The District: Serving a culturally and economically diverse 52-square-mile area in northeastern Franklin and southern Delaware counties, the Westerville City School District (WCSD) educates approximately 15,500 students. WCSD is the 12th-largest district in Ohio and enjoys a history of being recognized by the Ohio Department of Education as a high-performing school district. The district operates 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, an Early Learning Center and an Academic Enrichment Center. All three district high schools have been identified by Newsweek magazine as being among the best high schools in America. The district regularly earns the "What Parents Want" in education designation from SchoolMatch, which recognizes districts that provide the curriculum and academic rigor parents desire most for their children.
The School: Westerville Central High School has approximately 1,700 students and is a four-year public high school. The school day consists of an eight period day, with 46 minute periods during the semester-oriented schedule. Typically, students take no more than 6 classes.
Graduation Requirements: For the Class of 2021, a minimum of 20 credits is required: English (4), Mathematics (4), Science (3), Social Studies (3), Health (.5) Physical Education (.5), Fine Art (1 ), elective credits (4), plus passage of the Ohio State Tests, or meet the requirements of the industry credential and workforce readiness option, or earn remediation-free scores on either the ACT or SAT.
The Curriculum: The school currently offers over 140 year-long and semester courses, including the following: English; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; Health and Physical Education; World Languages of French, Spanish and American Sign Language; Art; Music; and Business. Other options include approximately 90 vocational programs at the Columbus and Delaware Career Centers, College Credit Plus on both the college and high school campuses, credit flex, and various career pathways that include Business/Logistics, Engineering, and Health.
Grading System: The 4.0, A - F grading system is reported quarterly. With weighting for Honors and.AP courses, students' cumulative grade-point averages can exceed 4.6. Quality points are assigned as follows:
98 -100 = A+ (4.3) | 88 - 89 = B+ (3.3) | 78 - 79 = C+ (2.3) | 68 - 69 = D+ (1.3)
92 - 97 = A (4.0) | 82 - 87 = B (3.0) | 72 - 77 = C (2.0) | 62 - 67 = D (1.0)
90 - 91 = A- (3.7) | 80 - 81 = B- (2.7) | 70 - 71 = C- (1.7) | 60 - 61 = D- (0.7)
Weighting for Honors: Honors courses receive a weighted factor of 1.125. These courses are Honors English 1 and English 2; Honors Geometry, Algebra 2 and Precalculus; Honors Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, and Medical Interventions; Honors American History 1 and 2;Honors French 3 and 4, Honors Spanish 2-4, and Honors ASL 3 and 4.
Weighting for Advanced Placement: Advanced Placement courses receive a weighted factor of 1.25 and include English Language, English Literature, Calculus, Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, United States History, World History, United States Government, Comparative Government, Psychology, Computer Science Principles, Music Theory, and Spanish Language.
Class Rank: Rank in class is computed each semester based on all courses. Rank is cumulative and is reported on the transcript.
Post-High School Educational Plans: In the Class of 2020, 80% of the graduates planned to continue their education beyond high school. Specifically, 60% of the students planned to attend four-year colleges, and 20% planned to attend two-year colleges.
College-Admission Test Scores: Fifty two percent of the members of the Class of 2020 took the ACT; the mean Composite score was 23.0. Eighty two percent of the members of the Class of 2020 took the SAT; the mean score was 540 for Critical Reading and Writing, and 550 for Mathematics. This information was obtained from school records.
National Merit: Over the past nine years, there have been 5 National Merit Finalists, 1O National Merit Semifinalists, 21 Commended Scholars, and 2 National Achievement Semifinalists.