Is Valley Junior/Senior High School a good school?

Valley Junior/Senior High School ranks in the bottom 8.9% of Pennsylvania high schools.

How many students attend Valley Junior/Senior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 869 students attended Valley Junior/Senior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Valley Junior/Senior High School?

Students at Valley Junior/Senior High School are 46% White, 33% African American, 18% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

Valley Junior/Senior High School

Summary:

Valley Junior/Senior High School is a public school serving grades 7-12 in New Kensington, PA, with a total enrollment of 869 students. The school is part of the New Kensington-Arnold School District, which is ranked 521 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Valley Junior/Senior High School has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with 45.68% White, 33.37% African American, 2.65% Hispanic, and 17.61% two or more races, the school consistently underperforms academically. In the 2022-2023 school year, only 10.2% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 39.3%. The school's performance on Keystone Exams is also significantly lower than the state and nearby schools, such as Fox Chapel Area High School, which has much higher academic achievement.

Valley Junior/Senior High School also faces challenges in terms of graduation and dropout rates, as well as a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 89.99% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. These factors, combined with the school's lower spending per student compared to the state average and nearby schools, suggest that the school may need targeted interventions and support to address the underlying issues and improve outcomes for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 7-12

703 Stevenson Blvd
New Kensington, PA 15068-5372

(724) 337-4536

District: New Kensington-Arnold School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
614^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,675

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 869

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.7%

African American:

33.4%

Two or more races:

17.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90%

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Compare Valley Junior/Senior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Valley Junior/Senior High School ranks worse than 72.3% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.99. (See more...)

Compare Details Valley Junior/Senior High School ranks worse than 91.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.05. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Valley Junior/Senior High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Valley Junior/Senior High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (45.7%), African American (33.4%), two or more races (17.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Valley Junior/Senior High School is 14.9. (See more...)

Compare Valley Junior/Senior High School employs 58 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Valley Junior/Senior High School is $15,675.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Valley Junior/Senior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Valley Junior/Senior High School 646^th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Valley Junior/Senior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Valley Junior/Senior High School 614^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Valley Junior/Senior High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

White students:

New Kensington-Arnold School District:

SchoolDigger ranks New Kensington-Arnold School District 521^st of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Valley Junior/Senior High School?

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Rank History for Valley Junior/Senior High School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2017	19.61	685^th	877	21.9%
2018	22.24	651^st	861	24.4%
2019	20.31	682^nd	891	23.5%
2021	14.55	667^th	797	16.3%
2022	17.78	701^st	883	20.6%
2023	25.99	646^th	893	27.7%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	15.32	168^th	187	10.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.45	641^st	874	26.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.89	548^th	660	17.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.32	228^th	421	45.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.13	545^th	681	20.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Valley Junior/Senior High School

Compare

Rank History for all high school students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2017	8.06	591^st	663	10.9%
2018	13.38	579^th	673	14.0%
2019	20.54	566^th	693	18.3%
2021	24.89	446^th	537	16.9%
2022	42.92	435^th	634	31.4%
2023	8.05	614^th	674	8.9%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Multi-racial students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	3.92	129^th	129	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.34	591^st	652	9.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Disabled students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.33	465^th	502	7.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	11.66	245^th	260	5.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	3.48	566^th	577	1.9%

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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Valley Junior/Senior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	491	224	2	19	1	0	109	846
2016	468	218	4	18	0	0	102	810
2017	474	211	4	23	0	1	96	809
2018	431	210	4	17	2	2	98	764
2019	420	230	5	21	4	0	112	792
2020	422	242	4	21	2	0	132	823
2021	421	252	5	26	3	0	145	852
2022	423	279	4	29	4	0	151	890
2023	397	290	4	23	2	0	153	869

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 Valley Junior/Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	846	64.0	13.2	99.6
2016	810	60.0	13.5	99.6
2017	809	63.0	12.8	91.1
2018	764	63.0	12.1	91.2
2019	792	61.0	12.9	92.8
2020	823	61.0	13.4	91.3
2021	852	60.0	14.2	91.4
2022	890	0.0	n/a	91.2
2023	869	58.0	14.9	90

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 Valley Junior/Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	846	64.0	13.2	99.6
2016	810	60.0	13.5	99.6
2017	809	63.0	12.8	91.1
2018	764	63.0	12.1	91.2
2019	792	61.0	12.9	92.8
2020	823	61.0	13.4	91.3
2021	852	60.0	14.2	91.4
2022	890	0.0	n/a	91.2
2023	869	58.0	14.9	90

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 Valley Junior/Senior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$204 (1.3%)	$15,696 (98.7%)	$15,900
2020	$305 (1.8%)	$16,890 (98.2%)	$17,195
2021	$1,344 (8.7%)	$14,179 (91.3%)	$15,523
2022	$1,470 (9.4%)	$14,206 (90.6%)	$15,675

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Junior/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 682^nd of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 646^th of 893 Middle schools	4.2%
Ranks 566^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 614^th of 674 High schools	9.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	8.5	8.2	0.3%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	38	33.3	4.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	10.3	12.4	2.1%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	35.4	39.5	4.1%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	44.9	43.6	1.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
11th Grade Algebra I (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	34.1	4	30.1%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	46.7	14.1	32.6%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	47.6	35.7	11.9%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%
All Grades Math (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	9.4	10.2	0.8%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	35.4	39.5	4.1%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Valley Junior/Senior High School)	41.3	38.4	2.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	792	869	9.7%
African American	230	290	26.1%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	5	4	20%
Hispanic	21	23	9.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	420	397	5.5%
Two or More Races	112	153	36.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.8%	90%	2.8%

Schools Near Valley Junior/Senior High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	PSSA Math (2023)			PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (2023)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Valley Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	703 Stevenson Blvd	New Kensington	15068	Westmoreland County	New Kensington-Arnold School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 337-4536	869	58	14.9	90.0%	397 (45.7%)	290 (33.4%)	23 (2.6%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	153 (17.6%)	8	614^th of 674 public high schools	8.9%		42.9	435^th of 634 public high schools	31.4%	179	4.0	14.1	35.7	8.2	12.4	10.2	39.5	39.5	33.3	43.6	38.4	$15,675	$1,470	$14,206
Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	705 Stevenson Boulevard	New Kensington	15068	Westmoreland County	Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(724) 335-9389	6	15	.4		5 (83.3%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Springdale Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	501 Butler Rd	Springdale	15144	Allegheny County	Allegheny Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 274-8100	387	49	7.9	93.8%	351 (90.7%)	16 (4.1%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	61.5	278^th of 674 public high schools	58.8%		58.5	312^th of 634 public high schools	50.8%	34	23.4	50.0	78.2	39.3	17.2	28.6	62.1	62.1	67.2	62.0	64.7	$20,642	$836	$19,807
Burrell High School	Public	9-12	1021 Puckety Church Rd	Lower Burrell	15068	Westmoreland County	Burrell School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 334-1403	579	39	14.9	28.2%	529 (91.4%)	11 (1.9%)	6 (1.0%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	51.8	364^th of 674 public high schools	46.0%		66.9	233^rd of 634 public high schools	63.2%	131	42.2	41.4	62.7									$17,824	$516	$17,308
Highlands Senior High School	Public	9-12	1500 Pacific Ave	Natrona Heights	15065	Allegheny County	Highlands School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 226-1000	713	40	18.0	90.3%	577 (80.9%)	64 (9.0%)	17 (2.4%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.0%)	49	387^th of 674 public high schools	42.6%		41.1	447^th of 634 public high schools	29.5%	60	25.2	44.5	66.4									$18,101	$1,271	$16,830
Plum Senior High School	Public	9-12	900 Elicker Rd	Plum	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 795-4880	1,226	70	17.4	20.8%	1,066 (86.9%)	91 (7.4%)	18 (1.5%)	10 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (3.3%)	50.9	373^rd of 674 public high schools	44.7%		60.5	287^th of 634 public high schools	54.7%	86	19.7	46.9	68.3									$18,347	$472	$17,875
Riverview Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	100 Hulton Rd	Oakmont	15139	Allegheny County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 828-1800	396	39	10.2	26.5%	327 (82.6%)	29 (7.3%)	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (7.6%)	61.4	280^th of 674 public high schools	58.5%		68.3	215^th of 634 public high schools	66.1%	65	35.1	55.4	66.0	60.0	26.5	39.8	73.8	73.8	69.1	60.7	64.0	$32,797	$1,713	$31,084
Deer Lakes High School	Public	9-12	163 East Union Rd	Cheswick	15024	Allegheny County	Deer Lakes School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 265-5320	583	39	15.0	27.8%	557 (95.5%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (1.9%)	56.3	328^th of 674 public high schools	51.3%		78.2	126^th of 634 public high schools	80.1%	202	35.8	40.6	72.3									$12,375	$1,080	$11,294
Fox Chapel Area High School	Public	9-12	611 Field Club Rd	Pittsburgh	15238	Allegheny County	Fox Chapel Area School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 967-2430	1,283	95	13.5	24.7%	1,015 (79.1%)	50 (3.9%)	50 (3.9%)	114 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (4.2%)	94.7	15^th of 674 public high schools	97.8%		90	24^th of 634 public high schools	96.2%	9	69.9	83.1	88.8									$24,514	$218	$24,296
Penn Hills Senior High School	Public	9-12	309 Collins Drive	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 793-7000	1,107	63	17.6	87.9%	245 (22.1%)	771 (69.6%)	37 (3.3%)	6 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.1%)	16.5	569^th of 674 public high schools	15.6%		21.7	520^th of 634 public high schools	18.0%	49	24.4	26.3	35.6									$39,488	$5,848	$33,640

Valley Junior/Senior High School

Valley Junior/Senior High School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

New Kensington-Arnold School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for all middle school students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for middle school African American students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for middle school White students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for all high school students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for high school Multi-racial students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for high school Disabled students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for high school African American students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rank History for high school White students at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Enrollment information for Valley Junior/Senior High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Valley Junior/Senior High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Valley Junior/Senior High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Valley Junior/Senior High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Valley Junior/Senior High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Junior/Senior High School

Rate Valley Junior/Senior High School!

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