PHILADELPHIA – Preliminary data for the third year of the School District of Philadelphia’s five-year strategic plan shows that both student and teacher attendance have increased, as well as test scores for students in grades 3 through 8.
Additionally, the data shows that the number of student dropouts has decreased and the 4-year graduation rate has increased.
The district launched its new strategic plan, Accelerate Philly, in 2023. The program is the third part of Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.’s “three-phase approach to laying a strong foundation to improve outcomes for all students,” according to a press release.
Over 2K fewer dropouts
By the numbers:
Specifically, the percentage of students who attend school “regularly” (at least 90% of school days) increased from 57.3% in 2021-22 to 61.4% in 2024-25, according to the district. Regular teacher attendance increased from 77.5% to 85.7% during the same time frame.
The number of students in grades 7 to 12 that dropped out decreased from 3,917 to 1,680 during that time frame. Specific data regarding the graduation rate is expected next month.
‘[W]e are accelerating academic achievement’
What they’re saying:
“We are not just rebounding from the pandemic, we are accelerating academic achievement,” Superintendent Watlington Sr. said in a statement.
“These three-year gains are the product of hard and strategic work of our deliberate leadership with teachers, principals and support staff, innovative practices such as green-rated and standards-aligned curricula across the city, and a steadfast commitment to the principle that every child—regardless of background, zip code, or circumstance—has the ability to succeed,” he added.
Dig deeper:
In addition to these gains, the school district’s performance on standardized assessments has also improved. For example, the percentage of students in grades 3 to 8 who scored “proficient” or “advanced” on the PSSA in Math increased from 16.5% to 21.5% over the past three years, according to the data.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Education requires that all public school students in the state take two tests: the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and the Keystone exams for students in grades 8 through 11. Students with disabilities take the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) in place of the PSSA. Full test result data for these assessments is expected to be released next month, as well.
These numbers are in line with the School District of Philadelphia’s performance on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, also known as the Nation’s Report Card. That report indicates that the district has “recovered more rapidly from the pandemic than the national average,” according to a press release.
The Source: Information was sourced from the School District of Philadelphia, the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
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