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State College Area School District 131 W. Nittany Ave. State College, PA 16801 814-231-1011 Welcome to the State College Area School District The mission of the State College Area School District is to prepare students for lifelong success through excellence in education. General Information Situated in the heart of Pennsylvania, State College is a thriving, dynamic community. The State College Area School District draws its students from a 150 square mile attendance area encompassing the Borough of State College and the surrounding townships of College, Ferguson, Halfmoon, Harris, and Patton, totaling an enrollment of approximately 6,900. Competitive pay for teachers and challenging staff development programs help enable SCASD to select from the top personnel available. The average per pupil ratio for classroom teachers is 23 to 1 at the elementary level and 24 to 1 at the secondary level. Educational Opportunities Elementary The District's nine elementary schools pride themselves on:
We are able to capitalize on local strengths and history, a rich curriculum, a community service orientation, leadership in technology applications, and local environmental consciousness. Middle Level Instruction in grades 6 - 8 is delivered at two middle schools, Park Forest and Mount Nittany Middle Schools, by interdisciplinary teams of teachers to heterogeneous groups of learners. In addition to the core curriculum, students engage in:
High School The State College Area High School, housed in two high school buildings on Westerly Parkway, is expected to have an enrollment of approximately 2,500 in grades 9 through 12. It offers a comprehensive program consisting of more than 400 academic and vocational courses. The secondary curriculum is comprehensive, providing courses in academic, vocational, business, and agricultural areas. The English, social studies, math, and science departments provide courses of differing degrees of difficulty. Students are encouraged to plan their high school programs to best fit their individual interests, abilities, and goals. Foreign language instruction is offered in French, Spanish, Latin, and German. Offerings in the fine arts and instrumental and vocal music are varied. A full complement of elective courses rounds out the curriculum. Computer labs and laptop carts are available in the secondary schools, and technology is integrated into many courses. Students participate in a large number of faculty-supervised extracurricular activities such as student government, special interest and service clubs, dramatic performances, literary publications, and interscholastic/intramural athletics. Vocational programs are offered to students at the high school through the Career and Technical Center program,which is the home of a full complement of school-to-career training programs combining academic and technical skill preparation with work-based learning experiences. In addition, students in grades 7 through 12 may choose to enroll in the DELTA Program, an educational option which currently serves about 150 students. DELTA learning experience options include classroom activities in the school district and Penn State University, seminars, independent study, extended field trips, career internships, community service projects, and other activities planned by the advising team. District-wide Programs Computer technology is integrated system wide to enhance teaching, learning, and operations at all levels. Sixty-six technology competencies are included in the K-12 curriculum. Middle and High School students and faculty regularly sweep technology education awards at regional, state, and national competitions, including top ten awards at the 2011 National Technology Student Association Conference. Special Education services are provided to exceptional students through specially designed instruction as well as inclusive practices. The District's Learning Enrichment Program provides differentiated learning experiences. These services are offered as general exploratory activities to all students, as group training activities to sharpen students' problem solving and research skills, and as individual and small group investigations to address specific areas of interest, knowledge, and creative ideas. The District offers a variety of extracurricular activities in the arts, sciences, academics, governance, languages, and for personal enrichment. These student activities are organized into more than 50 faculty-advised clubs. In addition, over 20 formal student groups provide choices in various musical activities. The District's active Community Education Program offers a wide variety of learning experiences for youth and adults, ranging from basic instruction leading to a high school diploma to workforce education programs. Fast Facts:
The State College Area School District is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin or disability in its activities, programs, or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and Americans with Disabilities Act. For information regarding civil rights, grievance procedures and services, or activities and facilities that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, contact the Compliance Officer, State College Area School District, 131 West Nittany Avenue, State College, PA 16801, (814)231-1051. |
