South Western School District

A Tradition of Excellence

Fall 2023

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Empowering and equipping all students to create their future and change the world.

Adopted by the South Western Board of School Directors on November 14, 2018

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The South Western School District vision statement was unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors in November of 2018 as a part of revisions to the District Comprehensive Plan which was originally approved in May of 2014. This plan was submitted to and approved by the PA Department of Education for meeting Chapter 4, 12, 16, and 49 requirements and went into effect on July 01, 2019. The District Comprehensive plan, as revised in 2018, focuses on the following three strategic imperatives:

(1) College Readiness – Ensuring all students have access to a high quality academic program which includes a rigorous, challenging, and standards-aligned curricula, delivered through personalized instructional practices;

(2) Career Readiness – Ensuring all students have access to and engage with career awareness, exploration, and planning activities, including experiential learning opportunities that align to the PA Career and Work Standards, and;

(3) Life Readiness – Ensuring all students are equipped with the skills, mindsets, and dispositions to have self-efficacy and agency over their own learning and decisions.

District Profile

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2023 Graduating Class Profile

Post-Secondary Choices
% Class of 2023 Future Plans

60%	- Institutions of Higher Education
4%	- Trade or Technical School
3%	- Military
32%	- Employment / Seeking Employment

College Board (SAT) Scores

		South Western				National
		ERW/Math		Total		ERW/Math		Total
2018-19		541/538		1,079		531/528		1,059
2019-20		550/548		1,098		567/545		1,112
2020-21		573/581		1,155		533/528		1,060
2021-22		542/549		1,091		529/521		1,050
2022-23		561/569		1,130		615/612		1,227

PA System of School Assessment

Listed below are 2022-2023 PSSA/Keystone results for South Western School District (Advanced and Proficient)

School	Math	ELA	Science - Grades 4 & 8
Baresville	40.1%	58.1%	82.8%
Manheim	60.2%	65.6%	77.5%
Park Hills	42.0%	54.3%	77.4%
West Manheim	45.8%	61.0%	77.7%
EHMMS	38.9%	55.4%	59.8%

 

School	Algebra I	Biology	English Literature
SWHS	49.2%	52.0%	53.6%

Academic Information

High School

• A two semester block scheduling design.
• A broad curriculum of over 150 different courses, including Advanced Placement (AP), Honors, Career Readiness, Dual Enrollment, College in the High School, and Independent Studies designed to meet the personalized learning needs for each student.
• Standards aligned curriculum in all subject areas.
• Fifth period each day for academic remediation and enrichment opportunities, in addition to career coaching activities, good standing activities, and clubs.

Middle School

• Instruction is provided that emphasizes both differentiation and student centered/blended learning instructional practices.
• Each student experiences a rigorous, developmentally appropriate curriculum in which they analyze, synthesize, and apply concepts to real-world experiences.
• Students have an opportunity to refine their interests and passions with the option to participate in many co-curricular activities (i.e., athletics, clubs and intramural activities) offered throughout the school year.
• Core interdisciplinary teams are emphasized that foster strong early adolescent bonds, and strong relationships between teachers and students.
• Core subject areas are complemented with exploratory rotations each school year including: Art, Computer Science, Family & Consumer Science, Foreign Language, Health, Music, Physical Education, and Technology Education.
• An advisory Program that provides opportunities for each middle school student to have an adult advocate, build relationships with peers, promote personal & academic growth.
• Intervention period is embedded into the schedule which allows for appropriate interventions (as needed) in addition to opportunities for performing arts programs and enrichment.

Elementary

• Strong emphasis on differentiated instruction and the individual strengths and needs of all learners.
• Standards-based grading and assessment practices.
• A literacy framework focused on structured literacy, utilizing language comprehension through background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge. Word recognition through phonological awareness, decoding, and sight word recognition. Strong emphasis on the writing process developing students into authors who can write in multiple genres including: opinion, narrative, and informational writing.
• A math program incorporating the eight mathematical practices for all learners in grades K-5 that focuses on problem-solving, abstract thinking, mathematical discourse, modeling, and attention to precision.

Miscellaneous Statistics

Class Size Average
Grades K-2	20
Grades 3-5	22
Grades 6-8	25
Grades 9-12	22
Expulsions Last Year
Drugs/Alcohol/Weapons	26
Special Education
Gifted	3%
Learning Support	17.5%

 

% Students in Advanced Placement Class who took Advanced Placement Examination and scored grade 3 or higher
Biology	100%
Calculus AB	100%
Calculus BC	75%
Computer Science Principals	83%
English Language/ Comp	87%
English Literature/ Comp	100%
Environmental Science	100%
Human Geography	65%
Physics 1	100%
Physics C: Mechanics	100%
Psychology	82%
Spanish Language & Culture	80%
Statistics	91%
U.S. Government & Politics	53%

Athletic Opportunities

Fall Sports
Football – V, JV, 9th, 7th & 8th
Field Hockey – V, JV, 9th, 7th & 8th
Golf – V
Tennis Girls – V
Boys & Girls Soccer – V, JV
Coed Cross Country – V, JH
Volleyball Girls – V, JV
Cheerleading – V, JV, 9th, *8th, *7th

Winter Sports
Boys & Girls Basketball – V, JV, 9th, 8th, 7th
Boys & Girls Wrestling – V, JH
Swimming – V
Cheerleading – V, JV, 9th, *8th, *7th
Competition Cheer – (winter only)

Spring Sports
Baseball – V, JV
Softball – V, JV
Coed Track and Field – V, JH
Tennis Boys – V
Volleyball Girls – JH
Boys & Girls Lacrosse – V, JV
Boys & Girls Soccer – *8th, *7th

* Intramural Program