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Spotlight: High Schools
What you really need to know

tableofcontents
SPOTLIGHT: HIGH SCHOOLS
2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9
11 12 13 14 16
20
22
27 32
A note from the editor
Selecting a high school: Not a level playing field
What’s new in the District?
What they wish they had known – applying to high school
New charters providing wider options for students
What insiders say about applying to high schools
For special ed and ELL students, choice is often lacking
Timeline: The high school application process
Yes, you can transfer…even in high school
En español
En español
Profiles: Special admission high schools
Philadelphia’s District and charter high schools: By the numbers
Profiles: Citywide admission high schools
Profiles: Neighborhood high schools
Profiles: Charter high schools
Get off to a good start: Be proactive
More online at www.thenotebook.org
On the cover: Checking out the new Abraham Lincoln High School in Mayfair.
Photo by Harvey Finkle
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anotefromtheeditor
Welcome to the Notebook’s first fall guide to Philadelphia
schools! We’re hoping that each September we’ll be
able to provide you with vital information that you may
want to hold onto – about the new school year and Philadelphia
public schools, both District and charter.
Thanks to the generous support of our foundation
funders, members, and advertisers, this will be the first of six editions of the
Notebook for the new school year, after 15 years of publishing four print editions
a year. Regular print editions of the Notebook will appear in late September,
December, February, April, and late May. Don’t forget that we also have
fresh content daily on our Web site, www.thenotebook.org.
The focus of our first annual guide is on selecting a high school. Where
to apply to high schools is one of the most important decisions that students
have to make during their K-12 years.
Applications for admission to District high schools are due early, on October
30. But ideally high school selection is something students and families
think about not just months but years earlier. It’s tragic to hear about students
finding out in 8th grade that their 7th grade attendance, behavior, grades, and
test scores can make or break which high school will accept them.
One reason all this is important is the tremendous variation in outcomes
for students, depending on what high school they attend. There are public
high schools here where virtually every student goes on to a four-year college.
There are unfortunately others where the majority of students never earn a
high school diploma. And then many of the high schools fall in between these
two extremes.
Until now, most Philadelphia students have not ended up getting matched
with one of their preferred high school choices. Our hope is that by providing
information about high school selection, more students will be able to make
a successful match. We also hope to stir demand from informed students and
families that can help move us toward a fairer process and build the momentum
for making real improvements at high schools.
The School District produces an annual high school directory with valuable
information about the application process and programs offered at different
schools. It’s definitely worth getting your hands on a copy. We’ve tried
here to also provide information on how schools are doing – data that permit
comparisons between schools in terms of their academic performance.
Our section on choosing a high school is still a work in progress. We will be
doing a Web version of this guide at www.thenotebook.org, and there we will be
able to provide some additional information and tools that we couldn’t incorporate
into this print edition. We encourage you to join the discussion on our site
about how to bring positive change to the city’s struggling high schools.
And we encourage you to become a member of the Notebook (see below
left) to ensure that we can continue to write about what you really need to
know. We welcome your feedback and ideas for how to improve this guide in
the future. Thanks for reading!
Paul Socolar, editor
An independent news service and newspaper – a voice for parents, students, classroom teachers, and
others who are working for quality and equality in Philadelphia public schools.
Leadership board: Christie Balka, Derrick Gantt, Helen Gym, Dee Phillips, Len Rieser,
Brett Schaeffer, Mary Ann Smith, Toni Bynum Simpkins, Ron Whitehorne, Jeff Wicklund
Editorial board : Sarah Burgess, Shani Adia Evans, Benjamin Herold, Alesha Jackson,
Meghan McHugh, Debra Weiner, Ron Whitehorne
Editor: Paul Socolar
Managing editor: Wendy Harris
Contributing editor: Dale Mezzacappa
Web editor: Erika Owens
Operations/business manager: Corey Mark
Design: Joseph Kemp
Copy editor: Juli Warren
Cartoonist: Eric Joselyn
Editorial assistance: Eileen Abrams, Joseph Blanc, Connie Langland, Len Rieser, Sandy Socolar
Interns: Charmaine Giles, Rose Howse, Anders Hulleberg, Dominique “Peak” Johnson,
Kate Nelson, Jenny Seng, Crystal Tsang
Distribution: Rebecca Bradley, Luc Pierre, Ron Whitehorne
Special thanks to… Our members, advertisers, and volunteers who distribute the Notebook.
Funding in part from Bread and Roses Community Fund, Claneil Foundation, Communities
for Public Education Reform, Allen Hilles Fund, Patricia Kind Family Foundation, John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation, Project U-Turn, Union Benevolent Association, William Penn
Foundation, and from hundreds of individual donors.
2 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

spotlight/highschools
Selecting a high school:
Not a level playing field
W
By Shani Adia Evans and Dale Mezzacappa
ith the recent creation of many
new, themed high schools and
the continuing growth of the
charter school movement, students in
Philadelphia have more public high school
options than ever.
But more options haven’t meant that
most students are getting into the schools
they prefer, or that the available choices
meet students’ needs.
In fact, about 58 percent of District
high school students are enrolled in
schools that they did not choose, according
to an analysis of School District data by
Research for Action. The most desirable
schools, including some charters, accept
a small percentage of applicants. Average
and struggling students find that there are
still not enough accessible and appealing
options for them.
“If you’re not proficient, your choices
are limited – let’s be honest about this,” said
Wilfredo Ortiz, deputy chief of the Office
of Academic Counseling and Promotion
Standards. “And if you look at the students
in the District who are advanced or proficient,
it’s a smaller number of students.”
Nearly 80 percent of District 8th graders
apply to attend a school other than
their assigned neighborhood high school.
Separately, many also apply to charters.
The application and selection process
for District schools is daunting and poorly
understood, and students have vastly different
experiences. Throwing charters into
the mix with their individual applications
has only made the maze more challenging.
Some students – mostly those with
the best academic records – get into all the
selections listed on their District application,
while other applicants are admitted
to none. Some have parents and counselors
who guide them and advocate for
them, while others get little or no help.
Students’ and parents’ access to good
information about schools and programs
varies widely. There is no single location or
clearinghouse where all this information is
readily available, and some stages of the application
process lack consistent timelines.
District officials say it is the role of
counselors in K-8 and middle schools to
make sure families are informed. However,
Ortiz acknowledged, counselors until now
have had no guidelines on exactly what
they must do to advise 8th graders. Without
guidelines, counselors view their responsibilities
differently. Some are more proactive
in reaching out, while others wait for parents
and students to ask for help.
It’s not clear whether counselors are
expected to assist students with charter
school applications. Several students interviewed
said that their counselors didn’t
help them navigate that landscape.
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman
has said that she is concerned the high
school selection process may not be fair
to all students, and District officials plan
to put together a task force to look at potential
changes. One possibility, they said,
is moving to a system more like New York
City’s, in which students list their preferences
in order and they are centrally
matched to only one school – their highest-ranked
choice that accepts them.
But such a move could be controversial;
a previous attempt to do this sparked
opposition from some parent groups.
RFA research has found that 20 percent
of students get into more than one
school. All these slots are tied up for weeks
while these students make their selections.
“If you’re accepted at five schools, you’re
holding a spot at all five locations,” said
LeTretta Jones, the director of the Office
of Student Placement.
Jones believes that revising the process
would streamline it and make it more
equitable. “We could say, ‘You’re at Central,’
and boom, that opens up the other
locations for other students,” she said. The
Columbia University economists who designed
New York’s system noted that “in a
system without excess capacity, the cost of
giving some students multiple offers is that
multiple students get no offers.”
Three tiers of District high schools
In the District’s high school selection
process, there are three tiers of schools. The
16 special admission schools have the most
stringent academic criteria and the most
discretion over whom to accept. There are
13 citywide admission schools that have
less stringent criteria and select students
through a lottery after
eliminating students
who don’t qualify.
The 32 neighborhood
schools are required to
enroll all students who
live within their attendance
boundaries,
including students who return from disciplinary
schools and incarceration. If there
is space, neighborhood schools also admit
students from outside their feeder pattern
through a lottery.
Based on the review of 2007-2008
data provided by the District, RFA found
that Asian and White students were more
likely to apply to special admission schools
than Blacks and Latinos. At the same time,
Black and Latino students applied to citywide
and neighborhood schools at higher
rates than Whites and Asians. Overall,
fewer than half of applicants gain admission
to even one school, with Asian and
White students most likely to be admitted
to a school of their choice.
RFA also found that students don’t
have to fulfill all admissions criteria to be
admitted to a school. For instance, the data
showed that only a small percentage of applicants
actually met to the letter all the
requirements for the most selective schools
in the city – requirements that include test
scores, grades, attendance, and behavior
records. According to RFA’s analysis,
many students who were “unqualified” on
paper were admitted to these schools anyway.
Some 30 percent of applicants who
did not meet all the criteria for any special
admission school wound up attending one
Nearly 80 percent
of District 8th graders
apply to a school
other than their assigned
neighborhood high school.
anyway, and 19 percent of students who
didn’t meet criteria for citywide schools
enrolled in one, meaning that schools
have a lot of discretion to make decisions.
Students can apply to up to five District
schools and to as many charters as they
want. But the processes are totally separate,
something that not all families understand.
The District’s high school application
process starts in September. That is when
counselors are expected to hand out the
directory and applications to 8th graders
and the District runs a High School Expo
where students and parents can learn about
each school. Students who want to apply
to one or more District high schools fill out
and sign a single application form that they
hand in to their 8th grade counselor.
But that process bears no relation
to the 28 charter
schools with high
school grades. These
schools must accept
students by lottery if
they have more applications
than slots,
but each has its own
application form and deadline and can
impose other requirements, such as attendance
at an open house or an interview.
Parents must contact each charter school
individually to get an application and find
out about the admissions process.
Explaining the selection system
Some school counselors hold an information
session and expect 8th grade
parents to come, and follow up only with
those who show interest. Others require
one-on-one meetings with each student to
discuss options. Others give students the
form and the Directory of High Schools
and do little else to help families.
The RFA report found that in addition
to providing information, some
counselors actively advocate on behalf of
students by calling high school counselors
and principals, even after decisions have
been made – a practice that is likely most
effective at schools where principals and
other school leaders have wide discretion
in admission decisions.
In the spring, students get letters from
the District indicating whether they were admitted
to any of their five choices. Students
admitted to more than one school get letters
first, and they have two weeks to make a selection.
After that, additional slots open up,
and a second round of letters goes out. Throw
in the possibility of acceptances from charter
schools and things get very complicated.
The annual Directory of High
Schools lists information about schools,
but doesn’t walk parents and students
through the steps they must take to participate
in the process. In past years, the
Directory has also lacked a timeline with
deadlines and key dates. For instance,
most citywide admission schools require
students to come in for an interview or
open house, but students don’t know by
what date they should hear from a school
about that second step.
Jones said that the District is preparing
a new middle school guide for students
in 6th and 7th grade that will drive home
more clearly, as an example, that the 7th
grade academic and behavior record is the
one that will determine the student’s high
school options.
Counselors also differ widely in their
own knowledge of what high schools offer,
in their ability and willingness to advocate
for students, and in the number of responsibilities
they have at the school. Using
federal stimulus money, Ackerman is hiring
more counselors for 7th and 8th grade.
Ortiz said the new hires will reduce the
student-to-counselor ratio and improve
services for families. He also said that his
office plans to set standards for counselors
and monitor their work more closely.
However, District officials say that
counselors are only partially responsible
and that parents should be “vigilant,”
about getting information and keeping on
top of what they must do.
Soon, the nerve-wracking process will
begin again. The High School Expo this
year is scheduled for Sept. 25, 26, and 27
in Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
The deadline for submitting the application
is October 30.
When they returned to school this
year, students found a larger cadre of counselors
who can help them figure it all out.
But major changes are not likely to occur
before next year.
In any case, said Ortiz: “We need to
focus on how to make the process seamless
so everyone understands it better.”
Shani Adia Evans is a doctoral student at the
University of Pennsylvania and a former staff
member at Research for Action. Dale Mezzacappa
is a contributing editor at the Notebook.
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 3

fallguide
What’s new in the District?
Everything from principals to
programs to new charters –
the upcoming school year is
marked by change.
by Wendy Harris
Back to school, always an exciting
time for students and parents, also comes
with new challenges and changes.
The School District enters the year
buoyed by good news. It is implementing
new initiatives, and was able to make
good on promises to hire many more
teachers and counselors in time for the
opening of school. Standardized test
scores improved for the seventh year in a
row, with proficiency rates exceeding 60
percent in some grades for the first time.
Violent offenses at schools are down by
15 percent.
Now the not-so good news: During
a weeklong principals’ summit, Superintendent
Arlene Ackerman said that despite
gains, only one-third of the District’s
schools met their academic targets last
year. The achievement gap persists, with
African American and Latino students
lagging far behind their White and Asian
counterparts, and it is not closing fast
enough.
Looming over everything is a state
budget battle that could cause a severe revenue
shortfall and make it impossible for
the District to pay for its new programs.
If those new programs do survive,
there’s a lot to look forward to in the new
school year. Several initiatives from Phase
One of the District’s Imagine 2014 – reported
to cost $126 million its first year – have
already taken shape.
“We hired almost 1,000 new teachers,
200 new guidance counselors, and 30 new
principals,” Ackerman said. Many of the
new teachers are going into the District’s
lowest-performing schools.
The addition of new guidance counselors
will reduce the student-to-counselor
ratio from 500:1 to 300:1 in middle schools
and to 350:1 in high schools. Counselors
will also stay with the same students for
several years.
Other initiatives include smaller
class sizes in the K-3 grades, 70 new reading
teachers in the lowest-performing
schools, student success centers in all
comprehensive high schools, and two
parent ombudsmen and two student advisers
in each high school.
“When young people come to school,
they will already see changes,” Ackerman
said.
The District has geared up to start naming
as many as 35 underperforming schools
that will close and reopen in the next five
years as charters or schools run by outside
management companies. Called “Renaissance
Schools,” the first 10 will be in planning
this year and open in September 2010.
New schools
Six new charter schools open this fall:
Arise Academy, a high school; Eastern
University Academy, a middle and high
school; Sankofa Freedom Academy, which
will eventually serve K-12; KIPP West
Philadelphia, a middle school; and two
elementary schools, Tacony Academy and
Franklin Towne.
Arise Academy, located in Center
City, is the nation’s first public charter high
school for teens in the foster care system.
Any student of high school age in foster
care and eligible to attend school in Philadelphia
can apply, and enrollment is based
on a lottery.
Founded by the Greater Philadelphia
Urban Affairs Coalition with the Phila-
delphia Department of
Human Services, Arise
seeks to stem the dropout
crisis among foster
care students while giving
them social supports.
“Students who are
in foster care have a 75
percent dropout rate,
and the data demonstrates
that they have
very poor outcomes in
terms of rates of homelessness, pregnancy,
and drug dependency, especially once they
are aged out of the system,” said Arise
CEO Roger Jackson. “Once they are out of
the system, services come to a screeching
halt and they may or may not be equipped
to navigate life in general.”
Students wanting to get a taste of college
can apply to Eastern University Academy
Charter School. Located in East Falls,
Eastern is a 30,000-square foot “early college,”
high school – one that gives students
the opportunity to earn up to 60 transfer-
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Notebook
The District has
geared up to start
naming as many as
35 underperforming
schools that it will close
and reopen under new
management.
Harvey Finkle
The new Abraham Lincoln building is one of two large neighborhood high schools opening this fall,
this one completed at a cost of more than $84 million.
able college credits. It is also affiliated
with the Big Picture Company, which has
created several high schools built around
internships and allowing students to follow
their passions, matching them with
the same adviser for four years. Students
receive individualized learning plans with
five goals built around the development
of communication and reasoning skills
and personal qualities. Before graduation,
students must complete a 75- to 100-page
autobiography.
“What we found is that what high
school is asking our students to do is very
different than what colleges
are asking us to do,
so what we’ve done as an
early college is link the
two,” said Omar Barlow,
CEO and principal.
Admission is by
lottery. This year, Eastern
will enroll 7th and
9th graders.
Sankofa Freedom
Academy, a Frankfordbased
“freedom school” inspired by those
of the early 1960s, meshes a core curriculum
with African and Caribbean history
and culture, and what it calls “Sankofa
enhancements,” or essential questions to
help students better understand the concept
of freedom. That means “empowering
children to participate in social change, social
justice, community development, and
service learning,” said Ayesha Imani, the
CEO and founder.
Sankofa will begin with grades K-4
and 9, but each year will add one elementary
and high school grade. Admission is
by lottery, but to relieve overcrowding, the
District is requiring the school to give preference
to students in Frankford.
There are also more alternative
schools. In May the School Reform Commission
approved more than $45 million
in contracts to hire providers to run additional
accelerated and disciplinary schools.
The Center for Art, Media and Com-
munication (CAMaC), scheduled to open
later this year, will serve up to 150 former
dropouts. Operated by Youth Empowerment
Services and the Allegheny West
Foundation, it will focus on integrated media
projects tied to core subjects and include
skills development in video, audio, graphic
and web design, and mural arts. It will also
operate a daily student-run radio broadcast.
New programs
A year ago, the U.S. Department of
Labor awarded grants to seven “persistently
dangerous” high schools in Philadelphia
to create programs that would decrease the
dropout rate, reduce violence, and improve
overall climate. Bartram, Germantown,
Lincoln, Overbrook, University City, and
West Philadelphia each received $6 million
and FitzSimons got $4 million.
“The goal is to transform these schools
into a place where young people are engaged
in learning, feel safe, and can compete
in a global marketplace after graduation,”
said Courtney Collins-Shapiro, the
District’s director of Multiple Pathways to
Graduation.
While following Department of Labor
guidelines, each school has tailored its own
plan to its needs and has a “turnaround” assistant
principal overseeing its implementation.
Strategies must include case management
for individual students, instructional
improvement, mentoring, and programs
focused on improving school climate. “This
isn’t just a pot of cash where schools can just
buy stuff,” Collins-Shapiro said.
Common initiatives shared by all of
the schools include student success centers
providing support services, year-round
internships, and mentoring programs for
at-risk students. This past summer each
of the schools had a Summer Bridge program,
where rising 9th graders participated
in five weeks of intense four-hour days of
academics and enrichment.
Lincoln principal Donald Anticoli
said his school is using the grant to create a
(continued on page 9)
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For more information visit:
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4 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

spotlight/highschools
What they wish they had known
Now in high school, students
reflect on the challenging
process of applying.
by Anders Hulleberg
In a school district with vast disparities
in academic outcomes among schools,
applying to high school is a critical process
for the thousands of Philadelphia students
who do so every year.
Graduation and college-going rates
are all over the map. Some schools offer a
variety of vocational programs, some have
a curriculum full of AP courses, some are
sports powerhouses, and others excel in
the arts. There are also schools with few
extracurricular options at all.
A student’s high school experience
will affect his or her life in a myriad of
ways. Often students don’t fully grasp this
until too late. For them, the refrain from
Faces’ 1973 hit single “Ooh La La” is especially
poignant: “I wish that I knew what I
know now when I was younger.”
The Notebook interviewed several
Philadelphia public high school students
to find out what students knew before they
applied to high school, and what they wish
they had known earlier.
Looking back on his experience, senior
Khalif Dobson of West Philadelphia
High now thinks that “the whole process
should be treated like [the] college process.”
He explained that students, especially
those hoping to attend a special or
citywide admission high school, need to
begin thinking about their options well
before 8th grade.
“I wish they told me high schools
would be looking at 7th grade,” said Dobson,
who applied to Central and High
School of the Future before landing at
West. For Dobson, “they” is anyone at his
elementary school, McMichael, who could
have shed some light on the application
process – a counselor, teacher, or principal.
Eric Yates, a junior at West, recalled
how counselors at Shaw Middle School
divided high schools into three groups
– A, B, and C. Schools with high admissions
standards, such as Central and
Masterman, were As; neighborhood high
schools like West Philadelphia, Cs. Beyond
this, however, Yates knew little. He
applied to Northeast Magnet and the High
School for Creative and Performing Arts
(CAPA), two definite “A” schools, without
knowing that CAPA required an audition.
Like Dobson, Yates wishes he had
known to “push in 6th and 7th grade” and
advises middle school students to “keep
your attendance and grades on point.”
Kelly Tran, a junior at Central, said
she was unprepared for the academic transition
to a magnet high school. “At Central
I had homework every night and….
on the weekend. In 8th grade I’d never
done homework that much,” she said. “If
I’d known that beforehand, I could have
started studying to be ahead of the game
before freshman year.”
A junior at West Auto Academy,
Azeem Hill now appreciates the link between
a student’s high school experience
and college aspirations. “High school really
affects how accessible college is,” he said.
Hill is glad he ended up at the Auto
Academy, even though he applied to Central
and Masterman. To avoid “culture
shock” in entering a magnet school, Hill
suggests that middle school students “get
a better sense of
the people” and
“what your average
week will
look like” at special
and citywide
admission high
schools.
He also
wishes he had
Kelly Tran
known more
about the trans-
fer process for high school students. “I
wish I knew that you can reapply to citywide
or special admits if your grades are
good,” he said.
For students who drop out
and then want back in, stakes
are high and the process more intimidating.
Forrest Wilson, now 21,
dropped out of West and recently
graduated from YouthBuild Charter
School. YouthBuild offers an
intensive one-year program to
out-of-school youth, rooting their
educational experience in apprenticeships,
service learning, and work outside
the classroom.
Wilson said the process of finding and
applying to YouthBuild was like “walking
into a dark room and not knowing what’s
in front of your face.”
Today, however, Wilson is quite sure
what lies ahead: an apprenticeship with
Digital Service Fellows, an AmeriCorpssponsored
post-secondary program. Under
The Merry Jesters, 1906, by Henri-Julien-Félix Rousseau (Philadelphia Museum of Art:
The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection, 1950-134-176)
Forrest Wilson
ART, LITERACY, MUSEUMS
CONNECTING VISUAL ARTS
AND LANGUAGE ARTS
A museum visit program for fourth-grade
students in the Philadelphia public schools,
offered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
the Barnes Foundation, the Fabric Workshop
and Museum, the Institute for Contemporary
Art at the University of Pennsylvania, and the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
LEARN MORE AT THE
Philadelphia Museum of Art
the guidance of a professional
technician, he will spend the
next year helping to remedy the
District’s IT issues.
Wilson kept his advice simple.
“Follow the rules,” he said,
recalling one instance where
he “almost got kicked out” of
YouthBuild for having his cell
phone on in class. Punctuality,
whether with paperwork or admissions
interviews, is also crucial, he said.
Beyond that, Wilson emphasized the
importance of perseverance: “Keep believing.
Never stop. Keep pushing,” he said.
“And make sure, whatever your goals, you
attack them. You have to take care of yourself
before anyone.”
Anders Hulleberg, a Notebook intern this summer,
attends Haverford College.
Art Speaks Teacher Workshop
Saturday, October 17, 2009, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Free but registration required
To register, call the Museum’s Ticket and Reservation
Center at (215) 235-7469.
This workshop is for Philadelphia public school fourth-grade
classroom and art teachers only. Teachers can earn 2 NJ or
PA Act 48/continuing professional development hours for
this workshop.
Art Speaks is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and The Delphi Project Foundation.
Additional support is provided by Target and TD Bank through the TD Charitable Foundation.
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 5

fallguide
New charters providing wider options for students
Applying can be a daunting
process. Some basic
information can help.
by Anders Hulleberg
With three new openings set for
the fall, the School District will have
28 charter schools serving at least one
high school grade in 2009-2010. Charters
have moved to the forefront of high
school options in Philadelphia. There
are now nearly as many of them as there
are special admission (16) and citywide
admission (13) high schools combined.
But for the family interested in a
charter school, this proliferation has not
necessarily led to easy accessibility. The
applicant must navigate a web of paperwork,
interviews, information sessions,
orientations, and rules set by state legislation
that hasn’t been significantly revised
in a decade. For anyone hoping to
enroll in a charter school, the learning
curve is steep. Terms like “lottery” and
“catchment area” must become part of
his or her vocabulary.
Perhaps the most important thing
for the prospective charter student to
know is that, by law, charters must give
all applicants an equal chance at admission
– unlike special and citywide admission
high schools, which use academic
performance, behavior records, writing
samples, and other criteria to screen applicants.
The 1997 state law that created
Philadelphia Education Fund’s
charter schools, Act 22, guarantees this.
To meet the requirement of equal access,
charter schools with more applicants
than spaces conduct a lottery to determine
who enrolls.
The District, however, has begun
to bend the “equal access” mandate by
locating charters to relieve overcrowding
in some schools in the city, and requiring
them to give preference to students
within a certain “catchment area.”
KIPP-West Philadelphia, Tacony Charter,
and Sankofa Freedom Academy, all
new this year, are in this category.
Ayesha Imani, chief executive officer
and founder of Sankofa, said that the
school’s charter requires them to give
preference to students who would normally
feed into Frankford High. If there
are more of these students than open
slots, Sankofa must use a lottery. If there
aren’t, the school may open up to applicants
from the rest of the District.
Variety of themes
Charters have the freedom to base
their curricula on themes and vary their
educational approaches. Some are immersed
in African culture. Others focus
on math and science, performing arts,
civics, or architecture. One is rooted in
maritime studies. Variety is one reason
charters have become popular. Overall,
they now educate one in six public
school students in the District.
Celebrating the Stars of Public Education
November 19, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.
Drexel University’s Bossone Center
Market Street between 31 st and 32 nd
The 2009 Stars of Public Education
re
Temple University Beasley School of Law’rogram
Youth United for Change
roup
rogram
To purchase tickets or to be put on the mailing list,
please call 215-665-1400 ext 3309 or email jtrachtman@philaedfund.org
www.philaedfund.org
“People have
asked for more
choice in public
education,” said
Benjamin Rayer,
District associate
superintendent
for charter, partnership,
and new
schools. Approving
charter schools is
one of the District’s
ways of responding
to that demand.
“It’s a market, if you
think about it in
economic terms,”
he said.
As with any market, consumers with
more knowledge have an edge in making
choices.
Tips for getting admitted
Ethan Bell, director of operations
at the Charter High School for Architecture
and Design (CHAD), said that
getting an early start is essential. Even
though the charters typically run their
lotteries in the spring, “parents and students
should be thinking about high
school in October” of the applicant’s 8th
grade year, he said. “If they wait until
January, it’s too late.”
Bell strongly recommends the District’s
annual High School Expo as a
starting point. Many of Philadelphia’s
public and charter high schools send representatives
to the Expo, which will take
place the last weekend in September at
Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
Teachers and school officials are there to
answer prospective families’ questions.
Expo aside, though, Bell said that
parents and students should not rely on
the District for information.
“There are many parents who think
they can get info about applying to charter
schools through [the District]. That is
not the case. Go through the individual
charter school,” he said.
In an interview with the Notebook,
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said
she hopes this year to “put in place a
new system that addresses these issues”
of communication between the District,
charter schools, and families. She also
expressed hopes of “widening the [Expo]
so that all parents get to look at all” District
high schools.
Harvey Finkle
A science classroom at Mastery Charter School’s Shoemaker campus in
West Philadelphia.
Other charter administrators emphasize
the importance of parent and student
initiative in the application process. Larry
Sperling, chief executive officer at the
Philadelphia Academy Charter School,
said that he prefers not to rely on the District
to disseminate information to families.
“We try to remain self-sufficient,” he
said. Sperling advised prospective parents
and students to “go to the Web site, then
do your homework.”
Charters are permitted to interview
students, and sometimes the application
can be long and daunting: a downloadable
version of CHAD’s application,
available on the school’s web site, is 14
pages long. A few ask prospective students
to visit the school, attend an open
house, or participate in a weeklong summer
orientation. Multiple-step application
processes can deter some families,
but they are permitted under the law.
That is one of the reasons why diligent
follow-up is so important.
David Rossi, CEO of Esperanza
Academy Charter School, also pointed
prospective families to his school’s Web
site, and said his school’s application
“doesn’t really require any information
other than name, address, grade level,
and desire to apply.”
In the end, though, no matter how
involved a prospective family becomes
in a charter’s application, it all comes
down to how many open slots a school
has and how many applications the
school receives. With applicant numbers
rising, Sperling said, “People are feeling
a level of frustration.”
As Rossi put it, “the waiting list is
always larger than our enrollment.”
For more charter info
A Directory of Philadelphia Charter Schools, 2009-2010 will be available
from the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition in October. The guide will
include application deadlines for each charter school. Free copies will be available
at GPUAC, 1207 Chestnut Street or on-line at gpuac.org. To request a copy, call
GPUAC at 215-851-1955 or e-mail vng@gpuac.org.
Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School Of Music
Group and individual classes begin
September 1st, 2009 - July 1st, 2010
Keyboard, Flute, Voice, Dance, Woodwinds, Guitar, Percussion and Recorders
Classes held daily: 2:00pm until 8:00pm - Out of school programs welcome
1628-30 W. Allegheny Av
Call Mrs. Drayton for fees at 215-430-0435
6 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

spotlight/highschools g
What insiders say about applying to high schools
Starting early, visiting schools,
and showing enthusiasm can
all make a difference.
By Ruth Rouff
When it comes to learning about
and applying to high schools in the
School District of Philadelphia, what
you need to know might not be found
in the official guide, the District’s High
School Directory.
Principals and guidance counselors
interviewed by the Notebook offered advice,
tips, and strategies – the most repeated
one being the importance of getting
an early start.
“Parents have to begin researching the
schools long before the 8th or 7th grades,”
says Johnny C. Whaley, Jr., the principal
at the High School for Creative and Performing
Arts (CAPA), a special admission
school. “It’s incumbent upon parents to
know how to read standardized test [results]
and to identify areas where students need to
improve.” Whaley believes that “the proactive
way to go about high school selection is
to identify what your child needs academically
long before 7th or 8th grade.”
Faith Zaback, a counselor at Meredith,
a K-8 school, said she talks with
7th graders at the beginning of the school
year to impress on them that high school
principals will be looking at their grades,
behavior, test scores, attendance, and
School District of Philadelphia
A parent collects information at the District’s back-to-school block party in August.
lateness record for that year. At the end
of 7th grade, she hands out the directory
and assigns students a “scavenger hunt” to
familiarize them with the requirements for
various schools.
Zaback prepares 8th graders for the interview
process by having them brainstorm
questions and do practice interviews “to feel
comfortable talking about themselves.”
The directory doesn’t emphasize that
students may visit many of the schools to
get a feel for whether they would fit. Tom
Davidson, principal at Constitution, a
citywide admission school with a civics/
government focus, advertises his school’s
open house at the District’s High School
Expo in late September. Prospective students
may “shadow” Constitution students
from class to class for a half-day.
Similarly, principal Chris Lehmann at
the special-admission Science Leadership
Academy encourages students and their
parents to visit and get “a sense of the flavor
of the school.” Later on, if a student
applies to SLA, that student must call the
school to schedule an interview. Lehmann
believes the interview is very important.
“It’s the student’s chance to shine,” he says.
Principals stressed that they place a high
value on the recommendations of counselors,
teachers, and elementary or middle
school principals. “We do make phone calls
to guidance counselors to get recommendations,”
said Davidson. He added that principals
will often point him toward a particular
student – input he welcomes.
Lehmann said his school also calls
counselors “to get as rich a picture of every
student as we can.”
It is not widely known that citywide
and special admission schools are somewhat
flexible about their admissions criteria.
Although all the principals interviewed
stated that all the students they
admit are well qualified to attend, there
appears to be some “wiggle room” in meeting
specific criteria. While Davidson said
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that Constitution only accepts students
who meet its stated admissions criteria, he
noted, “We look at the criteria in a holistic
fashion. If a student happens to be weak
in one area but strong in other areas, that
doesn’t necessarily preclude admission.”
Principal Adrienne Wallace-Chew at
the Academy at Palumbo was more direct.
“Sometimes you go outside the criteria,”
she said. Of critical importance at Palumbo,
which doesn’t require an interview, is
a handwritten essay that prospective students
are required to submit on a topic of
their choice.
At citywide admission schools like
Mastbaum Technical High School, test
scores are not what matters; attendance,
punctuality, and positive behavioral records
do. But according to Principal Mary
Dean, a new requirement at Mastbaum
is that students who apply must declare a
vocational major before they go through
the lottery. This is because some popular
programs receive far more applicants than
there are spaces. Mastbaum’s graphic design
and nursing programs each had more
than 300 applicants and accepted fewer
than one in seven students. Understandably,
Dean emphasizes that Mastbaum is
looking for students who have a clear idea
of what they would like to do with their
lives and are willing to work hard to do it.
So enthusiasm can make a difference
in the admissions process. “One of the
things we really look for are kids who’ve
gotten a sense of what we’re about,” says
Lehmann, whose school pursues a projectbased
learning approach.
Auditioning is a fundamental part of
the process in schools with an arts focus,
such as the Girard Academic Music Program
(GAMP) and CAPA. Since GAMP
starts in 5th grade, it has a very limited
number of slots for 9th graders, receiving
500 applications for 15 or 20 places. With
odds like that, Principal Angelo Milicia admits
to being rather hard-nosed about admissions
criteria. However, he says, “If there
is a recommendation from a music teacher
and [the student is] a few points off [in their
test scores], I’ll give them an audition.”
CAPA, which receives about 2,800
applications, determines who meets its
academic criteria and grants 900 auditions
conducted by arts teachers. Ultimately,
only 265 receive notices of acceptance.
The audition for non-performance majors
consists of a drawing test for art students
and a writing test for creative writers.
Given the limited number of available
places, the principals interviewed
mentioned feeling occasional pressure to
admit students from parents, principals,
and sometimes politicians. However, none
said they felt unduly pressured.
“I give everyone a fair chance,” says
Wallace-Chew. “The difficult part is you
get so many good applications.”
Daunting as it is, the experience is
valuable, said Zabak. “Applying to high
school is a precursor to applying to college,”
she said. “It’s also an absolutely wonderful
learning experience.”
Ruth Rouff is a freelance writer and former
Philadelphia teacher.
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 7

spotlight/highschools
For special ed and ELL students, choice is often lacking
by Connie Langland
Aspiring to attend one of the city’s
top-tier high schools can be a daunting
proposition for students with special needs
or English language learners (ELLs) and
their parents.
Few of this fall’s incoming 9th graders
who are special education or ELL students
applied to the sought-after schools, and
even fewer were admitted.
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman
says her staff is taking a close look at the
admissions criteria in the District’s 18
special admission programs and 13 citywide
admission high schools and that the
schools are being pressured to boost special
education and ELL representation.
“I don’t know if it’s purposefully discriminatory,
but you don’t see English
language learners in some of our magnet
schools,” Ackerman said in an interview
with Notebook editors.
The issue is not new. In fact, the District
agreed in 1995 to set targets for admission
of special education students to
the magnet and citywide schools in a court
case known as LeGare, and subsequently
applied similar targets to ELL students. For
special admission schools such as Central,
Masterman, and Girls High, the agreedupon
target is to enroll 7 percent special
education and 7 percent ELL students.
Schools that accept students from across
the city, such as Bok, Constitution, and
Saul, aim to admit 10 percent special education
and 7 percent ELL.
But these schools are seldom successful
in meeting these goals. Although recent
data suggest a slight upward trend in
the number of admissions among special
admission schools for this fall, only four
special admission schools and programs reported
meeting the 7 percent ELL target as
of July, and only five met the same goal for
special education admissions.
Among 12 citywide admission schools
reporting, eight schools met the 10 percent
LeGare goal for special education students.
Five met the 7 percent target for ELL students.
District data show that in 2007-08
more than 80 percent of special education
students enrolled in neighborhood schools,
compared with 66 percent of the regular
student population. The citywide admission
schools admit more IEP and ELL students
than special admission schools, which require
strong academic records.
Parent activist June Bey of West Philadelphia
has a son Xavier, who is in special
education; he picked three high schools,
but failed to gain admission. Bey advises
parents to start researching high schools
when their child is just in the 6th grade.
“Attend the high school fairs in the
fall. Talk with the school representatives to
see how sensitive they are [and] what supports
there are for your child. Don’t be afraid
to apply to the schools you like,” Bey said.
Bey said she was frustrated by the appeals
process that followed the rejections.
If a student is turned down for admission,
the parent can request a hearing under the
LeGare Impartial Review Process, but has
limited input.
“You don’t get to do advocacy [so] you
can’t paint a better picture of what your
child is capable of,” Bey said.
Bey ultimately enrolled Xavier at
George Washington High School. The option
turned out to be “a blessing in disguise,”
where Xavier, 16, now an 11th grader, is
having a good experience, Bey said.
“It’s a comprehensive high school …
an excellent opportunity to see how he is
going to fit in the larger society when he
graduates,” she said.
The District offers tips for special education/ELL
parents in English, Spanish,
and Chinese, including advice to monitor
attendance, grades, and behavior—all important
criteria in the high school admissions
process.
The District recommends doing research
on the various high schools by attending
the High School Expo, to be held
during the last weekend in September at
Temple University’s Liacouras Center, and
speaking with counselors at the schools
that seem a good fit.
The District also reminds parents
to send a note to the teacher when their
child is absent from school explaining the
absence, so it can be coded as “excused.”
Attendance records are important when
applying to high schools.
Diane Smith, of South Philadelphia,
said she had feared for her son Mark’s safety
at South Philadelphia High School, but
according to Smith, “we were never given
the opportunity” to apply to the special
admission or citywide high schools. Mark,
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
12th Annual Constance E. Clayton Lecture
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Endowed Chair Professors of Health & of Child and Family Services and Founding Directors,
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FORUM TOPIC
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for Urban School Reform?
November 4th at 4:30pm
University of Pennsylvania
Claudia Cohen Hall, Terrace Room
249 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA
A post-lecture reception follows in the Terrace Room.
Schools may not communicate well with immigrant families about high school options.
14, who has autism, applied for and won
admission by lottery to Mastery Charter
School-Thomas Campus.
Mastery analyzed Mark’s needs and
recently approved his placement at Delta
School, a state-approved private school
with extensive autism support. “It’s a wonderful
school,” Smith said happily.
For immigrant parents, “the question
of high school choice has been coming
up somewhat more frequently,” said Zac
Steele, an organizer with JUNTOS in
South Philadelphia.
Donate to
Through
Harvey Finkle
At the sa nts too often are unaware
of the options. “The counselors give out
forms, but communication with parents
doesn’t really happen,” Steele said. “More
often, families don’t know there is a form,
or a choice.”
Last fall, the Notebook reported that
ELL students are virtually absent from most
of the city’s academically selective schools.
Three-quarters of ELLs were found in just
nine of the District’s 62 high schools, most
of them on lists for being low achieving
(continued on page 9)
To become a supporter of the Notebook through United
Way at your workplace, contact your Human Resources
or Payroll Department to request a Donor Designated
Funds Form for the United Way's Donor Choice Program.
Through the program employees simply identify an amount
they wish to donate with each pay period. That amount is
then deducted from the paycheck. In addition to being
able to support the Notebook easier than ever before,
your contribution is tax-deductible.
Remember the Notebook's agency code number is:
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This number is required in order to fill out the donor
choice form.
Thank you for your contribution, and
for Turning the Page for Change!
8 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

spotlight/highschools g
Applying to District high schools?
A timeline for 8th grade students
Month What’s happening in the high school selection process
September
materials.
Office of Student Placement.
September -
October
to help them choose schools and fill out the application form.
September -
March students. Families should contact schools directly to learn about
visiting opportunities.
by October
30
to 5 schools. The form must be signed by a parent or guardian.
into a networked computer system (additional paperwork is pre-
pared for special ed and ELL students).
November
November -
January
January -
March
-
tion letters are sent out.
Some schools in this category send these letters to the counselor
rather than the student’s home.
-
-
prove, or put on a wait-list.
admissions lottery for their school.
-
al education, special education, ELL) to determine which students
will be accepted to each citywide school and to each neighborhood
school with outside applicants.
March
-
cepted to more than one school. Letters state where students have
been approved, wait-listed, or disapproved.
March -
April
April -
September
from among their options within two weeks and submit a form with
their choice to the 8th grade counselor.
up and students who were originally wait-listed or disapproved are recon-
sidered for admission. Second- and third-round lotteries are conducted.
sending recommendation letters.
of subsequent admissions decisions. In this round of letters, stu-
dents are admitted to only one school.
–compiled by Shani Adia Evans
Bring the visual arts and classroom
studies to life with a visit to the
Philadelphia Museum of Art!
Learn more about what the Museum
has to offer you and your students
at philamuseum.org/education.
To request a brochure, please call
(215) 684-7580.
Philadelphia Museum of Art philamuseum.org
What’s new
(continued from page 4)
9th grade academy, reduce 9th grade class
size to 28, and expand its partnership with
Philadelphia Academies.
While not a DOL grant recipient,
Dobbins Career and Technical High
School has a new program where students
can earn a state barbering license.
“We’re the only school in Pennsylvania
(at the moment) that offers a certified
barbering program,” said Principal Charles
Whiting. “Prior to this you had to graduate
and go to another institution to get your
license and that could cost you $12,000,”
he said.
For just $345 for a barbering kit, students
can learn in an authentic barbershop
on school grounds that has professional
cutting and shampoo stations, a check-out
counter, and a barbering pole.
Forty-seven students – male and female
– will enter the program this fall.
New buildings
A few high schools got a facelift for
the new school year. Others received a total
makeover.
Lincoln opened a new building with
21st century technology, including electronic
white boards in all main classrooms
and three to four computers in every room.
The school, which cost more than $84
million, will also soon boast a new football
field and track.
Fels High School also has a new $80
million building, complete with a new pool.
And at Academy at Palumbo, $25
million in renovations include a new auditorium
and gym, handicapped accessibility
throughout, improved bathrooms, plumbing
and electrical upgrades, air conditioning
in the library, state-of-the-art science
labs, and new music rooms.
Contact Notebook k Managing Editor Wendy
Harris at wendyh@thenotebook.org
Special ed, ELL
(continued from page 8)
and persistently dangerous.
LeTretta Jones, District director of
student placement, said counselors have a
duty to promote admission of ELL and special
education students to the special admission
and citywide schools. “We think
these students can be successful in these
schools. If they speak a different language,
maybe they don’t test well. [But we can]
look at grades, functioning, and want to
make an exception,” Jones said. “Actually,
advocacy is required.”
Len Rieser, co-director of the Education
Law Center, said immigrant parents
typically are unaware of the special admission
schools.
The process “is so incomprehensible to
them. If you are a native Philadelphian, you
are aware that there are some elite schools
that students get into somehow,” Rieser
said. “To immigrant parents, it’s a mystery.”
Connie Langland is a former Philadelphia
Inquirer r education writer.
www.leapslax.org
LEAPS wishes to thank the School District of Philadelphia,
all the participants, and volunteers for a successful four
weeks of summer camp!!!
Stay tuned for LEAPS events to come:
Fall clinics
Winter Academy
Mentoring Sessions
Academic Enrichment
Nutritional Support
Questions? Call 215-951-0330 x2190
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 9

THE RTC DIFFERENCE
FALL 2009
Day 1: 6:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Days 2-5: 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA CENTER CITY
THE COOPERATIVE CLASSROOM: KAGAN’S INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES
October 23, 24, 25, November 7, 8
PHILADELPHIA NORTHEAST
EXPANDING STUDENT THINKING IN THE CLASSROOM
October 23, 24, 25, November 7, 8
DEALING WITH AD/HD-TYPE BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM
September 25, 26 27, October 10, 11
ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES: ASSESSING FOR STUDENT LEARNING
November 20, 21, 22, December 5, 6
MELROSE PARK
GRATZ COLLEGE CAMPUS, OLD YORK & MELROSE AVENUE
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
November 20, 21, 22, December 5, 6
TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
October 23, 24, 25, November 7, 8
Please consult the website for our Winter-Spring 2010 classes as well as classes in Willow Grove, Bensalem, Langhorne, Media, Upper Darby and King of Prussia.
10 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

fallguide
Yes, you can transfer … even in high school
by Dale Mezzacappa and Paul Socolar
Not happy with the school you are in?
It is possible to transfer, even if you are already
in high school.
There are four major avenues. The
first and by far the most widely used is
the voluntary transfer program. For high
school students, this is
similar to the regular application
process for 8th
graders. Students can
apply from September
through the final Friday in
October and learn in the
spring whether they are
accepted, with the choice
made by the school after
reviewing the student’s record.
A 9th grader hoping to get into a different
school for 10th grade should start
the process soon after he or she arrives.
Eighth grade records and test scores are
what the desired school will look at.
The second avenue is an emergency
transfer, officially called transfers due to
extenuating circumstances. This most often
occurs when students feel unsafe or are
threatened in their home school. These
transfers must be approved by the principal
and regional office and are generally
backed by documentation, such as a police
report. They can be effective in a matter of
weeks, but are relatively rare.
The third avenue is through No Child
A 9th grader hoping
to get into a different
school for 10th grade
should start the
process soon after he
or she arrives.
Left Behind; students in schools designated
as “persistently dangerous” by the state
are entitled to transfer at any time to others
not on that list. But high school students
cannot transfer to selective schools
without meeting their admissions criteria.
Twenty high schools and five middle
schools are on the 2009-
10 state list. Transfer requests
are also processed
within a few weeks.
The fourth avenue is
also under NCLB, which
guarantees the right of
students in schools that
have not met performance
targets for two or
more years to transfer out. Last year, about
half the District’s schools fell into this
category; the list of which schools made
Adequate Yearly Progress is made public
shortly after school starts.
However, there are only a few schools
designated as receiving schools, and so
the number of slots limits the number of
students who are approved for these transfers.
Under NCLB, students who do not
transfer out of these schools are entitled to
special services, including private tutoring.
The District is required to notify parents by
letter of their options.
The District’s Director of Student
Placement LeTretta Jones offers the
following tips to high school students
who are considering transferring:
grade eight than grade seven – and continue
to do well in high school – have a better
chance to be admitted to a more selective
school as a 10th grader.
should do research through the High
School Directory and consult a counselor
for help. It may also be possible to visit the
school and shadow a student. Regardless,
said Jones, “I would also talk to students in
the school I am interested in attending.”
FREE Tutoring
Now available in Philadelphia!
FREE instruction available in
for all qualifying students, from kindergarten to
tional
programs should transfer by 10th
grade since these are three-year programs.
possible,
to transfer in 11th and even 12th
grade.
WEB Q&A with District Director of
Student Placement LeTretta
Jones about the ins and outs of
the transfer process.
EXTRA
www.thenotebook.org/transferring
high school, from qualifying schools. Help your child
build learning skills today that last a lifetime.
Help Your Child Get Ahead This Year!
Your Child Can Learn. Call (215) 879-3230
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Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 11
HLC1205

enespañol
Al seleccionar la escuela superior,
la oportunidad no es la misma para todos
por Shani Adia Evans y Dale Mezzacappa
Con la reciente creación de las nuevas
y pequeñas escuelas superiores de tema especializado
y el continuo crecimiento del
movimiento de escuelas chárter, los estudiantes
de Filadelfia tienen muchas más opciones
de escuela superior que nunca antes.
Pero tener más opciones no ha significado
que la mayoría de los estudiantes
serán admitidos a las escuelas de su pre -
ferencia, ni que las opciones disponibles
satisfacen las necesidades de ellos.
De hecho, más o menos el 58 por
ciento de los estudiantes de escuela superior
están matriculados en escuelas que no
escogieron, de acuerdo con un análisis de
los datos del Distrito Escolar hecho por
Research for Action. Las escuelas más deseadas,
inclusive algunas chárter, aceptan
un pequeño porcentaje de los que solicitan.
Los estudiantes con desempeño promedio
y los que tienen dificultades todavía
no tienen suficientes opciones accesibles o
atractivas para ellos.
“Si no eres destacado, tus opciones son
limitadas – seamos honestos al respecto”,
dijo Wilfredo Ortíz, subdirector de la Oficina
de Consejería Académica y Estándares
de Promoción. “Y si te fijas en los estudiantes
del Distrito que son avanzados o destacados,
es un número menor de estudiantes”.
Casi el 80 por ciento de los estudiantes
de 8vo grado del Distrito solicitan admisión
a otra escuela que no es la de su comunidad.
Aparte de eso, muchos también
solicitan admisión a las escuelas chárter.
Este proceso de solicitud y selección
de las escuelas del Distrito es complicado
y no fácil de entender, y la experiencia de
cada estudiante es sumamente diferente.
Incluir a las chárter en la mezcla, con sus
solicitudes individuales, sólo ha hecho que
el laberinto sea más complicado.
Algunos estudiantes – en su mayoría
los que tienen los mejores expedientes
académicos – son aceptados en todas las
escuelas que seleccionaron en su solicitud
del Distrito, mientras que otros no son
aceptados a ninguna. Algunos tienen padres
y consejeros que les guían y abogan
por ellos, mientras que otros obtienen poca
o ninguna ayuda.
El acceso de los estudiantes y padres a
buena información sobre las escuelas y los
programas es ampliamente variado. No hay
un solo lugar o centro en el que toda esta
información esté fácilmente disponible, y
algunas etapas del proceso de solicitud no
tienen fechas límite consistentes.
Los funcionarios del Distrito dicen
que asegurarse de que las familias estén informadas
es labor de los consejeros en los
grados K-8 y en las escuelas intermedias.
Sin embargo, reconoció Ortíz, hasta ahora
los consejeros no han tenido una guía
sobre qué exactamente tienen que hacer
para orientar a los estudiantes de octavo
grado. Sin directrices, los consejeros ven
sus responsabilidades de manera diferente.
Algunos son más proactivos para acercarse
a los estudiantes y padres, mientras que
otros esperan que ellos pidan ayuda.
No está claro si los consejeros deben
ayudarles a los estudiantes a completar las
solicitudes para las escuelas chárter. Algunos
estudiantes entrevistados dijeron que
sus consejeros no les ayudaron a través de
ese proceso.
La Superintendente Arlene Ackerman
ha dicho que a ella le preocupa que el
proceso de selección de escuela superior sea
justo para todos los estudiantes, y los funcionarios
del Distrito tienen planes de organizar
un grupo para considerar posibles cambios.
Una posibilidad, dijeron, es moverse a
un sistema más parecido al de la Ciudad de
Nueva York, en el que los estudiantes listan
sus escuelas en orden de preferencia y son
asignados a sólo una escuela – la opción más
alta que los acepte.
Sin embargo, tal cambio sería controversial;
un intento anterior de hacerlo causó
oposición de algunos grupos de padres.
La investigación de la RFA ha encontrado
que el 20 por ciento de los estudiantes
son aceptados a más de una escuela.
Todos esos espacios se ocupan por semanas
mientras estos estudiantes seleccionan su
escuela. “Si te aceptan en cinco escuelas,
estás ocupando un espacio en todas las
cinco”, dijo LeTretta Jones, Directora de la
Oficina de Ubicación de Estudiantes.
Jones piensa que revisar el proceso
lo simplificaría y lo haría más equitativo.
“Podríamos decir, ‘tú vas para la Central’, y
pum, eso abre los otros espacios para otros
estudiantes”, dijo ella. Los economistas
de Columbia University que diseñaron
el sistema de Nueva York señalaron que
“en un sistema sin exceso de capacidad, el
costo de darles múltiples ofertas a algunos
estudiantes significa que múltiples estudiantes
no reciben ninguna”,
Tres tipos de escuelas
En el proceso de selección de escuela
superior del Distrito, hay tres tipos de escuelas.
Las 14 escuelas de admisión especial
tienen los criterios académicos más estrictos
y la mayor discreción sobre a quién aceptar.
Hay 17 escuelas de admisión a toda la ciudad
cuyos criterios son menos estrictos y seleccionan
a los estudiantes mediante lotería
después de eliminar a los que no cualifican.
A las 31 escuelas de la comunidad se les
requiere matricular a todos los estudiantes
que vivan dentro de sus límites geográficos,
incluyendo a los estudiantes que regresen de
escuelas de disciplina o de la cárcel. Si sobra
espacio, las escuelas de la comunidad también
admiten a estudiantes de fuera de sus
límites mediante una lotería.
En base a una revisión de los datos del
2007-2008 provistos por el Distrito, la RFA
encontró que los estudiantes asiáticos y
blancos tenían más probabilidad de solicitar
a las escuelas de admisión especial que
los negros y los latinos. Al mismo tiempo, a
las escuelas de admisión abierta y de la comunidad
solicitó un porcentaje más alto de
negros y latinos que de blancos y asiáticos.
En general, menos de la mitad de los solicitantes
lograron admisión a siquiera una
escuela, mientras que los estudiantes asiáticos
y blancos más probablemente fueron admitidos
a una de sus escuelas de preferencia.
La RFA también encontró que los estudiantes
no tienen que satisfacer todos los criterios
de admisión para ser aceptados a una
escuela. Por ejemplo, los datos mostraron
que sólo un pequeño porcentaje de solicitantes
realmente cumplió al pie de la letra
Harvey Finkle
Los consejeros varían mucho en cuanto a sus conocimientos sobre lo que las escuelas superiores ofrecen.
todos los requisitos de las escuelas más selectas
de la ciudad – requisitos que incluyen
puntuaciones de exámenes, notas, asistencia
y expedientes de conducta. Según el
análisis de la RFA, muchos estudiantes “no
cualificados” en papel fueron admitidos a estas
escuelas. Más o menos un 30 por ciento
de los solicitantes que no cumplieron todos
los criterios para ninguna escuela de admisión
especial terminaron en una de todos
modos, y 19 por ciento de los estudiantes
que no cumplieron los
criterios de las escuelas
de admisión a toda la
ciudad se matricularon
en una, lo que significa
que las escuelas tienen
bastante discreción para
tomar decisiones.
Los estudiantes
pue den solicitar hasta
cinco escuelas del Distrito y a todas las
chárter que quieran. Pero el proceso es totalmente
aparte, algo que no todas las familias
entienden.
El proceso de solicitud a las escuelas
superiores del Distrito comienza en septiembre.
En ese momento se espera que los
consejeros les distribuyan el directorio de
escuelas y las solicitudes a los estudiantes
de 8vo grado y el Distrito lleva a cabo la
High School Expo, una exposición de escuelas
superiores en la que los estudiantes y
padres pueden aprender más sobre cada
escue la. Los estudiantes que quieren solicitar
a una o más de las escuelas superiores
del Distrito llenan y firman un solo formulario
de solicitud que entonces le entregan
a su orientador de octavo grado.
Pero ese proceso no le aplica a las
27 escuelas chárter que tienen grados de
escue la superior. Estas escuelas tienen
que aceptar a los estudiantes por lotería si
tienen más solicitudes que espacios, pero
cada una tiene su propio formulario de solicitud
y fecha límite y además puede imponer
otros requisitos, tales como asistir a
un open house o ser entrevistado. Los padres
tienen que comunicarse con cada escuela
chárter individualmente para conseguir
una solicitud y obtener información sobre
el proceso de admisión.
El sistema de selección
Algunos consejeros de escuelas llevan
a cabo una sesión de información y esperan
que los padres de 8vo grado vengan, y
después solamente les dan seguimiento a los
que muestren interés. Otros requieren reunirse
individualmente con cada estudiante
Casi el 80 por ciento
de los estudiantes de
8vo grado del Distrito
solicitan admisión a otra
escuela que no es la de su
comunidad.
para discutir sus opciones. Otros les entregan
el formulario y el Directorio de Escue las Superiores
a los estudiantes y hacen muy poco
más para ayudar a las familias.
El informe de la RFA encontró que
además de proveer información, algunos
consejeros activamente abogan por los estudiantes
llamando a los consejeros y principales
de las escuelas superiores, aún después
de que las decisiones se hayan hecho – una
práctica que probablemente es más efectiva
en las escuelas en las que
los principales y otros
líderes escolares tienen
amplia discreción en las
decisiones de admisión.
En la primavera,
los estudiantes reciben
cartas del Distrito indicando
si fueron aceptados
en alguna de sus
cinco escuelas elegidas. Los estudiantes
aceptados en más de una escuela reciben las
cartas primero y tienen dos semanas para seleccionar
una. Después de eso se abren más
espacios y se envía una segunda ronda de cartas.
Si a eso se le añade la posibilidad de ser
aceptado por una escuela chárter, las cosas se
ponen sumamente complicadas.
El Directorio de Escuelas Superiores
publicado anualmente muestra la información
sobre las escuelas, pero no les dice
a los padres cuáles son los pasos que tienen
que tomar para participar en el proceso.
En años anteriores el Directorio tampoco
ha incluido un itinerario con las fechas
límite y clave. Por ejemplo, la mayoría de
las escue las con admisión abierta a toda la
ciudad requieren que los estudiantes vengan
a una entrevista o a un open house, pero
los estudiantes no saben para qué fecha deberían
haber recibido notificación sobre
ese segundo paso.
Jones dijo que el Distrito está preparando
una nueva guía de escuela intermedia
para los estudiantes en 6to y 7mo grado que
explicará más claramente, por ejemplo, que
el expediente académico y de conducta de
7mo grado es el que determinará las opciones
de escuela superior para el estudiante.
Los consejeros también varían mucho
en cuanto a sus conocimientos sobre lo
que las escuelas superiores ofrecen, en su
habilidad y disponibilidad para abogar por
los estudiantes, y en el número de responsabilidades
que tienen en la escuela. Usando
dinero del estímulo federal, Ackerman está
contratando más consejeros para 7mo y 8vo
grado. Ortíz dijo que los nuevos conseje-
(continúa en la pagina 13)
12 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

enespañol
Conozca sus derechos
Para los estudiantes de
educación especial y ELL, las
opciones de escuela son a
menudo problemáticas
por Connie Langland
Querer asistir a una de las escuelas superiores
más destacadas de la ciudad puede ser una
proposición inalcanzable para los estu diantes
con necesidades especiales y sus padres.
Pocos de los estudiantes de educación
especial o ELL (English Language Learners)
que empezarán 9no grado este otoño han
solicitado a las escuelas más populares, y
muchos menos han sido aceptados.
La Superintendente Arlene Ackerman
dice que su personal está analizando más
de cerca los criterios de admisión de los 18
programas de admisión especial del Distrito
y de 13 escuelas superiores con admisión a
toda la ciudad y que a las escuelas se les está
presionando para que tengan más representación
de educación especial y ELLs.
“No se si es discriminación intencional,
pero en algunas de nuestras escuelas magnet
no se ven estudiantes que están aprendiendo
inglés”, dijo Ackerman en una entrevista
con los editores del Notebook.
Este asunto no es nuevo. De hecho, el
Distrito acordó en 1995 que establecería
objetivos de admisión para los estudiantes
de educación especial en las escuelas magnet
y de admisión a toda la ciudad en un
caso de tribunal conocido como LeGare, y
después le aplicó metas similares a los estudiantes
ELL. Para las escuelas de admisión
especial tales como la Central, Masterman
y la Superior de Niñas, el objetivo acordado
es matricular 7 por ciento de estudiantes
de educación especial y 7 por ciento
de estudiantes ELL. Las escuelas que aceptan
estudiantes de toda la ciudad, como
Bok, Constitución y Saul, tienen el objetivo
de admitir 10 por ciento de educación
Opportunidad
(continúa de la pagina 12)
ros reducirán el número de estudiantes por
orientador y mejorará los servicios para las
familias. También dijo que su oficina tiene
planes de establecer estándares para los consejeros
y supervisar su labor más de cerca.
Sin embargo, los funcionarios del Distrito
dicen que los consejeros sólo son parcialmente
responsables y que los padres deben
estar ‘alerta’ a obtener información y mantenerse
al tanto de lo que tienen que hacer.
Muy pronto, el estresante proceso comenzará
de nuevo. La High School Expo de
este año está programada para el 25, 26 y
27 de septiembre en el Liacouras Center
de Temple University. La fecha límite para
presentar las solicitudes es el 30 de octubre.
Cuando regresaron a la escuela este
año, los estudiantes encontraron un grupo
más grande de consejeros que les pueden
ayudar a entenderlo todo. Pero los cambios
más importantes probablemente no ocurrirán
antes del próximo año.
En cualquier caso, Ortíz dijo: “Necesitamos
enfocarnos en cómo hacer el proceso
más sencillo para que todos lo entiendan
mejor”.
Traducción por Mildred S. Martínez.
especial y 7 por ciento de ELL.
Pero estas escuelas muy raramente logran
cumplir estos objetivos. Aunque los
datos recientes sugieren una leve tendencia
de aumento en el número de admisiones en
las escuelas de admisión especial, solamente
cuatro de éstas escuelas y programas informaron
haber cumplido con el objetivo de
7 por ciento de ELL en julio, y solamente
cinco cumplieron el mismo objetivo en las
admisiones de educación especial.
Entre las escuelas de admisión abierta a
toda la ciudad, ocho de las 14 escuelas cumplieron
con el objetivo LeGare de 10 por
ciento de estudiantes de educación especial.
Sólo cinco de las 14 escuelas lograron el objetivo
de 7 por ciento de estudiantes ELL.
Los datos del Distrito muestran que
en el 2007-2008 más del 80 por ciento de
estudiantes de educación especial matriculados
en las escuelas de la comunidad, en
comparación de 66 por ciento de los estudiantes
regulares. Las escuelas con admisión
abierta a toda la ciudad aceptan más
estudiantes IEP y ELL que las de admisión
especial, las cuales requieren un expediente
académico excelente.
La madre activista June Bey de West
Philadelphia tiene un hijo (Xavier) en educación
especial; él seleccionó tres escue las
superiores pero no fue aceptado a ninguna.
Bey les aconseja a los padres a empezar a
estudiar las escuelas superiores cuando sus
hijos estén en el 6to grado.
“Vayan a las ferias de escuelas superiores
en el otoño. Hablen con los representantes
de cada escuela para ver cuán sensitivos
son y qué apoyos tienen para sus
hijos. No tengan miedo de solicitar a las
escuelas que les gusten”, dijo Bey.
También dijo que se siente frustrada
con el proceso de apelaciones que ocurrió
después. Si un estudiante no es aceptado,
los padres pueden pedir una audiencia bajo
el Proceso Imparcial de Revisión LeGare,
pero no se les permite participar mucho.
“No se tiene la oportunidad de abogar
así que uno no puede dar una mejor idea
de lo su hijo/a es capaz de hacer”, dijo Bey.
Bey finalmente matriculó a Xavier en
la Escuela Superior George Washington.
La opción terminó siendo una “bendición
inesperada” porque Xavier (que ahora
tiene 16 años y está en 11mo grado) está
teniendo una buena experiencia, dijo Bey.
“Es una escuela superior completa...
una excelente oportunidad para ver cómo
él va a encajar en la sociedad cuando se
gradúe”, dijo ella.
El Distrito ofrece consejos para los padres
de educación especial/ELL en inglés,
español y chino, incluyendo asesoría para
llevar cuenta de la asistencia, las notas y la
conducta – todos criterios importantes en el
proceso de admisión a la escuela superior.
El Distrito recomienda investigar las
varias escuelas superiores asistiendo a la
High School Expo, que será llevada a cabo
durante el último fin de semana de septiembre
en el Liacouras Center de la Temple
University, y hablando con los consejeros
de las escuelas que parezcan ser las más
adecuadas.
El Distrito también les recuerda a los
padres que le envíen una nota al maestro
cuando su hijo/a se ausente de la escuela
explicando la ausencia para que pueda ser
marcada como “excusada”. Los expedientes
de asistencia son importantes al solicitar
a las escuelas superiores.
Diane Smith de South Philadelphia
dijo que temía por la seguridad de su hijo
Mark en la Escuela Superior South Philadelphia,
pero según Smith, “nunca se nos
dio la oportunidad ” de solicitar a las escuelas
superiores de admisión especial o de
admisión abierta a toda la ciudad. Mark,
de 14 años y autista, solicitó y fue aceptado
por lotería a la Mastery Charter School –
Thomas Campus.
Mastery analizó las necesidades de
Mark y recientemente aprobó su colocación
en la escuela Delta, una escuela
privada aprobada con apoyo extensivo
para el autismo. “Es una escuela maravillosa”,
dijo Smith alegremente.
Para los padres inmigrantes “el asunto
de la tener opciones de escuela superior
se está viendo un poco más frecuentemente”,
dijo Zac Steele, un organizador
de JUNTOS en South Philadelphia.
Al mismo tiempo, hay muchos padres
que no están al tanto de las opciones. “Los
consejeros distribuyen los formularios, pero
la comunicación con los padres no ocurre
realmente”, dijo Steele. “Con mayor frecuencia
las familias no saben que hay un
formulario, ni que hay opciones”.
El pasado otoño el Notebook informó
que los estudiantes ELL prácticamente están
ausentes de la mayoría de las escuelas
académicamente selectivas del Distrito.
Tres cuartas partes de los ELL estaban en
solamente nueve de las 62 escuelas superiores
de la ciudad, la mayoría de ellas en
listas por tener bajo desempeño o ser persistentemente
peligrosas.
Sin embargo, LeTretta Jones (directora
Harvey Finkle
“Con mayor frecuencia las familias no saben
que hay un formulario, ni que hay opciones”.
de ubicación de estudiantes del Distrito)
dijo que los consejeros tienen el deber de
promover la admisión de los estudiantes
ELL y de educación especial a las escuelas
de admisión especial y de admisión abierta
a toda la ciudad. “Creemos que estos estudiantes
pueden ser exitosos en estas escuelas.
Si hablan un idioma diferente, quizás
no están obteniendo buenas puntuaciones
en los exámenes. Pero podemos fijarnos en
las notas, en su funcionamiento, y queremos
hacer una excepción”, dijo Jones. “En realidad,
se requiere abogar”.
Len Rieser, co-director del Education
Law Center, dijo que los padres inmigrantes
típicamente no saben sobre las escuelas
de admisión especial.
El proceso “es tan incomprensible
para ellos. El que es nativo de Filadelfia
sabe que hay algunas escuelas elite en
las que los estudiantes entran de alguna
manera”, dijo Rieser. “Para los padres inmigrantes
es un misterio”.
Traducción por Mildred S. Martínez.
SCHOOL CALENDAR 2009-2010 CALENDARIO DE LA ESCUELA
9/7
administrative offices closed cerradas
9/8
secondary pupil attendance elementales y secundarias
9/8-9/14 Kindergarten, Pre-Kindergarten Conferencias de padres y maestros
Head Start, and Bright Futures de kinder, Head Start, y Bright Futures
9/15
Pre-kindergarten Head Start,
and Bright Futures attendance
y Bright Futures
9/28
administrative offices closed administrativas cerradas
10/12
administrative offices closed administrativas cerradas
11/3
development day para personal
11/11
administrative offices closed administrativas cerradas
11/26-11/27
administrative offices closed administrativas cerradas
12/24-12/31
1/1
closed
1/18
closed
2/15
administrative offices closed administrativas cerradas
3/29-4/2
5/11
development day para personal
5/31
administrative offices closed administrativas cerradas
6/17
6/18
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 13

SPECIAL ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
Academy at Palumbo
1100 Catharine St., 19147
Ph: 215-351-7618 Fax: 215-351-7685
Adrienne Wallace-Chew, Principal
Email: awallacechew@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/palumbo
2008-09 enrollment: 351 (grades 9-11)
Admissions requirements: 88th percentile
tion
of one C; no negative discipline reports;
sample in student’s own handwriting is part of
application
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Grade 12; $25 million
HIGHSCHOOL OO PROFILES
Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) on S. Broad Street.
gymnasiums, locker rooms, auditorium, three
new science labs, two art rooms with a ceramic
focus, new bathrooms, new infrastructure upgrades
to the electrical, plumbing, fire systems
and handicap accessibility
Points of pride: 13 Advanced Placement
KEY TO THE SCHOOL PROFILES
This is a directory of District and charter high schools. Each school profile includes the school name, contact information,
current principal (as of date of publication), and school Web site. All data that follow for District schools are from the School
District of Philadelphia. Charter school data are compiled from the District and from charter school annual reports.
Information in the following profile sections is self-reported by the schools: “What’s new this year,” “Points of pride,”
“Activities & special programs,” and “Efforts to improve dropout rate.” Admission requirements were still in flux at
press time. Check the District’s high school directory for final criteria.
Abbreviations used throughout the listings.
NR = No response by the school
NA = Not applicable or not available
* = These sports are not authorized for PIAA competition
PIAA = Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
CTE = Career and Technical T Education
AYP = Adequate YYearly
Progress
CSAP = Comprehensive Student Assistance Process
AP = Advanced Placement
Harvey Finkle
promotion rate; partnerships with University
of Pennsylvania School of Law and Rosemont
College Rise Program; Run Philly Style; Literary
Magazine; GSA Club; student government
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Griffin Gazette; school play; 12-member
Walking In Honor Mentor Program for Boys
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Volleyball, Football*,
Baseball*, Track and Field*, Soccer*
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Badminton*, Volleyball*,
Softball*, Track and Field*, Soccer*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Intensive CSAP
program; mentor program-tutor program;
-
principals roundtable
Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush
11081 Knights Rd., 19154
Ph: 215-281-2603 Fax: 215-281-2674
Jessica Brown, Principal
Email: jebrown@phila.k12.pa.us
www.artsacademybenrush.wikispaces.com/
2008-09 enrollment: 118 (9th grade only)
Admissions requirements: Strong academic
tuality
and behavior; proficient or advanced in
reading and math on PSSA; successful audi-
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: A second 9th grade class
with 150 students; school will consist of 9th and
10th grades only; graduate students from a local
university media arts lab will assist in integrating
-
Points of pride: A student-centered community
that encourages intellectual growth and curios-
through the arts; a site-selected staff, many who
hold dual certification; rigorous courses with all
science classes including lab work; art studios;
dance studio; ceramics room and pottery
wheels; academic clubs such as math, homework
help, book, and arts; student government;
Girls’ Sports for Change club, fashion club, clay
club, and global awareness club
Activities & special programs: Multiple original
monologues performed through Philadelphia
Young Playwrights; band; choir; dance; theater;
music; graphic; media (film); fine arts; worked
14 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

SPECIAL ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
with the Philadelphia Big Picture Alliance to
give students a taste of filmmaking
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Academic
programs, mentoring, and support motivate
an integral role in caring and supporting all the
dreams of students; student attendance rate is
a re ection of the hard work that everyone contributes
in order to make the school successful
Bodine High School
for International Affairs
1101 N. 4th St., 19123
Ph: 215-351-7332 Fax: 215-351-7370
Ann Gardiner, Principal
Email: agardiner@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/bodine/
2008-09 enrollment: 561
Admissions requirements:
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
and punctuality
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: IB Business and Management
course; Girls Inc. and The Links, Inc.
Financial Literacy program for 10th graders
Points of pride: Home of the District’s Teacher
of the Year for two consecutive years (Brian
Malloy-2009 and Gina Hart-2008); 28-year
partnership with the World Affairs Council of
Philadelphia, which brings outstanding speak-
yearly; Perspectives Debate Voices Tournament,
where school captured all the top three
places; Public League boys’ tennis champion
of the 2009 Public League Cheerleading
Tournament
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Ambassador; school play; 12-member
choir; Red Cross Club; Gay-Straight Alliance;
debate; mock trial; Blueprint Literary Maga-
MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGH SCHOOL
Student Farm
Fresh, organic, homegrown produce
from June to October
Visit our farm stands for veggies, herbs, fl owers & more!
Martin Luther King High School
6100 Stenton Avenue, West Oak Lane
Mondays: 3:30 to 6:30 PM
For Info: Chris Bolden-Newsome
Phone: 215-424-5810 Email: farm@foundationsinc.org
Seeds for Learning is an urban farm and marketplace program for youth at Foundations’ Martin Luther
King High School. In cooperation with local community organizations, students plant, cultivate,
harvest, and sell wholesome, healthy produce to the community. Thank you for your support!
Cliveden Park Farmers’ Market
Chew Ave. & Johnson St., Germantown
Wednesdays: 2:00 to 6:00 PM
TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOLS
Special admission high schools These 16 high schools have specific admissions requirements in the areas of
test scores, grades earned in core subjects, and attendance and behavior records. Two other schools have special
admission programs within them. Students across the city may apply.
Citywide admission high schools Students citywide are eligible to apply to these 13 high schools, and those who
meet the criteria are entered into a lottery. Each school has different admissions criteria, but most require that students
have passing grades in all major subjects and maintain a good attendance, behavior, and punctuality record.
Neighborhood high schools These 32 schools have geographic boundaries; students are guaranteed admission if
their school for grade 8 falls within the feeder pattern. Those living outside of the feeder pattern may also apply, but
admission is based on available space and determined through a lottery.
Charter high schools There are 28 charter schools serving the high school grades. Charter schools are not
District-operated – each functions as an independent school district. Any Philadelphia student may apply to any
charter school. Admissions requirements vary according to each school. Some require extensive orientations with both
students and parents. A lottery is used if there are more applicants than slots.
Club; International Week and International Day
Assembly (student-produced)
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Soccer (Spring), Softball, Tennis, Track
and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Provides a
safe, orderly, nurturing environment; teachers
demonstrate concern for students in a variety
of ways; addresses the problem one student at
a time through the CSAP process
www.foundationsinc.org
CAPA
(Philadelphia High School for the
Creative and Performing Arts)
901 S. Broad St., 19147
Ph: 215-952-2462 Fax: 215-952-6472
Johnny C. Whaley, Jr., Principal
Email: jwhaley@philasd.org
www.capa.phila.k12.pa.us/
2008-09 enrollment: 662
Admissions requirements: Strong academic record;
behavior; above 80th percentile on PSSA; suc-
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
mental
music students participate in district,
state, and regional orchestras and bands;
award-winning literary magazine; vocal music
students perform during holiday events and
special celebrations; theater students provide
interactive activities with a focus on literacy
for elementary students; award-winning visual
art for the District’s annual art displays; dance
students won annual scholarships; awardwinning
spring musicals
Activities & special programs: Student Council,
Bible Study, Film Club, Tech Crew, Book Club,
United Writers and Artists Club, Stage Crew,
intramural sports, Down-to-Earth environmental
club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Mock Trial
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Tennis,
Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Cross Country, Softball, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Carver High School
of Engineering and Science
1600 W. Norris St., 19121
Ph: 215-684-5079 Fax: 215-684-5151
Linda Ahmed, Principal
Email: lahmed@phila.k12.pa.us
www.carver.phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 594
Admissions requirements: 85th percentile
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
(continued on page 18)
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 15

fallguide
Philadelphia’s District and charter high
School name
2008
Enrollment
Percentage
of special
education
students
Percentage
of mentally
gifted
students
Percentage
of English
language
learners
16 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009
Number
of
teachers
Average
teacher
daily
attendance
Average
student
daily
attendance
Number of
suspensions
- out of
school
Suspensions
per 100
students
Average
score
SAT verbal
Average
score
SAT math
4-year
graduation
rate - class
of 2008
Special admission high schools
Academy at Palumbo 351 21 9 3
Arts Academy at Rush 118 12 11 9
Bodine 561 32 38 7 462 476
Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) 662 42 19 3 499 453
Carver HS of Engineering & Science 594 30 36 6 454 474
Central 2,215 111 33 1 531 555
Franklin Learning Center 659 41 69 10 413 434
Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP) 489 27 4 1 477 461
Lankenau 299 17 27 9 383 396
Masterman 1,211 68 15 1 632 622
Parkway Center City 331 19 46 14 411 448
Parkway Northwest 290 18 92 32 397 397
Parkway West 322 20 80 25 399 387
Philadelphia HS for Girls 1,014 58 13 1 470 478
Saul HS for Agricultural Sciences 560 41 83 15 432 418
Science Leadership Academy 367 22 8 2
Citywide admission high schools
Bok Technical 1,014 65 504 50 361 361
Communications Technology 467 33 136 29 342 338
Constitution 294 20 36 12
Dobbins Technical 836 61 144 17 348 343
High School of the Future 388 26 130 34
Mastbaum Technical 1,082 77 311 29 359 374
Motivation 217 12 11 5 405 435
Philadelphia HS for Business & Technology 159 13 65 41 378 368
Philadelphia Military Academy at Elverson 276 19 59 21
Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds 311 23 44 14 401 398
Randolph Career Academy 394 29 101 26 332 329
Robeson HS for Human Services 293 20 14 5 335 336
Swenson Technical 747 55 97 13 371 357
Neighborhood high schools
Audenried 155 22 167 108
Bartram 1,354 90 251 19 326 314
Carroll 405 23 49 12 312 333
Douglas 267 26 115 43
Edison 2,113 152 1,117 53 343 343
Fels 1,498 82 1,374 92 349 354
FitzSimons 401 37 333 83 335 313
Frankford 1,921 114 959 50 354 366
Franklin, Benjamin 617 46 157 25 344 366
Furness 729 57 242 33 349 386
Germantown 1,189 84 1,030 87 359 343
Gratz 1,325 76 352 27 325 324
Kensington Business 499 43 214 43 339 363
Kensington Creative & Performing Arts 509 36 113 22 329 331
Kensington Culinary Arts 522 33 212 41 308 344
King 1,215 85 1,922 158 341 327
Lamberton 315 22 151 48 371 361
Lincoln 1,765 112 1,193 68 384 404
Northeast 3,074 172 1,114 36 414 442
Olney East 874 59 663 76 340 339
Olney West 964 53 318 33 358 344
Dropout
rate -
class of
2008
Overbrook 1,633 90 425 26 354 346
Rhodes 435 41 390 90 318 321
Roxborough 904 63 1,235 137 385 389
Sayre 640 42 483 75 346 327
South Philadelphia 1,175 89 1,502 128 314 386
Strawberry Mansion 494 39 56 11 314 317
University City 1,030 94 844 82 342 327
Vaux 450 27 388 86 334 328
Washington, George 2,071 118 972 47 415 441
West Philadelphia 913 68 462 51 352 342

schools: By the numbers
Which
Philadelphia
high schools had …
…the best teacher attendance rate*?
… the worst teacher attendance rate*?
School name
2008
Enrollment
Percentage
of special
education
students
Percentage of
mentally gifted
students
spotlight/highschools
Charter schools serving high school grades
Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia 144 10 42 29
Charter HS for Architecture & Design 557 37 67 12 411 421
Community Academy of Philadelphia 1,202 68 54 4
Delaware Valley Charter 610 34 419 69 346 353
Esperanza Academy 745 51 187 25 360 376
Franklin Towne 929 69 406 44 437 451
Freire 440 30 550 125 397 408
Hope 440 25 246 56 333 319
Imhotep Institute 525 36 29 6 352 350
Mariana Bracetti Academy 1,155 69
Maritime Academy 730 37 11 2
Mastery - Lenfest Campus 416 32 178 43 388 399
Mastery - Pickett Campus 251 15 139 55
Mastery - Shoemaker Campus 314 28 398 127
Mastery - Thomas Campus 403 33 248 62
Mathematics, Civics and Sciences 896 64
Mathematics, Sciences & Tech Community (MaST) 1,211 71 467 459
Multi-Cultural Academy 155 12 415 386
New Media Technology 311 28 13 4 367 344
Philadelphia Academy 1,181 87 172 15 426 412
Philadelphia Electrical & Technology 629 36 114 18 380 374
Prep. Charter of Math, Science, Technology, Careers 588 30 152 26 383 402
Truebright Science Academy 192 12 81 42
World Communications 450 420 405
YouthBuild Philadelphia 214 8 90 42 324 330
KEY TO DATA FOR DISTRICT SCHOOLS (P. 16)
All data are reported by the School District of Philadelphia for the 2008-09 school year,
Graduation rate, dropout rate: rates are as determined in 2008 for entering 9 th graders from
fall 2004, from School District of Philadelphia. Students are attributed to their 9 th grade
school.
SAT scores: for 2008 from Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Note: William Penn High School is not accepting students for 2010 and is not listed.
See page 15 for descriptions of these school types.
… the best student attendance rate?
…the best four-year graduation rate*?
… the worst four-year graduation rate*?
*comparable data for charter high schools was not available
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 17
Percentage
of English
language
learners
Number
of
teachers
… the worst student attendance rate?
… the lowest suspension rate?
Four schools tied
1 per 100 students
(Central, GAMP, Masterman, Girls)
… the highest suspension rate?
King 158 per 100 students
S. Philadelphia 128 per 100 students
Average
student daily
attendance
Number of
suspensions -
out of School
Suspensions
per 100
students
Average
score
SAT verbal
Average
score
SAT math
KEY TO DATA FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS
Enrollment, Number of teachers, Average student daily attendance, Suspensions are reported
by the charter schools, from 2008 Charter School Annual Report summary from Pennsylvania
Department of Education. Updated annual reports were filed by schools in August 2009 and
will be posted by the Department of Education in fall 2009.
Percentage of special education students, mentally gifted students, English language learners
reported by the School District of Philadelphia for the 2008-09 school year
SAT scores: for 2008 from Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Notes: Graduation and dropout rates for charter schools using a comparable methodology to
District schools are not available. Three new charter schools opening in 2009 are not listed:
Arise Academy, Eastern University Academy, and Sankofa Freedom Academy.

SPECIAL ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field,
Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Swimming*,
Gymnastics*
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross
Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Cheerleading*,
Swimming*, Gymnastics*
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Central High School
1700 W. Olney Ave., 19141
Ph: 215-276-5262 Fax: 215-276-4721
Sheldon Pavel, President
Email: spavel@philasd.org
www.centralhigh.net/
2008-09 enrollment: 2,215
Admissions requirements: 88th percentile or
for the last two report periods prior to year of
and punctuality; a writing sample in student’s
own handwriting submitted as part of application
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: 12 new staff; anticipating
new windows and stands for the football field
Points of pride: Student accomplishments;
diversity; alumni support; teacher dedication;
parent involvement; special days such as
career, international, and women’s days; scope
clubs, all sports, music, and drama; willingness
of students and staff to work together
to create a positive culture in and out of the
classroom
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Centralizer; three school plays a year;
45-member band; 25-member choir; clubs,
toring;
supportive program for at-risk students;
summer orientation program; college admissions
process
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and
Field, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Indoor Track
and Field, Soccer (Spring), Softball, Swimming
and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Titles/Championships won: AAAA and Overall
Public League Champ in Baseball for the
2008-09 school year
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Interaction of
counselors, parents, and at-risk program staff
Franklin Learning Center
616 N. 15th St., 19130
Ph: 215-684-5916 Fax: 215-684-8969
Charles Staniskis, Principal
Email: cstanisk@phila.k12.pa.us
www.flc.phila.k12.pa.us/
2008-09 enrollment: 659
Admissions requirements: Strong B average or
better in grade seven; above 75th percentile
on standardized tests; no negative disciplinary
or latenesses in grade seven; an audition or
presentation of a portfolio for students inter-
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
Harvey Finkle
Peer tutoring, student government, a school newspaper, and the National Honor Society are activities
found at Parkway West High School.
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Updating use of technology
in the instructional process; all teachers
will incorporate real world learning; all rooms
outfitted with interactive Smart Boards; 250
computers and mobile carts and 250 stationary
computers throughout the building
Points of pride:-
tion
rate; made AYP fourth year in a row; boys’
basketball team earned a division championship
and advanced to the state playoffs; HOSA
won two state competitions; student received a
scholarship from Temple University for a win-
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Franklin (online); annual school
talent shows; 40-member choir; 25-member
band; Hispanic and Asian clubs; chess clubs;
Red Cross Club; mock trial; state-certified
computer technology program; state-certified
health-related technology program
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country,
Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:riculum
to meet the needs of the students;
tutoring; Saturday school; supportive services
by child support group; counseling; mentoring
Girard Academic Music Program
(GAMP)
2136 Ritner St., 19145
Ph: 215-952-8589 Fax: 215-952-6544
Angelo Milicia, Principal
Email: amilicia@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/gamp/
2008-09 enrollment: 489 (grades 5-12)
Admissions requirements: Minimum of 80th percentile
on PSSA; overall B average; satisfactory
attendance, punctuality and behavior; music
testing and audition required
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s YOUR opinion?
We want to know!
Write a letter to
Philadelphia Public School Notebook at:
3721 Midvale Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19129
Fax: 215-951-0342
E-mail: notebook@thenotebook.org
Web: www.thenotebook.org/contact
What’s new this year: Musical performances by
teacher will enrich the program with artistic student
work, set design and theater productions
Points of pride: College Preparation Program;
vocal, instrumental, and theory; music en-
League; athletics: baseball, basketball, tennis,
cheerleading; Concert Choir
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
GAMP GAZETTE; 2009 school play
concert band; middle school, high school,
and concert choir; drama; debate; chess;
peer mentoring; student government; college
courses on site; Music Theory; Piano Lab
Instruction; Music Technology Lab;
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Tennis
Girls’ sports: Softball
Titles/Championships won: Baseball Public
League A Champions for 2008-09; District 12
A Champions in baseball for 2008-09
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
lege
after graduating
Lankenau Environmental Science
Magnet High School
201 Spring Lane, 19128
Ph: 215-487-4465 Fax: 215-487-4879
Jacqueline Bentley, Principal
Email: jbentley@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/lankenau/
2008-09 enrollment: 299
Admissions requirements: 70th percentile
more than 10 absences or five latenesses;
interview required for presentation of portfolio,
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Music and art
Points of pride: Focus is on environmental science;
partnerships with Chestnut Hill College,
California University of PA and the Schuylkill
electives in Environmental Science and Contemporary
Issues in the Environment; Environmental
Science clubs, including the Recycling
Club, Gardening Club, and Environmental Sci-
town
High School; annual Spirit Day
Activities & special programs: Technology club;
15-member choir; dual enrollment programs with
Chestnut Hill and California University of PA;
The College Access Program helps to ensure that
all students get accepted to college each year
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Quarterly assemblies
to reward attendance, academic achievement,
and most improved students
Julia R. Masterman Laboratory
and Demonstration School
1699 Spring Garden St., 19130
Ph: 215-299- 4661 Fax: 215-299-3425
Marjorie Neff, Principal
Email: mneff@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/masterman
2008-09 enrollment: 1,211 (grades 5-12)
Admissions requirements: 88th percentile
or above on PSSA; As and Bs with possible
ports;
good attendance and punctuality. Must
have had Algebra 1 and French or Spanish 1
ted
to Masterman in grade five
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Advanced senior year
college math course for students who have
completed AP Calculus BC
Points of pride:
tend
four-year colleges; number one performing
school in Pennsylvania on the 2008 PSSA; fully
District XII championships, including boys’ and
girls’ volleyball and boys’ cross country; over 30
clubs and service organizations
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Masterman Voices; annual fully staged musical;
50-member orchestra; 60-member high school
choir; Masterman Ultimate Frisbee Club
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country,
Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Gymnastics, Soccer (Spring), Softball, Swimming
and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Titles/Championships won: 2008-09 District 12
champions in boys’ and girls’ volleyball and
boys’ cross-country
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
KEY TO THE SCHOOL PROFILES
This is a directory of District and charter high schools. Each school profile includes the school name, contact information,
current principal (as of date of publication), and school Web site. All data that follow for District schools are from the School
District of Philadelphia. Charter school data are compiled from the District and from charter school annual reports.
Information in the following profile sections is self-reported by the schools: “What’s new this year,” “Points of pride,”
“Activities & special programs,” and “Efforts to improve dropout rate.” Admission requirements were still in flux at
press time. Check the District’s high school directory for final criteria.
Abbreviations used throughout the listings.
NR = No response by the school
NA = Not applicable or not available
* = These sports are not authorized for PIAA competition
PIAA = Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
CTE = Career and Technical Education
AYP = Adequate Yearly Progress
CSAP = Comprehensive Student Assistance Process
AP = Advanced Placement
18 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

SPECIAL ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
Parkway Center City High School
540 N. 13th St., 19123
Ph: 215-351-7095 Fax: 215-351-7097
Catherine Blunt, Principal
Email: cblunt@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/parkwaycc
2008-09 enrollment: 331
Admissions requirements: As and Bs with the
citizenship with no negative disciplinary reports
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Will offer AP American
History, AP Biology, AP 11th and 12th grade
English; Heritage Week to coincide with the
Multicultural Awareness Assembly Program
and Day; drama and school play
Points of pride: Five consecutive years of mak-
proficient or advanced status in writing on the
and universities; teachers provide afterschool
tutoring; Institutional Program that includes
ment
activities such as dual enrollment
Activities & special programs: Choir; student
government; debate team; chess; Honor Soci-
affiliations and partnerships with the Univer-
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
sity of Delaware, HPER Department at Temple
University, Lantern Theatre, Arch Street Methodist
Church, and Perspectives Debate
Boys’ sports: Cross Country, Soccer, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Cross Country, Track and Field,
Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Use of initiatives
like CSAP to affect positive student attendance,
punctuality, achievement, and behavior
Parkway Northwest High School
for Peace and Social Justice
7500 Germantown Ave., 19119
Ph: 215-248-6220 Fax: 215-248-6015
Ethyl McGee, Principal
Email: emcgee@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/parkwaynw/
2008-09 enrollment: 290
Admissions requirements: Grades of B or above
attendance and punctuality; good behavior;
scores of basic or above on PSSA; interview
required
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Restorative Practices to
support thematic focus
Points of pride:
Distinguished Schools Award for academic
achievement based on performance on PSSA
in reading and mathematics; the only high
school participating in the Freedom Writers
a peace mural wall in the library that will be
unveiled in the fall; started a tennis team this
year; Word 1 and Word 2 evenings organized
District teachers and students will be benefitting from class size reduction this year.
by students through the Student Driven Community
Service Learning Center
Activities & special programs: 7-member choir;
first place in 2008-09
Boys’ sports: Cross Country, Tennis
Girls’ sports: Cross Country, Field Hockey, Tennis
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Additional counseling
support
Parkway West High School
4725 Fairmount Ave., 19139
Ph: 215-581-5510 Fax: 215-581-5600
Kathleen McCladdie, Principal
Email: kmccladdie@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/parkwaywest
2008-09 enrollment: 322
Admissions requirements: As and Bs with the
punctuality and citizenship with no negative
disciplinary reports
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: California University and
Community College classes on site as part of
the everyday course load
Points of pride:
Education Academy; University partners: Philadelphia
Academies, University of Pennsylvania,
Bryn Mawr College, Penn State University,
Lincoln University, Cheyney University, and
California University of Pennsylvania; Chess
Club; Video Club; Future Teachers of America
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Parkway Times; 30-member choir; peer
Society; Poetry Club; Urban Education Academy,
a three-year academic curriculum that
education and careers in education
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Softball, Track and
Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Tutoring program with
Bryn Mawr College that works with at-risk students
Philadelphia High School for Girls
1400 W. Olney Ave., 19141
Ph: 215-276-5258 Fax: 215-276-5738
Cassandra A. Ruffin, Principal
Email: cruffin@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/girlshigh/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,014
Admissions requirements: Scores of proficient
or advanced in reading and math on PSSA; As
Harvey Finkle
attendance, punctuality, and behavior
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Evening With The Arts, a
spring performance that will bring together all
the arts in one production that is written and
choreographed by faculty and students, and
performed by students; number of summer
Points of pride: A 161-year tradition of preparing
young women for success in college and
June 2009 graduates will attend college
in September; International Baccalaureate
Diploma Program; increase in the number
of Advanced Placement courses; onsite art
language, dance, mathematics, science, and
overall academics; in the 2008-2009 school
year, students won academic awards in art,
science, world language, and writing
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Iris; school play every other year;
instrumental and vocal performance twice a
year; 60-member orchestra; 75-member choir;
academic clubs; social and service clubs; Eco
Club, where students recycle paper, plastic,
and cans; Red Cross Club
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Field
Hockey, Golf, Soccer (Spring), Softball, Swimming
and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Routinely review
student attendance and provide additional
services to students through a variety of community
agencies and organizations
W. B. Saul High School
for Agricultural Sciences
7100 Henry Ave., 19128
Ph: 215-487-4467 Fax: 215-487-4844
Wendy Shapiro, Principal
Email: wshapiro@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/saul/
2008-09 enrollment: 560
Admissions requirements: 75th percentile or
above on PSSA or other standardized test(s);
in previous school year; strong, demonstrable
required; good behavior. All students accepted
are required to complete four-week summer
session in agriculture at Saul
Student racial demographics:
(continued on page 20)
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 19

SPECIAL ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: An AP social studies
course; a second counselor
Points of pride:
proficient or advanced on the PSSA; senior class
received more than $45,000 in scholarships;
Medical School, and University of Pennsylvania
veterinary school; every student is a member of
the FFA, the student agricultural organization; four
FFA teams placed first at the state convention;
girls’ softball team was District 12 AA Champions
Activities & special programs: Two school plays
last year; students compete statewide in numerous
agricultural events
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country
Girls’ sports: Bowling, Cross Country, Softball,
Volleyball
Titles/Championships won: Girls’ Softball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Dropout rate is less
keep lines of communication open with parents
Science Leadership Academy
55 N. 22nd St., 19103
Ph: 215-979-5620 Fax: 215-567-2809
Chris Lehmann, Principal
Email: clehmann@scienceleadership.org
www.sla.fi.edu
2008-09 enrollment: 367 (grades 9-11)
Admissions requirements:
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
of one C; teacher or counselor recommendation;
good attendance and punctuality as well
school to set up interview; week-long summer
science institute required of all incoming 9th
grade students; more info on school Web site
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: First graduating class in
-
Senior Art Studio elective; Senior Assistant
Teaching Program
Points of pride: Entire curriculum is inquiry-
values of inquiry, research, collaboration,
presentation and re ection; nationally recognized
1:1 laptop program where 21st century
skills are incorporated into every class; named
2009 Apple Distinguished School and 2009
Motorola Innovation Grantee; girls’ softball
team won their division in their first year;
debate team won multiple awards this year;
cross-country and track athletes competed at
state competitions
Activities & special programs: Student-written
and produced school play; debate; Improv
Comedy; Poetry Slam team; Gay-Straight Alliance;
TechSquad; Young Women’s Empowerment;
four-year advisory program; 9th graders
go to The Franklin Institute every Wednesday
afternoon; students work with over 100 organizations
in the city
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Coun-
TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOLS
Special admission high schools These 16 high schools have specific admissions requirements in the areas of
test scores, grades earned in core subjects, and attendance and behavior records. Two other schools have special
admission programs within them. Students across the city may apply.
Citywide admission high schools Students citywide are eligible to apply to these 13 high schools, and those who
meet the criteria are entered into a lottery. Each school has different admissions criteria, but most require that students
have passing grades in all major subjects and maintain a good attendance, behavior, and punctuality record.
Neighborhood high schools These 32 schools have geographic boundaries; students are guaranteed admission if
their school for grade 8 falls within the feeder pattern. Those living outside of the feeder pattern may also apply, but
admission is based on available space and determined through a lottery.
Charter high schools There are 28 charter schools serving the high school grades. Charter schools are not
District-operated – each functions as an independent school district. Any Philadelphia student may apply to any
charter school. Admissions requirements vary according to each school. Some require extensive orientations with both
students and parents. A lottery is used if there are more applicants than slots.
try, Soccer, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer
(Spring), Softball, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Four-year advisory
program; twice-yearly narrative report cards
and parent-advisor-student conferences; school
-
based learning style that engages students in
real-world work; 21st century learning model
SPECIAL ADMISSION PROGRAMS
WITHIN OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS
Academy of Process Technology
at Bok
1901 S 9th St., 19148
Ph: 215-952-6200 Fax: 215-952-641
Arthur L. Melton, Principal
Email: amelton@phila.k12.pa.us
www.bok.phila.k12.pa.us/
Admissions requirements: Strong academic record;
behavior; proficient or advanced in reading and
math on PSSA and an interest interview
See Bok under Citywide admissions for more information
Northeast Magnet
(at Northeast High School)
1601 Cottman Ave., 19111
Ph: 215-728-5018 Fax: 215-728-5004
Linda Carroll, Principal
Email: lmcarroll@phila.k12.pa.us
www.nehs.phila.k12.pa.us
Admissions requirements: 85th percentile or
above on PSSA; As and Bs in English, math,
science and social studies with no more than
havior
with no negative disciplinary reports
See Northeast under Neighborhood high schools for more
information
CITYWIDE ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
Edward Bok Technical High School
1901 S. 9th St., 19148
Ph: 215-952-6200 Fax: 215-952-6410
Arthur L. Melton, Principal
Email: amelton@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/bok/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,014
Admissions requirements: As and Bs on most
Free ReadAloud: Librarians, Reading Teachers
& Language Arts Teachers:
Bring a free interactive student and teacher ReadAloud
to your school. ReadAloud is in its seventh year of sharing The
Whimsical Sage, a hardback collection with playful illustrations
of words at play for all ages. Have fun with words including
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Readings are for grades 2nd through 6th, appropriate for
students of ANY
The Whimsical Sage ReadAloud
www.thewhimsicalsage.org - Philadelphia
To schedule a FREE ReadAloud at your school, contact Joan Sage: jsageogf@magpage.com or 215-922-1892
more than 10 latenesses; no suspensions
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Sports Marketing program;
cheerleading program, including competitions;
business partnerships with the shop
curricula; chorus, including several concerts
Points of pride: Acknowledged by the state
Department of Education as one of four best
Career and Technical Education high schools
in Pennsylvania; made AYP last four years
Club finished #3 in regional competition; over
programs; varsity football team division champions
for past four years, including a coach of
the year
Activities & special programs: 50 to 60-member
choir; Robotics Club
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football,
Golf, Soccer, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Softball, Track and
Field, Volleyball
Titles/Championships won: 2008 Public League
AA Football Championship
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Communications Technology
High School
8110 Lyons Ave., 19153
Ph: 215-492-6959 Fax: 215-492-6074
Barbara McCreery, Principal
Email: bmccreery@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/commtech/
2008-09 enrollment: 467
Admissions requirements: All grades C or higher;
fewer than 10 absences or latenesses; no 3’s in
citizenship; interview with staff; portfolio and
essay questions submitted at interview session
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
math courses; more technology; debate team
Points of pride: High college acceptances and
boys and girls basketball and football; Technology
Student Association (regional and state winners)
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Phoenix; debate club; chess
club; yearbook club; honor societies; student
government; Career and Technical Education
program, with focuses on commercial art, commercial
photography, and cinematography and
TV production; a strong academic program
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Softball, Track and Field, Cheerleading*
Titles/Championships won: 2008 Public League
A Football Championship
Efforts to improve dropout rate: A strong academic
program and a Career and Technical
Education program; CSAP program with two
counselors for 500 students; attendance rate
Constitution High School
18 S. 7th St., 19106
Ph: 215-351-7310 Fax: 215-351-7694
Thomas Davidson, Principal
Email: trdavidson@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/constitution
2008-09 enrollment: 294 (grades 9-11)
Admissions requirements:-
20 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

CITYWIDE ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
lent attendance and behavior record; written
essay; personal interview
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: First graduating class in
2010; sister school relationship with Afghanistan
high school promoting the understanding
stitution
Center; 6-8 dual enrollment classes
offered during the school day at Cheyney
University’s Urban Campus Center nearby
Points of pride: Met AYP in 2007 and 2008; the
only history-themed high school in Pennsyl-
competition; school governance model based on
pal),
legislative branch (House of Students and
dent
Court - seven students and two teachers);
two mock trial teams; successful debate team
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
CHS Chronicles; a school play; 25-member
choir; required service learning for all students;
city as campus approach; partnerships
Lehrman Institute of American History, Ballard
Spahr law firm, and the History Channel
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer,
Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Track
and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
advisor relationships through service learning
program; mentorships with lawyers from
tional
Constitution Center; student internships
in area institutions; afterschool and Saturday
academic tutoring; varied athletic and non-
Dobbins Career and Technical
Education High School
2150 W. Lehigh Ave., 19132
Ph: 215-227-4421 Fax: 215-227-4944
Charles M. Whiting, Principal
Email: cwhiting@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/dobbins/
2008-09 enrollment: 836
Admissions requirements:
citizenship on prior report card
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:-
rooms
for the Future by providing interactive
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
printing services via printing career area
Points of pride:
state licensing, making it the first of its kind
in Pennsylvania; new Classrooms for the
Future using interactive technology in selected
academic classes; afterschool academic support
programs sponsored by Allegheny West;
ceremonies; recognition programs for honor
roll and perfect attendance students; alumni
association that honors school’s history of
success; championship football team; awardwinning
robotics team
Activities & special programs: Martin Luther
King Day Show; fashion show; 12-member
design; Big Picture Alliance; Poetry Club
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and
Field, Track and Field, Tennis
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Soccer
(Spring), Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and
Field, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Titles/Championships won: 2008 Public League
AAA Football Championship
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Principal’s Senior
Cabinet; afterschool academic enhancement
programs; numerous afterschool activities
High School of the Future
4021 Parkside Ave., 19104
Ph: 215-823-5500 Fax: 215-823-5504
Rosalind Chivis, Principal
Email: rchivis@phila.k12.pa.us
www.microsoft.com/Education/
SchoolofFutureVision.mspx
2008-09 enrollment: 388 (grades 9-11)
Admissions requirements:-
students may not have any disciplinary issues
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Football,
Indoor Track and Field, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Indoor
Track and Field, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Jules Mastbaum Area Vocational
Technical School
3116 Frankford Ave., 19134
Ph: 215-291-4703 Fax: 215-291- 4807
Mary Sandra Dean, Principal
Email: msdean@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/mastbaum/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,082
Admissions requirements: All As, Bs, and Cs
absences; no more than 10 latenesses; no 3s
in citizenship and no suspensions during the
previous two years; attend on-site interview
Student racial demographics:
KEY TO THE SCHOOL PROFILES
This is a directory of District and charter high schools. Each school profile includes the school name, contact information,
current principal (as of date of publication), and school Web site. All data that follow for District schools are from the School
District of Philadelphia. Charter school data are compiled from the District and from charter school annual reports.
Information in the following profile sections is self-reported by the schools: “What’s new this year,” “Points of pride,”
“Activities & special programs,” and “Efforts to improve dropout rate.” Admission requirements were still in flux at
press time. Check the District’s high school directory for final criteria.
Abbreviations used throughout the listings.
NR = No response by the school
NA = Not applicable or not available
* = These sports are not authorized for PIAA competition
PIAA = Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
CTE = Career and Technical Education
AYP = Adequate Yearly Progress
CSAP = Comprehensive Student Assistance Process
AP = Advanced Placement
Harvey Finkle
Bok Technical High School, on 9th St. in South Philadelphia, provides career and technical education
programs to more than 1,000 students.
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
with a new library and classroom upgrades
Points of pride: Vocational program offerings,
including The Culinary Arts Panther Cafe
and C-CAP; award-winning Graphic Design
and HOSA (Health Occupation Student Association);
welding program and Skills USA;
electrical, information technology, carpentry
and automotive programs; 35-member choir;
strong varsity sports program
Activities & special programs: Drama club;
choir; student-to-student peer mediation; 3rd
Annual Career and Technical Educational
Awards program celebrating student academic
achievements and vocational performance
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track
and Field, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field,
Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Soccer (Spring),
Softball, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Identify and
mentor students who are under-credited, overaged,
and at risk of failing; some students are
placed on academic probation; students with
teacher assistance must develop a plan with
interventions to insure that they remain on
target for graduation
Motivation High School
2555 South 78th St., 19153
Ph: 215-492-6451 Fax: 215-492-6924
Yvonne J. Jones, Principal
Email: yjones@phila.k12.pa.us
www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/motivation
2008-09 enrollment: 217
Admissions requirements: As and Bs with
the possibility of one C; proficient scores on
standardized tests and benchmarks; positive
attendance profiles, inclusive of absences and
latenesses; interview with panel of students
and staff; submission of writing sample
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
global issues and concerns; new gym and administrative
offices with upgrades to the labs;
school newspaper
Points of pride: Made AYP for four years; two
the 2008-09 school year; student involvement
in programs such as Upward Bound, Philadelphia
Futures, and Educational Partnership;
rate; SIMBA and DOVE student mentoring
club periods
Activities & special programs: Students in an
Arabic class learned how to drum; small club
choir; Museum Day; International Day; Winter
and Spring Olympics; Move-up Day; Arabic
offered as a world language; three levels of
nent
of each class; wellness program
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Actively use
CSAP, monitoring academic progress, attendance,
punctuality and attitudes; get parents
involved and encourage students to set goals;
each student maintains a personal learning
plan for re#ections
Philadelphia High School for
Business and Technology
540 N. 13th St., 19123
Ph: 215-351-7375 Fax: 215-351-7377
Samuel J. Gotlieb, Principal
Email: sgotlieb@phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 159
Admissions requirements: As and Bs on report
cards; proficient or advanced scores on PSSAs;
50th percentile or better on standardized
good punctuality; good disciplinary record
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Doubling the number of incoming
freshman for the first time in four years
Points of pride:
to make AYP in reading on the 2009 PSSAs;
in writing for the 2009 school year. Internships
with District administrative offices, law office
-
SmithKline, in-school internships through Senior
Residency Program; intramural basketball
with sister school Parkway Center City
(continued on page 22)
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 21

CITYWIDE ADMISSION
HIGH SCHOOLS
Activities & special programs: Student government;
mock trials; senior residency; student
Boys’ sports: Basketball
Girls’ sports: Basketball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Small school
size; form close relationships with students
and their families to strengthen the bonds
between the school and home environment
Philadelphia Military Academy
at Elverson
2118 N. 13th St., 19122
Ph: 215-686-5091 Fax: 215-684-5507
Robert Manning, Principal
Email: rmanning@phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 276
Admissions requirements: High C average or
above; 75th percentile or above on PSSA;
zenship;
successful completion of mandatory
summer training; must agree to abide by the
JROTC Cadet Creed, wear the Army JROTC
and PMA uniform in the prescribed fashion,
and comply with standards on personal appearance
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride: State-of-the-art fitness center; robotics
program; participation in the Thanksgiving
in 2009 JROTC Academic Challenge; first place
in the JROTC Citywide Drill Competition
Activities & special programs: Advanced Placement
courses; college dual enrollment; Arabic,
Spanish, Robotics Club; chess; Scrabble; Red
Raider Team; Biathlon; Multicultural Club;
archery; Temple Upward Bound; fitness center;
Dragon Boat Racing; choir; Entrepreneurship
Program
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Softball
Titles/Championships won:
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Philadelphia Military Academy
at Leeds
1100 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave., 19150
Ph: 215-248-6650 Fax: 215-248-6654
William Wade, Principal
wwade@philasd.org
www.philadelphiama.com
2008-09 enrollment: 311
Admissions requirements: High C average or
lent
attendance, punctuality and citizenship;
successful completion of mandatory summer
training. Must agree to abide by Army JROTC
Cadet Creed, wear the Army JROTC & PMA uniform
in the prescribed fashion, and comply with
standards on personal appearance
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
The High School of the Future takes students via lottery from the neighborhood and citywide.
A. Philip Randolph Career Academy
3101 Henry Ave., 19129
Ph: 215-227-4407 Fax: NR
Peggy Johnson, Principal
Email: pjohnson@phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 394
Admission requirements: Students must meet
three out of the following four criteria: grades
of A, B, or C; no more than 10 absences; no
negative disciplinary reports; must also attend
an on-site interview
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Golf, Indoor Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Lacrosse, Softball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Paul Robeson High School
for Human Services
4125 Ludlow St., 19104
Ph: 215-823-8207 Fax: 215-823-8252
Hiromy Hernandez, Principal
Email: hhernandez@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/robeson
2008-09 enrollment: 293
Admissions Requirements: As and Bs on report
havior;
interview with selected staff members
pending acceptance
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Increase in the number of
athletic programs and activities offered; school
cafe and courtyard; law library; increased partnerships
with business, colleges, and university
Points of pride: Established Distributive
Leadership Team, which provides staff with
opportunities to facilitate relevant professional
developments; increased number of advanced
placement courses; average student attendance
teams (state record holders); competitive cheerleading
team; playoff basketball teams; partnership
with the Pennsylvania Bar Association
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Robeson Way; drama and theater
classes held daily; choir; mock trial; debate
team; Journalism Club; annual fashion show;
yearbook committee; student government;
Certified Health Academy Program
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Track
and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Track
and Field, Cheerleading*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Increased
amount of professional development for staff;
increased amount of afterschool activities and
athletic programs; improved classroom technology;
increased participation in internships
and dual enrollment programs
Swenson Arts and Technology
High School
2750 Red Lion Rd., 19114
Ph: 215-961-2009 Fax: 215-961-2081
David Kipphut, Principal
Email: dkipphut@phila.k12.pa.us
www.swenson.phila.k12.pa.us/
2008-09 enrollment: 747
Admission requirements:
-
or latenesses; no record of suspensions in the
desire to enroll in a specific Career and Technical
course of study; mandatory attendance at
an interview on a scheduled day
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
technical programs and activities; school
recognized as a Technical Career Center that
Works by the Pennsylvania Department of
Education; participant in a 21st Century Grant
tion
with the school district and two other high
schools; choir
Points of pride: Students surpass promotion
and graduation requirements; students com-
and certifications; the integration of academic
comprehension; students win city and state
competitions within their career areas hosted
by industry and business partners; students
in national robotics competitions; students
recognized for service learning activities and
programs
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
THE ROAR (digital); students participate
in the Washington High School band; par-
a high school in Torun, Poland; automotive
an industry group which will lead to national
certification of our program
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field, Soccer,
Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Indoor Track and Field, Softball, Track and Field
Titles/Championships won: AA State Champions
in Girls’ Track
Efforts to improve dropout rate: We combine
a high quality college preparatory academic
curriculum integrated into award-winning,
industry-certified, career and technical programs
of study.
NEIGHBORHOOD
HIGH SCHOOLS
Charles V. Audenried High School
3301 Tasker St., 19145
Ph: 215-952-4801 Fax: 215-952-4805
Terry Pearsall-Hargett, Principal
Email: tpearsallhargett@phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 155 (9th grade only)
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Health and Electrical
Academies to open in September; the start of
an official sports program
Points of pride:
09 were promoted to 10th grade; a $4,000
donation for the library and uniforms by
Kal and Lucille Rudman, who have pledged
continued support; full inclusion classes for
students needing specially designed instruction;
basketball team in the Sonny Hill League;
students gained recognition for participation
in last year’s science and computer fair as the
only 9th graders in their areas
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Audenried News
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Lacrosse, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Students are
adults and to help with decision-making.
Students gain an understanding of their role in
the educational process and how the decisions
they make in and outside of school can impact
their lives.
John Bartram High School
2401 S. 67th St., 19142
Ph: 215-492-6450 Fax: 215-492-6117
Constance McAlister, Principal
Email: cmcalister@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philsch.k12.pa.us/Schools/bartram/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,354
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Assistant Principal Madalyn
Holiday; 22 new teachers
Points of pride: More than 125 students
participated in the Summer Bridge Program,
providing enrichment and remediation as well
as service learning in healthy eating, gardening,
recycling, and recreation for incoming 9th
graders; redesign of school into an academy
model that includes Freshman, Health,
Creative Arts, and Business and Technology
Academies; received $6.5 million Department
of Labor grant; division champs in football and
basketball; first place in the citywide cheerleader
competition
Activities & special programs: Published Summer
Bridge Newsletter; 20-member choir; state-ofthe-art
music program where students can record,
compose, and produce original music; music program
also includes a sound and video component
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross
22 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

NEIGHBORHOOD
HIGH SCHOOLS
Country, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Softball, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball,
Cheerleading*
Titles/Championships won: Division champions
in football and basketball; 1st place winner in
citywide cheerleader competition
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Mentorship
program; Saturday School program; alternative
program for over-age students; Educational Options
Program, which enables students to earn
degree after school hours
Charles Carroll High School
2700 E. Auburn St., 19134
Ph: 215-291-4707 Fax: 215-291-5174
Joyce A. Hoog, Principal
Email: jhoog@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/carroll/
2008-09 enrollment: 405
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: PIAA sports; entrepre-
to include sculpture and ceramics
Points of pride: Dual enrollment program
Society; chemistry and English benchmark
scores are higher than the District average;
peer mediation group has helped to resolve
con#icts; art club decorates halls; biology
club
Activities & special programs: Teen court; peer
mediation; SPIRIT program, which addresses
the need for student ownership and con#ict
resolution, giving students an opportunity to
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Indoor Track
and Field, Soccer
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Indoor Track
and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Stephen A. Douglas High School
2700 E. Huntingdon St., 19125
Ph: 215-291-4705 Fax: 215-291-4783
Patricia Parson, Principal
Email: pparson@philasd.org
2008-09 enrollment: 267
Admissions requirements: Formerly a citywide
admission school, Douglas is now a neighborhood
high school serving Kensington
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Vocal teacher; choir
Points of pride: Made AYP, 2008; dual enroll-
University; increase in benchmark scores;
Bible Club
Activities & special programs: Two school plays
held a year; partnership with Coalition of
Faculty; Philadelphia Cares; Champions of
Caring; Building Management and Work-based
Program, where every other week students
work in local businesses for school credit
Boys’ sports: Bowling
Girls’ sports: Bowling
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Offering more
curricular choices
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
Thomas Alva Edison High School/
John C. Fareira Skills Center
151 W. Luzerne St., 19140
Ph: 215-324-9599 Fax: 215-329-5824
David Lugo, Principal
Email: dlugo@phila.k12.pa.us
www.webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/e/
edison-fareira
2008-09 enrollment: 2,113
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Instrumental band program;
Ambassador Program
Points of pride: State-approved Career and
Technical Education programs; Home and
Society; student government
Activities & special programs: Chess Club;
robotics; Red Cross clubs; student success
center; parent resource room
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football,
Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Softball, Tennis, Track
and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Educational Options
Program gives students the opportunity to
earn their high school diploma after school hours
Samuel S. Fels High School
500 Langdon St., 19124
Ph: 215-537-2516 Fax: NR
Eileen Coutts, Principal
Email: ecoutts@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/fels
2008-09 enrollment: 1,498
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Education programs; brand new building; new
principal; honors courses offered for all core
Points of pride: Honors courses in math and
English; increase in the number of seniors taking
physics as their 4th science in their senior
year; chess team won city and state champion-
soccer team won division title; Honor Society
held record blood drive
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Panther Press; school play by performing
arts group; 30-member band; 40-member
choir; eight City Year clubs; robotics club; art
dent
of the month; MARS, male teen parenting
program; Sister to Sister, where senior girls
mentor younger students
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Softball, Tennis, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Keep parents
informed and involved through phone calls,
newsletters, interim reports, afterschool programs,
and home visits
Young Men’s Leadership School
at FitzSimons High School
2601 W. Cumberland St., 19132
Ph: 215-227-4431 Fax: 215-227-8662
Daryl Overton, Principal
Email: doverton@philasd.org
2008-09 enrollment: 401 (grades 7-12)
Student racial demographics:
Kensington High School has been divided up into schools that focus on business,
creative and performing arts, and culinary.
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Classroom technology
upgraded with Promethean Boards for interactive
instruction; Advanced Placement courses
in math and English; Department of Labor
Grant program implementation; all-male
choir; wellness program with newly equipped
fitness center
Points of pride: Only all-male District high
school; students involved in Summer Search;
Leon Sullivan Program for over-aged students;
first high school lacrosse team in the District;
tours of historically black colleges and universities;
basketball team made second round
of the playoffs its 2nd year; Summer Bridge
transition program sponsored by the Department
of Labor grant
Working together
We can make schools safe!
Educators and parents
agree – children need
safe, secure schools to
do their best work.
To make schools safe,
all the adults in children’s lives
must be on the same page
and enforcing them fairly and
consistently
who meet our expectations
for achievement and behavior
Frankford High School
5000 Oxford Ave., 19124
Ph: 215-537-2519 Fax: 215-537-2598
Reginald Fisher, Principal
Email: rfisher2@philasd.org
www.frankfordhs.phila.k12.pa.us/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,921
Student racial demographics:
(continued on page 24)
opportunities, and proactive programs to prevent threats,
bullying and assaults
Working together this year — parents,
teachers, staff — we can give kids the safe,
orderly learning environment they deserve
Harvey Finkle
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Ram Gram; 15-member band; intramural sports
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Football,
Lacrosse, Soccer, Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Credit recovery
and grade improvement; over-age program for
students to get back on track to graduate; parent
ombudsmen, student advisor, and others
assist students with attendance issues
Jerry T. Jordan
President
www.pft.org
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 23

NEIGHBORHOOD
HIGH SCHOOLS
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track
and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Field Hockey, Soccer (Spring), Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Benjamin Franklin High School
550 N. Broad St., 19130
Ph: 215-299-4662 Fax: 215-299-7285
Christopher Scott Johnson, Principal
Email: cjohnson@phila.k12.pa.us
www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/benfranklin
2008-09 enrollment: 617
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football,
Indoor Track and Field, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Indoor Track and
Field, Softball, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Horace Furness High School
1900 S. 3rd St., 19148
Ph: 215-952-6226 Fax: 215-952-8635
Timothy McKenna, Principal
Email: tmckenna@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/furness
2008-09 enrollment: 729
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Program @ Furness High School; Freshmen
Career Choices Seminar; music and mural arts
programs; Penn State University college advisor
on staff
Points of pride: Personal Learning Plans for
all students; 10 Classrooms for the Future
and three new computer labs; academic
partnerships with University of Pennsylvania,
California University of Pennsylvania,
Penn State University, and Johns Hopkins
University; CADE - Helping Children Make
Smart Decisions; Homework Zone - Tutoring
Program; 16 PIAA athletic teams; SAT
course on Saturdays
Activities & special programs: School play;
30-member choir; drama club; variety
club; AP English for 11th and 12th grades;
AP calculus; Chinese heritage language
and foreign language; Spanish heritage
language
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer (Spring), Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: ELECT Program
for teen pregnancies; social services; grade
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
Harvey Finkle
South Philadelphia High School provides three career academies for more than 1,000 students.
recovery and grade improvement; Multiple
Pathways to Graduation; student improvement
advisor and parent ombudsmen make tele-
Germantown High School
40 E. High St., 19144
Ph: 215-951-4004 Fax: 215-843-8946
Margaret Mullen-Bavwidinsi, Principal
Email: mmullen@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/germantown/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,189
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Academy-specific elec-
desktop publishing, psychology, drama, fashion
design, creative writing, art, and design;
success center; in-house suspension program;
Summer Bridge Program
Points of pride: U.S. Department of Labor
grant that has enabled the school to refine its
instructional program; AP courses offered in
English, U.S. government, U.S. history, calculus,
chemistry, and biology; 14 classes taught
via Classrooms for the Future using smart
equipment; chess; athletics
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Clipper; 10-piece band; debate
team; moot court program; Air Force JROTC;
instrumental music; photography; computer
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country,
Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Credit recovery;
afterschool mentoring program; con#ict
Program (EOP); Success Academy
Simon Gratz High School
1798 W. Hunting Park Ave., 19140
Ph: 215-227-4408 Fax: 215-227-7194
Vera L. White, Principal
Email: vwhite@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/gratz/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,325
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Learning Institute; new learning institutes:
Technical Education
Points of pride: Advanced Placement and honors
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Bulldog Courier; 25-member band;
25-member choir; photography club; chess
club; man-to-man and woman-to-woman character
building support groups; dual enrollment;
student success center; Education Works
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Indoor Track and
Field, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Indoor Track and Field, Softball, Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Omega program for over-age learners; Gratz
Connection outreach and truancy initiative
Kensington High School
for Business, Finance,
and Entrepreneurship
2501 Coral St., 19125
Ph: 215-291-5168 Fax: 215-291-5708
Eileen Maicon Weissman, Principal
Email: efmaicon@philasd.org
www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/kensington/
2008-09 enrollment: 499
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Softball,
Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Kensington High School for
Creative and Performing Arts
(Kensington CAPA)
2501 E. Cumberland St., 19125
Ph: 215-291-5010 Fax: 215-291-6334
Deborah Carrera, Principal
Email: dcarrera@philasd.org
www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/kensingtoncapa/
students.html
2008-09 enrollment: 509
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Softball,
Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Kensington High School
for Culinary Arts
2463 Emerald St., 19125
Ph: 215-291-5185 Fax: 215-291-6320
James Williams, Principal
Email: james2williams@philasd.org
www.webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/k/
kensingtonculinary
2008-09 enrollment: 522
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Softball,
Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Martin Luther King High School
6100 Stenton Ave., 19138
Ph: 215-276-5253 Fax: 215-276-5844
Kristina Diviny, Principal
Email: kdiviny@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/mlking/
2008-09 enrollment: 1,215
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Auto program; Allied
Health and PETRI Chemical program for dual
enrollment with CCP; development of interdis-
and data-driven instruction with daily staff
professional development; integration of new
-
KEY TO THE SCHOOL PROFILES
This is a directory of District and charter high schools. Each school profile includes the school name, contact information,
current principal (as of date of publication), and school Web site. All data that follow for District schools are from the School
District of Philadelphia. Charter school data are compiled from the District and from charter school annual reports.
Information in the following profile sections is self-reported by the schools: “What’s new this year,” “Points of pride,”
“Activities & special programs,” and “Efforts to improve dropout rate.” Admission requirements were still in flux at
press time. Check the District’s high school directory for final criteria.
Abbreviations used throughout the listings.
NR = No response by the school
NA = Not applicable or not available
* = These sports are not authorized for PIAA competition
PIAA = Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
CTE = Career and Technical Education
AYP = Adequate Yearly Progress
CSAP = Comprehensive Student Assistance Process
AP = Advanced Placement
24 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

NEIGHBORHOOD
HIGH SCHOOLS
Points of pride:
off the state’s persistently dangerous list; approved
CTE auto and health-related technology
that are career linked; Technology Is Power
(TIPS) lab offers Microsoft certification; Job
Readiness Development Center has employed
1,000-plus students; King Marketplace sells
fresh produce from school farm to the community;
comprehensive mural arts program
League team
Activities & special programs: School play;
20-member band; 25-member choir; drumline,
Red Cross Club, ROTC, drama club;
Legacy programs; entrepreneurship programs;
Seeds for Learning; Literacy Circle; Teens Go
Green
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football,
Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Soccer (Spring), Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball, Cheerleading*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Designated 9th
grade counselor to follow students; designated
repeater student counselor; intensive mentoring
program for 9th grade students; use of
Career Cruising Program; student support center
that includes mental and behavioral health
services; in-school suspension with counseling
services
Robert E. Lamberton High School
7501 Woodbine Ave., 19151
Ph: 215-581-5647 Fax: NR
Deborah Jumpp, Principal
Email: djumpp@philasd.org
2008-09 enrollment: 315
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Soccer
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Tennis, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Abraham Lincoln High School
3201 Ryan Ave., 19136
Ph: 215-335-5653 Fax: 215-335-5997
Donald Anticoli, Principal
Email: djanticoli@phila.k12.pa.us
www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/lincoln
2008-09 enrollment: 1,765
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
the-art computer technology in every class;
Red Cross Club; renewed partnerships with the
Philadelphia Academies to strengthen business,
community, and employer connections;
dual enrollment partnerships with Holy Family
University and Manor College
Points of pride:
boards in each classroom, four computer labs,
three additional computers per class; fully
250 of 262 seniors graduated as of August;
38 different sports and activities, including
academic tutoring and credit recovery; kicker
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
Harvey Finkle
Several neighborhood high schools have been renovated or completely transformed to give students
more state-of-the art learning environments.
and defensive back John Wilson made the
all-city team and was named most courageous
for overcoming multiple challenges, including
playing with only half of one of his arms.
Activities & special programs: Held a night
of four one-act performances in May 2009;
30-member band; 45-member choir; academies
include Horticulture, Law, Business
Information Technology, Health Sciences,
Environmental Sciences; 9th grade academy;
Air Force JROTC program;
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming and Diving,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Field Hockey,
Golf, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: 213 students
who are over-aged and under-credited have
enrolled in alternative academic programs;
U.S. Department of Labor grant aids in class
size reduction and more cogent curriculum
delivery; career success center, two additional
counselors, and three career counselors provide
more personal attention
Northeast High School
1601 Cottman Ave., 19111
Ph: 215-728-5018 Fax: 215-728-5004
Linda Carroll, Principal
Email: lmcarroll@phila.k12.pa.us
www.nehs.phila.k12.pa.us/new/index.php
2008-09 enrollment: 3074
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Small learning communities,
schools within a school, will operate with
more autonomy
Points of pride:ed
to Ivy League universities; 2009 valedictorian
named one of only five Annenberg Scholars
in the nation; International Baccalaureate
Program has coursework with rigor beyond
traditional AP courses. Over 60 activities: Ally
Club, school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, provides
a safe haven for students; community service
volunteered more than 250,000 hours; city’s
first high school Muslim Students Association
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Megaphone, Megaphone Online;
Broadway musical; multicultural play; marching
band; symphony orchestra; symphonic
-
rale, and select choirs. Clubs: IndoPak, Italian,
Academic League; student senate
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross
Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field,
Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and
Field, Volleyball, Wrestling, Badminton*
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Field Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Soccer
(Spring), Softball, Swimming and Diving,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Badminton*,
Cheerleading*
Titles/Championships won: 2009 Public League
Champion: Outdoor Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate: 9th grade
success program where at-risk students are
identified early and placed in a smaller, more
nurturing environment to better address their
needs; writing across the curriculum program
engage, and support students
Olney East High School
100 W. Duncannon Ave., 19120
Ph: 215-456-3014 Fax: 215-456-3064
Newton Brown, Principal
Email: neabrown@philasd.org
2008-09 enrollment: 874
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
activities
Points of pride: Two programs of study (Business
and Construction Technology) and one
for the Future
Activities & special programs: Theater class is
associated with Philadelphia Young Playwrights;
two plays; student government; various
clubs and organizations
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track
and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross
Country, Gymnastics, Soccer (Spring), Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Establishment
of an alternative program for over-aged and
under-credited students
(continued on page 26)
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 25

NEIGHBORHOOD
HIGH SCHOOLS
Olney West High School
100 W. Duncannon Ave., 19120
Ph: 215-456-0109 Fax: 215-456-0442
Barbara L. Wells, Principal
Email: baws@philasd.org
2008-09 enrollment: 964
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
arts program to include more art classes with
2D and 3D-design, vocal music, additional
drama courses, dance, music, and band
Points of pride:
enrollment program with LaSalle College;
mock trial team; student government; Mural
Arts Program
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Olney Times
model and team
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track
and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling.
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross
Country, Gymnastics, Soccer (Spring), Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Added a counselor
and community liaison to encourage
students to stay in school
Overbrook High School
5898 Lancaster Ave., 19131
Ph: 215-581-5507 Fax: 215-581-3406
Ethelyn Payne-Young, Principal
Email: eyoung@philasd.org
2008-09 enrollment: 1,633
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Received $6 million grant
from the U.S. Department of Labor to support
academic success
Points of pride:
mock trial team; robotics team has competed
nationally four years in a row; Scholars
division champs in football, girls’ softball,
and soccer; competitive chess team; drumline
and dancers
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Record
and several smaller productions; 16-member
drumline; 26-member choir; art classes; four
ence
through work with the Red Cross Club,
Future Business Leaders of America, shadowing,
and internships
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Indoor Track and
Field, Swimming and Diving, Track and Field,
Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Coun-
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
try, Indoor Track and Field, Soccer (Spring),
Softball, Swimming and Diving, Track and
Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Development of
a Learning to Work program through Multiple
Pathways that provides mentoring and social
service components to students who are two or
more years behind
William Penn High School
School temporarily closing in 2010; no new
students admitted
Rhodes High School – Young
Women’s Leadership School
2900 W. Clearfield Rd., 19132
Ph: 215-227-4402 Fax: 215-227-4926
Linda Cliatt Wayman, Principal
Email: lcliattwayman@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/rhodes
2008-09 enrollment: 435 (grades 7-12)
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Common planning time
for teachers; two new guidance counselors;
college-bound counselor; ELECT Program; Big
Sister Program; new advisory program; 9th
grade Heart-to-Heart Program
Points of pride: Met AYP in 2007; met AYP
seniors accepted in postsecondary institutions;
athletics; student government; GSA
Activities & special programs: Three school
plays; 30-member choir; dance team; art club;
poetry slam; college trips; student and community
retreats; four pathways to learning and
hood
education, health-related technology, and
architecture; Upward Bound
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Student retreats;
Comprehensive Student Assistance Process
(CSAP) interventions; monthly parent meeting;
small teacher-led personalized study groups;
ability
for all students
Roxborough High School
6498 Ridge Ave., 19128
Ph: 215-487-4464 Fax: 215-487-4843
Richard H. Jenkins Sr., Principal
Email: ricjenkins@phila.k12.pa.us
www.philasd.org/schools/roxborough/
2008-09 enrollment: 904
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: In-school over-age program
Points of pride: AP classes in art, biology, and
chemistry; web design program; Communications
- Radio, TV and Film; varsity sports
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Ridge Record; chess team; debate
winner in 2007 and 2008; Army JROTC; Man-
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Harvey Finkle
Audenried High School in South Philadelphia will launch an official sports program this year.
darin Chinese; partnership with Philadelphia
Academies Inc.
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country,
Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Softball,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Cheerleading*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Credit recovery;
after-school tutoring
Sayre High School
5800 Walnut St., 19139
Ph: 215-471-2904 Fax: 215-471-3486
Gayle Daniels, Principal
Email: gdaniels@phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 640
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Additional Advanced Placement
and honors courses; student success center
Points of pride: Dedicated and committed staff;
rigorous academic focus in all content areas;
Advanced Placement and honors classes; parents
are partners; Diplomacy Club; Garden Club;
Construction and Design Club; Chess Club
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Sayre Sabre Stars; band; 35-member choir;
Home and School Association; University of
Pennsylvania Medical Pipeline through partner-
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
for under-credited students; research-based
University of Pennsylvania student tutors
South Philadelphia High School
2101 S. Broad St., 19148
Ph: 215-952-6220 Fax: 215-551-2275
LaGreta Brown, Principal
Email: lbbrown@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/southphila
2008-09 enrollment: 1,175
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: International Center for
Leadership in Education Rigor & Relevance
model in all classrooms; 18 classrooms and
28 teachers in Classrooms for the Future;
opportunities for students to get on-track for
on-time graduation; upgraded Cisco Lab; choir
Points of pride: Three career academies: Law &
gram),
Hospitality & Tourism, Business & Information
Technology (Cisco Program); academies
are partnered with Communities in Schools or
Philadelphia Academies, Inc.; Advanced Placement
and dual enrollment courses; pilot site
for a Cisco Academy, where students have opportunity
to qualify for two technology certifications;
sports teams played in PIAA playoffs; two
winners in the citywide computer fair; JROTC
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Southern Charger; two student-run talent shows
and fashion show; drumline; Red Cross Club;
ership;
afterschool activities (including tutoring)
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Softball, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Students created
a Student & Family team to address absences,
tardiness, and truancy; introduced the Rigor
& Relevance model of classroom instruction
to enhance student engagement and studentcentered
classrooms
Strawberry Mansion High School
3133 Ridge Ave., 19132
Ph: 215-684-5089 Fax: 215-684-5380
Lois Powell-Mondesire, Principal
Email: lpowmondesire@phila.k12.pa.us
2008-09 enrollment: 494
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Softball, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
University City High School
3601 Filbert St., 19104
Ph: 215-387-5100 Fax: 215-387-6362
Tim Stults, Principal
Email: tstults@philasd.org
www.philasd.org/schools/ucity
2008-09 enrollment: 1,030
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
26 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

NEIGHBORHOOD
HIGH SCHOOLS
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:partment
of Labor grant to implement dropout
prevention programs and services; returning to
a small learning community organization
Points of pride: Community partnerships with
hospitals; computer-enhanced education support
systems allow students to work at their
own pace and from various locations; creditrecovery
program; Classrooms for the Future;
ton,
volleyball, and hockey; arts department
has murals created by local artists; mentoring
programs foster closer relationships with the
feeder middle schools
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Jaguar Times; two plays in 2008-09;
dance; arts and crafts; chess club; Carnegie
Math’s Cognitive Tutor Program
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Swimming
and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball,
Badminton, Hockey
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross
Country, Gymnastics, Soccer (Spring), Softball,
Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field,
Volleyball, Badminton, Hockey
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Use of U.S. Department
of Labor grant to improve the dropout
rate; Summer Bridge Program; quarterly course
grade and course credit audits; counselor driven
Roberts Vaux High School
2300 W. Master St., 19121
Ph: 215-684-5068 Fax: 215-684-5430
JoAnn Green, Principal
Email: jogreen@phila.k12.pa.us
www.robertsvauxhighschool.com
2008-09 enrollment: 450
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
George Washington High School
10175 Bustleton Ave., 19116
Ph: 215-961-2001 Fax: 215-961-2545
Kathy Pizzimenti-Murphy, Principal
Email: kmurphy@phila.k12.pa.us
www.gwhs.phila.k12.pa.us/
2008-09 enrollment: 2,071
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Common planning time
Points of pride: International Baccalaureate
Technology; $2.2 million scholarship and grant
money awarded to the class of 2009; football
championships in 2007 and 2008; wrestling
championship in 2008; every team made the
playoffs last year; choir, quarterly orchestra
and dance performances; yearly school play;
peer group connection, peer mediation, and
anti-violence coalition
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Eagle Eye; 75-member band; 75-member
choir; science fair competition; robotics; dual
enrollment. Academies: Culinary; Hotel, Restaurant,
Tourism, and Travel; Business Tech;
dents
represent 67 countries
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Football, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis,
Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Field Hockey,
Soccer (Spring), Softball, Swimming and Diving,
Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball
Titles/Championships won: 2008 Public League
AAAA Football Championship
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Credit recovery;
West Philadelphia High School
4700 Walnut St., 19139
Ph: 215-471-2902 Fax: 215-471-6402
Saliyah Cruz, Principal
Email: scruz@phila.k12.pa.us
www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/westphila/
2008-09 enrollment: 913
Student racial demographics:
% of English language learners:
% of special education students:
% receiving free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: 9th grade Success Academy;
Summer Bridge Program; cinematography
and film track in Urban Leadership Academy
will train students in Final Cut Pro software;
goal to have all seniors in paid internships;
peer mediation program; senior instructional
leadership corps (seniors paid as classroom
aides for 9th graders)
Points of pride: 9th Grade Success Academy;
Auto Academy; Urban Leadership Academy
empowers students to tackle community problems;
bowling team and girls’ badminton went
to the championships; the Stay-Safe Crew goes
Activities & special programs: 25-member gos-
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football, Indoor Track and
Field, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Indoor
Track and Field, Softball, Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Pathways Academy,
an evening program for over-age students;
Parent Ombudsman and student advisors do
home visits regarding truancy issues
KEY TO THE SCHOOL PROFILES
This is a directory of District and charter high schools. Each school profile includes the school name, contact information,
current principal (as of date of publication), and school Web site. All data that follow for District schools are from the School
District of Philadelphia. Charter school data are compiled from the District and from charter school annual reports.
Information in the following profile sections is self-reported by the schools: “What’s new this year,” “Points of pride,”
“Activities & special programs,” and “Efforts to improve dropout rate.” Admission requirements were still in flux at
press time. Check the District’s high school directory for final criteria.
Abbreviations used throughout the listings.
NR = No response by the school
NA = Not applicable or not available
* = These sports are not authorized for PIAA competition
PIAA = Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
CTE = Career and Technical Education
AYP = Adequate Yearly Progress
CSAP = Comprehensive Student Assistance Process
AP = Advanced Placement
Youth United for Change has chapters at several of the city’s neighborhood high schools.
CHARTER
HIGH SCHOOLS
Arise Academy Charter High
School (new school)
1101 Ludlow Street, 19107
Ph: 267-259-6559 Fax:
Roger Jackson Jr., CEO
Email: rjackson@ariseacademychs.com
www.ariseacademychs.org
Projected Enrollment: 200
Admissions requirements: Must be in the foster
care system, intent to enroll application, lottery
Student demographics:
What’s new this year: Arise is the first public
charter high school in the nation created
specifically to support students who are in the
foster care system.
Activities & special programs: After-school
program Monday-Thursday until 6 p.m. Students
can participate in a number of activities,
including drama, drumline, choir, instrumental
music, and more. Dinner served.
Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia
Charter School
5501 Cedar Ave., 19143
Ph: 215-387-5149 Fax: 215-387-5159
David P. Hardy, CEO
Email: dhardy@boyslatin.org
www.boyslatin.org
2008 Enrollment: 144 (grades 9 & 10 only in
two years in grades 9-12)
Admissions requirements: Attendance at information
session, interview, application
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Advanced Placement
teams; mock trial led by Philadelphia attorney
elective courses; music program (in addition to
WWW.THENOTEBOOK.ORG
Your source
for independent news
on the
Philadelphia schools.
Harvey Finkle
club); kiln in visual arts program; videoconferencing
room; library
Points of Pride: First and only single-gender
charter school in Pennsylvania; four required
years of Latin and classical studies; five stu-
Philadelphia public school in 40 years to have
a competitive Crew team and the first African-
American Crew team in the city; 74 of 240
students attend Saturday School twice monthly
for tutoring and small-group work sessions
Activities & special programs: School play, 2009
production of Our Town at the Freedom Theater;
8-member choir; 3-day per week mandatory
clubs, choices are model trains, chess, robotics,
drama, technology, film, music, and Latin.
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country,
Soccer, Football*, Crew*, Fencing*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Though no
seniors, curriculum has a preventive approach
to the dropout crisis by setting a tone of high
apply. All students are made aware that it is a
college preparatory school designed to prepare
them for graduation and higher learning.
Charter High School
for Architecture and Design
675 Sansom St., 19106
Ph: 215-351-2900 Fax: 215-351-9458
Peter Kountz, CEO
Email: pkountz@chadmail.us
www.chadphila.org
2008 Enrollment: 557
Admissions requirements: Multi-step application
with essay, interview, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
#oors in Center City building; creating a
library; adding two more computer labs for a
Points of Pride: In the 2008-09 school year,
developed a tutoring center with full-time
math and literacy coaches, which increased
student math and reading proficiency in the
PSSA; 11th grade math team placed 4th in
its first-ever competition last year; students
showcase their artistic talents at First Friday
celebrations in December and May; championship
chess club
Activities & special programs: Yearbook Club
Boys’ sports: Basketball
Girls’ sports: Basketball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Currently has a
(continued on page 28)
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 27

CHARTER
HIGH SCHOOLS
Community Academy of
Philadelphia Charter School
1100 E. Erie Ave. 19124
Ph: 215-533-6700 Fax: 215-533-6722
Joseph H. Proietta, Founder & CEO
Email: jproietta@communityacademy.org
www.communityacademy.org
2008 Enrollment: 1,202 (K-12)
Admissions requirements: Applications accepted
between Dec 15-Mar 31 for April lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Will present the school
Points of Pride:
accelerated courses; AP English, biology,
calculus, and American History offered;
20-30 students a year go on a trip overseas;
Bound School on scholarship; students
learn teamwork and sportsmanship through
the athletic program and collaboration and
music skills through the drumline; Student
Council teaches students civic pride through
philanthropic activities and self-worth, while
respecting others
Activities & special programs: Student-led
literary magazine, The Promethean Reader;
35-member choir
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Baseball, Indoor Track
and Field, Soccer
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer
(Spring), Softball, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Emotional
support team, consisting of social workers,
licensed therapists, counselors, two psychologists
and a psychiatrist, is available to all
students; students are referred or can choose
to see someone themselves
Delaware Valley
Charter High School
5201 Old York Rd.
Logan Plaza – Suite A, 19141
Ph: 215-455-2550 Fax: 215-455-5701
Ernest Holiday Jr., CEO/Principal
Email: eholiday@dvchs.net
www.dvchs.net
2008 Enrollment: 610
Admissions requirements: Application with two
teacher recommendations
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Adult and student workreadiness
employment program
Points of Pride: A safe and nurturing environ-
ing
AYP; basketball and football teams make
the playoffs each year; drama club; modeling
and fashion design program
Activities & special programs: School newspaper,
The Warrior; one annual school play
with three performances; culinary program
and dance team; careers program that offers
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country,
Football, Soccer, Swimming and Diving,
Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer
(Spring), Softball, Swimming and Diving, Track
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
Charter schools promote the option for students to choose a theme-based curriculum.
and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: A full-time
to Intervention academic assistance program;
student support services to assist students
gram
for all students
Eastern University Academy
Charter School (new school)
3300 Henry Avenue, 19128
Ph: 215-769-3123 Fax: 215-848-2561
Omar Barlow, CEO/Principal
Email: obarlow@eastern.edu
www.eastern.edu/academic/ccgps/ssc/
highschool/academy/index.html
Projected Enrollment: 124 in 7th and 9th grade
Admissions requirements: application
Student demographics:
What’s new this year:
provides a holistic, college-integrated learning
community dedicated to educating students in
passions and needs
Points of Pride: Motto: Think big, live on
ship
with Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa.,
students can earn up to 60 college credits
(free of charge) prior to graduating. Individualized
learning plans (ILPs) focus on students’
interests; weekly student internships; students
remain in the same advisory for 2-4 years with
colleges in Philadelphia
Activities & special programs: Part of the Big
Picture (www.bigpicture.org) and Early College
(www.earlycolleges.org) networks
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Fostering of
a college-going culture; creation of ILPs;
interest-based internships; real-world learning
opportunities such as field trips and service
learning activities
Esperanza Academy
Charter High School
301 W. Hunting Park Ave., 19140
Ph: 215-457-3667 Fax: 215-457-4381
David Rossi, CEO
Email: drossi@neacademy.org
www.neacademy.org
2008 Enrollment: 745
Admissions requirements: application, lottery, par-
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: The first-ever Esperanza
Film Festival of student-produced work; first
full-length musical
Harvey Finkle
Points of Pride:
teacher education, film, entrepreneurship, and
graduating students are accepted into college;
several received full scholarships to the Ivy
League; the #2 ranked cross-country runner
in the state last year; Green Team (an environmental
club), Gamers’ Club (video games),
and Academy Idol (school-wide talent show);
member of PIAA, multiple sports
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Esperanza Post; two school plays;
20-member band; 10-member salsa band;
15-member choir; charity and art clubs;
Puerto Rican Day Parade; debate team; incentive
program to earn points toward scholarship
money or gift cards; students take college
classes; international travel; ESL
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Football
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Softball, Cheerleading*
Titles/Championships won: Boys’ baseball, AA
Public League Champions for 2008-09
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Home visits to
days in a row; assess students who want to
drop out and develop an individually tailored
has kept many students in school and helped
them to graduate
Franklin Towne
Charter High School
5301 Tacony St., 19137
Ph: 215-289-5000 Fax: 215-535-8910
Joseph M. Venditti, Esq., CEO
Email: jvenditti@franklintowne.org
www.franklintowne.org
2008 Enrollment: 929
Admissions requirements: application, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
includes three additional computer labs for a
the-art science labs
Points of Pride: Has made AYP for three con-
-
program with multiple sports; Prep Zone,
which provides daily tutoring and academic
support services
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Frankford Arsenal; 15-member choir;
toring
Program, where upper classmen mentor
incoming freshmen to help with the transition
to high school
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Soccer, Track and Field,
Wrestling*
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Field Hockey, Soccer (Spring), Softball,
Track and Field, Cheerleading*
Titles/Championships won: Public League
Champions: AAA Champions in Baseball for
the 2008-2009 school year
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Redesigned the
guidance department to allow for a greater
academic focus; as a result the school has a
Freire Charter School
2027 Chestnut St., 19103
Ph: 215-557-8555 Fax: 215-557-9051
Kelly Davenport, CEO
Email: kelly@freirecharterschool.org
www.freirecharterschool.org
2008 Enrollment: 440 (grades 8-12)
Admissions requirements: application, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: A Math Center that will
help students achieve math proficiency; a
homework club, where students can go every
day after school to get assistance with homework
and other necessary supports
Points of Pride:ing
students matriculate to college; about
are behind in their math skills, but of these
or close to grade level by the end of their first
year at Freire
Activities & special programs: Con#ict Resolution
Program, which contributes to a school
that has no metal detectors or security
Center, where students and staff can come together
to think about, share and develop their
writing; talent show; fashion show
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football.
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Soccer (Spring), Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Provides support
programs such as after-school tutoring, The
Writing Center, The Math Center, intensive
reading and math courses during freshman
year, and individualized college counseling. As
a result of all of the supports, nearly all Freire
students graduate
Hope Charter School
2116 E. Haines St., 19138
Ph: 267-336-2730 Fax: 267-336-2740
Richard Chapman, CEO
Email: chaprich@hotmail.com
www.hopecschool.org
2008 Enrollment:
Admissions requirements: application, one-onone
assessment with applicant and teacher;
reduced-priced lunch
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Main goal is to provide a
student-friendly and comfortable environment
that is conducive to learning
Points of Pride: Small class sizes with 18-22
students; revamped curriculum that includes
new teaching resources in all content areas
uniquely designed credit recovery program that
allows students to recoup credits from failed
28 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

CHARTER
HIGH SCHOOLS
courses; after-school art club
Activities & special programs: Drama and dance
class held three performances during the
previous school year
Boys’ sports: Basketball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Cheerleading*
Titles/Championships won: Spirit Award
during the 2008-09 Citywide Cheerleading
Competition
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Students are
encouraged to participate in the credit recovery
Imhotep Institute
Charter High School
6201 N. 21st St., 19138
Ph: 215-438-4140 Fax: 215-438-4160
M. Christine Wiggins, CEO
Email: cwiggins@imhotephcharter.org
www.imhotepcharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 525
Admissions requirements: Registration and application
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: 9th grade students
will learn engineering from college faculty;
AP classes in English and history; Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)
program in the 9th grade
Points of Pride:
recipients; 11th graders and Peirce faculty
members play the Stock Market game; 11th
grade wins entrepreneurial competition; college
tours to several schools including Lincoln,
Cheyney, Temple, Hampton, Morehouse, and
Spelman; Performing Arts Program has a
team placed five members in state finals
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Nsaka SumSum; annual school play;
7-member band; 30-member choir; modern
and Afrikan dance; Afrikan drumming; martial
arts; Jaama, a college-readiness program
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Football,
Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Track
and Field
Titles/Championships won: Boys’ AA state Basketball
Championship in 2009
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
is an Afrikan concept about repetition, reawakening,
and healing of the wounded spirit; Maatic
Development: Restorative Justice Program; Rites
of Passage: Afrikan Socialization Process
Marianna Bracetti Academy
2501 Kensington Ave., 19125
Ph: 215-291-4436 Fax: 215-291-4985
Angela Villani, CEO
Email: avillani@mbacs.org
www.mbacs.org
2008 Enrollment: 1,155 (grades 6-12)
Admissions requirements: application, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of Pride:
Activities & special programs:
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
A classroom at Mastery-Shoemaker. Admission to charter schools is based on lottery.
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Track and Field
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Track and Field, Volleyball
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Maritime Academy
Charter School
2275 Bridge St., Building 107, 19137
Ph: 215-535-4555 Fax: 215-535-4398
Ann G. Waiters, CEO
Email: waiters@maritimecharter.org
www.maritimecharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 730 (grades 5-12)
Admissions requirements: application, including
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: A marine engineering
program where students will build engines and
boats
Points of Pride: Maritime studies; engineering;
environmental sciences; swimming; sailing;
scuba; and rowing
Activities & special programs: Sea Scouts
the school conducts a Maritime Festival Day
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: After-school
School; counseling program to help students
with family and personal problems; Summer
Bridge Program; constant family contact by
school’s social worker
Mastery Charter School
Lenfest Campus
35 S. 4th St., 19106
Ph: 215-922-1902 Fax: 215-922-1903
Scott Gordon, CEO
Email: scott.gordon@masterycharter.org
www.masterycharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 416 (grades 7-12)
Admissions requirements: application, lottery,
mandatory information session for parents and
students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Increased number of AP
Harvey Finkle
courses in biology, chemistry, literature, language,
calculus, and more; internships for all
10th graders; enhanced college readiness and
placement programs; choir
Points of Pride: In addition to this campus,
Mastery has converted three public schools to
charters (see below), all of which have substantially
increased reading and math scores
in all grades. Mastery has been recognized
Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) program
for dramatic gains in student achievement
on the 2007-2008 PSSAs; Shoemaker and
Lenfest Campuses were recognized as Gold-
Gain and Silver-Gain Schools, respectively;
Schools Venture Fund for teacher performance
lege
acceptance for our 2009 graduating class
at Lenfest; cycling team trained and participated
in its first triathlon; chess club students
advanced to state tournament; debate team
Competition
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
Lenfest Newsmances
of individual student actors’ monologues
held in 2008; two performances of the
25-member drumline; ballroom dance; debate
Boys’ sports: Baseball*, Basketball*
Girls’ sports: Basketball*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: The school
reports it does not have a dropout problem;
combines a rigorous academic curriculum with
tive
attention to culture; integrates modern
management and educational best practices to
drive a results-focused organizational culture;
so all students can achieve success
Mastery Charter School
Pickett Campus
5700 Wayne Ave., 19144
Ph: 215-866-9000 Fax: 215-866-9001
Scott Gordon, CEO
Email: scott.gordon@masterycharter.org
www.masterycharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 251; eventually 700 in
grades 7-12
Admissions requirements: application, lottery,
mandatory information session for parents and
students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Adding 10th grade; see
Mastery Lenfest, above
Points of Pride: See Mastery Lenfest, above
Activities & special programs: Hip-hop dance;
Mural Arts Club; Garden Club in partnership
with local community members and WYCK to
convert concrete plot to vegetable garden for
donations to local food shelters; chess team;
Yearbook Club; Cycling Club
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling,
Cross Country, Soccer, Distance Running*
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Soccer (Spring), Softball, Distance Running*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: See above. Mo-
Shoemaker, and Thomas since Mastery assumed
management.
Mastery Charter School
Shoemaker Campus
5301 Media St., 19131
Ph: 267-296-7111 Fax: 267-296-7112
Scott Gordon, CEO
Email: scott.gordon@masterycharter.org
www.masterycharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 314; eventually 650 in grade
7-12
Admissions requirements: application, lottery,
mandatory information session for parents and
students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Adding 11th grade; see
Mastery Lenfest, above
Points of Pride: See Mastery Lenfest, above
Activities & special programs: Two performances
of individual student actors’ monologues held
in 2008; hip-hop dance; Mural Arts Club;
Yearbook Club; debate team; chess team; Pep
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Lacrosse*, Soccer*,
Distance Running*
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Lacrosse*, Soccer*,
Distance Running*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: See above
Mastery Charter School
Thomas Campus
927 Johnson St., 19148
Ph: 267-236-0036 Fax: 267-236-0030
Scott Gordon, CEO
Email: scott.gordon@masterycharter.org
www.masterycharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 403; eventually 600 in
grades 7-12
Admissions requirements: application, lottery,
mandatory information session for parents and
students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Adding 12th grade, see
Mastery Lenfest, above
Points of Pride: See Mastery Lenfest, above
Activities & special programs: Yearbook Club;
Squad; Honor Society; Cycling Club
Boys’ sports: Baseball*
Girls’ sports: Softball*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: See Mastery
Lenfest, above
(continued on page 30)
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 29

CHARTER
HIGH SCHOOLS
The Mathematics, Civics and
Sciences Charter School
447 N. Broad St., 19123
Ph: 215-923-4880 Fax: 215-923-4859
Veronica Joyner, CEO
Email: info@mcscs.org
www.mcscs.org
2008 Enrollment: 896 (K-12)
Admissions requirements: Application, lottery,
preference given to siblings of students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Higher standards and
goals; teacher training to offer more advanced
math and reading classes; setting higher standards
for staff
Points of Pride:
million in student scholarships, almost all for
four-year schools; Stock market team came in
1st place out of 163 schools; students won a
$500 community service program award, which
they donated to a food program for the homeless;
basketball team went to state finals; students
published a book of positive comments
for police officers; student received a letter from
President Obama for community service
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The Elephant; ; 40-member choir; Black history
speech contest; keyboard instruction offered;
school uses academies so students choose
Making a Difference Every Day
Coach · Mentor · Support · Lead · Guide · Change
Help us provide year-round educational programs during
and after school to children, youth, and families throughout
Philadelphia and Trenton.
We are seeking men and women ages 17 to 80+ for part-time after
school and full-time AmeriCorps positions starting in September.
Experience mentoring and tutoring middle and high school youth is a plus.
Join us and receive:
Valuable training
re if qualified
rd for college tuition
Apply online at www.EducationWorks-online.org.
Questions? Please contact the Recruitment Department at 215-221-6913.
HIGHSCHOOL OO PROFILES
medicine, law, computer science, or accounting;
Boys’ sports: Basketball
Girls’ sports: Basketball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: The school
reports no dropout problem; works very closely
with families if there are issues concerning
transportation or clothes, investigates until
needs are met; has a no-failure policy
Mathematics, Science and
Technology (MaST) Community
Charter School
1800 E. Byberry Rd., 19116
Ph: 267-348-1100 Fax: 267-348-1217
Richard Trzaska, CEO
Email: rtrzaska@mastcharter.org
www.mastcharter.org
2008 Enrollment: 1,211
Admissions requirements: Application, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Way, focusing on Civil Engineering and Architecture;
two one-week interim elective sessions devoted
to a range of liberal arts courses including
Astronomy, History of Supreme Court, Accounting,
Poetry Workshop, and Intro to Education;
interactive white boards in all classrooms
Points of Pride:
advanced or proficient standing in math and
reading; Astronomy Program and Astronomy
Club has the largest telescope in the public
Harvey Finkle
According to Research for Action, 58 percent of District high school students are enrolled in schools
that they did not choose.
tend
college and universities; Environmental
Club and creation of an outdoor classroom for
-
Honor Society
Activities & special programs: Online newspaper:
The Panther Press; two school plays
in 2008-09; 100-plus piece orchestra; peer
mentoring between high school and elementary
students; program in Bio-technology and
Forensics; CISCO Certification Program in
Levels I and II: Introduction to Engineering
and Applied Engineering Principles; over
1,000 student computers
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Soccer (Spring), Softball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: The school
reports it does not have a dropout problem.
Multi-Cultural Academy
Charter School
3821 N. Broad St., 19140
Ph: 215-227-0513 Fax: 215-227-0415
Vuong G. Thuy, CEO
Email: thuyv@macs.k12.pa.us
www.macs.k12.pa.us
2008 Enrollment: 155
Admissions requirements: Application, mandatory
attendance for student and parent at
orientation meeting
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of Pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
New Media Technology
Charter School
8034 Thouron St., 19150
Ph: 267-286-6900 Fax: 267-286-6904
www.newmediatech.net
2008 Enrollment: 311
Admissions requirements: application, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
(2006-07 data)
What’s new this year: Internship Program is
technology
Program; will host science-related
Multimedia Program will include a radio broadcast
program in partnership with WURD 900
AM; Double-Dutch, homework help
Points of Pride:
attendance rate; met AYP in 2008 and 2009;
several students participated in the dual
enrollment program with Lincoln University; a
team of 9th grade students won third prize in
the Elite Business Plan Competition in 2008;
Jaguars, did well in the Public League, with
one student ranking in the top 10 and representing
the school in the state championship
Activities & special programs: Track, mock trial,
Entrepreneur Club, basketball (Junior Varsity
and Senior Varsity); drama club; cheerleading;
photography; web design; videography; oratorical
competition; Elite Business Program Club
Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Indoor Track and Field, Track and Field, Volleyball
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country,
Indoor Track and Field, Soccer (Spring),
Track and Field
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Intensive
community-building occurs between teachers
and students during the first week of school;
off-site retreats occur which allow all students
and faculty to begin relationship-building in a
fun and creative manner; relationships, rigor
and relevance are key factors that drive our
learning community
The Philadelphia Academy
Charter School
1700 Tomlinson Rd., 19116
Ph: 215-673-3990 Fax: 215-673-3341
Larry Sperling, CEO
Email: pacs2@hotmail.com
www.pacsweb.org
2008 Enrollment: 1,181 (K-12)
Admissions requirements: application, lottery,
preference given to siblings of enrolled students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Art III portfolio prep;
video editing (Technology - 3rd year); Spanish
for native speakers
30 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009

Points of Pride: Technology Program, which
includes digital photography, web design,
and video editing; Comprehensive Learning
Support Program; rigorous course of study
for college-bound students; Media Arts Club;
competitive Public League sports program;
Activities & special programs:paper:
Charger Times; annual school play;
10-member band; Science Club; Rocket Club;
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Soccer
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Soccer (Spring),
Softball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: The school
reports it does not have a dropout problem.
Philadelphia Electrical &
Technology Charter High School
1420-22 Chestnut St., 19102
Ph: 267-514-1824 Fax: 267-514-1834
Michael Nemitz, CEO
Email: nemitzm@pettech.org
www.pettech.org/
2008 Enrollment: 629
Admissions requirements: Application, lottery
if necessary, preference given to siblings of
enrolled students
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
Points of Pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball
Girls Sports: Basketball, Softball, Cheerleading*
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
The Preparatory Charter School
of Math, Science, Technology, &
Careers
1928 Point Breeze 19145
Ph: 215-334-6144
Fax: 215-334-6147
John Badagliacco, CEO
Email: jbadagliacco@msn.com
www.theprepcharterschool.org
2008 Enrollment: 588
Admissions requirements: application
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Library dedication in the fall
Points of Pride: All seniors apply to colleges
nearly all receive scholarships; made AYP for
the 2008-09 school year; Career Development
Internship program through which students
basketball team played for the Philadelphia
Public League championship; chess team contends
year after year; all boys’ and girls’ athletic
teams made it into post-season play; cheerleading
team placed second in the city competition
Activities & special programs: Annual play; two
talent shows per year; Drama Club; Yearbook
cil;
Chess Club; dance team; International Day
at which students select a country or region,
develop a theme, design costumes, prepare
indigenous food, perform local music and
recreate typical artwork.
Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer
Girls’ sports: Basketball, Softball
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Administrative
team, guidance counselors, and dean of students
closely monitor academic progress and
HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES
attendance of all students; teachers maintain
strong, positive relationships with students and
serve as role models; strong school-to-home
communication so parents and guardians
provide encouragement
Sankofa Freedom Academy
(new school)
4256 Paul St., 19124
Ph: 267-625-6796 Fax: 215-992-5423
Ayesha Imani, CEO
Email: ayeshaimani1@aol.com
www.sankofafreedomacademy.org
Projected Enrollment:-
Admissions requirements: application, lottery,
preference given to students from schools
identified by the District as overcrowded
Student demographics:
What’s new this year:
Points of Pride:
Activities & special programs:
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate:
Truebright Science Academy
Charter School
926 W. Sedgley Ave., 19132
Ph: 215-225-3437 Fax: 215-689-2500
Riza Ulker, CEO/Principal
Email: riza.ulker@truebright.org
www.truebright.org
2008 Enrollment: 192 (for grades 7-10)
Admissions requirements: application, lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
state-of-the-art science labs; two new computer
labs (one that will be entirely Macs); music
department; outdoor blacktop basketball court
and picnic tables; basketball team called The
Chargers; start of a study-abroad program
Points of Pride: Four members of the Science
Olympiad team won 3rd and 4th place medals
in the Robo-Cross and Elevated Bridge
Events at the 2009 PA Southeastern Regional
Science Olympiad —only charter or inner
city school among 37 competitors; Saturday
School for middle school students to improve
study and math skills; made AYP in 2008-
09; annual trips abroad to places such as
fashion show fundraiser featuring studentdesigned
outfits; Home Visit Program
Activities & special programs: Math Counts,
talent shows, horseback riding, bowling,
published inaugural yearbook, annual picnic,
Broad Street Run
Boys’ sports: Basketball*
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Will be instituting
a peer mediation team of staff and students
to prevent disagreements from escalating
and to come to peaceful resolutions
World Communications
Charter School
512 S. Broad St., 19146
Ph: 215-735-3198 Fax: 215-735-3824
Martin Ryder, CEO
Email: mryder@worldcomcs.com
www.worldcomcs.org
2008 Enrollment: 450 (grades 6-12)
Admissions requirements: Lottery
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year:
students that will be organized similar to a
university schedule; students will be able to
select electives based on their career interests;
new graphic design program
Points of Pride: Use of the Mastery Model of
Instruction, which means all students must
-
es
at area colleges and universities through
dual enrollment; internships for seniors who
rowing team; girls’ and boys’ basketball teams;
hosts Town Hall Meetings similar to those in
the political world
Activities & special programs: School newspaper:
The World Communications; two drama
club events held last year; 30-member choir;
ship
programs for parents and students
Boys’ sports: Basketball
Girls’ sports: Basketball*
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Reorganized the
parent program to increase parental communications,
support and interaction; infused more pro-
YouthBuild Philadelphia
Charter School
1231 N. Broad St., 3rd flr., 19122
Ph: 215-627-8671 Fax: 215-763-5774
Simran Sidhu, CEO
Email: ssidhu@youthbuildphilly.org
www.youthbuildphilly.org
2008 Enrollment: 214 (grade 12 only)
Admissions requirements: Application, interview,
returning dropouts
Student racial demographics:
% English language learners:
% special education students:
% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch:
What’s new this year: Construction Training
Program, where students will transform a
efficient home; vocational training, where
students will learn green-building techniques
such as weatherization, installing solar powered
water tanks and heating systems, and
using recycled materials for home interiors
Points of Pride:
received high school diploma; average class
size is 11; students complete 900 hours of
community service as part-time AmeriCorps
members; service learning classes two days
per week; 20 students and seven staff helped
build homes and potable water systems in
with Michelle Obama as keynote speaker
Activities & special programs: Fashion club;
cooking club; technology training program,
where students learn software, how to refurbish
computers and how to teach others to use
Program that allows students to sit for a state
term care facilities
Boys’ sports:
Girls’ sports:
Efforts to improve dropout rate: Staff calls students
regularly, holds progress meetings, and
provides tutoring and Saturday school hours;
students are supported by case managers
and mentors; students participate in weekly
issues they deal with in everyday life
WWW.THENOTEBOOK.ORG/JOIN-US
Guide 2009 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 31

fallguide
Get off to a good start: Be proactive
Tips for beginning this year –
and every year – right
by Alesha Jackson
As the school year begins, students
trade swimsuits for school books as they
return to their daily grind. No matter
the outcome of the year before, many
students will admit to some excitement
for the coming year. Miles Johnston, a
sophomore and football player at Central
High School, said, “Like most kids, I
miss the social aspects of school.”
But how can parents get their kids
off to a good start and ensure that this
year will be a successful one academically
and socially? Getting organized and
into a good routine is only one piece of
the puzzle.
For starters, be proactive from the
first day of school.
Encourage your child
to get help as soon as
questions come up,
rather than waiting
until report card time
to seek assistance.
“Our research
shows that 9th graders
who fail English or
math are 75 percent less likely to graduate
on time,” said Courtney Collins-
Shapiro, the District’s director of Multiple
Pathways to Education.
So, students who enlist assistance
early on are more likely to stay on track
with their credits.
“High school is very different from
middle school,” said Shapiro. “They’re
on the clock now. Everything counts.”
Rod Sutton, assistant principal at
University City High School, works
with incoming freshmen. He notes that
underclassmen can initially feel overwhelmed
by high school life.
“Sometimes freshmen get intimidated
by the environment. High school is
new, and sometimes it’s frightening.” He
encourages his students to create habits
that urge them toward success, such as
seeking out an advisor when they first
note there’s an issue.
To some degree, every parent will ready
their kids for the new school year with a
ritual of their own. But here are more tips
on how you can get your child off to a good
start not just this year, but every year.
Attend school and District events
One of the most important school
events is Back-to-School Night.
Dates for back-to-school nights are
determined by the individual schools,
but they are generally held September
through October. Vincent Thompson,
a spokesperson for the District, said
parents should check with their child’s
school for specific dates and encouraged
every parent to attend.
“It gives you a whole overview of
what the school is expecting to do, you
get to meet your kids’ teachers, the Home
and School Council leadership, and you
get valuable information about the school
and what’s expected of parents and students,
with the goal for everyone to have
Encourage your child
to get help as soon
as questions come up,
rather than waiting
until report card time
to seek assistance.
a successful school year,” Thompson said.
October is Parent Appreciation
Month in Philadelphia, and the District’s
Office of Parent, Family, Community Engagement
and Faith-Based Partnerships is
organizing a variety of districtwide events
– beginning with a parent appreciation
fair on Saturday morning, October 3 and
ending with the kickoff for the District’s
Parent University on October 24, both at
440 N. Broad Street.
Events like the District’s Annual
Back-to-School Block Party are another
avenue for collecting resources and establishing
connections with teachers,
staff, and other parents. Generally held in
August, the free daylong event sponsored
by the District and Radio One, draws
thousands of people citywide to District
headquarters for information on every-
thing from student
health to Advanced
Placement courses.
Food, fun activities,
and giveaways are
also a part of the day.
At this year’s event,
over 4,500 students
received a backpack
stuffed with supplies.
“We wanted to provide parents with
the resources to be fully school-ready and
create stronger parent connections to
schools,” said Karren Dunkley, Deputy
Chief of the Office of Community and
Family Engagement, who helped coordinate
the event.
Get involved at school
When it comes to exercising the
District’s core value of “parents as our
partners,” Hunter Elementary parent
Nilda Domenech has taken parent
participation to heart. Through the
District’s Parent Scholar Program, she
trained to work in classrooms as a Supportive
Services Assistant and now she
works at Hunter as a SSA.
“The school always reached out to
us and I wanted to stay [a] part of it,” she
said. “[Plus] I want to see with my own
eyes exactly what’s going on.”
Community members and families
appreciate invitations to participate in
school experiences, even once kids are
older, Domenech said.
Gerald Wright, who has two daughters
in 3rd and 8th grade at J.S. Jenks,
stressed the importance of being involved
and building relationships at school.
“Contact the principal and teachers
early on to talk about new things that may
be happening or the focus for your child’s
grade level. What’s their plan? What’s the
goal? And then be prepared to assist your
child with whatever they need,” he said.
“Also, find out the teacher’s preferred
way of being contacted – get their phone
number or email address. We have to make
sure that teachers can contact us as well.”
For parents, participation can also
mean helping to shape some of the social
aspects that are important to a student’s
academic success.
For high schoolers, social connections
at home, in school, and in the
School District of Philadelphia
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman greeted families at the District’s second annual back-to-school
block party. District and school events like this are good opportunities to stay on top
of educational developments and available resources.
community are essential.
Brian Rahaman, director of out-ofschool
services at Sayre High School,
stresses that social outlets keep students
engaged. Rahaman runs a unique afterschool
program for kids in grades 9-12.
During the school year, students select
an area of focus and execute real-world
projects based on their interests.
“This allows students to connect
what they’re learning in the classroom
with things they want to do in real life,”
he said. “Whether they’re playing an instrument,
playing sports, or designing a
program, they have got to be connected
to school via more than just their classes.”
Summer activities important too
Don’t wait until the first day of
school to get all of your ducks in a row.
Start early.
Domenech, whose son Jonathan is
entering first grade at Hunter, enrolled
him in summer enrichment classes to
keep him sharp for the upcoming school
year. Jonathan wasn’t alone. In fact,
more than 30,000 students enrolled in
the District’s summer school and enrichment
programs. Rising 9th graders participated
in a handful of Summer Bridge
programs held at seven comprehensive
high schools to obtain resources, strategies,
and tips for high school success.
“Summer Bridge focuses on the
transition from 8th grade to high school
and the skills that students need to be
successful as 9th graders and ultimately
through their high school career,” said
Tanya Ruley, program manager for Multiple
Pathways to Graduation.
Kinsey Elementary School principal
Betty Richardson also suggested that
during summer school parents check in
often with teachers about their children’s
progress. Attending summer school has
always been a popular option to not only
help kids catch up with coursework, but
also keep them engaged in academics
and ready to go back to school.
Regular visits to the neighborhood library
during the summer months can also
be a good strategy for getting prepared.
According to Vanessa Irvin-Morris, a
former librarian and current professor in
Drexel’s College of Information Sciences
and Technology, summer reading at the
library keeps kids sharp year-round.
“It’s a place where people can exchange
ideas,” said Irvin-Morris, who
ran a book club for teen girls. “Books
help kids stay refreshed, so that they
don’t go back to school groggy.” She also
said that selecting texts to read daily
also reinforces kids’ academic interests
throughout the school year.
Find a mentor
While the counselor-to-student ratio
will be improved this year because of an
increase in the number of guidance counselors,
it can help to also identify a mentor
for your child – someone who can provide
individualized attention and additional
resources that you can use to guide your
child’s academic future.
Maurice Watson, director of climate
at Boys’ Latin Charter School, coordinates
the school’s Extended Family Network
(EFN), a schoolwide program that
connects each student with three mentors.
These mentors, or Parent-led Team
Members, log in at least 40 hours of interaction
with students each grading period.
And they aren’t just parents, either.
“We recognize that kids are influenced
by multiple people, and so we want
to invite them to play a formal role in the
student’s success,” Watson said.
Finding a mentor who’s right for
your child does require some effort, but
you can start right at your child’s school.
Seven comprehensive high schools that
received U.S. Department of Labor grants
last June are required to implement mentoring
programs at their schools. But if
your child does not attend one of these
schools (Bartram, FitzSimons, Germantown,
Lincoln, Overbrook, University
City, or West Philadelphia), not to worry.
“There are so many resources in
Philly,” said Rahaman. “Agencies, parents,
and school leaders (just need to)
come together to ensure that our kids are
more involved and engaged.”
Alesha Jackson is a member of the Notebook
editorial board and a graduate student at the
University of Pennsylvania.
32 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2009