Welcome to the Greater Johnstown High School, home of the Trojans. Greater Johnstown High School offers a full range of educational programs from traditional Academics to Technology and Vocational education. As we move into the next millennium, we are looking to add even more programs and expand existing ones. We are dedicated to the idea of building articulations between J.H.S. and our local and regional colleges, universities and specialized training schools. It will be an exciting time and we do hope that you can become an active participant in our growth. Johnstown High School is steeped in the traditions and pride that come from graduating over 50,000 very successful students.

As we close the 2008-09 school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students of the Greater Johnstown High School and congratulate this year's senior class on their outstanding performance on this past year's PSSA test. They have achieved the highest level yet since the PSSA test was instituted as a condition of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation. As some of you may know, during the 2005-06 school year the Greater Johnstown High School was placed under School Improvement I by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. As a result, we instituted a plan to carefully evaluate all elements of instruction at the high school. The main focus of our analysis was and continues to be our curriculum, instructional methods, assessment, student course scheduling, tutoring, and student improvement monitoring. Student and teacher motivation was a key component of our efforts toward systematic change and ultimately academic improvement. Through this process of analysis and revision, the high school was able to carefully plan and implement strategies and systems that have proven to dramatically increase student achievement. It is with great pride that I can state that the last two years have resulted in the highest levels of student achievement ever at GJHS. Math and Reading scores have increased significantly. As a result, we have exceeded the state requirements of Adequately Yearly Progress (A.Y.P.) the past two years and as the graph illustrates we now see a steady increase in student achievement.

• 69% of our students scored proficient or advanced on the Reading PSSA compared to just 44% in 2002.
• GJHS experienced an increase of 3.6% in the number of students who scored proficient/advanced of from 06-07 (62% in 06/07) on the PSSA.

• 66% of our students scored proficient or advanced on the Math PSSA compared to just 33% in 2002.
• GJHS experienced an increase of 13% in the number of students who scored proficient/advanced from 06-07 (53% in 06-07) on the PSSA.

GJHS is proud to recognize that the achievement gap is closing among all students and that they are progressing from the below basic and basic distinctions to the proficient and advanced levels. For example, in 2002 on the PSSA Reading exam, only 4.9% of our students scored at the advanced level. In 2008, this number has risen to 37.8%. In 2002 almost 30% of our students scored at the below basic level in Reading and this number has now been reduced by half. In the Math category, only 7% of GJHS students scored advanced on the PSSA in 2002 compared to 33% in 2008. Nearly 40% of our students scored below basic on the Math PSSA in 2002. This number has been reduced to 17% in 2008. This growth demonstrates that current strategies and techniques are having a positive impact on student achievement at the high school and we will continue to monitor and evaluate all current practices to ensure that every child can succeed at their own personal level.

For this accomplishment the student, teachers and parents have much to be proud of. Great teaching, strong leadership, student focus on academic improvement and the artful use of data to drive instruction are some of the main reasons for our success. However, I cannot stress enough how important the role is that you the parents and guardians of our students play in helping our students achieve success. For your tremendous support I am eternally grateful. Please know that the GJHS staff is dedicated to knowing each child by name and developing their potential to the best of their ability.

I am proud to say that the administration and faculty place the best interests of our students and community first. Through our PSSA results, we have clearly demonstrated that we are continuing to take the necessary steps for continued academic improvement thus preparing our students for the next phase of their education and career goal attainment.

In closing, I thank you for your commitment to our school, staff, and students at the Greater Johnstown High School.

Respectfully yours,
Mr. Daniel Resenic
GJHS Principal