Champlain Valley Union High School
2009-2010 SCHOOL PROFILE FOR COLLEGES
369 CVU Road, Hinesburg, VT 05461 Ph: 802.482.7137 Fax: 802.482.7123 School ACT/CEEB Code Number 460175 www.cvuhs.org
CVU MISSION
We believe that every student can demonstrate the behaviors, skills, and knowledge essential for a contributing member of a democratic society. The mission of CVU and the community is to ensure this learning for all students and to challenge them to develop excellence in their individual pursuits.
ABOUT CVU
CVU is a comprehensive public high school, serving students in grades 9 through 12. Present Enrollment: 1416 Teaching Faculty: 111 Calendar: Four quarters, each nine weeks in length. Courses are either two quarters (one semester) long and are worth ½ credit, or four quarters (one year) long and are worth one credit. Schedule: Four 90-minute block periods daily, alternating days.
ACCREDITATION & MEMBERSHIP
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
Vermont Department of Education
As a member of the College Board and New England
Association for College Admissions Counselors (NEACAC),
CVU complies with the NEACAC Principles of Good Practice.
CVU COMMUNITY & STUDENT POPULATION
The Chittenden South Supervisory Union, established in 1964, serves the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston, and St. George. CVU is the public secondary school serving students from these five towns. CVU students come from a wide array of backgrounds, including rural agricultural and suburban professional. Located in the heart of the Champlain Valley on the shores of Lake Champlain, these towns are all adjacent to Burlington, Vermont’s largest city. The total population of Burlington and the surrounding communities is 152,000.
CVU’s students and faculty members come from a range of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. The student to faculty ratio is 14:1.
CVU CURRICULUM
CVU provides its students with an extensive and comprehensive curriculum, offering a variety of programs and more than 150 courses. The school is committed to a philosophy of heterogeneous grouping, allowing students to choose an academic path best suited to their learning goals. There are no curricular tracks. The program elected by each student should reflect his/her individual interests, abilities, and needs. Students are encouraged to enroll in the most demanding program possible. This allows the choice of various paths, including college, job training, etc., after the successful completion of high school. School Counselors provide each student with assistance in self-understanding and in the selection of courses, both yearly and on a long-range basis.
Students in the ninth grade are enrolled in a Core Program, earning a total of five credits, in English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Health and Physical Education. In addition to these courses, all tenth grade students are enrolled in English 10 and Making of the Modern World (Social Studies), and are expected to enroll in a program that includes courses earning a total of at least six credits; students in grades eleven and twelve enroll in a minimum of courses totaling five credits.
Within the CVU curriculum, students are offered the opportunity to travel and learn about other cultures. In Spanish and A.P. Biology, students may travel to Costa Rica. Students who take Classical Greece may apply to travel through Greece and the Greek Isles. In Latin III & Studio Art, students may be selected to travel to Italy. During the 2007-08 school year, a trip to England, Ireland, and Wales was added to the travel options.
Several special courses/programs indicated on student transcripts require further explanation: American Foreign Policy: This is a college-level intensive introduction to the roots and practice of projecting American power abroad. Through debates, guest speakers and position papers on such topics as the Middle East, immigration, military intervention, espionage, terrorism and trade, students develop the lifelong skills for analysis and commentary on America’s relationship with the world. Ancient Greece & You: This interdisciplinary course examines the History, Literature, Philosophy, Art, and Language of the birthplace of Western Civilization with an emphasis on their relevance to the individual, our society, and its government. Holocaust & Human Behavior: This interdisciplinary course allows students to use History and Literature to consider moral, political, and social implications of the Holocaust and their own rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. This one semester course meets daily for 1 ½ hours and awards ½ credit English and ½ credit Social Studies. Graduation Challenge: Each senior is required to carry out a personalized educational program in the community. The program components include: creation of a tangible product, a 6-12 page research paper which is evaluated by a faculty panel, 20-45 hours of work in the community, and a formal presentation before a panel of faculty and community members. Advanced Placement: Preparation leading to Advanced Placement examination is offered in these areas: English, French, Calculus, Art Studio, Statistics, Biology, U.S. Government & Politics, Chemistry, & Music Theory. Students in Advanced Physics and Spanish V may also elect to take AP examinations. While we attempt to honor Junior requests for Advanced Placement courses, access can be limited. Math Seminar This is a rigorous two-year program designed for highly skilled and motivated math students. The course content enables students to accelerate through the Geometry /Algebra II sequence while delving more deeply into the academic content. Community Learning Programs: Students interact with the local community through our DUO program. DUO is a service-learning program that enables students to receive elective credit for working and learning in the community. Sample service work includes Buddy, Peer Tutor, In-School Volunteer and Academic Internship.
Sean McMannon, Principal • Patti Tomashot, Director of Guidance Jane Krasnow & Julie Dimmock, College Counselors • Sandra Twombly, Registrar
IDS: (Independent Study) On an individual basis, CVU faculty members offer students the opportunity to pursue independent programs in areas of strong interest. These courses are designated IDS on the transcript.
Language Sequence: CVU offers four languages: French I-V or AP, Spanish I-V, and Latin I-III, and Chinese I.
CVU’S NCAA APPROVED CORE COURSES
ENGLISH
Ancient Greece & You English 10 Major British Lit. Applied English I & II Global Literature Trends in Cont. Am. Fic. AP English Gothic Tales & Sci. Fi. Utopian Literature Creative Writing Holocaust & Human Behavior Writing Prose Dramatic Literature Major American Lit. Core English 9 Popular Literature
MATHEMATICS
Adv. Algebra & Trig. AP Prob. & Statistics Geometry L2 Algebra I Computer Programming I IMP 1-4 Algebra II, L1 Computer Programming II Intro Prob. & Statistics Algebra II, L2 Discrete Mathematics Math Seminar AP Calculus Geometry L1 Trig. & Pre Calculus
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Am. Foreign Policy Current Issues U.S. and the World AP U.S. Govt & Politics Economics Ancient Greece & You Holocaust & Human Behavior Core Social Studies 9 Making of the Modern World
NATURAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCE
AP Chemistry Core Science 9 Microbiology Adv. Topics in Physics Ecology Modern Physics AP Biology Environmental Systems Physics I Biotechnology Geology Physics II Botany Intro to Earth & Space Thayer Model Engineer Chemistry I Intro. Human Biology Zoology Chemistry II Intro. to Phys/Chem.
ADDITIONAL CORE COURSES
AP French Latin I-III Spanish I-V French I-V
ATHLETICS
CVU offers athletic instruction and competition at two levels. As part of the curriculum: Ninth and tenth grade students are required to participate in the physical education program during the school year. Ninth graders are required to take Project Adventure and Personal Health (Wellness), both ½ year courses. Tenth graders are required to take a ½ year of Personal Fitness. Juniors and seniors may choose to sign up for more wellness courses as electives or earn additional PE credit through athletic participation. At the interscholastic level: CVU offers thirty varsity and junior varsity teams in sixteen different sports. Approximately 60% of the student body participates in sports and intramurals.
CVU ATHLETIC OFFERINGS
| Season Fall | Sport Cross-Country | Men’s X | Women’s X | Co | V/JV/F V/JV |
| Field Hockey | X | V/JV/F | |||
| Football | X | V/JV | |||
| Soccer | X | X | V/JV/F | ||
| Winter | Alpine Skiing | X | X | V/JV | |
| Basketball | X | X | V/JV/F | ||
| Gymnastics | X | V | |||
| Ice Hockey | X | X | V/JV | ||
| Nordic Skiing | X | X | V/JV | ||
| Wrestling | X | V | |||
| Spring | Baseball | X | V/JV | ||
| Golf | X | V/JV | |||
| Lacrosse | X | X | V/JV | ||
| Softball | X | V/JV | |||
| Tennis | X | X | V | ||
| Track & Field | X | X | V | ||
| V=Varsity, JV=Junior Varsity, F=Freshman | |||||
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
In addition to concerts, plays, art exhibits and dances, there are more than 30 student-run clubs and activities available. A partial list of the activities follows.
CVU CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Amnesty International Partner’s Club ArtClub PeerTutoring Drama PitOrchestra,FallMusical Fall Intramurals PoetryClub Filmmaker’s Club Rowing Forensics International Club RugbyFuture Business Leaders of Am. ScholarsBowl Jazz Ensemble Snowboarding Club KeyClub StepAerobics Madrigals Student Council Math LeagueClub TableTennis Mountain Biking Ultimate Frisbee Music–Band VideoClub National Honor Society WORD
TRANSCRIPT INTERPRETATION
Students at CVU earn their grades under a rigid set of rules that assures the honesty and integrity of grades earned.
GPA is not weighted. Grades received in a college course are entered as a P. Grades for all courses transferred from another high school use that high school’s grading system, although a GPA calculation always uses the CVUHS grade table shown below:
| Letter | Percent | Grade Point |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 98-100 | 4.33 |
| A | 93-97 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 88-89 | 3.33 |
| B | 83-87 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 78-79 | 2.33 |
| C | 73-77 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.67 |
| D+ | 68-69 | 1.33 |
| D | 63-67 | 1.00 |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.67 |
| F | Below 60 | |
| P | Pass: Grad Challenge is P/F | |
| WP | Withdrew Passing | |
| WF | Withdrew Failing | |
| WX | Withdrew Poor Attendance |
High Honors: All A’s; Honors: All A’s and B’s
Grades during senior year are reported to colleges for all students after first quarter. Students are not ranked. CVU uses the Latin System of Recognition: Summa Cum Laude – 4.1 and above, Magna Cum Laude – 3.8 and above, and Cum Laude – 3.5 and above.
2009 Advanced Placement Results
SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT DATA
| Test | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Biology Calculus AB Chemistry English Lit. French Gov’t. & Politics Spanish Statistics | 1 43 14 4 6 1 32 2 0 | 2 11 7 9 13 2 15 2 2 | 2 7 10 6 11 14 9 1 12 | 2 0 6 4 6 12 6 3 12 | 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 3 | 7 61 38 24 36 31 63 9 29 |
Average CVU SAT Subject Test Scores 2009
| Category | Score | # of Students |
|---|---|---|
| Literature | 681 | 17 |
| US History | 676 | 5 |
| Math 1 C | 669 | 16 |
| Math 2 C | 686 | 18 |
| Eco. Biology | 716 | 5 |
| Mol. Biology | 750 | 12 |
| Chemistry | 634 | 8 |
| Physics | * | 2 |
| French | 619 | 8 |
*NOT AVAILABLE
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
To meet graduation requirements and to achieve a diploma, a CVU student must earn a minimum of 20 credits and complete a Graduation Challenge Program. A year-long class at CVU is valued at 1 credit, and a half-year course is valued at a .5 credit. Consistent with the CVU mission and philosophy, students are encouraged to set goals for greater achievement, rather than for minimum requirements; most students earn more than 20 credits. The 20-credit minimum must include:
English/Language Arts: 4 credits Social Studies: 3 credits, including U.S. History Mathematics: 3 credits Science: 3 credits, including Intro. Earth & Space, Intro. Biology, & either Intro. Phys. / Chem., or the combination of Chemistry I & Physics I Practical Arts: .5 credit Fine Arts: .5 credit Physical Education: 1.5 credits, including Personal Fitness Health: .5 credit Graduation Challenge: .5 credit Electives: 3.5 credits
College Placement Data Comparison 2002-2009
| Year | # Graduates | % 4-Year | % 2-Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 322 | 68% | 3% |
| 2008 | 331 | 71% | 4% |
| 2007 | 326 | 67% | 1% |
| 2006 | 318 | 66% | 6% |
| 2005 | 321 | 65% | 5% |
| 2004 | 296 | 63% | 1% |
| 2003 | 268 | 63% | 1% |
| 2002 | 278 | 60% | 3% |
| GPA Distribution, Class of 2010 | National Merit and Presidential Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NMSF | NMC | NMSR | PSC | ||
| Percentage of | 08-09 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 3 |
| GPA Class | 07-08 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
| 1% (summa) .1 and above 43 | 06-07 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 6 |
| 11% (magna) .8 – 4.09 | 05-06 | 6 | 6 | NA | 1 |
| 13% (cum) .5 – 3.79 .0 – 3.49 33 | 04-05 | 5 | 15 | NA | 1 |
| 29% 33%.0 – 2.99 | 03-04 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 13%Below 2.0 2 | 02-03 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 01-02 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 8 | |
NMSF = National Merit Semi Finalist NMC = National Merit Commended NMSR= National Merit Scholarship Recipient PSC = US Presidential Scholar Candidates
OF THE 322 STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED IN THE CLASS OF 2009, 229 ARE ATTENDING POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS.
This is only a partial listing of colleges to which students were accepted.
Adelphi University
| Alfred University | Fisher College |
| American University | Florida State University |
| Appalachian State University | Fordham University |
| Arizona State University | Fort Lewis College |
| Art Institute of Boston | Franklin and Marshall College |
| Baran Institute of Technology | Franklin Pierce University |
| Bard College | Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering |
| Barnard College | George Mason University |
| Becker College | George Washington University |
| Bennington College | Georgetown University |
| Bentley University | Gettysburg College |
| Berkeley College of NYC | Global College at Long Island University |
| Berkeley College of White Plains | Green Mountain College |
| Binghamton University | Grove City College |
| Biola University | Guilford College |
| Bishop's University | Hamilton College |
| Boston College | Hampshire College |
| Boston Conservatory | Hartwick College |
| Boston University | Harvey Mudd College |
| Brandeis University | High Point University |
| Bridgewater State College | Hobart and William Smith Colleges |
| Brigham Young University, Idaho | Hofstra University |
| Brown University | Houghton College |
| Bryant University | Ithaca College |
| Bryn Mawr College | James Cook University |
| Bucknell University | Johns Hopkins University |
| Burlington College | Johnson & Wales University |
| California Institute of Technology | Johnson State College |
| Carleton College | Keene State College |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Kenyon College |
| Castleton State College | Lafayette College |
| Centre College | Lasell College |
| Champlain College | Lawrence University |
| Chapman University | Lesley University |
| Claremont McKenna College | Lewis & Clark College |
| Clark University | Lincoln University |
| Clarkson University | Loyola Marymount University |
| Clinton Community College | Loyola University Maryland |
| Coastal Carolina University | Lynchburg College |
| Colby‐Sawyer College | Lyndon State College |
| Colgate University | Lynn University |
| College of the Atlantic | Maine College of Art |
| College of Saint Rose | Manhattan School of Music |
| College of William and Mary | Marist College |
| College of Wooster | Marlboro College |
| Colorado College | Maryland Institute College of Art |
| Colorado State University | Massachusetts College of Art |
| Columbia College | Mass College of Pharmacy/Health Sciences |
| Community College of Vermont | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Concordia University | Massachusetts Maritime Academy |
| Connecticut College | McGill University |
| Cornell University | Mercy College |
| Curry College | Merrimack College |
| Dartmouth College | Messiah College |
| Dean College | Methodist University |
| Delaware State University | Michigan State University |
| Denison University | University of Michigan |
| Dickinson College | Middlebury College |
| Drake University | Misericordia University |
| Drew University | Mitchell College |
| Eastern Washington University | Montana State University |
| Elon University | The University of Montana |
| Emmanuel College | Mount Holyoke College |
| Endicott College | Mount Ida College |
| Eugene Lang College | Muhlenberg College |
| Evergreen State College | Nazareth College of Rochester |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | New England College |
| New England Conservatory of Music |
New England Culinary Institute New England Institute of Art New England School of Communications New Hampshire Institute of Art New York University Newbury College Northampton Community College Northeastern University Norwich University Oberlin College Oberlin Conservatory of Music Ohio Wesleyan University Onondaga Community College Pacific Northwest College of Art Parsons School of Design Paul Smith's College Pennsylvania State, Hazleton Pennsylvania State, University Park Philadelphia University Pitzer College Plattsburgh State University Plymouth State University Pratt Institute Prescott College Providence College Quinnipiac University Randolph College Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rice University Roanoke College Roberts Wesleyan College Rochester Institute of Technology Roger Williams University Rowan University Sacred Heart University Saint Anselm College Saint Michael's College Salve Regina University Santa Monica College School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of Visual Arts Siena College Simon Fraser University Skidmore College Smith College Southern New Hampshire University Southern Vermont College Springfield College St. John's College St. John's University ‐Queens Campus St. Lawrence University St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Olaf College State University of New York‐Albany State University of New York‐Stony Brook Stonehill College Suffolk University SUNY College at Cortland SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY College at Morrisville SUNY College at New Paltz SUNY College at New Paltz Syracuse University Tarrant County Junior College Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University Union College United States Coast Guard Academy University of Bridgeport University of British Columbia University of California at Davis University of California at Irvine University of California at Santa Cruz University of Colorado at Boulder University of Delaware University of Guelph University of Hartford University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Illinois University of Indiana University of Maine University of Maine at Machias University of Mary Washington University of Maryland, College Park University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Boston University of Massachusetts, Lowell University of Michigan University of Montana University of New England University of New Hampshire University of New Haven University of North Carolina‐Wilmington University of Northern Colorado University of Northwestern Ohio University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh‐Bradford University of Puget Sound University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of Southern Maine University of St. Thomas University of Tampa University of Vermont University of Wisconsin, River Falls Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Institute Virginia State University Wagner College Washington College Wells College Wentworth Institute of Technology Wesleyan University Western New England College Western State College of Colorado Westfield State College Wheaton College Wheelock College Whitman College Yale University