Former student here, and it really was a great school. Tons of extracurricular sports, clubs, scholastics, and even just-for-fun classes to take, whether it be Computer Programming, Wood Shop, Advanced Placement Calculus, or a choice of several languages (and not just the common ones). I also really
... Read more connected with a couple teachers. The only bad thing was a time-waster activity they implemented when I was there called homeroom. Hope they got rid of that. Read less
Posted by a student on 06/29/09
Excellent variety of course offerings. Latin being an impressive favorite. Some unfortunate liberal agenda pushing on the behalf of some of the teachers; however, the majority are dedicated professionals.
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Posted by a parent on 05/25/09
i go to valley and i think that the academic oppertunities are endless. But you must be involved if you want to get anything out of the high school. Sports and extracurriculers are a must, and you better be in a club. The parking situation is horrible there are like no spots and the hallways are really
... Read more full. Read less
Posted by a student on 09/05/08
My kids are recent graduates of Valley. They loved their experience there - great teachers, counselors, etc. As in any school, kids get out of it what they put into it. Nothing but positives to say about VHS.
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Posted by a parent on 02/25/08
I'm also a student at Valley and really enjoy the experience I have there. Although it's not perfect, over the past three years there I have had had many teachers that truely care about me. Valley has so many opprotunities to be involved, even if you are not into sports. The one negative I have is that
... Read more there are too many students and the halls are unbareable to walk through! Read less
Posted by a student on 02/13/08
I am a student at Valley and I would like to say that it has not been what everyone has said a high school experience should be like. The teachers at Valley do not like to help when academic assistence is needed. The administration are a bunch of people who act like they would rather not be there.
... Read more Overall Valley has gotten to into the hype of their athletic program. In recent years Valley has been one of the elite programs, but many of the students are here for more then sports. Valley cares to much for beating rivals and winning state championships. They also spend to much time complaining about other schools and not fixing their own school. So my main point is Valley is a horrible school and if you really care about education and being treated nicely i'd advise sending your kids to another high school. Read less
Posted by a student on 10/14/07
Good academic programs, good varied curriculum weak extracurricular availability, not nearly enough opportunity, too small of a campus setting for too many students
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Posted by a parent on 05/29/07
Although Valley has many great teachers and programs, the administration (mainly speaking about one certain person in specific) and the counselors (at least my own counselor) truly make for a terrible high school experience. These people do not care about any of their students who do not excel in athletics.
... Read more As a current Valley student, I find myself frusterated beyond belief and far from 'guided' whenever I come into contact with these individuals. So unless your child is an amazing athlete or a glutton for punishment, I would not recommend sending them to Valley. This school has been the worst experience of my life. Read less
Posted by a student on 01/22/06
I graduated from valley in 1981 and thought it was a great school. But i failed to listen to people when it came time for my children to go there. Dumb mistake!! the students are great but the faculty cares only about the students who are in sports and whose parents have money. Teachers don't think twice
... Read more before they humiliate a student in front of the entire class if their test scores are lower than others. Valley stresses parents be involved with thier childs education. I left a message with one of my childs teacher about grades and attendance and he thought it would be cool to play my message to the entire class! not cool! this is just another way the teacher's at valley like to humiliate students. If you're not in sports or a club you can't even park at the school. Valley gets a big 'f' from me. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/15/06
I am currently attending Valley. I've been in the West Des Moines school district my entire life and up until sophomore year it was great. Valley is now trying to hard to change, for no purpose. The money goes to stadiums and coffee shops yet we're taking funding out of school clubs, art department and
... Read more the newspaper was almost shut down. The administration does not listen to their students. If there is a rule it can never be broken even under special circumstances, the admin. continues to ignore, and continues to have no concern. I think Valley has great acedemic courses but, that can only go so far. As a student growing one needs consistancy, one needs to feel safe in their environment, emotionally secure and at Valley i feel that's becoming a growing epidemic. Read less
* In 2007-2008 Iowa used the Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) to test students in grade 11 in reading and math. The scores reflect the performance of students enrolled for the full academic year. The ITED is a norm-referenced test, which means it measures how well students in Iowa score in comparison to their peers nationwide. Students who score at the 40th percentile are considered proficient. The goal is for all students to score at or above the proficient level.
American Literature, Journalism, Literature, Speech/Debate
Arts
Art, Photography
Science
Astronomy, Environmental Science, Human Anatomy/Physiology
Music
Band, Choral, Music Theory, Orchestra
Computer Science
Computer Programming, Computer Science
Fine Arts
Dance, Drama
Social Studies / Social Sciences
Economics, Sociology and Anthropology, Psychology
Special Education
Gifted Students, Learning Differences, Life Skills, Mentally Challenged
Math
Statistics, Trigonometry
Advanced Placement
Math, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, Computers, English
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
West Des Moines schools — Valley High School is located at 1140 Valley West Dr, West Des Moines IA 50266. 1140 Valley West Dr is in the 50266 ZIP code in West Des Moines, IA The school district for Valley High School is the West Des Moines Cmty School District. Valley High School is a Public school that serves grade levels 10 - 12.
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Test Score Ratings
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this school scored better than 70% of the students in the state on the same tests. We have indicated below which tests
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experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
