Woodstock Union High School
School Profile 2009
We are a diverse
community committed to the discovery of promise in each of us,
and dedicated to the full development of intellect, curiosity, energy,
and conscience.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS: Mary Ellen
Gallagher, Superintendent; Greg Schillinger, Principal; Julian Underwood,
Associate Principal and Grade l2 Dean; Wendy Wannop, Director of Athletics;
Sherry Newberry, Director, Learning Opportunities; Heather Hansen, Registrar
Telephone: 802/457-1317 FAX 802/457-1850
COUNSELING SERVICES DEPARTMENT: Suzy
Hallock-Bannigan, Director; Robin Ellison, School Counselor; Stacy Thomas,
School Counselor; Vali Stuntz, Middle School Counselor, Mary
Beth Heiskell, Student Assistance Counselor; Janet North, Secretary;
Joni Kennedy, Student Records, Scholarship Coordinator
Telephone 802/457-1930 FAX 802/457-1392
SCHOOL PROFILE 2009-2010
OUR SCHOOLis a comprehensive, fully accredited public
high school offering a course of studies for four years as described by
the Department of Education in Vermont. In our recent history, we have
been awarded recognition for excellence by the United States Department
of Education and we have earned a Public School Medallion from the Vermont
Business Roundtable. Our school was awarded the Creative Schools Distinction
Award from the Kennedy Center Alliance for our comprehensive arts program
in the year 2000-2001, and our Fine Arts Department is referenced as a
model by personnel in the State Department of Education. Our students
frequently place in the Region 5 annual Mathematics Competition (sponsored
by the Mathematical Association of America), and our Foreign Language
students typically earn recognition in national contests. The NECAP (New
England Common Assessment Program) test scores indicate that our junior
class consistently equal or exceed the scores of all juniors in Vermont.
Each year at least one-third of our Band students participate in the
Connecticut Valley Music Festival. Our Superintendent believes that it
is our job to “teach all children,” and while we share “seriousness about
our work, we shall also experience the humor and joy of it with our students
and with each other.” As a school family, we welcome current brain research
which “is helping us help children learn.” Our district is composed
of the towns named above, and our school also accepts tuition students
from other towns. We participate in Vermont’s School Choice Program. The
enrollment this year is 420 (+ or -). The Union has a total population
of about 8726 (at the last census); each sending town has a local elementary
school.
OUR STAFF includes a Teaching Principal who teaches English
I, an Associate Principal who also teaches U.S. History Honors and serves
as the Grade l2 Dean, three other teaching deans, three full time school
counselors, a full time School Nurse, an Emergency Medical Technician,
and a part time Nurse. We have 47 teachers, and some are shared staff
with the Middle School; of the 47, 37 have earned one or more advanced
degrees (beyond the bachelor’s level). All departments have chairs and
are further guided by Program Coordinators. Our regional Career and Technology
Center is located in White River Junction/Hartford, Vermont. This highly
competitive program had a 62% post secondary placement in 2007. More information
can be obtained from their website at www.hartfordschools.net then
click on the Career and Technology School link. We have an off site program,
Options, designed to assist some students. Our teacher-pupil ratio is
9:1. We enjoy paraprofessional, secretarial, and custodial staff.
We recognize the value of community participation, and students are urged to participate via extra and co-curricular activities, a Supervised Work Experience Program (SWEP), Career Exploration, and Kid Power. Community Service is encouraged but not required for the diploma; about 40% of our students are active in volunteer work. All Grade 11 students participate in a Junior Transition Seminar. The school community enjoys a monthly meeting called “Best Thursday” which is managed by our Student Council.
ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES AT OUR SCHOOL include courses in required distributions which include Language, Literature and the Arts; Mathematics, Science and Technology; Social Studies; Physical Education and Health, and electives in Agricultural Education, Business and Computer Technology, Family and Consumer Science, Foreign Language; some electives are offered on site in Technology Education. Our campus enjoys greenhouse facilities. Our students may apply for Early Graduation as a three year course of study program. Eligible students may study at the Vermont Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) at the Vermont Technical College in the Grade l2 year. This year we also have a student enrolled in study at Dartmouth through the special Community Program. A course description and synopsis is available for every course of study offered in our school. The school publishes a Program of Studies booklet annually. Advanced Placement opportunities this year include Calculus, Computer Science, Environmental Studies, English, European History, Spanish, Statistics, Studio Art and United States History. Fifth year French students have the option to take the AP exam; Latin students in the fourth year of study have the option. Seniors may choose the AP Spanish language course and it is expected the CEEB AP Spanish exam will be completed. At the end of the first course selection and auditioning period, enrollments in AP courses totaled 110. Independent, self directed studies are available to learners who have demonstrated independence in scholarship; “mirrored” independent courses replicate a course of study as described in our formal curriculum. On line and Virtual High School courses are available to our students, but each must earn the approval of Mr. Bango, our webmaster, the appropriate department chair, and our administration.
The Class of 2010 is required to evidence l8 required credits and at least 7 electives. Most students exceed the minimum number of 25 credits for the diploma, and many seek opportunities for Independent Study, travel and exchange programs, and collegiate study in the area. We accept up to four foreign exchange students annually; by Policy, the school only approves students for which we have an appropriate program, and the organization must be listed by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. Similarly, a small number of our students participate in foreign study, travel, or exchange programs and transfer credits earned. Our school works closely with the wider community; parents, family members, and other community supporters are often present for various activities sponsored by the school (especially in athletics, the annual Art Exhibit, for Yoh Theatre productions, and at concerts). We enjoy a Union Arena Community Center on campus; the Classes of 2004 and 2005 held their Graduation ceremonies there, and the Classes of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 held their Graduation ceremony on campus near the banks of the Ottauquechee River. Our Principal has a published Vision for our school.
THE EVALUATION SYSTEM respects individual student’s needs, varied learning styles, and each student’s unique aspirations and goals. Since l998, GPA and RIC have been determined by averaging precise numerical grades and adding Quality Points for Honors (+5) and Advanced Placement Courses (+10). Our administration and faculty hope that this method best reflects performance and assists employers and college admissions personnel in candidate selection. A complete list of weighted courses is available in the Counseling Services offices and accompanies every transcript. The school is receptive to information about the usefulness of this data. Our ranking system does include all the arts, technologies, and electives. Students may seek approval for earning partial PE credits through participation in Dance and school sanctioned athletics. Though not required for the diploma, students are encouraged to study non-native languages. The Art Department assists students in the presentation of a Portfolio for alternative assessment. All departments in the school are encouraged to differentiate instruction and to engage in interdepartmental collaborative projects. Block scheduling began (after a self study and survey) during the 2002-2003 school year; most courses are offered in blocks of about 85 minutes which exceeds or replicates college class duration.
THE CLASS OF 2010 consists of 111 (+ or -) students who have earned at least l9 credits prior to the senior year. The Principal assures the community that each graduate in June will have earned the following:
At least 6 credits in ARTS, LANGUAGE, AND LITERATURE
At least 7 credits in MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY
At least 3 credits in SOCIAL STUDIES
2 credits in PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
and at least 7 credits in Electives to total 25 credits
Each student’s course of study is indicated on an official transcript which bears the school’s seal and is signed by a school official. For more than a decade, the following evaluation system has been in use:
Grade Standard
90-100 A Exceptional Quality
80-89 B Good Quality
70-79 C Acceptable Quality
60-69 D Minimum Level for Credit
0-59 F Not Yet Competent, Not
Acceptable
Occasionally, faculty and students may seek opportunities for independent study which may award credit but not bear an evaluation. Courses taken at area colleges, by correspondence with accredited colleges and universities, or are part of a foreign exchange program pre-approved by the Principal do not carry weight and are not included in the rank. Community service projects are similarly reported. The Pass acknowledgment (P) on a transcript does not reflect a minimum performance level. College personnel are urged to seek further explanation of this indicator on a candidate’s record. Often the indicator reflects personal and academic initiative or community service which is extraordinary.
OUR DISTRICT enjoys certain characteristics which may be relevant when considering class rank. Given that much of recent research indicates that predictors of student success in school are parent income and parent education level, it may be important to note that our sending communities have a higher-than-average proportion (more than 50%) of parents with college degrees, post graduate degrees, and upper income status. Woodstock is well situated near the Ottauquechee River and the Killington Ski Area; it is a known tourist destination with a high percentage of employment in the resort and four season industries. The area is known for equine interests and history, small entrepreneurial businesses, art galleries, and restaurants.
In recent years, 66% to 80% of our students were accepted at college;
of these, one out of four was accepted at a selective or highly selective
college or university (using “selective” to describe an institution which
admits 60% or fewer of the candidate pool). The entire range of post
secondary aspiration (associate’s degree through doctoral degree) at Woodstock
Union was 83.9% in 2007.
The state of Vermont reported 35% of women have earned a bachelor’s
degree; in our sending towns, 50% of the women have earned a bachelor’s
degree. Similarly, Vermont reported 34% of the men hold a bachelor’s
degree, while in our district, that number is 46%. The median income
of our sending towns is somewhat higher than the median for the state
of Vermont. It is likely that the levels of educational attainment
and affluence contribute to our community’s perceptions of aspiration
and post secondary placement. The Class of 2001, for example, was surveyed
by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and revealed that Windsor
County students ranked 4th (of l4) in the state for continuing their
education (aspiration rate of 74.8% and an actual continuation rate of
66.8). Families and the school counselors report that a slight drop in
aspiration rate which followed was attributed to economic conditions and
the rising costs of northeastern colleges and universities. The Class
of 2003 reported an aspiration rate of 71.8% for a bachelor’s degree (or
higher) with an additional 10% of our graduates planning to complete a
certificate career program or an associate’s degree; less than 4% of our
students indicated that the high school diploma was the highest level
of education planned. The graduating class of 2007 had acceptance at
a post secondary education institution at a rate of 80%, the highest in
our history. A small number of students report an intention of taking
a year away from school (called a “gap year” or “transition year”), and
the school counselors report that some seek and defer admission; others
return to the high school for post secondary placement after the year,
but usually students seek admission while still in high school and request
to defer once admitted. A small percentage (2 to 4%) typically seek placement
in the military services. The last fifteen years show in-house aspiration
rates of:
Class of |
95 |
96 |
97 |
98 |
99 |
00 |
01 |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
07 | 08 | 09 |
% of students accepted to a 4 year college |
60 |
53 |
61 |
56 |
61 |
63 |
55 |
65 |
65 |
68 |
54 |
68 |
70 | 65 | 67 |
% of students accepted to a 2 year or technical college |
16 |
19 |
9 |
11 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
16 |
9 |
10 | 13 | 13 |
Total % |
76 |
72 |
70 |
67 |
71 |
74 |
66 |
67 |
73 |
71 |
70 |
77 |
80 | 78 | 80 |
Most of our students reported working part time and/or participated in meaningful volunteer activities; most believed the work had no adverse impact on school performance. It is possible that our students who apply for Work Study opportunities at college will have behaviors in place for time management. About one third of our college bound students choose to remain in state for continuing education post high school; two thirds accept placements out of state. Graduates who continued their education indicated that their most frequently sought majors were in the Visual or Performing Arts, Biology, Business, Communications including Journalism, Education, Engineering, Marketing and Management, and Psychology. Others included Health professions (fitness, athletic training, nutrition), and Natural Resources. College admissions officers report the most frequently declared major is “Undecided,” but only 15% of our student population in the Class of 2007 declared Undecided. Despite the educational status of our parent population and our students’ aspiration rate, we have socioeconomic diversity and we are grateful to community resources which presented 52 awards to students totaling $101,650 in scholarship aid (presented at the June 2009 Senior Awards evening). Some awards are need based, and others are merit and interest based.
COUNSELING SERVICES in our district begin, for the most part, in elementary school with ample opportunity for group and individual guidance. The Middle School has a full time school counselor. In the high school, the Department Chair also serves as the Supervisor of the Peer Counseling Program. Another School Counselor serves as Liaison with the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center, with Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and is a contact for military placement. All three high school counselors facilitate students in seeking post secondary placement in career and college, and all three welcome college representatives to campus. The counselors participate in consultation and supervision regularly. Members of the Class of 2009 filed, on the average, 5 to 6 college applications per student with a range of 1 to 20 (up from 12 in 2004) per student (to total 394 applications filed). Official school documents (1)may travel through the United States Postal Service and bear the school’s official seal; they are signed by a school official and (2) in 2009-2010 our school will begin a pilot study of the usefulness of Connect! and the electronic transfer of data. The counseling staff works closely with a Student a clinical supervisor in prevention, intervention, and postvention issues of substance use and abuse. All three school counselors provide academic, career, and personal, social-emotional counseling to students. No student is coerced to use counseling services, yet the department reports high frequency of use with 94% student approval rating (2008 data, the last available at this time). All the counselors hold Master’s degrees and the department chair has earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Counseling Psychology. The department has membership in the American Counseling Association, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and The New England Association of College Admissions Counselors. The high school counselors serve on the Pupil Personnel Services Team and may attend the Woodstock Child Protection Team in the wider community. The counselor-student ratio is 140-1. The Department has a full time secretary who manages the school report packets for colleges and who assists the Principal’s secretary in arranging scholarship distribution from local sources. The Department has a full time Records Clerk who maintains the records for the department and who coordinates scholarship opportunities for students throughout the school year. Eight peer counselors provide outreach and support under the auspices of Counseling Services. The school counselors adhere to the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association and the American School Counselors Association; the peer counselors adhere to the National Peer Helpers Association standards and their own published code.
ENDORSED SCHOOL ACTIVITIES include Earth Beat, Forensics/Debate, Senior and Intermediate Math Team, National Honor Society, Scholar’s Bowl, Speak Chorus, Student Council, Vermont Teen Leadership Safety Program/Students Against Destructive Decisions, Jazz Band, Woodstock Newspaper (What’s the Buzz), Yearbook, Yoh Theatre Players.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES includes Agriculture Exploration Club, Kid Power, Supervised Work Experience Program (SWEP), Rotary Interact, SOS Peer Counseling, Spectrum Teen Center.
ATHLETIC PROGRAMS include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, snow boarding, soccer, softball, tennis and track. During the 2008-09 school year, our school collaborated with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) to bring field opportunities in tandem with academic requirement for credit toward the diploma. The Class of 2009 has some well defined senior privileges and responsibilities, an active group of senior officers, and class advisors.
MEMBERS: National Association of College Admission Counselors, New England Association of College Admissions Counselors, American Counseling Association, American School Counselor Association.
In accordance with Title VI, Title IX, and the rules and regulations as defined by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, it is a policy of Woodstock Union High School that no person, upon the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, creed or faith, sex or age shall be excluded from participation, denied privileges, or be subjected to discrimination in any educational program or activity in our school. A Policy Committee under the auspices of our Board of School Directors reviews policies systematically, and all staff is responsible to the policies of our school.
Stats for 2008-2009 WUHS Grads
97 students graduating school
76.29 % of seniors have applied to college/university
74.23 % of seniors accepted to 2 (13.51%) and 4
(86.49%) year colleges/universities
2 % of seniors entering the armed services (2 students)
5 % of seniors choosing a “gap” year (5 students – 4
of these students have applied to college, were accepted and are deferring
while one has intent to go on to college)
SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES FOR
THE CLASSES OF 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008: |
||
|---|---|---|
Acadia
University |
Hartwick
College |
Springfield
College |