William Penn High School (Delaware)
Encyclopedia
William Penn High School, also known and referred to as William Penn or simply Penn is a four-year comprehensive, coeducational public high school located in New Castle
, Delaware
, United States
. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
and a member of the Colonial School District
. It is the largest high school in the state of Delaware
. The school mascot is the Colonial.
, who landed in the city of New Castle and founded the Province of Pennsylvania
, which would later go on to become the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
.
courses. They are:
(State title information not complete at this time)
William Penn also prides itself on sportsmanship. The school has won the DIAA State Sportsmanship Award an unprecedented 12 years in a row. They were also one of 8 schools in the country to receive the National Sportsmanship award. The WP athletic staff try to influence this by having school sportsmanship weeks, and writing prompts in English class.
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
and a member of the Colonial School District
Colonial School District (Delaware)
The Colonial School District is a public school district in New Castle Hundred, Delaware. The current superintendent is George Meney, and the district offices are located at 318 East Basin Road, in New Castle, Delaware.-Middle schools:*Calvin R...
. It is the largest high school in the state of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. The school mascot is the Colonial.
History
William Penn High School was established in 1849 and named after William PennWilliam Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, who landed in the city of New Castle and founded the Province of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
, which would later go on to become the U.S. state of 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...
.
Students
| Ethnicity | 2007-2008 for William Penn High School | 2006-2007 for William Penn High School |
|---|---|---|
| White, not Hispanic | 37.7% | 34.5% |
| Black, not Hispanic | 47.8% | 50.6% |
| Hispanic | 11.6% | 12.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| Native American/Alaskan Native | .4% | .3% |
- As of the 2006-2007 school year the student to teacher ratio was 17.5 to 1.
- As of the 2006-2007 school year the percentage of students listed as "limited English proficient" was 5.0% (up from 4.2% the year before)
- As of the 2006-2007 school year 39% of the student population was listed as "low income" (down from 40% the year before)
- As of the 2006-2007 school year 13.0% of the student population was listed as "special education" (down from 13.9% from previous year)
Faculty
| Ethnicity | Percentage of staff | Years of Teaching Experience | Percentage of staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| White, not Hispanic | 78.8% | Less than 3 years | 21.2% |
| Black, not Hispanic | 19.2% | 3 to 9 years | 37.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.3% | 10 to 19 years | 17.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 20 to 29 years | 16.7% |
| Native American/Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 30 or more years | 7.7% |
- As of the 2006-2007 school year 133 teachers were allocated for WPHS.
- As of the 2006-2007 school year 45.5% of the Instructional Staff held a Masters Degree or higher.
- As of the 2006-2007 school year five members of the Instructional Staff held NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) Certification.
William Penn AP Exam Scores
| # of AP Courses Offered | # Enrolled | # of exams taken | # of exams with a 3 or higher | % of Passing Scores | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 5 | 98 | 83 | 38 | 46% |
| 2005 | 8 | 128 | 89 | 48 | 54% |
| 2006 | 8 | 120 | 104 | 66 | 64% |
Departments
The school has a large selection of departments including those with classes mandatory for graduation as well as various electivecourses. They are:
- AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
- ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
- Business EducationBusiness educationBusiness education involves teaching students the fundamentals, theories, and processes of business. Education in this field occurs at several levels, including secondary education and higher education or university education. Approximately 38% of student enroll in one or more business courses...
- EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
- Foreign LanguageForeign languageA foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
- Foreign Integration
- Math
- MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- Physical EducationPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
- ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
- Social StudiesSocial studiesSocial studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
- Special EducationSpecial educationSpecial education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
- Technical Education
- JROTC
School Areas
William Penn has one library, two gyms, two cafeterias, and an auditorium that can seat approx. 500.Athletics
The William Penn Colonials participate in the Blue Hen Flight A Conference in Delaware. Active sports include (with state titles noted) :- Baseball (1977, 1978, 1991)
- Basketball-Boys (1996, 1999, 2001,2009)
- Basketball-Girls (1976, 1993, 1998)
- Cheerleading
- Cross Country
- Field Hockey (1988, 1994)
- Football (1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2006)
- Golf
- Lacrosse-Boys
- Soccer-Boys
- Soccer-Girls
- Softball (1986, 1988, 1989)
- Swimming-Boys
- Swimming-Girls
- Tennis-Boys
- Tennis-Girls
- Track & Field-Boys (1996)
- Track & Field-Girls
- Volleyball-Girls
- Wrestling (1983, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000)
(State title information not complete at this time)
William Penn also prides itself on sportsmanship. The school has won the DIAA State Sportsmanship Award an unprecedented 12 years in a row. They were also one of 8 schools in the country to receive the National Sportsmanship award. The WP athletic staff try to influence this by having school sportsmanship weeks, and writing prompts in English class.
Notable alumni
- Devin SmithDevin SmithDevin Michael Smith is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'6" tall small forward and Shooting Guard...
, professional basketball player - Richard B. Weldon, Jr.Richard B. Weldon, Jr.Richard Weldon was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Maryland District 3B, which covers Frederick and Washington County, Maryland. He defeated Lisa Baugher in 2002 for the new 3B district...
- member, Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis... - Tyler Ford, screenwriter, director, producer, creator of River Ridge (Web Series)River Ridge (Web Series)River Ridge is a dramatic web series created by Tyler Ford and is co-produced by Ford and American actress Signy Coleman.River Ridge is described as "the interwoven kaleidoscope of the residents of a small east coast town and their familiar and relatable circumstances.""-About the Show:The series...
See also
- List of high schools in Delaware
- Colonial School District (Delaware)Colonial School District (Delaware)The Colonial School District is a public school district in New Castle Hundred, Delaware. The current superintendent is George Meney, and the district offices are located at 318 East Basin Road, in New Castle, Delaware.-Middle schools:*Calvin R...
- William PennWilliam PennWilliam Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...