South+Kingstown+High+School+Fall+2013

= =  215 Columbia Street Wakefield Rhode Island, 02879 (401) 360-1000 http://hs.skschools.net/

=Introduction: =

South Kingstown High School is located in the heart of Wakefield, Rhode Island. This high school is the only high school for the district of South Kingstown. "South Kingstown High School is proud to be a safe and respectful community of learners that recognizes and encourages the talents and potential of every student. We are committed to a rigorous curriculum that fosters and develops identified academic, civic and social skills. The 21st century Rebel is an independent, critical thinker who effectively participates in our diverse community." The superintendent of this district is Kristen Stringfellow. Along with this high school, there is one preschool, four elementary schools, and two middle schools located in South Kingstown. Bob McCarthy is the current principal of the school along with three additional assistant principals: Kristin Klenk, Kevin Cronin, and Robert Young. As of 2013, there are a total of 1,087 students attending this high school. There are also 95 classroom teachers along with 17 para-professional aides.

The following context statement is intended for prospective students, parents, families, and teachers to see how South Kingston High School really is as a whole through statistics, student perspective, and various information.

=Community Background: =

  

South Kingstown was formed when Kings Towne was split into two separate towns in 1722, North Kingstown and South Kingstown. South Kingstown was named after Charles II of England (Hs.skschools.net, 2012). The population of South Kingstown in 2010 was 30,639, with a children population of 5,416, according to the 2010 US Census. The town contains many parks, hiking trails, and even 10 miles of undisturbed beaches. South Kingstown covers an area of 63 square miles. There are many small-business/family owned shops as well as large commercial stores as well. It is a safe and welcoming town. South Kingstown is considered to be a rather wealthy town where poverty is not exactly a large issue. The median household income is $74,147 which is rather high compared to the median for Rhode Island ($55,975) (U.S. Census, 2010). The median family income is also $93,834 which is also rather high compared to the median for Rhode Island ($72,724). (U.S. Census, 2010)

 U.S. Census (2010)

 It is a predominant white community (90.9%). African Americans make up 2.2% of the community, Asians make up 2.7%, Hispanics or Latinos make up 2.8% and American Indian and Alaska native make up 1.2%. (U.S. Census, 2010).

Race/Ethnicity of South Kingstown
U.S. Census (2010)

= District Summary: =

The district of South Kingstown is one that strives to be above the average, and works hard to keep this status. The teacher to student ratio in this district is 1:10 which allows for a better relationship to form between teacher and student, compared to the state of Rhode Island at 1:11 (Infoworks!, 2010-2011). South Kingstown district only has 1% of teachers that are considered not highly qualified (do not: have a Bachelor's degree, hold full state certification, have a major or its equivalent in a core subject area), which is less than the 3% in the entirety of the state (Infoworks!, 2010-2011). Within the district, less than 1% of the teachers have emergency certification (able to teacher without having a full state certification in extreme circumstances) (Infoworks!, 2010-2011). This district places a strong emphasis on not only have qualified teachers teach your children, but also able to make sure they are not lost within the system by keeping the ratios low.

Qualifications and Teacher-Student Ratios
Infoworks! (2010-2011)

Attendance
This district also has remarkable attendance rates as well, compared to the state, Barrington, and Central Falls school districts. The attendance rate for this district for high schools (South Kingstown is the only high school in this district) is 95%, comparable to all of Rhode Island's high school attendance (94%) (Infoworks!, 2011-2012).

Attendance Rates
Infoworks! (2011-2012)

= School Analysis **:**=

Teacher-Student Ratio
South Kingstown High School recognizes the importance of a low teacher-student ratio. This not only allows for individualized attention, but it also creates a more comfortable environment for the student to be more involved in their classes. The district maintains a low teacher-student ratio, but South Kingstown High School maintains an even lower ratio, 1:9 (Infoworks!, 2010-2011). This is extremely low and allows for the teachers to really get to know their students, which allows for them to find the best ways to help them not only learn the more material but also to exceed in their classes. This ratio for South Kingstown High School is rather low when compared to Barrington High School, 1:12 and the state of Rhode Island, 1:11 (Inforworks!, 2010-2011).

Teacher-Student Ratios 2012-2013
Infoworks! (2010-2011)

NECAP Assessment
The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) is a standardized test administered annually to test proficiency in reading, math, and writing. Each students is now scored on a scale of 1-4 1 being substantially below proficient and 4 being proficient with distinction. The Rhode Island Diploma System requires high school students to gain a score of at least 2 (partially proficient) or showing of improvement towards proficiency in all areas in order to graduate. South Kingstown High School has been upholding an exceptional record of their students' score on the NECAP, and have been placing a very heavy importance on these scores to their students and have been preparing them for them. The district scored well above the average in Rhode Island in each area in 2012/2013.

Infoworks! (2012-2013)

SAT and AP Exams
While passing the NECAPS is one way to help ensure graduating, the SAT is also another very important standardized test that helps with getting into colleges after graduation. South Kingstown also places a strong emphasis on preparing their students for the SAT. Not only are they concerned about just having their students graduate, but they are also concerned on what happens to them even after they are done with their time spent at South Kingstown High School. As well as the SAT, the teachers also encourage their students to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes/exams. These classes and exams give students the opportunity to take a college level course and, if they pass the exam at the end, are able to obtain college credit for these classes. This is not only a good experience for the students to see how college class really is, but it also gives them a head start on gaining credits before even attending college. In the 2011/2012 school year, there were 154 AP exams taken with 92% scoring at college level mastery (Infoworks!, 2011-2012). This percentage of passing is rather high compared to other high schools, Barrington: 85% and Central Falls: 13% (Infoworks!, 2011-2012).

Infoworks!(2012-2013) Infoworks (2011-2012)

Graduation
The percent of high school students that have graduated in 2012 after entering in 2008 was 80.5% (Infoworks!, 2011-2012), which shows that this district really puts an emphasis on the importance of not only just graduating, but also graduating in four years. The percent of high school students that graduated in four years after entering in 2008 for all of Rhode Island was 77.1% (Infoworks!, 2011-2012), which puts South Kingstown High School above this statistic. South Kingstown High School recognizes the importance of graduating high school and really puts an emphasis on this to each and every one of their students. "I really feel motivated at this school, I feel like I am able to perform to the best of my ability not only because of the close bond I have formed with my teachers, but also from the environment that this school instills. I feel comfortable, I feel motivated, I feel at home."- Julia Ludovici, Sophomore at South Kingstown High School.

Percent graduating in 4 years since 2008
Infoworks! (2011-2012)

= Conclusion: = South Kingstown is an exceptional district. South Kingstown High School may be the only high school in this district, but, there truly is no need for another one. This district emphasizes the importance of attending school and maintains an attendance rate of 96%. South Kingstown High School makes sure that their students do not get lost in the system. The low teacher to student ratio, 1:9, ensures that each student is able to get the attention they need in order to not only graduate, but to prosper after graduation as well. Their SAT exam scores are above the average for the state of Rhode Island. Also, their students have 92% passing rate when taking AP Exams which is an unbelievable statistic because not only are they putting an emphasis on taking this exam, but the school is also putting an emphasis on the importance of gaining college credit by passing this exam. South Kingstown High School is a place where a child cannot only grow as a student, but also as a person. It is a safe place where parents can rest assured that their child will be receiving the very best in education and attention.



= References: = Factfinder2.census.gov. 2010. //American FactFinder// - Community Facts. [online] Available at:  http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml [Accessed: 1 Nov 2013].

Hs.skschools.net. 2012. //South Kingstown High School Home Page//. [online] Available at:  http://hs.skschools.net/ [Accessed: 1 Nov 2013].

Infoworks.ride.ri.gov. 2010-2012. //InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting// - RIDE.ri.gov. [online] Available at:  http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/district/south-kingstown [Accessed: 1 Nov 2013].

Rikidscount.org. 2000. //Rhode Island KIDS COUNT: Data - All Indicators - City / Town Fact Sheets.// [online] Available at:  http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_619 [Accessed: 1 Nov 2013].

Caitlyn Hackmann