Dutch Fork High Ranked Nationally Again by The Washington Post!

Each year, several publications seek out to rank high schools in their ability to prepare students for college and career readiness. This year, the author of the list (formally the Newsweek Rankings) has moved to The Washington Post and continues to publish "The High School Challenge" the list of rankings.

In ranking America's high schools, the formula is pretty simple. Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests a school gave in 2011 by the number of graduating seniors. While not a measure of the overall quality of the school, the rating can reveal the level of a high school’s commitment to preparing students for college.

Again this year, we are proud to announce that Dutch Fork High School is ranked number 638 out of 1898 high schools nationally. Schools on this list are comprised of the following types of schools:

•             Public

•             Private

•             Charter

•             Magnet

•             Specialized Career Academies

When looking at the results, there are twenty schools from the state of South Carolina on list. Two "traditional (comprehensive public) high schools in Lexington/Richland 5 are represented:

   

# 638 - Dutch Fork High

   

# 651 - Chapin High School

   

Regionally, looking at schools from the midlands, nine schools are represented:

   

# 325 - A.C. Flora High School

   

# 638 - Dutch Fork High School

   

# 1016 - Dreher High School

   

# 651 - Chapin High School

   

# 1566 - Spring Valley High School

   

# 1465 - Richland Northeast High School

We are very proud of how Dutch Fork High and School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties continue to prepare students for a level of college and career readiness that is consistent with state and national goals for educational progress. As a public high school, we will continue to advise, schedule, and offer our students the most rigorous courses in our various programs of study. Doing so will allow them to continue competing with the best and brightest students from around the globe.

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction

End of Course Exams Begin May 14th

End-of-Course Examinations are on the horizon.

 What is the EOCEP?

The Education Accountability Act of 1998 requires the development of end-of-course examinations in gateway or benchmark courses. The program is called End-of-Course-Examination Program (EOCEP).

The examinations, which count 20 percent of the students' final grade in each gateway or benchmark course, currently include Algebra 1/Math for the Technologies 2, English 1, U.S. History and the Constitution, and
Biology 1/Applied Biology 2.

Who takes the EOCEP tests?

All public middle school, high school, alternative school, virtual school, adult education, and home school students who are enrolled in courses in which the academic standards corresponding to the EOCEP tests are taught, regardless of course name or number, must take the appropriate tests.

When are the EOCEP tests administered?

We will administer EOC exams on the following dates:

Monday May 14         (A-day)           US History, Algebra 1

Tuesday May 15^th       (B-day)            US History, Algebra 1

Wednesday – Friday      Make-up exams for US History and Algebra 1

Monday May 21^st        (B-day)            Biology, English 1

Tuesday May 22^nd       (A-day)           Biology, English 1

Wednesday – Friday      Make-up exams for Biology and English 1

There are several steps parents can take to help maximize their child’s performance on EOC exams. Parents can make sure their student gets a good night’s rest, eats a healthy breakfast, and reports to school early on these dates. It is also important for parents to talk with their child about EOC exams to help reduce test anxiety, praise their child when he or she performs well on the EOC, and encourage him or her to try harder and focus when they encounter difficult questions on the test.

Students can also take steps to help them perform better on test day, such as arrive early on test day, be comfortable but alert, and stay relaxed and confident. When nerves take over, students should remember to take several slow, deep breaths and relax. During the test, students should try to answer questions in a strategic order; that is, answer the easy questions first to build confidence and tackle the difficult questions last. A final step for students is to review their tests after completion, making sure they did not forget to answer any questions, miss-mark any answers, or made any other type of careless mistake.

These few simple steps could help Dutch Fork High School students earn passing scores on EOC exams. For more information about testing you can contact Ms. Melissa Turner, Testing Coordinator at 476-3416 or Robert Jackson, Assistant Principal for Instruction @ 476-3353. Additionally, you can visit the South Carolina Department of Education website http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/41/ for more information.

Good luck with End-of-Course Exams!

Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction 

Dutch Fork High Among Nation's Best High Schools

Congratulations to Dutch Fork High School on being named one of the Best High Schools in the nation according to the US News and World Report (2012). Sixteen schools from South Carolina, made the list with two from School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties. 

To produce the 2012 U.S.News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, U.S. News teamed up with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research (AIR), one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world. 

AIR implemented U.S. News's comprehensive rankings methodology, which is based on the key principles that a great high school must serve all of its students well, not just those who are college-bound, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators. 

We analyzed 21,776 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. This is the total number of public high schools that had 12th-grade enrollment and sufficient data, primarily from the 2009-2010 school year, to analyze. (Nebraska was the only state that did not report enough data and therefore was not evaluated for any part of the rankings.) 

National rankings

A three-step process determined the Best High Schools. The first two steps ensured that the schools serve all of their students well, using performance on state proficiency tests as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work. 

• Step 1: The first step determined whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. We started by looking at reading and math results for all students on each state's high school proficiency tests. We then factored in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (who tend to score lower) enrolled at the school to identify the schools that were performing better than statistical expectations. 

• Step 2: For those schools that made it past this first step, the second step determined whether the school's least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low-income) were performing better than average for similar students in the state. We compared each school's math and reading proficiency rates for disadvantaged students with the statewide results for these student groups and then selected schools that were performing better than this state average. 

• Step 3: Schools that made it through the first two steps became eligible to be judged nationally on the final step—college-readiness performance—using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data as the benchmarks for success, depending on which program was largest at the school. AP is a College Board program that offers college-level courses at high schools across the country. The International Baccalaureate program also offers a college-level curriculum. 

This third step measured which schools produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students. This was done by computing a "college readiness index" based on the school's AP or IB participation rate (the number of 12th-grade students in the 2009-2010 academic year who took at least one AP or IB test before or during their senior year, divided by the number of 12th graders) and how well the students did on those tests.


We are so proud of our students, teachers, and parents for working together to achieve this honor. Together, we will achieve more!

Advanced Placement Exams at Dutch Fork High!

AP Exams at Dutch Fork High!

The time has come once again for students to take their Advanced Placement Exams. As customary, AP exams will be given over the next two weeks (May 7-18). The two sites that will be used for exam administration are Shady Grove United Methodist Church and Dutch Fork High School.

Here is the schedule and location for each exam:

Week 1 – May 7-11

Name of Test (proctors needed)	Test Date & Time	Testing Location
Chemistry	Monday, May 7 (B) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
Environmental Science	Monday May 7 (B) 8:00 am	Media Center Classroom
Psychology	Monday, May 7 (B) 12:00 pm	Shady Grove
Computer Science A	Tuesday, May 8 (A) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
Calculus AB Calculus BC	Wednesday, May 9 (B) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
English Literature	Thursday, May 10 (A) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
US History	Friday, May 11 (B) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
European History	Friday, May 11 (B) 12:00 pm	Shady Grove
Studio Art	Friday, May 11 (B) 12:00 pm	Art Studio

Week 1 – May 14-18

Name of Test	Test Date & Time	Testing Location
Biology	Monday, May 14 (A) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
Music Theory	Monday, May 14 (A) 8:00 am	Band Practice Rooms
Physics B	Monday, May 14 (A) 12:00 pm	Shady Grove
Physics C	Monday, May 14 (A) 12:00 pm	Media Center Classroom
US Government	Tuesday, May 15 (B) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
English Language	Wed., May 16 (A) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
Statistics	Wed. May 16 (A) 12:00 pm	Shady Grove
Macroeconomics	Thurs., May 17 (B) 8:00 am	Media Center
World History	Thurs., May 17 (B) 8:00 am	Shady Grove
Human Geography	Friday May 18 (A) 8:00 am	DFHS Arena

Student Reminders

Teachers, during your classes over the next few days, please remind your AP students of the following:

AP Exams will be administered again at Shady Grove United Methodist Church Family Life Center. All exams will be at the family life center except for Studio Art, Music Theory, Physics “C”, Chemistry, and Macroeconomics which will be on campus. Check the schedule for more details.  Students are required to arrive at the testing site no later than 30 minutes prior to their exam: 7:30 a.m for the morning administration and 11:30 a.m. for the afternoon administration. Students will not be dismissed until an exam has officially ended. If they play a sport or have a job, it is their responsibility to inform their coach or employer of their AP Exam obligation, and arrangements should be made accordingly.

Essentials:

Students should bring the following items to the exam room:

• Several sharpened No. 2 pencils (with erasers) for all multiple-choice answer sheets
• Pens with black or dark blue ink for completing areas on the exam booklet covers and for free-response questions in most exams
• A watch (in case the exam room does not have a clock that may easily be seen)
• Up to two calculators with the necessary capabilities if you are taking an AP Calculus,   Chemistry, Physics, or Statistics Exam.
• (Visit www.collegeboard.com/apstudents to learn more about the calculator policy for each of these exams and for a list of authorized calculators.)
• A ruler or straightedge (ID Card) if you are taking an AP Physics Exam

Students should not bring the following to the exam room:

• Cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, e-mail/messaging devices, and any other electronic or communication devices. All phones and other devices should be left in students’ vehicles.
• Books, compasses, colored pencils*, correction fluid, dictionaries, highlighters*, or notes
• Rulers and straightedges (except as noted above)
• Scratch paper (notes may be made on portions of the exam booklets)
• Computers* or calculators (except as noted above)
• Watches that beep or have an alarm
• Portable listening* or recording devices (even with headphones) or photographic equipment
• Food or drink*
• Clothing with subject-related information

* Unless this has been preapproved as an accommodation by the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities office prior to the test date.

Reminders:

Get a good night’s rest before your exam and eat a nutritious breakfast. The school will provide a snack for your 10-minute break during testing (students will not be permitted to go to their vehicles). It is advisable to bring a sweater, in case the room temperature is below your comfort level.

You are required to abide by the policies of both the College Board and Dutch Fork High School during the exam period. Any misconduct will be reported and could jeopardize your AP Exam grade.

Be sure to review the 2010-11 Bulletin for AP Students and Parents that you received in February 2011. If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to contact me. Good luck!

By: Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Assistant Principal for Instruction