PWHS is in the third year of a comprehensive reform process designed to ensure that graduates are well prepared for college and careers in the 21st century. The goal of this initiative, known as Plymouth Whitemarsh Graduates: Prepared for Every Possibility (PW PrEP), is to ensure that all PWHS students develop the analytical and problem-solving skills needed for success in college and career, with the recognition that the skills now needed for work, college and active informed citizenship are essentially the same.
Through a College and Career Counseling Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, new programs are in place to ensure students’ post-secondary success in today’s competitive global economy. Career pathways in high priority occupational areas guide students toward integrated groupings of courses across various departments. The College Board’s College Ed program has become the foundation of a career awareness advisory program in the freshman and sophomore years. Job shadowing and supervised internships in each of the career pathways make the junior and senior years more relevant.

The Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program is another new option for some PWHS students. Colonial is the first district in Pennsylvania to implement AVID, a highly structured college prep system that prepares students in the middle who have not previously succeeded in a college preparatory path for admission to four-year universities and colleges. AVID is for bright students who might be under-achieving, underserved in the college system or first generation college students.
“AVID is a high expectations and high supports program,” said PWHS Assistant Principal Dan Balek. “As the students move through their high school careers, they are mentored by the AVID teacher, are exposed to fundamental skills such as time management and organization, and higher-level skills such as Cornell Notes and effective questioning techniques to meet their individual needs as learners. The AVID program houses all the necessary components needed to prepare students for the rigors of post-secondary education.”

Student learning has been transformed through instructional technology.  All classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, digital projectors and [[document camera]]s. Polycom videoconferencing technology brings the world to PWHS students through activities such as a narrated autopsy and conversations with noted authors.  The school’s wireless capacity enables students’ daily use of the 20 laptop carts available in social studies, science and English language arts classrooms. Other computer labs facilitate the study of world languages, technology enhanced math instruction, and a broad array of computer programming, computer application, and digital media courses such as 3D animation, advanced photography and digital imaging, and Web design and development.
State-of-the-art classroom laboratories in the modern science wing are now home to new forensic science and engineering courses, and students are applying skills learned in their science and technology courses in national competitions such as Science Olympiad and First Robotics.

The end result of the PW PrEP initiative is that PWHS students are now achieving at high levels.

In May 2007, 261 students participated in 383 AP examinations. Seventy-four percent earned a score of 3.0 or higher. Since 2004, the number of students taking college-level AP exams has risen significantly and the percentage of students scoring 3.0 or higher has increased 14 percent. The College Board recognized nearly four dozen PWHS students as AP Scholars for their exceptional achievement on the 2007 AP Exams. Two students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4.0 or higher (out of a 5.0 scale) on all AP exams taken and grades of 4.0 or higher on eight or more of these exams. Twelve students qualified for an AP Scholar with Distinction Award for earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3.0 or higher on five or more of the exams. Seven students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3.0 or higher on four or more of the exams. Twenty-six students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3.0 or higher.

PWHS students also realized considerable increases on the 2007 SAT Reasoning Test. While national averages dropped across the board, PWHS students saw double-digit increases in their writing and critical reading scores and scored significantly higher than the state and national averages.
In 2007, SAT mean scores for the top 100 ranked PWHS students were 665 in math, 638 in critical reading and 645 in writing for a combined mean score of 1948. That is 119 points higher than in 2006.
The top 20 ranked students scored 140 points higher than their counterparts of the year before. In 2007, the top 20 averaged 730 in math, 720 in critical reading and 730 in writing for a total of 2180.

Students continue to improve on the Pennsylvania System of Schools Assessment (PSSA). In 2002, 54.3 percent of 11th-graders scored at the proficient or advanced levels in math. In 2007, 71 percent of PWHS juniors were advanced or proficient in math, which is nearly 80