Indiana Area School District
Encyclopedia
Indiana Area School District is a public school district in Indiana County, Pennsylvania
. It is composed of White Township
and Armstrong Township
, along with Indiana
and Shelocta
boroughs.
tests, or PSSAs, given to all 5th, 8th, and 11th grade students, and has received numerous accolades for its journalism and social studies programs, including a $349,000 grant given to the senior high history program. In addition, graduating classes have averaged up to 40 more points on the Scholastic Aptitude Test than the national average.
, located within the district. IASD also consistently sends students into three leading local universities, Carnegie Mellon University
, The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh
. IASD alumni have also entered the United States Naval Academy
, Harvard University
, Cornell University
, the University of Pennsylvania
, the University of Virginia
, the University of Notre Dame
, Case Western Reserve University
, New York University
, Manhattan School of Music
, and The Juilliard School. Many students who do not go on to post-secondary education choose to join the military.
at IHS. Key Club counts about 25% of the IHS student body as members. At IHS, there is also Future Business Leaders of America, Relay For Life
and many theater clubs among its 20+ clubs.
Ben Franklin's colors are green and gold, and the teams are known as the Braves. Eisenhower's colors are blue and gold, and the teams are known as the Eagles. East Pike's colors are red and white, and the teams there are known as the Chiefs. Horace Mann's colors are red and white, and teams there are known as the Warriors.
The colors of the junior- and senior high schools are red and black, and the mascot is the "Indians." The fight song is "Cherokee." This is taken from IUP's teams, which used to be known as the "Indians," and their fight song is "Cherokee" as well. In general, most teams are outfitted in white uniforms, but the football team also wears blood-red and black jerseys and pants; the softball team wears gray, pinstriped uniforms; the basketball teams also wear black uniforms; and the hockey team has red, black and white uniforms.
Generally, the swimming and diving, boys tennis, ice hockey and girls' basketball and track and field teams are Indiana's strongest teams, while lately, the boys basketball team is among the weakest. This may be because the teams play against much larger schools, usually with double the class sizes of Indiana. The hockey team competes in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, while all other teams compete in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
, or WPIAL.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is composed of White Township
White Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania
White Township is a township in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 14,034 at the 2000 census.-Geography:White Township entirely surrounds, but does not include, the Borough of Indiana...
and Armstrong Township
Armstrong Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania
Armstrong Township is a township in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,090 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
, along with Indiana
Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana is a borough in and the county seat of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,895 at the 2000 census.The borough and the region as a whole promotes itself as the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World" because the national Christmas Tree Grower's Association was...
and Shelocta
Shelocta, Pennsylvania
Shelocta is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 127 at the 2000 census. The Keystone Generating Station is located to the west of the borough, in Plumcreek Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
boroughs.
Elementary schools
The IASD has four elementary schools, each serving grades K-5, and each serving a different part of the district. Ben Franklin Elementary serves Shelocta, Armstrong Township and west-central White Township. Dwight David Eisenhower Elementary School serves mostly the northwest corner of White Township, but also a small strip of western and southwestern White Township and the western third of Indiana Borough. East Pike Elementary School serves the eastern third of White Township and the northeastern corner of Indiana Borough. Horace Mann Elementary School has students from southern Indiana Borough and south-central and most of southwestern White Township.Secondary schools
IASD has two secondary schools. Indiana Area Junior High School (IJHS) contains grades 6-8, and Indiana Area Senior High School (IHS) contains grades 9-12.Demographics
Approximately 32,000 people live in the IASD, and 3,000 students enroll in the district. The average graduation rate is 92%, and the average graduating class contains 250 students. Approximately 76% of all graduates enroll in some sort of post-secondary education. As of 2005, district employs 257 staff members, 202 of whom have their master's degree or above. On average, each staff member has 17 years of experience with the district.Academics
The IASD consistently demonstrates that it is in the top tier of public school districts. Recently, it was ranked as one of the top 100 school districts by Offspring Magazine.Standardized tests
The IASD does especially well on standardized tests. It was once ranked third, out of 501 school districts, in scores on the Pennsylvania System of School AssessmentPennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...
tests, or PSSAs, given to all 5th, 8th, and 11th grade students, and has received numerous accolades for its journalism and social studies programs, including a $349,000 grant given to the senior high history program. In addition, graduating classes have averaged up to 40 more points on the Scholastic Aptitude Test than the national average.
Post-secondary education
Each class graduates nearly 80% of its students into post-secondary education. Most attend Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
, located within the district. IASD also consistently sends students into three leading local universities, Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. IASD alumni have also entered the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, and The Juilliard School. Many students who do not go on to post-secondary education choose to join the military.
Extracurricular programs
IASD offers a variety of extracurricular activities, the chief among them being sports. The junior and senior high school also offer clubs with a majority of students participating in them.Clubs
Both IJHS and IHS offer club programs for students. The largest among them is a volunteer club, Builders' Club at IJHS and Key ClubKey Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
at IHS. Key Club counts about 25% of the IHS student body as members. At IHS, there is also Future Business Leaders of America, Relay For Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
and many theater clubs among its 20+ clubs.
Sports
The entire district offers a wide variety of sports. The elementary schools have basketball, grouped by sex and grade. At the end of each school year, each school stages an "All-School Tournament," in which all players are eligible. IJHS offers students football, soccer, track and field, cross country and girls' volleyball for the first time in school. IHS has even more selection. Boys' baseball, girls' softball, winter track and field, tennis, golf, rifle, hockey and swimming and diving, in addition to the sports named above.Ben Franklin's colors are green and gold, and the teams are known as the Braves. Eisenhower's colors are blue and gold, and the teams are known as the Eagles. East Pike's colors are red and white, and the teams there are known as the Chiefs. Horace Mann's colors are red and white, and teams there are known as the Warriors.
The colors of the junior- and senior high schools are red and black, and the mascot is the "Indians." The fight song is "Cherokee." This is taken from IUP's teams, which used to be known as the "Indians," and their fight song is "Cherokee" as well. In general, most teams are outfitted in white uniforms, but the football team also wears blood-red and black jerseys and pants; the softball team wears gray, pinstriped uniforms; the basketball teams also wear black uniforms; and the hockey team has red, black and white uniforms.
Generally, the swimming and diving, boys tennis, ice hockey and girls' basketball and track and field teams are Indiana's strongest teams, while lately, the boys basketball team is among the weakest. This may be because the teams play against much larger schools, usually with double the class sizes of Indiana. The hockey team competes in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League, while all other teams compete in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...
, or WPIAL.
Notable alumni/Indianians
- Actor James StewartJames Stewart (actor)James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
- Author Tawni O'DellTawni O'DellTawni O'Dell is an American novelist.Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S., she graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism...
- American Football LeagueAmerican Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
running back Jim NanceJim NanceJames Solomon "Big Jim" Nance was an American collegiate and Professional Football fullback with the Boston Patriots during their days in the American Football League... - Vocalist Edward Parks of the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...