Highlands Senior High School

Summary:

Highlands Senior High School is a public high school located in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, serving 713 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Highlands School District, which is ranked 425 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools like Riverview Junior/Senior High School, Plum Senior High School, and Freeport Area Senior High School, Highlands Senior High School has a significantly higher percentage of white students and a higher percentage of African American students. The school also has lower graduation rates, higher dropout rates, and generally lower test scores on the Keystone Exams. Additionally, Highlands Senior High School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 90.32% to 91.6% over the past few years, which is much higher than the surrounding schools.

Despite these challenges, Highlands Senior High School performs better in certain subgroups, ranking 84 out of 260 Pennsylvania high schools for African American students and 59 out of 502 for disabled students. However, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the years, from 460 out of 693 Pennsylvania high schools in 2018-2019 to 387 out of 674 in 2022-2023, suggesting that the school's performance may be worsening compared to other schools in the state. These findings indicate that Highlands Senior High School faces significant obstacles, but there may be opportunities for targeted interventions and support to improve overall student outcomes.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1500 Pacific Ave
       Natrona Heights, PA  15065-2099


(724) 226-1000

District: Highlands School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
387th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,101 Help


Feeder schools for Highlands Senior High School:

Elementary:    Highlands Early Childhood Center
    Highlands Elementary School
Middle:    Highlands Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.0 Help
Number of students:  713

Racial breakdown:

White:
80.9%
African American:
9.0%
Two or more races:
7.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  90.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Highlands Senior High School ranks worse than 57.4% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.99. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Highlands Senior High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80.9%), African American (9%), two or more races (7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 90.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highlands Senior High School is 18. (See more...)
Help
Compare Highlands Senior High School employs 39.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highlands Senior High School is $18,101.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Highlands Senior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands Senior High School 387th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Highlands Senior High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Disabled students:
African American students:
White students:


Highlands School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Highlands School District 425th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Highlands Senior High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Highlands Senior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 53.82 325th 583 44.3%
2004 66.97 212th 590 64.1%
2005 71.06 169th 593 71.5%
2006 58.92 293rd 604 51.5%
2007 62.76 267th 615 56.6%
2008 58.23 307th 621 50.6%
2009 49.83 389th 632 38.4%
2010 49.38 401st 649 38.2%
2011 54.89 373rd 660 43.5%
2012 42.78 464th 664 30.1%
2013 38.80 433rd 591 26.7%
2014 31.24 462nd 580 20.3%
2015 44.10 463rd 680 31.9%
2016 36.78 505th 677 25.4%
2017 28.20 517th 663 22.0%
2018 26.04 530th 673 21.2%
2019 45.40 460th 693 33.6%
2021 23.81 450th 537 16.2%
2022 41.08 447th 634 29.5%
2023 48.99 387th 674 42.6%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highlands Senior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 39.26 419th 652 35.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highlands Senior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 83.39 59th 502 88.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highlands Senior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 62.66 84th 260 67.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Highlands Senior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 37.07 386th 577 33.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Highlands Senior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Highlands Senior High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 849 24 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 873
1989 777 24 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 801
1990 1012 29 1 1 2 n/a n/a 0 1045
1991 989 28 1 0 2 n/a n/a 0 1020
1992 1008 28 8 1 0 n/a n/a 0 1045
1993 928 31 11 3 2 n/a n/a 0 975
1994 930 33 10 3 1 n/a n/a 0 977
1995 982 45 5 7 5 n/a n/a 0 1044
1996 982 45 5 7 5 n/a n/a 0 1044
1997 1035 42 3 5 7 n/a n/a 0 1092
1998 1027 43 4 3 4 n/a n/a 0 1081
1999 1006 48 7 5 4 n/a n/a 0 1070
2000 959 52 6 4 6 n/a n/a 0 1027
2001 918 38 5 9 2 n/a n/a 0 972
2002 886 45 3 4 2 n/a n/a 0 940
2003 886 45 3 4 2 n/a n/a 0 940
2004 843 51 2 6 3 n/a n/a 0 905
2005 847 59 5 7 1 n/a n/a 0 919
2006 829 69 5 1 1 n/a n/a 0 905
2007 780 88 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 872
2008 791 85 3 1 0 n/a n/a 1 881
2009 801 79 4 4 1 n/a n/a 4 893
2010 782 72 3 5 3 n/a n/a 4 869
2011 765 67 4 6 3 0 8 0 853
2012 744 76 4 10 3 0 12 0 849
2013 715 79 7 7 3 0 9 0 820
2014 684 58 6 1 4 0 15 0 768
2015 664 71 7 3 3 0 11 0 759
2016 678 81 8 8 3 0 18 0 796
2017 636 83 7 9 2 1 22 0 760
2018 637 79 7 9 1 2 36 0 771
2019 636 72 10 12 1 1 38 0 770
2020 589 58 8 11 2 1 51 0 720
2021 594 62 6 14 1 1 48 0 726
2022 586 61 6 16 1 0 42 0 712
2023 577 64 4 17 1 0 50 0 713

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highlands Senior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 873 54.0 16.1 n/a
1989 801 56.0 14.3 n/a
1990 1045 69.0 15.1 0
1991 1020 58.2 17.5 n/a
1992 1045 61.0 17.1 n/a
1993 975 60.0 16.3 n/a
1994 977 55.0 17.8 n/a
1995 1044 57.0 18.3 n/a
1996 1044 57.0 18.3 n/a
1997 1092 58.3 18.7 n/a
1998 1081 60.0 18.0 n/a
1999 1070 60.0 17.8 n/a
2000 1027 58.0 17.7 24.6
2001 972 61.0 15.9 25.9
2002 940 60.0 15.7 25.9
2003 940 60.0 15.7 25.9
2004 905 57.6 15.7 27.2
2005 919 57.0 16.1 26.4
2006 905 57.0 15.9 10.8
2007 872 59.0 14.8 36.2
2008 881 89.0 9.9 37.2
2009 893 61.8 14.4 35.9
2010 869 57.8 15.0 54.8
2011 853 58.3 14.6 56.5
2012 849 57.1 14.8 36.9
2013 820 55.6 14.7 43.5
2014 768 49.6 15.4 48
2015 759 51.0 14.8 99.6
2016 796 56.0 14.2 100
2017 760 56.0 13.5 90.7
2018 771 44.0 17.5 85
2019 770 48.0 16.0 90.1
2020 720 48.0 15.0 92.5
2021 726 47.9 15.1 91.6
2022 712 43.4 16.4 91.4
2023 713 39.5 18.0 90.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Highlands Senior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 873 54.0 16.1 n/a
1989 801 56.0 14.3 n/a
1990 1045 69.0 15.1 0
1991 1020 58.2 17.5 n/a
1992 1045 61.0 17.1 n/a
1993 975 60.0 16.3 n/a
1994 977 55.0 17.8 n/a
1995 1044 57.0 18.3 n/a
1996 1044 57.0 18.3 n/a
1997 1092 58.3 18.7 n/a
1998 1081 60.0 18.0 n/a
1999 1070 60.0 17.8 n/a
2000 1027 58.0 17.7 24.6
2001 972 61.0 15.9 25.9
2002 940 60.0 15.7 25.9
2003 940 60.0 15.7 25.9
2004 905 57.6 15.7 27.2
2005 919 57.0 16.1 26.4
2006 905 57.0 15.9 10.8
2007 872 59.0 14.8 36.2
2008 881 89.0 9.9 37.2
2009 893 61.8 14.4 35.9
2010 869 57.8 15.0 54.8
2011 853 58.3 14.6 56.5
2012 849 57.1 14.8 36.9
2013 820 55.6 14.7 43.5
2014 768 49.6 15.4 48
2015 759 51.0 14.8 99.6
2016 796 56.0 14.2 100
2017 760 56.0 13.5 90.7
2018 771 44.0 17.5 85
2019 770 48.0 16.0 90.1
2020 720 48.0 15.0 92.5
2021 726 47.9 15.1 91.6
2022 712 43.4 16.4 91.4
2023 713 39.5 18.0 90.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highlands Senior High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $607 (2.4%) $24,693 (97.6%) $25,300
2020 $117 (0.7%) $16,477 (99.3%) $16,594
2021 $576 (3.2%) $17,468 (96.8%) $18,043
2022 $1,271 (7.0%) $16,830 (93.0%) $18,101

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highlands Senior High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 460th of 693 High schoolsRanks 387th of 674 High schools
 9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Highlands Senior High School)60.725.2
 35.5%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Highlands Senior High School)3844.5
 6.5%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Highlands Senior High School)74.366.4
 7.9%
   11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)71.565.3
 6.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students770713
 7.4%
African American7264
 11.1%
American Indian11
Asian104
 60%
Hispanic1217
 41.7%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White636577
 9.3%
Two or More Races3850
 31.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients90.1%90.3%
 0.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Highlands Senior High School

Highlands Senior High School ranks 387th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 713 students attended Highlands Senior High School.

Highlands Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Highlands Early Childhood Center
Elementary : Highlands Elementary School
Middle : Highlands Middle School

Students at Highlands Senior High School are 81% White, 9% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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