Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School

Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School
Address
5050 Sweppenheiser Drive Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, Columbia County 17815 United States
Information
School type	Vocational School
Opened	1969
Status	Open
Superintendent	Mr Dave J Bacher (2016)[1] William L. Forsythe Jr. former director (2015)
Administrator	Tony Lylo – Business Manager Gail Parsons – Director of Student Services James Dunkelberger – Director of Special Education Jeremy Adams – Director of Technology
Principal	Susan Shipman (2016) David Bacher
Faculty	43.5 teachers (2013)
Grades	9-12
Age	14 years old to 21 years old special education
Number of students	642 pupils (2016)[2] 624 pupils (2014)[3] 633 pupils (2013)
• Grade 9	174 (2013)
• Grade 10	167
• Grade 11	141
• Grade 12	142 (2013)
Language	English
School color(s)	Green and Gold
Sports	Football Baseball Soccer Basketball Wrestling Bowling Track Cross Country Cheerleading
Mascot	Ram
Newspaper	Ram Page
Yearbook	Rambler
Budget	$7,702,038 (2015-16)[4]
Website	http://www.cmvt.us

Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a full-time area vocational-technical school that serves the youth of Columbia and Montour counties in Pennsylvania. CMAVTS offers 17 training areas to secondary students in grades 9 through 12. In ninth grade, students are put through an exploratory program where they go through four programs through the course of a school year. In tenth grade they choose their "major" to focus on, up until graduation in 12th grade. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 633 pupils, with 244 pupils receiving a free or reduced price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 43.5 teachers yielding a student teacher ratio of 14:1.^[5] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of it teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.^[6]

The School is an extension of the educational programs of the seven participating school districts. The option of vocational education at the Columbia-Montour AVTS gives students a full range of educational choices. In addition to the traditional high school student, they also offer education options to adults with evening and summers with their adult education classes.

Participating School Districts

• Benton Area School District
• Berwick Area School District
• Bloomsburg Area School District
• Central Columbia School District
• Danville Area School District
• Millville Area School District
• Southern Columbia Area School District

The school is governed by a board that is composed of one member of each of its participating districts. These individuals are appointed from the respective District's school board. The Board does not levy taxes. Instead, each participating school district pays a tuition fee per pupil that attends from that public school district. The school also receives direct state and federal funding like special education funding and Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Grant funds from the federal government. Each year, Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School's budget must be approved by the school boards of the participating districts.

Graduation rate

In 2016, Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School’s graduation rate was 91.85%.^[7]

• 2015 - 94%^[8]
• 2014 - 90%^[9]
• 2013 - 95.27%^[10]
• 2012 - 94.5%.^[11]
• 2011 - 89%.

Academic achievement

2016 School Performance Profile

SPP 67.8 out of 100 points. Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School Keystone Exams mandated testing results were: 67.6% of students were on grade level in reading.literature and 57.9% of students demonstrated on grade level in Algebra I. In Biology I, 57% of pupils demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the Biology course.^[12][13] The state requirement that pupils pass the Keystone Exams in reading, algebra I and bIology I in order to graduate was postponed until 2019 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly because less than 60% of 12 grade pupils statewide would have been eligible for graduation from high school due to failing one or more Keystone Exams.^[14] Fifty-four percent of the 2,676 public schools in Pennsylvania achieved a passing score of 70 or better.^[15]

2015 School Performance Profile

Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School achieved out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. The PDE reported that 41% of the School’s students were on grade level in reading/literature. In Algebra 1, 45% of students showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology I, 33% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course.^[16][17] Statewide, 53 percent of schools with an eleventh grade achieved an academic score of 70 or better. Five percent of the 2,033 schools with 11th grade were scored at 90 and above; 20 percent were scored between 80 and 89; 28 percent between 70 and 79; 25 percent between 60 and 69 and 22 percent below 60. The Keystone Exam results showed: 73 percent of students statewide scored at grade-level in English, 64 percent in Algebra I and 59 percent in biology.^[18][19]

2014 School Performance Profile

Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School achieved 65.1 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 49% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 41% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 38.8% demonstrated on grade level science understanding at the end of the course.^[20][21] Statewide, the percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in Algebra I increased to 39.7% to 40.1%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in reading/literature declined to 52.5%. The percentage of high school students who scored proficient and advanced in biology improved from 39.7% to 41.4%.^[22]

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools (72 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher.^[23] Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.^[24][25]

2013 School Performance Profile

Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School achieved 57.8 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 49% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 43% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 20% showed on grade level science understanding.^[26] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.^[27]

AYP history

In 2012, Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School declined further to Corrective Action II 1st Year Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status due chronic low student academic achievement. The school missed 5 out of 6 metrics.^[28]

• 2011 - declined to Corrective Action I 1st year due to low student academic achievement.^[29]
• 2010 - Making Progress School Improvement Level II AYP status^[30]
• 2009 - declined again to School Improvement Level II AYP status due to chronic low academic achievement^[31]
• 2008 - declined to School Improvement Level I AYP status^[32]
• 2007 - Warning AYP status^[33]
• 2006 - achieved AYP status
• 2005 - Making Progress School Improvement Level I AYP status
• 2004 - declined to School Improvement Level II AYP status due to lagging student achievement
• 2003 - Warning AYP status.

PSSA results

11th Grade Reading:

• 2012 - 56% on grade level, (19% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[34]
• 2011 - 60% (19% below basic). State - 69.1% ^[35]
• 2010 - 54% (22% below basic). State - 66% ^[36]
• 2009 - 41% (28% below basic). State - 65% ^[37]
• 2008 - 44% (26% below basic). State - 65% ^[38]
• 2007 - 45% (29% below basic). State - 65% ^[39]

11th Grade Math:

• 2012 - 42% on grade level (25% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.^[40]
• 2011 - 50% (25% below basic). State - 60.3%^[41]
• 2010 - 61% (21% below basic). State - 59%^[42]
• 2009 - 35% (33% below basic). State - 56%.^[43]
• 2008 - 46% (31% below basic). State - 56%^[44]

11th Grade Science:

• 2012 - 17% on grade level (13% below basic). State - 44% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2011 - 15% (29% below basic). State - 40% ^[45]
• 2010 - 30% (22% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 21% (22% below basic). State - 40% ^[46]
• 2008 - 23% (19% below basic). State - 39% ^[47]

College Remediation Rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 17% of the Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges.^[48] Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years.^[49] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

SAT Scores

In 2015, 38 Columbia-Montour ATS students took the SAT exams. The School's Verbal Average Score was 470. The Math average score was 458. The Writing average score was 426.^[50] The College Board also reported that statewide 96,826 pupils took the exams with average scores declining in all three measurers to: 495 in reading, 511 in math and 484 in writing.^[51]

In 2014, 51 Columbia-Montour ATS students took the SAT exams. The School's Verbal Average Score was 450. The Math average score was 466. The Writing average score was 405.^[52][53] Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing.^[54] In 2014, 1,672,395 students took the SATs in the United States.

In 2013, 47 Columbia-Montour ATS students took the SAT exams. The School's Verbal Average Score was 436. The Math average score was 440. The Writing average score was 410. The College Board reported that statewide scores were: 494 in reading, 504 in math and 482 in writing. The nationwide SAT results were the same as in 2012.^[55]

In 2012, 49 Columbia-Montour ATS students took the SAT exams. The School's Verbal Average Score was 467. The Math average score was 479. The Writing average score was 425. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.

In 2011, 55 Columbia-Montour ATS students took the SAT exams. The School's Verbal Average Score was 462. The Math average score was 485. The Writing average score was 418.^[56] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.^[57] In the United States, 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.^[58]

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, compared the SAT data of students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to students in urban areas. From 2003 to 2005, the average total SAT score for students in rural Pennsylvania was 992, while urban students averaged 1,006. During the same period, 28 percent of 11th and 12th graders in rural school districts took the exam, compared to 32 percent of urban students in the same grades. The average math and verbal scores were 495 and 497, respectively, for rural students, while urban test-takers averaged 499 and 507, respectively. Pennsylvania’s SAT composite score ranked low on the national scale in 2004. The composite SAT score of 1,003 left Pennsylvania ranking 44 out of the 50 states and Washington, DC.^[59]

Penn College NOW

In 2014, Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School offered several dual enrollment courses in conjunction with Pennsylvania College of Technology. Penn College NOW classes are taught by approved local high school teachers, at the high school.^[60] Penn College NOW is partially funded by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-270) through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, by the support of Pennsylvania companies through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and by Pennsylvania College of Technology.^[61]

Programs

Academic programs

Grants

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006 to 2009. The Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School did not apply to participate in 2006-07 or in 2007-08. The School received $86,463 in 2008-09.^[62][63] Among the public school districts in Cambria County, the highest award was given to Greater Johnstown School District which received $463,166. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

Cabot Oil & Gas grant

In 2015, Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School received a $10,000 grant from Cabot Oil & Gas in support of several of the schools classes related to the petroleum industry.^[64] In June 2016, Cabot Gas in association with The Williams Companies, Inc. donated $30,000 worth of natural gas pipeline materials left over from construction sites. The materials were to support a program to train locals for the gas pipeline industry.^[65]

Extracurriculars

Columbia-Montour AVTS offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy. Columbia-Montour AVTS has a Cooperative Agreement with Columbia-County Christian Academy, for all sports except the following: soccer, boys and girls basketball, and cheerleading.^[66]

Sports

The District funds:

Clubs

• National Honor Society (NHS)
• School Newspaper (RamPage)
• Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD)
• Envirothon
• Varsity Club
• Yearbook
• Skills USA (VICA)
• An Association of Marketing Students (DECA)
• Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
• Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
• An Association of Agriculture Education Students (FFA)

References

External links

• Official site

Coordinates: 41°01′43″N 76°21′44″W / 41.0287°N 76.3622°W / 41.0287; -76.3622