Prospect High School

if your child choosed the right people to be friends with and focus on academics while of course having fun and making use of all the opportunities this school has to offer..your child will go far! school has a wonderful staff and AMAZING principal! she is new but making so many advances! make it count panthers!!
--Submitted by a parent

Delighted with Prospect High School. My son just started as a freshman and I am impressed with the teachers & administration. 'Make it Count', that is the theme the principal is promoting - every activity, every assignment, every event, every year Make it Count. My son graduated from a small middle school. I was concerned that he would be lost in a 'big' school. Prospect is not large compared to other area HS but it is larger than we were used to. We quickly learnt that there are communities within the school, clubs and other activities that welcomed my son. He is delighted to be at Prospect HS. The year is going well socially and academically. The big HS that we were so concerned about has turned out to be a welcoming educational environment where my son is thriving. thanks to the Principal, staff and Teachers of Prospect High School
--Submitted by a parent

The current principal pressures teachers to inflate grades. There is a grading system here in which a teacher gives nothing less than a 50% for an "F". The reasoning is self esteem related & encourages kids not to lose hope once they have that F. A teacher strictly following this system wouldn't give any grade less than a 50%, meaning the kid only has to do 10% of the work to pass. If you look at it from the 10% angle, it's just shameful. Kids get a false sense of accomplishment. Nobody forces you to grade this way, but if you are failing too many kids, you can expect trouble with this principal. In spring 2010 the district held a class for teachers to grade in this way called "What is Pickering Grading?" So I gather this is being pushed district-wide. We have many low performing kids at Prospect, but lowering our standards is not the way. Change isn't going to come by teachers as they are frightened by the principal. If you are a parent then look for yourself on School Loop. If you see A LOT of 50% it may mean the assignments were not done at all yet 50% of the credit was still received. Write a letter to the superintendent if concerned.
--Submitted by a teacher

I am not sure the administrators in this school are all on the same page. A small number seem to really care about the children. Teachers I have observed are overworked and frustrated.
--Submitted by a parent

We've had a good experience with the Administration @ Prospect High School. Our family is very involved with academics & find the majority of school staff very supportive of parent involvement. A schools reputation is built on API ratings but doesn't tell the whole story until you look @ student demographics. Our 2007 API rating was 741 but when you look at subgroups, 80% of our students were performing @ an API high of 815 but were impacted by 20% of our students that are disadvantaged. Our Athletic Programs have been very successful; 2-Time State Wrestling Champion, Girls Varsity Basketball & Boys Varsity Baseball @ CCS, Wrestling, Girls Swimming, Track/Field & Badminton All League Chamions & Football 2nd in League. 95% of Prospect's students go to college; 36% - 4 year college, 59% - 2 year college. Those stats are the true measure of a school's success.
--Submitted by a parent

Great place to be! administrators are knowledgable in regards to special ed. laws and are supportive. Most staff members are dedicated,friendly, and professional.
--Submitted by a teacher

We have had a lot of success at PHS. Especially strong are the Spanish and Math courses, as well as extra-curricular activities. There are some questionable students, but overall, the school is calm. We are active parents and support the school and teachers. PTSA is also a worthwhile organization. Our daughter will have some great memories of PHS.
--Submitted by a parent

What I like about Prospect and many public high schools around here is that the students choose their classes. You don't have to test into the honors classes and you don't have to worry about not getting in. The honors classes are challenging and will prepare you for college. The teachers are enthusiastic, mature, experienced and knowledgeable of their subjects. My son transferred to Prospect from Mitty because the teachers at Mitty were young and inexperienced and the classes were not challenging. Prospect is not extremely competitive in sports but there is a good sports program. You have a good chance at making the team. Sports, music, drama, clubs, student gov't., etc., are all available to all who want to participate. Parent involvement is pretty good. The administration seems open to parents with new ideas who want to help promote the school.
--Submitted by a parent

School has great resources if you know how to access them. AP, Honors and extra-curriculars are very good. Be active in order to ensure the best education--students can fall through the cracks very easily here.
--Submitted by a teacher

Administration is by the book - teachers are full range...the ones you wouldn't want your children to have in a million years, and some really dedicated ones (though this is becoming more and more rare); Drugs and fighting on campus are a rarity; homework is average amount for a high school.
--Submitted by a parent