Forest Grove High School
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| Forest Grove High School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Forest Grove, OR, United States | |
| Information | |
| School district | Forest Grove School District |
| Principal | John O'Neil |
| Enrollment |
1,715 (as of 2005-06)[1] |
| Faculty | 79.0 (on FTE basis)[1] |
| Student:teacher ratio | 21.7[1] |
| Type | Public high school |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Athletics conference | Pacific Conference |
| Team name | Vikings |
| Color(s) | Maroon and Gold |
| Established | 1907 |
| Homepage | Forest Grove High School |
Forest Grove High School is a public high school located in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States. The school was founded in 1907. It is the only high school in the Forest Grove School District. The school houses grades ninth through twelfth.[2]
As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,715 students and 79.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 21.7.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Academics
The school had the highest rate for drop outs in Washington County and test scores below the state average in the early 2000s.[3] Forest Grove High then hired a new principal, John O'Neil, to address these issues in 2002.[3]The principal introduced the mandatory Reading and Math Workshops for students below the state average to raise their performance. This and other changes helped to reduce the dropout rate and improve test scores at the school.[3] For these improvements, in 2006 the school was presented the Closing the Achievement Gap award from the State of Oregon.[4] The following year, the 2,000-student school became the first high school to win the award two years in a row.[5] During this time graduation rates improved from around 66% to 85%.[5]
[edit] Athletics
The school is part of the Pacific Conference, which participates in athletics against the Canby Cougars, McMinnville Grizzlies, Newberg Tigers, Tigard Tigers, and the Tualatin Timberwolves. In 2007, the softball team won the 6A state championship, which was the school's first state championship.[6]
[edit] Programs
In 1976, Birt Hansen started the Viking House Program. It is a program For the top 12-16 woodworking students at the school started to challenge their skills and put them to use. Each year the students build a single-family home in the community, with 2007’s home measuring 2,008 square feet.[7] They begin building in early September and finish construction with an open-house in late May.[8] The house is then put up for sale at market price, with the proceeds then used for furthering the program with purchases of new tools and the materials for the next house.[9][8] This program is one of the few focused on house construction in Portland-area schools.[9] The program adopted "learn by doing" as their motto. Through 2007, the program had built 12 homes.[7]
In addition to the home construction program, Forest Grove High also has a Future Farmers of America program.[10] This program focuses on agriculture, with the students raising livestock and plants that are then sold to the public. The school operates the state’s largest retail nursery run by students, with their annual plant sale offering approximately 200,000 items.[10]
The school also operates a firefighting cadet program that began in 2001.[11] The program allows juniors and seniors to learn firefighting techniques that are usually taught at the community college level to prepare students for careers in firefighting. Forest Grove’s fire department and the school partner in the program with the fire department providing instructors.[11]
[edit] Notable graduates
- Bobby Chouinard, a retired Major League Baseball pitcher.[12]
[edit] Further reading
- Campillo, Linda. "Forest Grove High School Program Impresses Governor", The Oregonian, February 1, 1990.
- Haynes, Dana. "Forest Grove High School Studies Fewer But Longer Classes", The Oregonian, December 16, 1993.
- Staff. "Australian Teaches at Forest Grove High", The Oregonian, February 22, 1990.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Forest Grove High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 12, 2007.
- ^ Navas, Melissa. Forest Grove looks at changing classes. The Oregonian, June 27, 2007.
- ^ a b c Tareen, Sophia. A model for change. The Oregonian, May 18, 2006.
- ^ Beghtel, Doug. School achievement award. The Oregonian, September 28, 2006.
- ^ a b Pardington, Suzanne. Forest Grove High School: School turnaround? 'Absolutely'. The Oregonian, May 8, 2007.
- ^ Palmer, Zach. Lady Vikings win state championship. The Forest Grove News-Times, June 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Trappen, Michelle. Forest Grove High School - Students build every square inch of house. The Oregonian, October 4, 2007.
- ^ a b Mandel, Michelle. Viking House not your average school project. The Oregonian, June 8, 2006.
- ^ a b Trappen, Michelle. Hands-on classes make a comeback. The Oregonian, October 11, 2007.
- ^ a b Mullen, Ruth. Growing plants, growing up. The Oregonian, May 3, 2007.
- ^ a b Navas, Melissa. Firefighter cadet class might be cut. The Oregonian, January 30, 2007.
- ^ Bobby Chouinard, The Baseball Cube. Accessed November 12, 2007.
