Westwood High School (abbreviated WHS) is a public, four-year secondary school in the Anderson Mill neighborhood, Austin, Texas, and is part of the Round Rock Independent School District.
In 2013, Westwood was ranked the 57th best high school in the nation and the 8th best high school in Texas by Newsweek and The Daily Beast. Children at Risk ranked Westwood as the number 2 public high school in Austin in 2012.
Westwood offers honors and Advanced Placement courses to all students and further houses a district level International Baccalaureate magnet program. This combination of honors, AP and IB courses supports not only a robust college matriculation rate but also imparts a college preparatory element to upper division courses. As of the 2012-2013 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2582 students and 162.34 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 15.9. In April 2016, there were 2,666 students enrolled at Westwood High School.
Demographics
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The demographic breakdown of the 2582 students enrolled for the 2012-2013 school year was:
- Male - 50.8%
- Female - 49.2%
- Native American/Alaskan - 0.3%
- Asian/Pacific islander - 28.6%
- Black - 2.8%
- Hispanic - 14.3%
- White - 49.5%
- Multiracial - 4.5%
In addition, 12.4% of the population was eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Academics
In the class of 2009, 73% of Westwood seniors took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exam, averaging 5.1 exams per test taker, with a participant pass rate of 91.2%. For the class of 2010, the mean composite SAT score was 1801 out of 2400, and the mean ACT score was 26.4. In 2013, Westwood produced 50 National Merit Semifinalists, one of the highest numbers in the nation. Westwood has also produced USAMO qualifiers as well as physics and chemistry olympiad semifinalists.
Advanced Coursework
Advanced Placement
Westwood offers 25 AP classes. Several IB classes at Westwood are coordinated with AP classes in the form of AP/IB classrooms, providing students with the benefits of both programs.
International Baccalaureate
Westwood is also home to a school district wide International Baccalaureate diploma program which operates under its own admissions process.
Academy Program
Westwood's Academy Program allows students to explore interests in different fields. It is divided into five areas of study: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); Business and Industry; Visual and Performing Arts; Health Sciences; and Public Service.
Class Ranking and GPA
Westwood has a class rank system based on his or her Academic Average (6.0 weighted scale; AP/IB classes are linearly scaled to 6.0 while On-Level/Regular classes are scaled to 5.0). On the other hand, GPA is determined on a 4.0 scale corresponding to the average of a student's letter grades (A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, etc.). Whereas all classes are included in GPA, the Academic Average only includes core/related-subject classes. However, students coming from out of state or out of country will not be given credit towards GPA for courses studied prior to Westwood.
Athletics
The athletics department at Westwood has dominated many sports in the past, winning multiple district, bi-district, area and so on championships including one volleyball state championship. The Westwood Warrior football team has won a handful of district championships, most recently when the 2006 Warriors qualified as area finalists after winning the first playoff game in school history. The 2009 Westwood Warrior football team again qualified for playoffs but lost to Cy-Woods. The Warrior basketball team has also had success throughout the years, obtaining a record of above .500 since the team began in 1981. The Warriors baseball team has made the state playoffs almost every year in the team's existence. The Warriors Swimming and Diving Team continues to dominate the district and consistently produce state champions. Between 1999 and 2008 Warriors Swimming and Diving dominated 9 consecutive district meets and had multiple perfect regular season records. The Warrior Athletic site is operated by the football booster club and can be found here [3].
Clubs and organizations
Robotics Club
Starting in 2005, the robotics team (The RoboWarriors) has participated in several competitions, primarily FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) (Team #2583) and BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology)(Team #268). In 2014, the RoboWarriors took second place at regional BEST and moved onto state, along with the award for "The Most Aesthetically Pleasing Robot." In 2015, the RoboWarriors hosted BEST at Westwood, and won first place in exhibit, marketing, and overall, and also took home the "Best Youtube Video" award, along with moving onto state. During FRC, the RoboWarriors made it to semifinals on an alliance led by team 1477, Texas Torque, and team 2158, the AusTin Cans. At the same competition they took home the "Entrepreneurship Award".
Chess Club
From 2007 to 2009, Westwood has ranked among the top three high schools in the state in the annual Texas Scholastic Chess Championships, the largest such tournament in Texas; in 2007 Westwood tied for first. In the 2005 Texas State Grade & Collegiate chess tournament, a Westwood student tied for first in the 12th grade sections. Westwood won first place in the 11th grade section of the 2008 Texas State Grade & Collegiate tournament.
In 2009 Westwood traveled to the National Scholastic K-12 Championship, where the 10th grade team won first and the 12th grade team tied for first; the 9th and 11th grade teams placed third and fourth in their sections respectively.
Journalism Department
Westwood's journalism department includes newspaper, yearbook, photojournalism, and Journalism 1 class. The 2006 yearbook won the top Columbia Scholastic Press Association award, the first time in Westwood history.
Feeder Patterns
Two middle schools feed into this school:
- Canyon Vista
- Grisham
Six elementary schools feed into this school:
- Kathy Caraway
- Laurel Mountain
- Spicewood (An IB World School)
- Anderson Mill
- Canyon Creek (A US Exemplary School)
- Purple Sage (A US Recognized School)
It is also possible for students attending other schools in the district to enroll in this high school through the IB Academy or Fine Arts Academy, unless either of the two programs are offered at their home school.
Notable alumni
- Brent Clevlen (born 1983), baseball player
- Kelly Johnson, baseball player
- Kandace Krueger (born 1976), Miss USA 2001
- Rick Trevino (born 1971), American country music artist
- Brian Vera (born 1981), American boxer
References
External links
- Official website
