Will Allderdice lose its top rival?

Will Allderdice lose its top rival?

Monday, January 14, 2008

By Mohana Ravindranath, Allderdice High School (City of Pittsburgh Schools)

If the recent proposal to relocate and dismantle Schenley High School is passed, Allderdice will experience the fall of its greatest rival. To some, this may seem like a good thing -- Allderdice will climb to the top of athletic charts throughout the city. But in reality, Allderdice could lose not only its competitive edge but also its school spirit as a whole.

Earlier this fall, Pittsburgh Superintendent of Schools, Mark Roosevelt, proposed closing the Schenley high school building in Oakland and splitting up the student body among at least three buildings. Under the long-term plans, International Baccalaureate students would be based at the old Reizenstein middle school building in East Liberty and remaining students would be split between Peabody High School in East Liberty and Milliones Middle School in the Hill District.

Without Schenley in its current form, Allderdice will lose a sense of identity, as well as its perspective within the district. Although Allderdice is a leading institution, both academically and athletically, it’s the competition with its greatest rival --- Schenley --- that keeps Allderdice sharp and reaching for the stars. Allderdice students support many athletic events, but the games against Schenley draw the largest crowds.

The rivalry between Allderdice and Schenley has been fierce, particularly since the 1980s, when reforms made at Schenley raised the achievement level at that school from the second-lowest performing high school in the district to the second-highest, just below Allderdice. Recently, soccer has been among the most anticipated match-ups between the schools, drawing hundreds of fans from both sides.

The city of Pittsburgh witnessed the loss of its greatest rival in 1995 when the owner of the Steelers’ biggest rival, the Cleveland Browns, announced its relocation to Baltimore. Both Cleveland and Pittsburgh were devastated. Cleveland got a new NFL franchise in 1999 that took up the history of the Browns, but the team wasn’t the same. The rivalry was hollow, even though the "new" Browns took some early wins against the Steelers. The team since then, however, has faltered. Dedicated Steelers fans now see the Baltimore Ravens as their biggest competition.

Without our major rival school, who are we left with? Perry? Peabody? Oliver? Initially these games will not be as exciting, as thrilling or as intense as those with Schenley. Moreover, without this important competition our teams could fall to the level of these other schools, causing the city’s flagship high school to no longer be as great as it once were.

With opposing colors – black and red for Schenley vs. white and green for Allderdice -- students and alma maters, everything about the two schools is in contrast. How will we excel without our competitive brother, our rival, Schenley High School?

Allderdice's students andfaculty were impressed that the U.S. News and World Report has ranked Allderdice among the top public high schools in the nation.

405 schools, including Allderdice, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, andUpper St. Clair, were awarded a "silver" ranking (1,086 schools received "bronze", while 100 schools received "gold"). Schools were evaluated on the performance of their students on tests, taking into account the economic and social demographic of the student body. The ranking also reflected performance on Advanced Placement exams (specifically those administered by the College Board), which is used to measure how effectively a particular school prepares its students for college.

While encouraging, this information seemed ironic to those aware of Allderdice's failure, in the 2006-2007 school year, to meet its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets. The AYP, which is supposed totrack the reading and math skills for students and meet goals under No Child Left Behind, has established several requirements. In order to"meet AYP", a school must achieve a certain level of attendance, perform at a certain level academically, and have a certain level of student participation for standardized tests.

In 2006-2007, Allderdice met 14 out of 17 AYP targets and therefore failed to "meet AYP". According to the Pennsylvania Adequate Yearly Progress website (PAAYP), needs to improve "Reading Proficiency of the Black student group" and "Math Proficiency of the Black and Economically Disadvantaged student groups". Furthermore, there doesn't seem to have been a significant improvement in test scores from last year.

Allderdice students are used to receiving criticism, and also to being offered a range of incentives (from pizza to pep-rallies to dance parties) to increase test scores and participation. Allderdice students, frequently reminded of the school's shortcomings, often scoff when outsiders claim, "Allderdice is a good school."

The AYP mandates are focusing on negativity. The class of 2008, having been at Allderdice longer than most students, has experienced almost three and a half years of being told to come to school on Pesnnsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) days and to raise math and reading scores because "Allderdice wasn't meeting its standards". Yet, Allderdice has received the "silver award" indicating ranking in the top five percent of the country. To many, this discrepancy is confusing - how can Allderdice be considered a top school and yet fail to meet state standards?

It is possible that AYP requirements should tailored to better reflect Allderdice's success. With a large number of students and a diverse demographic, Allderdice's goals must be different than those of otherschools. If its achievements are being nationally recognized, Allderdice's situation can't be quite as dismal as the AYP seems to believe.