics. Provided print copy resources, film and PowerPoint presentation on number and characteristics of student demographics.

DallaPiazza, Ron. Personal interview. 4 January 2008. 

Provided local history resources and verified early school sites, locations, and dates. Used for the history of the institution and its traditions.

Famularo, Susan. "Township and High School Financial Resources." Email to the author. 9 Jan. 2008. 

Provided analysis of District financial resources and revenue formulation applicable to the institution.

Frei, Tyson, comp. __School Profile__. 4 Dec. 2007. Salisbury High School. 30 Jan. 2008 

<http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/Salisbury-High-School-Profile>.
Created code for multimedia insertion, converted media files, scanned primary source non-traditional texts reformatted for visual clarity and aesthetics, edited, mashed, and resourced visual graphics. 




King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC, "Salisbury Township School District, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania." 


__General Obligation Bonds, Serioes of 2006__ 1-25
Provided demographics and social and economic characteristics of the institution relative to proposed site building and renovation plans.

"Microsoft TerraServer Imagery." __TerraServer USA__. 2005. Microsoft Corperation. 24 Jan. 2008

<http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=14&x=207&y=1375&z=17&w=1&qs=%7cSalisbury%7cPA%7c>.
Used for topographical map of Salisbury Township

Nesbit, B. "A Vision of K-12 Students Today." __YouTube__. 28 Nov. 2007. 30 Jan. 2008. 

<http://youtube.com/results?search_query=a+vision+of+k-12+students+today&search=Search>.
Articulates need for digital immigrants' unlearning to become effective facilitators of digital natives. Used to recognize educating in the shift.

"Salisbury." __Lehigh County, Pennsylvania__. LehighCounty.Org. 4 Dec. 2007 

<http://www.lehighcounty.org/Hist/hist.cfm?doc=hist_salisbury.htm>.
Comprehensive local history of areas that comprised the Township before and after annexations. Used for correct listing of schools, earliest geographical township divisions, topography, and social history.

Schmehl, William L. F.. __Salisbury Township: 1753-2003__. 2nd. Emmaus: Total Imaging Inc., 2003. 

Primary resource used for social, geographical, typographical, and educational history of the Township.

Stangherlin, RJ. "Teaching and Learning Blog" 30 Jan. 2008 

<http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/rj>.
Provided examples of teaching and learning climate. Used in documenting unique components of the educational program and services.

Ziegenfuss, Randy, ed. "Unlearning." __STSD Administrators' Blog__. 2 Dec. 2007. Salisbury Township School Disrict. 30 Dec. 2007.

<http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/admin_blog/>.
Principals and central office administrators from the Salisbury Township School District blog. Used to demonstrate climate for teaching, learning, and meeting institution's mission for growth and improvement objectives.

Ziegenfuss, Randy, ed. __STSD Curriculum and Technology Update__. 11 Nov. 2006. Salisbury Township School Disrict. 15 Dec. 2007. 

<http://www.salisbury21.org/blog/index.php/>. 
Weekly updates on curriculum and technology in the Salisbury Township School District in Allentown, PA. Used blogs for documenting technology integration in project-based collaborative learning throughout the District.

Ziegenfuss, Randy, ed. "Front Page." __Salisbury21__. 11 Nov. 2006. Salisbury Township School Disrict. 1 Jan. 2008 

<http://salisbury21.pbwiki.com/>.
PB Wiki compilation of District technology and learning implementation plans, interactive collaborations, and virtual field trips. Used for referencing the high school mission, characteristics, and long-range growth and improvement objectives.