[Eligibility Certification][Background & Demographic Data][Summary] [Vision/Mission Statement] [Learning Centered Schools Criteria][Special Emphasis][Appendix]

AllenISD Blue Ribbon School Award Application

Lovejoy ISD students starting with the graduation class of 2010 will no longer attend Allen High School
Lovejoy ISD will open it's first high school Fall 2006

Allen High School, nicknamed "A-Town" by its students, is situated on the northern border of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in Allen, Texas. Success in reaching the potential of every student is the primary expectation at Allen High School. AHS has maintained and implemented new instructional programs. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at AHS, one of only 19 such programs in Texas public high schools, provides students with the opportunity to take college level course work that requires a public service component of 150 hours per year. Programs are aligned with community, state, and national standards. Benchmarks and evaluative measures help keep its programs rigorous and relevant. As a result of increasing test scores and graduation requirements above the minimum required by the state, AHS was awarded an Exemplary rating by the Texas Education Agency after having been a Recognized school for the previous five years.
Allen Independent School District was founded in 1910 and included grades one through ten. Students in grade eleven or twelve went to McKinney or Plano, two larger towns nearby. In the 1930s, an additional grade was added, but it wasn't until 1959 that Allen High School opened. In 1969 there were 20 AHS graduates. In 1978, the number of graduates per year reached 100. As neighboring districts grew large around our city, parents began looking for a new community with new boundaries and new visions. A place where their children could belong and become a working part of a new plan was a critical attribute for a move to another town. Allen provided that stability. Since the mid-1970s, the numbers increased at a rapid rate. The greatest number of families that moved into Allen included children of middle school age; hence, the growth began for new middle schools and the development of the Lowery, Freshman center. A new high school building opened in 1999 with grades 10-12 and grade 9 being housed in the old high school building, the Lowery Freshman Center. The new AHS facility is an integral part of the city of Allen as the building serves as the venue for many school and community program programs. In the past 15 years, the city of Allen has shown substantial growth as evidenced by the 1100% population increase and an even greater growth of business in Allen. AHS still epitomizes the "small town" atmosphere, maintaining a large and diverse high school student population. In 2001, the graduating class reached over 600. The expansion of the facility next year will allow even more interaction with the community.
Allen High School's mission statement is: "Each student's potential shall be revealed, respected, and fulfilled." It is upon this mission that AHS has built its foundation. AHS is convinced that the only way to ensure a brighter future is to strengthen the intellect, the spirit, and the body of each student. Three key initiatives support the mission of AHS. Dual credit in conjunction with Collin County Community College, implementation of the International Baccalaureate Program, and starting all students on the Recommended or Advanced High School Program. The success of achieving the mission has resulted in the enhanced lives and spirits of young people - our future.
One of the greatest strengths of Allen High School is its high quality staff of dedicated professionals and paraprofessionals. At AHS teachers win awards for their innovations in the classroom, from one teacher who is the only person to have won the prestigious Texas Outstanding Biology Teacher Award on two occasions to the Broadcast Journalism Teacher of the Year in 2000. Teachers maintain their skills by attending refresher courses during the summer and professional conferences throughout the year. Not content to attend conferences, AHS teachers lead workshops at the local, state, national, and international levels in diverse curricular areas such as art and science. From biology to business, it is not unusual to find AHS staff holding office in professional organizations or serving on committees within their professional areas of expertise.
Another strength of AHS is its emphasis of technology. Technology, a major part of its increased focus on the needs of students in an Internet-based society, is more than a set of computers sitting idly on desktops. Technology, from computers to pH probes, and from laser disks and scanners, is infused in every curriculum area of AHS so that students can learn actively. KGLE, the award-winning television station housed on campus provides students with the opportunity to learn skills in broadcasting and television. The broadcast and journalism program has remained among the top in the nation for several years. Additionally, students have consistently won awards with their innovative designs in robotics. Students graduate from AHS prepared to meet the rigors of a society becoming based on its technology.
The number of students who graduate early from AHS is increasing. Students are prepared for post-secondary pursuits including university studies and entry into the job market. Partnerships with such companies as CISCO Systems and local hospitals provide training and experience increasingly demanded by major corporations.
The large number of military academy scholarships was more than one million dollars. When university scholarships and private scholarships are taken into account AHS students received more than six million dollars in scholarships. This accomplishment, by far greater than in any previous year, is the direct result of all students accepting the challenge of a rigorous curriculum, with most students graduating under the Recommended or Advanced plans.
The new AHS campus, designed with staff, community, and architectural input after an extensive self-study, is unique for a variety of reasons. Opening in 1999, the school contains a set of programs and amenities not found in most schools. All classrooms have connections to the Internet for every student, and the Cyber Cave and Livewire are three computer labs open to students and the community for extended hours six days per week. Collin County Community College (CCCC) has partnered with Allen ISD and has a 30,000 square foot satellite on the AHS campus, allowing students to take college and high school coursework in the same building. Additionally, the cafeteria features a food court that has partnered with Subway, Pizza Hut, Chik-Fil-A, Smoothie Factory, and Taco Bell, as well as foods produced in-house to supply students with nutritious and well-balanced meals. The Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium, scheduled to open in early 2002 is a unique facility in the AHS complex that is shared between the City of Allen and AHS.