Dedicated Faculty
Challenging
Curriculum
Excellent Learning
Environment
Strong Community
Impressive History
Strong
Traditions
Technology
Energetic
Students
Quality Athletic Program
Outstanding Facilities
Distinguished Alumni
Cultural Diversity
2006-2007 Statistics
Dedicated
Faculty
An experienced and dedicated teaching staff is at the heart of the educational program. Eighty-three percent of the faculty have
earned a masters degree while fifty-four percent have earned 30 or more
hours beyond the MA. The typical teacher has ten years of teaching experience. A number
of Oak Park and River Forest High School teachers are leaders in
their professional organizations and frequently publish articles and speak at
educational conferences. With an average class size of 23, teachers are
able to provide the personal attention students need to
learn.
Challenging Curriculum
A strong academic program
is the foundation of the well-rounded curriculum at OPRFHS. More than
200 courses in nine divisions of study provide challenge and enrichment
to satisfy diverse student needs. In four years, a student is required to take at
least 43 credits in six essential curriculum areas. In addition to courses required
to meet graduation requiremtns, students can choose from a wide array of
electives in Art, Music, Business, Speech Arts, Family and Consumer Sciences,
Technology and World Languages.
Classes
in English, History, Math, Science and World Languages are designed to meet the needs
of all students. Students with learning difficulties will find help
through a multidisciplinary approach and, with parental involvement, each student is
educated within an environment most conducive to that individual student's
needs. Honors and accelerated courses challenge gifted students in
preparation for university work. Advanced Placement or college level courses are offered
in all academic departments.
An Excellent Learning Environment
Visitors to OPRFHS comment on the friendly yet
businesslike atmosphere of the school. Clean and beautifully maintained
facilities provide an inviting environment for a successful teaching and
learning experience.
A diverse student body of more than 3,000
provides a stimulating atmosphere and opportunities to develop appreciation
for different races, religions and customs. More than 93 percent of the graduates go on to
post-secondary education. Through the Advanced Placement Program, many enter
college with credit for subjects mastered in high school. OPRFHS consistently
ranks among the top five schools in Illinois in total number of National Merit
Scholarship semifinalists.
Strong Community
Oak Park and River Forest are located just west of Chicago, a convenient
20-minute ride from Lake Michigan and the commercial heart of the city. The
villages are famous for their Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and charming
Victorian homes.
The two villages have a
tradition of placing a high value on education. Since 1873 their citizens
have been providing strong leadership and outstanding resources necessary
to guarantee a superior secondary education for their children. The high
school's fine physical facilities provide cultural and recreational benefits for
students and all residents. The school takes pride in its past
achievements and has faith in its future.
Enjoying the advantages of an
ethnically and racially diverse community, OPRFHS students learn to respect each
other and to develop a sense of social as well as personal
responsibility.
Impressive History
The
Oak Park and River Forest High School has grown from a small one story building to a four square block campus
with a four story building, library, stadium, field house, theaters, TV Studio,
driver education simulation room and computer labs. More importantly it has grown to become
one of the best high schools in the country with a strong commitment to academic
achievement for all its students.
Three graduates received diplomas
at the first commencement in 1877. Since then over 55,000 students have gone on
to graduate from OPRFHS and have left their mark in hundreds of fields of
endeavor including the arts, business, diplomacy, environmental studies,
government, law, literature and television all over the globe.
OPRFHS has
been an academic leader for over a century. It was among the first secondary
schools in the country to build science labs (1890), a school library (1899),
athletic facilities for girls (1928) and to offer driver education (1940). The faculty was
among the early pioneers in the AP program and computer assisted technology.
During the last half of the 20th century the communities of Oak Park
and River Forest have grown increasingly diverse both racially and
economically. OPRFHS, along with its communities have embraced diversity as a goal and has adopted
programs to ensure that all of its students will achieve at equal levels.
Strong
Traditions
Since 1873, Oak Park and River Forest High School
has been a leader among secondary schools holding high academic excellence as a
tradition to be cherished, built upon and renewed by each entering class. In
Greek letters on the school crest are the words "Those Things That Are Best".
This is not a boastful phrase but a goal to which all students should strive.
Each school year is marked by many traditional activities that shape
the lives of our students. They include Homecoming, the Tradition of
Excellence Awards that are presented annually to distinguished alumni, the turnabout
dance - King of Hearts, the Senior Class Blood Drive and commencement.
Oak Park and River Forest High School seeks to honor its past
while helping each new student meet the mission of the school which is "to help all students
meet their full human potential".
Technology
Planning and implementation of a technology integration blueprint has been underway
at OPRFHS since June 1994. Technology integration has included installation of a
building-wide network, placing a computer on every teacher's desk, upgrading or
replacing of all support staff computers and construction of 25 computer
lab/classrooms. With scanners, printers, and over 1000 computers now
linked to the network, OPRFHS can be considered a pacesetter in the integration
of technology for instruction.
The district in realizing the need
for continual staff development and with a desire to showcase best technological
practices established the Technology Learning Center (TLC). Staffed by two faculty members
the center is open daily for technological and curricular support for faculty
and staff.
Energetic Students
During the school year over 50 clubs, musical groups,
student government, drama, speech and debate teams, as well as publications
offer students a variety of extracurricular activities and productions.
Through participation in these activities students can find new
friends, relaxation, competition and enjoyment. By involving themselves in
these important extra-curricular experiences, students can enrich their social
life and enlarge upon their educational experiences. In addition, there are
several student service organizations which provide an opportunity for
leadership and service to the school, local community and the global
community.
Quality Athletic Program
With over 40 Illinois High School
Athletic State Championships, today’s student athletes
are building upon a rich athletic heritage. Long recognized as a leader in
interscholastic sports in Illinois, OPRFHS athletes blend athletics with high academic
demands. Athletes are required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average and
to have no F’s in order to participate on a sports team. The athletic
program offers a wide range of activities for athletes with 13 sports for men
and 15 sports for women. In addition the high school provides an intramural
sports program for those who seek a less competitive environment.
Outstanding Facilities
Oak Park and River Forest High School has grown from
a one story building to a four square block campus with a four story building,
field house and stadium.
The
high school has all of the traditional
instructional spaces for science, English, history, mathematics and world languages.
In addition, there is a two floor library and 15 computer lab/classrooms. All of
the instructional spaces have internet connections and the capability for cable
TV.
The physical education/athletic facilities include the football stadium, a fieldhouse with a
basketball court and indoor track, two swimming pools, a dance studio, a
wrestling room, eight tennis courts, several playing fields for soccer, field hockey
and lacrosse, baseball and softball diamonds and two adaptive exercise gyms.
Facilities for the
fine arts include art studios, a TV studio, a digital imaging lab, photography lab,
a 1700 seat main auditorium, a 320 seat Little Theatre, a flexible
studio theatre, orchestra/band and choral rooms and practice rooms.
Applied Arts has a multitude of specialized
facilities including a commercial kitchen, a child development lab, an auto shop, CAD
Lab, and several keyboarding /word processing labs.
The high school community is currently
undergoing a 20 million dollar upgrade and expansion of instructional and
athletic facilities to position the school to remain an educational leader well
into the 21st century.
Distinguished Alumni
Over 55,000 students have
graduated from OPRFHS since the first four students crossed the stage in 1877.
OPRFHS alumni can be found in all walks of life and across the globe. Each year
4 individuals are selected for recognition for the contributions they have made
to their respective fields and are presented the Tradition of Excellence
Award. Through these individuals the school recognizes the work and
contributions of all alumni and the efforts of countless teachers who helped
shape, encourage and support them. Pulitzer Prize winners, a Nobel Prize
recipient, corporate leaders, judges, actors and actresses, an ambassador, TV
executives, a missionary, and Miss America each has taken from OPRFHS a special
gift and shared it with the world at large.
Cultural Diversity
The
motto 'Excellence Our Tradition and Diversity Our
Strength' has come to symbolize the work of OPRFHS during the last third of
the 20th century and into the new century. In a society characterized by diversity
the Board of Education recognizes the multicultural/ multiracial character of
the villages of Oak Park and River Forest and the importance that all persons
understand both their own heritage and the heritage of others. Awareness of
ethic, religious, racial, economic and political backgrounds encourage empathy,
communication and constructive interaction necessary to our developing society.
The educational materials, programs and activities of the school reflect this
multicultural/ multiracial philosophy.
2006-2007
Profile
- Single building district
- 3139 students
- 246 Faculty and Administrators,
83% with MA degrees or better
- Average ACT: 23.2
- Average SAT: 1237
- AP Exams: 571 participants, 83% scored 3, 4, or 5
- 16 National Merit
Semifinalists
- College sending rate: 93 %
- 54 Student clubs/activities
- 28 Interscholastic sports teams
- 2002 "What Parents Want" Award Winner
- SchoolSearch 2002 Bright A+ Award
- 133-Year Tradition of Excellence
- "Those Things That Are Best"
