Owen Valley High School

Mascot: The Patriots
Principal: Rhonda Schafer
Assistant Principal: George Jennings

The sole high school located in Owen County, OVHS is located in Spencer, Indiana. The school offers a wide range of academic courses, including numerous dual-credit and AP classes. Students can test their career choices as a by-product of their senior project or by participating in the Senior Internship and Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education (I.C.E.) programs. The area career center, Hoosier Hill Career Center (http://www.mccsc.net/subsite/hhcc/page/career-services-3403), provides options in agribusiness, auto service, biomedical science, construction science, health, culinary arts, IT training, and pre-engineering.

Owen Valley High School has adopted the academy model of small learning communities. The Freshman Academy bridges the gap between middle school preparation and high school expectations in addition to preparing students to choose their career academy. Our four career academies align with area business and industry: life science, engineering, technology, human services, and the arts. Because all students area eventually career bound and may be college bound at some point, OVHS recommends that students attain an 8-credit major from one strand in their academy. In consort with area businesses, academy teams develop course sequences and ideas for project-, problem-, and inquiry-based learning. Combined, these strategies focus, engage, motivate, and retain students.

The campus was recently fully modernized with new science classrooms and labs, music and art facilities, auditorium, auxiliary gymnasium, and administrative offices. Computers abound, as each business room is a teaching lab and all academies have an access lab.

Accreditation: North Central Association, spring 2006

Affiliations: High Schools that Work Career Majors Initiative (Indiana Department of Workforce Development), National Career Academy Coalition

Honors: 2002 New American High School; HSTW Pacesetter

Mission: Owen Valley High School educates and empowers all students to meet high standards of learning.

http://sites.socs.k12.in.us/ovhs/

Owen County residents living in the upper three townships (Jackson, Jennings & Taylor) attend Cloverdale Community Schools in Putnam County.

http://www.cloverdale.k12.in.us/

Patriot Expo:

The Patriot Expo, also known as the "senior project", is a requirement for all Owen Valley graduates. It is a five-phase program for which students are required to submit a proposal, write a research paper on a topic of their interest, create a related project with the help of a mentor, develop a portfolio of the entire process, and present the project to a board of community members and teachers for judging. More than a class project, Patriot Expo is an experience that gauges students' readiness for life beyond high school. Area universities attest to the fact that is great college-prep work, as well.

The Patriot Expo engages students in self-directed learning, which promotes the transition from the school climate to the work world and college. Students research beyond the school walls in a quest that synthesizes prior learning, magnifies the realities and responsibilities of the community, fosters creativity, and leads to a recognition of individual talents and abilities. Closely aligned with the school's expectations, the Patriot Expo emphasizes critical thinking, independent and cooperative learning, research skills, improved written and oral communication, presentation skills, and a life-long commitment to learning.

Project Lead the Way

In partnership with Owen Valley High School and Boston Scientific, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a leading provider of rigorous and innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) education programs. Students in the classroom are the main focus, always striving to find better ways to develop motivated, confident, interested students and ultimately create a more rewarding classroom environment for both students and teachers.

PLTW allows students to make a difference every day. With a hands-on, real-world curriculum, PLTW is the fastest-growing formal and rigorous STEM education program in the country. It offers courses in engineering and biomedical sciences for all students from middle through high school. They work with schools' existing programs, training teachers, and invite other educators and professionals to join the mission.

■ PLTW graduates are 5 to 10 times more likely than non-PLTW graduates to study postsecondary engineering and technology.

■ 95 percent of PLTW seniors say they're excited and prepared for college and careers.

■ 97 percent of PLTW seniors intend to pursue four-year degrees.

Use these links to find out more about the Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Curriculum and how the power of PLTW is working at Owen Valley High School.