• Category 3

    Selected in 2022

  • Grades: 9 - 12
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 68,000
    Student Enrollment: 1
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 2.9%
    White/Caucasian: 66.3%
    Hispanic: 25.5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1.5%
    Native American: 0.5%
    Other: 3.3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:11.2
    % Reduced Lunch: 40%
    % ELL Learners: 1.3%
    Founded: 1973
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Chris Laganas
  • CONTACT:
    115 Amesbury Line Road
    Haverhill, MA 01830
    978-373-4101 ext. 228
    principalsoffice@whittier.org
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School
Haverhill, MA
"Whittier's vision is to provide our students with the best vocational and academic education."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
Whittier's vision is to provide our students the best vocational and academic education in the state in the safest possible environment both physically and emotionally. Despite the challenges of diverse populations, we maintain highest graduation rates, lowest dropout rates, and highest achievement rates on state tests. The implementation of a one to one Ipad program for the last ten years has been successful. This program allows every student to have their own personal Ipad for school. As a result, our students transitioned very well during the pandemic in terms of accessibility which help limit learning loss. Those are a fraction of Whittier's successes. This is a testament to our dedicated skilled staff.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
Whittier continues accept and support students from ever changing demographics. Our students and their families stretch the range of socio-economic statuses. Students success is shown in an annual postgraduate survey where 55% go onto Higher Education , 35% go to work in the field of their vocational study and 10% choose other pathways for success like enlisting in the Military.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
To date, Whittier Tech has been granted over $3 million dollars in ESEA related funds.
These funds have been used to hire additional staff to mitigate learning losses that students have experienced since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. With these funds, the district has hired an additional School Adjustment Counselor, additional academic and vocational aides, additional academic and vocational tutors, additional support staff for the guidance office and additional support staff for the technology department. The district also provided stipends for teachers that allowed them to work together to identify key areas of student learning loss and to develop and share strategies to help to improve student learning.

Funds were also utilized to enhance cleaning and sanitization throughout the building, purchase kiosk classrooms that provided additional socially distant classroom space, and to update ventilation infrastructure where needed.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
Professional Development Activities:
-Technology implementation for years
-Diversity inclusion training on how to be a culturally responsive leader
-book clubs were created
-social emotional learning within the classroom
-One to One setting with Ipad
-growth mindset
-PLC time for teachers built into their schedules
-In house trainers running professional development
-empowering teachers
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
Whittier's goal is to provide students the best possible vocational/academic education while taking care of kids in the safest possible environment physically and socially emotionally. In order to do this teachers must feel empowered to take on these challenges. We are very proud that Whittier continues to level the playing ground for all students to succeed.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
The district is made up of 11 surrounding communities. It is very important to stay committed to an academic and technical education that prepares students with employable skills , high academic standards and lifelong learning. As a result of our students high achievement data in all these standards our community involvement and enrollment continues to rise.
Stats
  • Category 3

    Selected in 2022

  • Grades: 9 - 12
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 68,000
    Student Enrollment: 1
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 2.9%
    White/Caucasian: 66.3%
    Hispanic: 25.5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1.5%
    Native American: 0.5%
    Other: 3.3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:11.2
    % Reduced Lunch: 40%
    % ELL Learners: 1.3%
    Founded: 1973
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Chris Laganas
  • CONTACT:
    115 Amesbury Line Road
    Haverhill, MA 01830
    978-373-4101 ext. 228
    principalsoffice@whittier.org