Academics Archives - Page 7 of 8

Clever/Naviance

Penn Receives 2023 Cognia School of Distinction Award

Penn High School was named a 2023 Cognia^® School of Distinction for excellence in education on Thursday, September 15. Penn achieved this accreditation based on its 2022–23 Accreditation Cognia review. The Schools of Distinction program recognizes schools and systems that truly stand out in their service to learners, as demonstrated in meeting the Cognia Performance Standards. Cognia is a global nonprofit school improvement organization grounded in research-based performance standards.

Penn High School first earned Cognia Accreditation in 2008 and reaccreditation in 2013, 2018 and 2023. During the 2022-2023 school year, Penn participated in Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process, which is grounded in research-based performance standards. The process includes a third-party review of evidence by education experts, interviews, and classroom observations. The review evaluates institutions and seeks evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning—all characteristics Cognia expects to see in quality schools that also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement.

Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher presented Penn’s Cognia results as part of his 2022-2023 End of School Year Report at the June 26 Board of School Trustees Meeting.

Penn High School is among 33 schools and school systems in the United States and in four other countries across the globe named as 2023 Cognia Schools or Systems of Distinction.

The full list of 2023 Schools and Systems of Distinction and the Cognia news release are listed on the Cognia website. Cognia^® is a global, nonprofit improvement organization dedicated to helping institutions and other education providers grow learners, teachers, and leaders. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, and improvement services within a framework of continuous improvement. Serving 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 90 countries, Cognia brings a global perspective to advancing teaching and learning.

Penn Wins IDOE Excellence in College Readiness Award & $250,000

Tonight (Friday, September 8, 2023) in Indianapolis at the Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) second annual Educational Excellence Awards Gala, Penn High School received the Excellence in College Readiness Award along with a $250,000 grant!

The Excellence in College Readiness Award as described by the IDOE is as follows:
This award recognizes an individual school that has demonstrated a commitment to helping students earn a credential of value before graduating high school. One or more of the following must be demonstrated by the award recipient: completion of high-value postsecondary credentials for graduating seniors, implementation of strategies that support students reaching their highest potential on ACT and SAT examinations, and expansion of scholarship opportunities for students entering into a higher education institution upon graduating.

For back-to-back school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, Penn High School has been the top Indiana high school with the highest number of students earning ICC (Indiana College Core) or AGS (Associate of General Studies) certificates earned! Click to read more of Penn High School’s state and national recognition.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and Penn administrators Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, Associate Principal Rachel Fry, Assistant Principals Josiah Parker and Jeanie Mitchell were on hand to receive the award. Other P-H-M honorees recognized at this evening’s Gala included:

Excellence in College Readiness Award — *Left to Right: Rachel Fry, Eric Bowers, Dr. Sean Galiher, Josiah Parker, Jeanie Mitchell, & Dr. Jerry Thacker*

*Indiana History Teacher of the Year Eric Bowers and Dr. Sean Galiher*

*Dr. Jerry Thacker and Amanda Fox, 2022 Top 10 Finalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year*

This is the second year in a row P-H-M has been honored at the IDOE Educational Excellence Awards Gala. At the inaugural event September 2022, Towner and Fox were honored. Fox for being Indiana’s Finalist for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Towner for being last year’s Milken Educator.

At this year’s Educational Excellence Awards Gala, the IDOE awarded nearly $5 million to schools and educators across the state! The black-tie event focused on celebrating and elevating the work of Indiana’s educators as they support student learning.

“The heart of the Educational Excellence Awards Gala is focused on the impact of our educators and schools. We know that we have continuous improvements to make for our students…and we also know that we have shining examples of success existing across our state,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education.

“Our goal was to host a red carpet event to celebrate our very best educators, on a level similar to how we celebrate movie stars and professional athletes, because their incredible impact deserves to be celebrated at the grandest level we can,” Dr. Jenner continued her praise of Indiana’s teachers. “Many of the educators tonight have positively impacted hundreds of students over the years and are leaders in their local communities. So, bringing them together for an awards night to roll out the red carpet and provide surprise monetary awards is one small way we can spotlight the massive impact they continue to make on our state.”

Click to read the IDOE’s full news release on the 2023 Educational Excellence Awards Gala.

Body Worlds RX Field Trip

Peoria Field Trip

Penn High School in Top 8.9% of 2023 nation’s Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report

Penn High School has once again been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation’s best public high schools. Penn ranks 1st in the South Bend area, 22nd in Indiana (out of 377 schools ranked in Indiana), and #1,581 in the national rankings (out of 17,680 nationally ranked high schools). This puts Penn in the top 8.9% of the nation’s best high schools for 2023!

In coordination with North Carolina-based RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm, U.S. News ranked approximately 17,680 public high schools out of nearly 25,000 reviewed. This is the count of public high schools that had a 12th grade enrollment of 15 students or greater, or otherwise had sufficient enrollment in other high school grades. Data from the 2020-2021 school year was used in the analysis. Click here to read more about the methodology.

Based on last school year, 2022-2023 the most recent school year, Penn’s students achieved a 98% graduation rate.

For the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, Penn High School ranked FIRST in the state with the highest number of students earning ICC (Indiana College Core) or AGS (Associate of General Studies) certificates earned! Penn is also the State leader (2021-2022 and 2022-2023) for Ivy Tech dual credit completions!

Highlights from the Class 0f 2023 include:

$15 million in scholarships
446 earned Academic Honors diplomas
253 earned High Honors diplomas
41 earned Technical Honors diplomas
119 Early College Students
- 106 earned ICC through Ivy Tech Community College
- 89 earned Associates Degrees from Ivy Tech

The Academies at Penn High School provide the framework for student success. Through their work in each academy, students find relevant and meaningful coursework taught in a supportive environment where each student is known well by his teachers and peers. Through these “smaller learning communities,” students build relationships while engaged in relevant learning experiences.

Early College Academy was endorsed in 2019 as an “Early College High School” by The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis. In 2022, the Academy was endorsed as a Level 2 program WITH DISTINCTION. Penn High School is the first and only Early College High School in Indiana to achieve this level of distinction!

The IDOE named the Early College Academy a “UCAN Mentor School”

Click to see the full list of Indiana High Schools as ranked by US News & World Report in 2023.

Penn Early College Teachers Named Claes Nobel Educators of Distinction

Penn Early College Academy Leader Danielle Black and English Teacher Sarah Dwigans were recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educators of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). Black and Dwigans were nominated by Early College junior Dhruvi Patel, also a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Black teaches Speech in Early College Academy. Patel nominated Black for her support of students and commitment to academic excellence.

“Mrs. Black deserves this award because she made me feel more comfortable with public speaking. I was once so shy and had so much anxiety when I had to talk in front of large groups. Mrs.Black taught me many skills that brought my confidence up as a speaker. She made sure I felt prepared before any big speech and made sure to have a warm smile on her face when I looked at her for reassurance. She also answered my many questions without frustration and always was so helpful. Her class helped me achieve skills in public speaking and made me not so nervous anymore about talking in front of others.”

Dwigans is also a Penn assistant softball coach. Dwigans is Patel’s English teacher who has shown care and compassion, while also being an excellent teacher.

“Mrs. Dwigans deserves this nomination because she is an incredible teacher and role model who has had an immense impact on the lives of many students. She is patient and aware that every student has unique skills and weaknesses. While Mrs. Dwigans encourages students to give everything their best, she also allows her students to work at their own pace. Mrs. Dwigans is also a great listener. When she notices a student acting upset or anxious, she softly asks what’s wrong and pays attention to their concerns. She taught me and many other students that we should not change for anyone and that watering down our personalities should not happen; instead, we should grow our characters. Mrs. Dwigans has influenced many students’ lives by demonstrating to us that it’s acceptable not to be perfect and that perfection is not what we were created for since we were meant to make mistakes and stand out. More than simply a teacher, Mrs. Dwigans is a tremendous role model for many people, including myself.”

As Educators of Distinction, Black and Dwigans will be able to access special grant opportunities and attend professional conferences, pursue advanced degrees and compete for NSHSS Educator of the Year, which comes with a $5,000 cash award.

The Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction award is named after Claes Nobel, a member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes. Mr. Nobel strongly believed that educators play a pivotal—and under-acknowledged—role in preparing students for success in school and in life. In that spirit, the Educator of Distinction program was created to honor and reward exemplary teachers, counselors and administrators.

The National Society of High School Scholars seeks to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving students through unique learning experiences, scholarships, internships, international study and peer networks. From attending the annual Nobel Week festivities in Stockhohn, to internships with major corporations and government agencies, pre-college summer study programs, and more than $2,000,000 in exclusive scholarships awarded annually, NSHSS is continually seeking new ways to provide lifetime learning and growth opportunities for academically talented and accomplished student leaders, and the educators who support them.

Assistant Principal Mr. Parker “Jumps” into the New School Year

Our educators will go to new heights to show students the unlimited possibilities and limitless opportunities available to them!

The U.S. Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team invited Assistant Principal Mr. Josiah Parker to go skydiving with them. The goal of the program was to highlight and show all the different types of jobs available in the Army. Mr. Parker was among 30 educators and community representatives selected to participate.

Take a look at the video of the jump and the photo gallery below

Last spring, Mr. Parker also visited Fort Sam Huston to learn more about medical related jobs/training available in the Army to come back and share with students.

Penn’s Eric Bowers Named 2023 Indiana History Teacher of the Year

Penn High School AP History teacher Mr. Eric Bowers was recently named Indiana History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. The announcement came August 1. Bowers will be among those recognized at the second annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala coming up in September. The Gala is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Education.

Bowers was named P-H-M’s 2023 Secondary Teacher of the Year in the spring and is up for Indiana state Teacher of the Year.

The History Teacher of the Year award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K–12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and U.S. Territories. The award is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, each History Teacher of the Year receives a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials, and becomes one of 53 finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year award.

The winner of this year’s National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced in fall 2023 and celebrated at a ceremony in New York City. This year’s ceremony will feature Peabody and Emmy Award-winning ABC News Senior National Affairs Correspondent Deborah Roberts as its presenter. Roberts, a contributing anchor for 20/20, was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in May. She is also the author of the New York Times recent bestselling book, Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life.

Past presenters of the award include the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, First Lady Laura Bush, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

#KingsmenNation

Penn High School distributes a student newsletter, Kingsmen Nation, each week that includes information on upcoming events, club meetings and school news and policies.

The enewsletter is distributed to students and parents via the email. Students receive it through their student @phm email accounts; parents receive it to the email addresses on file for their emergency contact information.

*Parents, if you are not receiving Kingsmen Nation, please contact the front office at (574) 258-9503 to make sure we have an email address on file for you.

#KingsmenNation 2022-2023