This week, we showed our #CPSDPride by giving a #SuperSchoolShoutout to Clover Park High School (CPHS) with computer science (CS) teacher Jamie Manuel and junior Chase Porter.
Manuel used to teach middle school history in Los Angeles before using his IT background to create their computer science program. “When I moved back Washington, I had a smooth transition to CPHS because the student population is very similar, and I could see the need for a CS program,” he said.
Manuel teaches intro CS, AP CS and cyber security. He is thrilled to share that the CS program will expand next year to include a networking course. “The curriculum we’ve developed, our relationships with different CS services and the new course we’re launching will help students earn the certifications they need to succeed in this field,” he said.
Above all, Manuel is proud to work with a dedicated team that supports future ready students. “The staff here are extremely dedicated and our CTE department does the hard work to make sure students have skills that the world needs,” he said.
Chase participates in the Superintendent Youth Advisory Council, DECA, ASB, football, wrestling and baseball. He is very involved and enjoys working on projects like the Be R.E.A.L. event held in the fall to welcome ninth graders. “I like helping our school build a positive culture,” he said. “I always wear a smile so people feel welcomed and included.”
Chase’s favorite subject is business and he enjoys furthering his skills in DECA. “It’s interesting to learn business vocabulary and how organizations are operated,” he said. “I also like that it combines multiple skills like reading, writing and math.”
Chase is currently applying to colleges and hopes to earn a football scholarship. He wants to continue studying business after graduation but is also open to pursuing criminal justice. “I feel like I can actually make a difference if I put my mind to it,” he said.
Go Timberwolves!
Clover Park High School: the truth!
Summary:
Clover Park High School is a public high school in Lakewood, Washington, serving 1,315 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Clover Park School District, which is ranked 183 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Clover Park High School stands out for its significantly higher percentages of Hispanic (47.53%) and Pacific Islander (8.37%) students compared to surrounding schools and the state average. However, the school consistently underperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores, with only 36.03% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 8.2% proficient or better in math.
Clover Park High School ranks worse than 96.6% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Clover Park School District.
The school’s graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from 74% to 88.6% in recent years, still lower than the state average and nearby Lakes High School, which had a 91.4% graduation rate in 2022-2023. Clover Park High School also has a higher dropout rate, ranging from 9.8% to 17% over the past five years.
Socioeconomic factors also play a significant role, as Clover Park High School has a much higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75.43% to 83.5% over the past three years, compared to 52.95% at Lakes High School. These challenges suggest the need for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the unique needs and demographics of the Clover Park High School community.
https://www.schooldigger.com/go/WA/schools/0141000250/school.aspx
Mr. Arbeeny,
The time that you invest in researching schools and criticizing them would be better invested in sharing your skills and knowledge in the schools. I’m sure that they could use your help based on your dismal research results. I challenge you to show up to be a mentor. Or do you fear that the criticized will criticize the person who criticizes them? A person who relentlessly attacks a public school institution made up of hard working individuals and students who make the most of its resources, and who does not show up to make a difference, is often viewed as the weakest person in a community. You will not influence and win many hearts and minds that way.
Vicky
Facts are just that, not “relentless attacks”.
My responses to CPSD articles and the CARES articles themselves should convince you that I neither fear criticism from the CPSD or critics like yourself. They all have my full name for public view: what’s your’s “Vicky”?
To this point CPSD School Board and Superintendent have never responded to the facts laid out in CARES responses to the articles or CARES articles themselves because they can’t. Yet there is a large community readership of CARES responses to CPSD articles and CARES articles themselves. Take a look at past CPSD puff pieces. If it weren’t for CARES comments and responses thereto there would be no comments.
There are many ways “to make a difference”. Telling the truth about CPSD academic performance, based upon facts, is one way to address its systemic problems. It’s the difference between trying to improve academics one student at a time or improve academics of the entire school district and all students.
Are you comfortable with the fact that CPHS is academically ranked at 3.6 percentile while its graduation rate is 92.7%? If you could, would you send your children to a different school district with high academic performance?