College In High School Program Gives SAHS Students a Head Start on Higher Ed
PNC Helps SAHS Seniors Get Ready for Life After Graduation
New Advisory Period Helps Middle School Students Develop Meaningful Connections
ACADEMIC FEATURES
College In High School Program Gives SAHS Students a Head Start on Higher Ed
This year, dozens of Shaler Area High School students took part in the University of Pittsburgh’ s College in High School( CHS) program, which enables high school students to take 15 different college-level courses that count toward their future college credits. In 2025-2026, this arrangement allowed 177 SAHS students to earn 1051 total college credits, saving their families a combined sum of over $ 761,000 in future college tuition for those classes.
SAHS students participating in CHS can also use the university’ s library and enjoy a fee-free undergraduate application to Pitt. CHS also provides participating SAHS teachers with free professional development opportunities and access to Pitt’ s Center for Teaching and Learning.
PNC Helps SAHS Seniors Get Ready for Life After Graduation
Thanks to PNC’ s PartnerUp Program, seniors at Shaler Area High School received plenty of valuable real-world advice on how to choose careers and prepare for job interviews. From February to April, PartnerUp led five different educational workshops in the SAHS Light Room on topics including“ Exploring Career Options,” Defining Your Brand,”“ Building Your Resume,” and“ Mastering the Interview with Confidence.” This year, 20 students participated and nine completed the full program. Five of them also took part in PNC’ s Super Day of final round interviews for internships and development programs.
New Advisory Period Helps Middle School Students Develop Meaningful Connections
Research shows that when middle school students feel connected to at least one adult in their school, they’ re more likely to attend, engage in learning, and demonstrate positive behavior. With this in mind, Shaler Area Middle School implemented a new advisory period model, in which each student is placed in a small monthly advisory group led by a teacher. Conversation topics include goal setting, growth mindset, kindness, bullying prevention, and strategies for navigating challenging situations.
“ The advisory period is strengthening connections between students and staff, increasing student comfort in seeking support, and reinforcing key habits that support academic success and wellbeing. It provides every student with a consistent, trusted adult advocate and a small peer group where they feel known, valued, and supported, which is essential for meeting their academic, social, and emotional needs,” explained SAMS Principal Dr. Shannon Howard.
Future advisory period efforts will include a wider scope of developmentally appropriate topics and more opportunities for student reflection and leadership.
32 | Shaler Area School District