James M. Coughlin High School is an urban school located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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 serves approximately 1000 students in grades 9-12 in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Wilkes-Barre Area School District is an urban, public school district located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Wilkes-Barre Area School District encompasses approximately 123 square miles. The district includes the city of Wilkes-Barre as well as smaller surrounding...

. Its current principal is Patrick Patte. In 2009, the school reported employing 62 teachers with a student teacher ratio of 17.7 pupils per teacher.

The school's mascot is the crusader. Coughlin is home to the Journal, the longest continuously published high school newspaper in the country. The first issue of the Journal was published on January 20, 1890.

Building

The school was scheduled to be built in 1905 but due to a flood, which flooded the entire basement and first floor, building had to be restarted. The second part of the building, The Annex, was built in 1952. The main building has four floors and the Annex has three. It is the oldest school in Pennsylvania being built in 1909, the older of the 2 buildings that makes up Coughlin is 101 years old. The second building is 58 years old.

Graduation rate

In 2010, the high school's graduation rate rose to 90%. In 2009, the graduation rate was 87%.

Requirements - In addition to completing course requirements, students are required by Pennsylvania law to complete a graduation project as outlined by the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Students who fail to complete the requirements set for each year (10th and 11th) are denied participation in all activities from the first day of school in the following school year until the requirement is met.

Academic achievement

In 2010 and 2009, the school was in School Improvement I AYP status due to chronic low student achievement in reading and math.

11th Grade Reading

• 2010 - 68% on grade level (14% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 66% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 - 65% (20% below basic), State - 65%
• 2008 - 65% (15% below basic), State - 65%
• 2007 - 73% (12% below basic), State - 65%

11th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 62%, on grade level (22% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 - 49% (30% below basic). State - 56%.
• 2008 - 56% (28% below basic), State - 56%
• 2007 - 56% (22% below basic), State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 44% on grade level (15% below basic). State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 34% (21% below basic). State - 40%
• 2008 - 35% (14% below basic), State - 39%

Extracurricular Activities

The school offers a wide variety of activities, clubs and sports. Eligibility to participate is determined by school board policy.

Sports

Coughlin High School is home to one of the dominant soccer programs in the Wyoming Valley.Coughlin Boys Soccer began play in 1987 under the guidance of Coach Richard Lussi. In twenty years of soccer, Coughlin has had a losing record in only three seasons. The team has appeared in District Playoffs in 18 seasons, including the last 13 years in a row. In addition Coughlin has claimed 4 District Championships, and won the PIAA State Championship in 1997.

Clubs

Coughlin also has a large number of in school clubs. These clubs include the Kewanis Club, Go Green Club, Drama Club, Stage Crew, Spanish Club, French Club, and German Club.

Famous alumni

• Jeff Cardoni
  Jeff Cardoni
  Jeffrey E. “Jeff” Cardoni is an American film composer. He is a multi-instrumentalist, who studied classical piano before playing drums and guitar in numerous bands, including a brief stint with the rock band Alien Crime Syndicate. After graduating James M...
  
  , composer of American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, Open Season 3
  Open Season 3
  Open Season 3 is an American 2010 computer-animated direct-to-video comedy film, the sequel to Open Season 2 and Open Season, and the third installment in the Open Season franchise. It is directed by Cody Cameron...
  
   and since 2002 CSI: Miami
  CSI: Miami
  CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
  
  
• Pat Finn
  Pat Finn
  Patrick Joseph "Pat" Finn is the former host of several game shows. He is the owner of the production company Rubicon Entertainment.Finn first hosted the 1990 remake of the classic Jack Barry show The Joker's Wild...
  
  , host of The Joker's Wild
  The Joker's Wild
  The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s. Contestants answered questions based on categories that were determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine....
  
   from 1990-91 & Shop 'til You Drop
  Shop 'Til You Drop
  Shop 'til You Drop is an American game show that aired on various broadcast television networks from 1991–2006. The series was hosted by Pat Finn from 1991–2002, followed by JD Roberto from 2003–2005. Co-hosts/announcers included Mark L...
  
  (1991-94; 1996-98; 2000-2)