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Letter to the Editor: Don’t ‘waste’ vote on third-party contenders; Donald Trump poses too much risk

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Tux and Champ show students how to get along with each other, despite differences

<p>A day after Dallas High School Principal Jason Rushmer learned his school scored the highest in Luzerne County on the state School Performance Profile, he made sure to thank the faculty.</p><p>&#8220;You can&#8217;t do it without a highly qualified faculty,&#8221; Rushmer said.</p><p>The School Performance Profile scores are released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and are based on factors such as standardized test scores, graduation rates and attendance.</p><p>&#8220;The SPP is one indicator of how schools are supporting student learning. However, the SPP uses a formula that is heavily dependent on standardized test scores,&#8221; Department of Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera said in a statement.</p><p>Rivera said Gov. Tom Wolf asked the department &#8220;to determine how to make the SPP a better, more holistic measure.&#8221;</p><p>Despite being heavily dependent on standardized test scores, Rushmer said faculty and administration try not to focus on those numbers too much, instead focusing on preparing students for life after graduation.</p><p>&#8220;(The numbers) aren&#8217;t the important part,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Rushmer said instead they have shifted the curriculum to allow students to focus on their individual careers, rather than just getting a diploma. Rushmer said this shift in focus is what allows Dallas High School to remain ahead of the curve. The school has started to integrate real-world opportunities alongside the required classes a student needs to graduate.</p><p>The school still offers Advanced Placement courses, Rushmer said, but they also offer technical internships and field trips for students who might no be interested in pursuing a four-year degree after high school.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re allowing students to connect with their futures,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Dallas also offers career courses, which are mandatory for students, in order for them to explore different careers they&#8217;re interested in.</p><p>&#8220;It helps motivate them,&#8221; Rushmer said.</p><p>Rushmer said there are a lot of factors in the success at Dallas High School &#8212; the families, the faculty and, most important, the students.</p><p>&#8220;We are truly a student-centered high school,&#8221; he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_DP-06192016-Dallas-grad-1CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dallas Post file photo from the 2016 Dallas High School graduation. For Dallas Post|Charlotte Bartizek </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_DP-06192016-Dallas-grad-1CMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dallas Post file photo from the 2016 Dallas High School graduation. For Dallas Post|Charlotte Bartizek </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Brigid Edmunds</p><p>bedmunds@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Brigid Edmunds at 570-991-6119 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dallas H.S. principal credits faculty, students for high scores