Portsmouth+High+School+Fall+2014

David Benford

Portsmouth High School 120 Education Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 (401) - 683 - 2124



=**Introduction**= Portsmouth High School serves grades 9-12 in the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. At Portsmouth High School, 100 professionals help to educate a community of 950 students, led by the school's principal, Robert E. Littlefield. The school displays "Patriot Pride", the "five core values of Perseverance, Respect, Innovation, Dedication, and Engagement", all values that the principal finds to be vital to a successful learning community. The school's mascot is a Patriot and has a color scheme of red, white, and blue. All of these things may give us a concrete view of Portsmouth High School, but let us take a deeper look into the community, district, and school itself to get a better understanding of whether or not Portsmouth is suitable for raising a successful family and setting up children for success. = = = = =**Community Background**=


 * Income/Poverty**

(U.S. Census, 2010)
 * || Portsmouth || Rhode Island || United States || Newport || Barrington ||
 * Median Household Income || $73,308 || $56,102 || $53,046 || $57,690 || $103,211 ||
 * Median Family Income || $97,140 || $72,872 || $64,585 || $82,393 || $123,982 ||
 * Per Capita Income || $41,554 || $30,005 || $28,051 || $37,276 || $50,796 ||
 * All Families Below Poverty Level || 4.6% || 9.2% || 10.9% || 5.9% || 1.6% ||
 * All People Below Poverty Level || 7.3% || 13.2% || 14.9% || 10.8% || 1.9% ||

Portsmouth's median household income ($73,308) is nearly $20,000 more than that of both the United States ($53,046) and Rhode Island ($56,102), and the median family income of Portsmouth ($97,140) is nearly $25,000 higher than that of the state of Rhode Island ($72,872) and more than $30,000 higher than the United States' ($64,585). While looking at Portsmouth next to Rhode Island and the nation as a whole makes it look like a community that has an abundance of wealth, comparing it to other towns in the state of Rhode Island may shed a different light on that appearance. For example, when compared to the median household and family incomes of Barrington, Rhode Island ($103,211, $123,982), Portsmouth falls short of those averages by nearly $30,000 and $26,000, respectively. Comparing Portsmouth to Newport, a town that shares an island with Portsmouth, will tell a different story. Newport's median household income ($57,690) and median family income ($82,393) fall short of Portsmouth's numbers by nearly $15,000. Portsmouth also has only 4.6% of families below the poverty level, a statistic that seems relatively low when compared to Rhode Island (9.2%), the United States (10.9%), and even Newport (5.9%). Although Portsmouth's percentage seems low at first, when compared to Barrington's percentage of 1.6%, it is easier to see where Portsmouth falls on the economic map. Comparing Portsmouth to places with high population counts such as Rhode Island or the United States does suggest that Portsmouth is a community filled with affluence and monetary success, but comparing it to surrounding communities such as Newport or Barrington will show that while Portsmouth is certainly a wealthy community, there are also more successful communities out there. Next, we will look at Portsmouth's diversity.

(U.S. Census, 2010)
 * Race/Ethnicity**
 * || Portsmouth || Rhode Island || United States ||< Newport ||
 * White || 94.6% (16,445) || 81.4% || 72.4% ||< 82.5% (20,343) ||
 * Black/African Americans || 1.3% (234) || 5.7% || 12.6% ||< 6.9% (1,710) ||
 * Asian || 1.6% (274) || 2.9% || 4.8% ||< 1.4% (349) ||
 * Hispanic or Latino || 2.1% (372) || 12.4% || 16.3% ||< 8.4% (2,062) ||
 * American Indian and Alaska Native || 0.2% (37) || 0.6% || 0.9% ||< 0.8% (189) ||
 * One Race || 98.1% (17,066) || 96.7% || 97.1% ||< 94.8% (23,386) ||
 * 2 or more races || 1.9% (323) || 3.3% || 2.9% ||< 5.2% (1,286) ||

Not surprisingly, Portsmouth is not a diverse area of Rhode Island, similar to most wealthy communities. Portsmouth's large percentage of caucasians (94.6%) is outstandingly high when put up against Rhode Island's (81.4%), the United States' (72.4%), and even Newport's (82.5%). Portsmouth also has a notably low African American population (1.3%) compared to the Rhode Island's (5.7%), the United States' (12.6%), and even nearby Newport's (6.9%). Portsmouth is unlike most communities in Rhode Island, with a predominantly white population that causes the community to stand out even amongst Newport, a town that calls the same island home. Another thing that will help us get a better look at the community of Portsmouth is census-based indicators.

(U.S. Census, 2010)
 * Census-Based Indicators**
 * || Portsmouth || Rhode Island || Newport ||
 * Child Population || 3,996 || 223,956 || 4,083 ||
 * Children Living in Single-Parent Families || 18% || 31% || 42% ||
 * Children Living in Families Below the Federal Poverty Threshold || 6.9% || 18.4% || 24.4% ||

Portsmouth's children should be considered well-off, especially when compared with Rhode Island and Newport. Portsmouth has a relatively low percentage of children living in single-parent families (18%) and an even smaller percentage of children living below the poverty threshold (6.9%). In comparison, Rhode Island has a much higher population of children living in single-parent homes (31%), and a higher amount of children living below the poverty threshold (18.4%). Newport has an even higher amount of children living in single-parent homes (42%) and a stunning population of children living below the poverty threshold (24.4%). Compared to the state and even the nearby town of Newport, it is evident that the children of Portsmouth are raised in a much healthier environment than the towns surrounding the community. Now we will take a look at perhaps the most important of the community facts, health and safety.


 * Health and Safety**

(RI Kids Count, 2012-2013)
 * || Portsmouth || Rhode Island || Newport ||
 * Births to Mothers With Less than a High School Diploma || 1% || 15% || 11% ||
 * Teen Birth Rate || 3.6% || 23.3% || 22.0% ||
 * Child Abuse and Neglect Rate || 2.5% || 14.0% || 28.4% ||

Portsmouth, a safe community to bring children up in, looks even safer when compared to Rhode Island and nearby Newport. Portsmouth has 1% of births to mothers with less than a high school diploma, compared to Rhode Island's 15% and Newport's 11%. Portsmouth also has a low rate of teen births, with a shocking difference of 19.7% and 18.4% between Rhode Island and Newport, respectively. Perhaps the most drastic difference between Portsmouth and other communities is the child abuse and neglect rate. Portsmouth has a rate of 2.5%, a statistic that already appears bad, but when compared to Rhode Island's 14.0% and Newport's 28.4% Portsmouth looks to have a significantly low rate. Overall, Portsmouth is an unquestionably safe community quite suitable for raising children in.

=District Summary=

(Infoworks!, 2013)
 * NECAP Assessment Scores**
 * NECAP Assessments || Rhode Island || Portsmouth || Barrington || Central Falls ||
 * 3rd Grade Math || 56% || 76% || 79% || 29% ||
 * 3rd Grade Reading || 69% || 78% || 89% || 43% ||
 * 4th Grade Math || 63% || 83% || 78% || 42% ||
 * 4th Grade Reading || 70% || 78% || 88% || 44% ||
 * 4th Grade Science || 41% || 55% || 68% || 21% ||
 * 5th Grade Math || 61% || 79% || 85% || 37% ||
 * 5th Grade Reading || 74% || 85% || 92% || 44% ||
 * 5th Grade Writing || 64% || 72% || 79% || 36% ||
 * 6th Grade Math || 59% || 80% || 82% || 26% ||
 * 6th Grade Reading || 72% || 87% || 89% || 34% ||
 * 7th Grade Math || 59% || 81% || 87% || 19% ||
 * 7th Grade Reading || 69% || 84% || 91% || 32% ||
 * 8th Grade Math || 57% || 78% || 90% || 15% ||
 * 8th Grade Reading || 74% || 90% || 94% || 39% ||
 * 8th Grade Writing || 56% || 75% || 79% || 13% ||
 * 8th Grade Science || 30% || 49% || 71% || 8% ||
 * 11th Grade Math || 35% || 62% || 79% || 12% ||
 * 11th Grade Reading || 81% || 93% || 97% || 53% ||
 * 11th Grade Writing || 66% || 80% || 81% || 35% ||
 * 11th Grade Science || 30% || 50% || 58% || 8% ||

From the first NECAP test in 3rd grade, Portsmouth is an above average school district, always outperforming the state wide percentage along with Central Falls school district in math, reading, writing, and science. Portsmouth does, however, fall short of Barrington in every NECAP assessment from grades 3 through 11, although they do come close in some subjects such as 11th grade writing, only falling short by 1%. Overall, Portsmouth has high NECAP scores that are consistently significantly above the state average percentage, which shows that the district does a good job preparing the students for the standardized testing across the board. They do fall short of Barrington in all categories, but that does not mean their district is bad. Portsmouth always outscores the state average for the tests by a range from 8%-21%, a range that shows significant dominance in all categories of the NECAP exams.

(RI Kids Count 2012-2013)
 * Student Characteristics**
 * || Rhode Island || Portsmouth || Barrington || Central Falls ||
 * Student Eligibility for Subsidized Lunch || 47% || 15% || 6% || 81% ||
 * Students Receiving ESL/Bilingual Education Services || 6% || Less than 1% || 1% || 17% ||
 * Students Receiving Special Education || 15% || 15% || 11% || 20% ||

While comparing the Portsmouth district to the Barrington district makes Portsmouth look closer to the state averages, the children attending the Portsmouth schools have a substantial advantage over most kids in the state of Rhode Island. The percent of students receiving subsidized lunch in Portsmouth (15%) is 32% more than the state wide percentage (47%) and 66% higher than the percentage of Central Falls students receiving subsidized lunches (81%).


 * Incidents of Suspension **

(RI Kids Count, 2012-2013)
 * || Rhode Island || Portsmouth || Barrington || Central Falls ||
 * Elementary Schools || 2,815 || 0 || 0 || 3 ||
 * Middle Schools || 11,537 || 74 || 32 || 358 ||
 * High Schools || 17,944 || 534 || 103 || 117 ||

Suspensions are a part of any school system, no matter how exclusive the community can be, there will always be at least a select few that decide to break rules and end up serving the punishment of suspension. Portsmouth's school district, however, falls on the lower end of suspension rates. In elementary schools, a time that you don't expect many kids to get suspensions, Portsmouth (0 suspensions) already has a lower rate compared to Central Falls (3 suspensions) and the state of Rhode Island (2,815 suspensions). As the kids get older, however, the incidents of suspension increase. Portsmouth's middle schoolers (74 suspensions) still fall on the lower end of the spectrum with Central Falls (358 suspensions) and Rhode Island (11,537 suspensions) heading the pack. Portsmouth is not as low as it was in elementary school, however, as it has slightly more suspensions than some towns like Barrington (32 middle school suspensions). As the trend continues, the amount of suspensions increases more when kids reach high school age. Portsmouth again falls on the tail end of the pack (534 suspensions) with Central Falls (117 suspensions) and Rhode Island (17,944) having more, and Barrington (103 suspensions) with less. Portsmouth tends to follow the trend of suspension rates increasing as kids get older, but the district is on the lower end of the suspension rates in the state. =School Analysis=


 * SAT Scores**

(Infoworks! 2013)
 * || Rhode Island || Portsmouth High School || Barrington School || Central Falls School ||
 * Mathematics Average || 479 || 528 || 597 || 410 ||
 * Reading Average || 478 || 517 || 582 || 390 ||
 * Writing Average || 473 || 506 || 570 || 375 ||

Portsmouth High School produces well above average SAT scores, a statistic that is important for a successful high school. Portsmouth High's strongest section of the SATs is math (528) followed by reading (517) and writing (506). Each section has a possible 800 points, but when put into comparison with Rhode Island's math (479) reading (478) and writing (473) average scores, Portsmouth's averages come off as outstanding. To even further improve Portsmouth High's scores, putting them up against Central Fall's (410, 390, 375) causes Portsmouth's averages to become even higher above average. While comparing Portsmouth's scores to Central Falls and Rhode Island boost the school's reputation, putting the school's scores up against Barrington High School's provide a better idea of how well Portsmouth's students actually do on the test. Portsmouth High's students came within 100 points of Barrington's averages (597, 582, 570) on all three sections of the SAT. While their scores are not quite as good as Barrington's, less than 100 points is not a big difference, which supports the fact that Portsmouth High School, on average, does outstandingly well on the SAT.


 * AP Exams**

(Inforworks! 2012-2013)
 * || Rhode Island || Portsmouth High School || Barrington School || Central Falls School ||
 * Number of Exams Taken || 6717 || 407 || 526 || 96 ||
 * Number of Students to Take Exam || 4150 || 224 || 283 || 74 ||
 * Exams Scored at College-Level Mastery || 3674 || 275 || 465 || 23 ||
 * Percent Scored at College-Level Mastery || 55% || 68% || 88% || 24% ||

AP exams are used to help students earn college credit in order to gain mastery in a given topic, so naturally the more successful schools will have more students that not only take the AP exams, but also pass them. Portsmouth had about 400 AP Exams taken, compared to Barrington's 526 and Central Falls' 96, Portsmouth High had a high amount of exams taken, but not the highest, falling close to the top. Portsmouth's percentage of students that have scored at college-level mastery (68%) may seem relatively low to the untrained eye, comparing it to Rhode Island as a whole (55%) and surrounding schools like Central Falls (24%) and Barrington (88%) will show that while it certainly does not have the highest scores in the state, Portsmouth is close to the upper-end of the AP scores spectrum. The students success on the AP exams is not only a comment on the quality of teaching in Portsmouth High School, but also shows how highly motivated the students at Portsmouth High are to succeed in the future. Portsmouth had 224 students take an AP exam, a number significantly higher than that of Central Falls High School (74), and not far off from the outstandingly successful Barrington School (283), another statistic that speaks to the students motivation to do well.

(Infoworks! 2012-2013)
 * Attendance**
 * || Rhode Island || Portsmouth High School || Barrington School || Central Falls School ||
 * Attendance Rate High Schools || 92% || 95% || 95% || 88% ||
 * Chronic Absenteeism in High Schools || 24% || 8% || 7% || 40% ||

Attendance is a crucial statistic in schools. Without proper attendance in a high school, the student population, teacher's ability to teach effectively, and many other things all take detrimental hits. For this reason, students' attendance can truly determine whether a school is "good" or "bad". Portsmouth High School's attendance rate (95%) is high, but not out of the ordinary, with Rhode Island (92%) and Central Falls School (88%) not terribly far behind, and with Barrington also at 95%. Chronic absenteeism in high schools, however, is a completely different story. Portsmouth High School (8%) in comparison to Rhode Island (24%) and Central Falls (40%) is outstandingly successful at keeping it's students in school on a consistent basis.


 * Four-year Graduation Rate (Students entering grade 9 in 2009-2010)**

(Infoworks! 2012-2013)
 * || Rhode Island || Portsmouth High School || Barrington School || Central Falls School ||
 * Percent Graduated within 4 years || 79.7% || 90.5% || 95.6% || 73.8% ||
 * Percent dropped out || 9.1% || 7.0% || 1.2% || 14.8% ||
 * Percent received GED || 2.9% || 0.8% || 0.4% || 1.9% ||
 * Percent still in school || 8.3% || 1.7% || 2.8% || 9.5% ||

Graduation rate, another statistic that separates stronger schools from weaker ones, is relatively high in Portsmouth. Portsmouth High graduates almost 91% of it's students, a largely respectable statistic. Compared to Central Falls (73.8%), Rhode Island (79.7%), and Barrington (95.6%), Portsmouth High again lands on the upper end of things, but not quite at the top. While their graduation rate is close to the top of the charts, Portsmouth High School's drop out rate of 7% falls closer to the middle when compared to Rhode Island (9.1%), Central Falls (14.8%), and Barrington (1.2%). When it comes to the four-year graduation rate, Portsmouth does outstandingly well with the percent of students that graduated within four years, but when it comes to drop outs, Portsmouth High School has an unusually high percentage. As a school, Portsmouth High School does meet the No Child Left Behind standards set by the national government.


 * Conclusion**

Overall, Portsmouth, Rhode Island is an above average place, but not quite the best in the state of Rhode Island. The community is successful and wealthy with high family and household incomes, but is not the most wealthy community in Rhode Island, falling close to the top at above average. The community is not a diverse place, which is relatively unsurprising for such a wealthy community, as communities with vast amounts of wealth in them are usually predominantly one race. The community is also a very safe area to raise kids in, with low teen birth rates and low child abuse rates, combined with the other above average statistics of the community, I would say Portsmouth is a very safe area to raise a family in. The school district in Portsmouth follows the trend of above average but not the best, with well more than above average scores on the NECAP Assessments and low student discipline statistics. As for the high school, it is again an above average school compared to the state averages, but there are better schools. Portsmouth has high SAT and AP exam scores, showing that students are not only being taught well but also have high rates of motivation to succeed. The high school also graduates an impressively high percentage of it's students, but there is an uncharacteristically high percentage of drop out students in the school. I would say that Portsmouth is a community that is more than appropriate to raise children in, with wealthy families, strong elementary schools in the district, and an above average, strong high school.


 * References**

Portsmouth High School. (2014). Retrieved from http://portsmouthschoolsri.net/

RI Kids Count. (2012-2013). Retrieved from []

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from []

Votta, P. (2013). Info works! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting. Retrieved from []


 * Name: Mariah Porta ** **Score:** 28/35

5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform. 4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform. 3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else. 2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community. 0: No introduction section is apparent.
 * Introduction: 5/5 points **

Comments on report's introduction:

5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References. 4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence. 3: Report is missing one section. 2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each. 1: Report is missing two or more sections.
 * Organization: 3/5 points **

Comments on report's organization: Don't forget reference section!

5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report. There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax. 4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning. 3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning. 2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning. 0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.
 * Mechanics: 0/5 points **

Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions: No references :(

5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report. 4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report. 3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.
 * Creativity: 5/5 **

Comments on report's creativity:

5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader. 4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community 3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings. 1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school. 0: No conclusion.
 * Conclusion: 5/5 **

Comments on report's conclusion:

5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average). 4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures. 3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures. 2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures. 0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.
 * Data/Analysis: 10/10 **

Comments on data/analysis/General comments: