Learn About Your Options - Philadelphia Public School Notebook

P.13 en español: Admisión a la escuela superior 

www.thenotebook.org Vol. 19 No. 1 2011 

Looking ahead to 

high school 

Learn 

About 

Your 

Options

tableofcontents 

LOOKING AHEAD TO HIGH SCHOOL 

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A note from the editor 

Doing more with less 

These neighborhood schools are actively recruiting 

Students face long odds at many popular schools 

Where are students applying? Where are they getting in? 

A timeline for choosing 

Getting into high school: Commonly asked questions 

Applying to high school is a family affair 

En español 

Gearing up for college: High school programs 

Profiles: Special admission high schools 

Philadelphia’s District and charter high schools: How are they doing? 

Profiles: Citywide admission high schools 

Profiles: Neighborhood high schools 

Profiles: Charter high schools 

Where to go online for lots more info 

Who ya gonna call? 

More online at www.thenotebook.org 

Cover design by Joseph Kemp; school photos by C. Shonda Woods 

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anotefromtheeditor 

To our readers, 

Welcome to our third annual fall guide, the first rst of of six six 

Notebook print editions for the school year. Each September we 

try to provide you with vital information in an issue designed 

to be kept as a reference. 

This fall, besides telling you about the many changes in 

the District, we are again spotlighting the city’s public high 

schools. The decision about where to go to high school is a 

big one – families should be thinking about it well before 

8th grade. 

We’ve provided detailed profiles of more than 90 schools 

and data on how their students are doing. Some new topics we 

cover this year include the odds of getting into different 

schools and some high school programs aimed to give students 

a head-start on college. 

We try to break down the high school situation for you 

because the admissions process is a complicated one. The long 

list of high school options can be bewildering. It’s important 

for students and parents to understand how their academic record 

can affect their options. 

And not all options are created equal. The statistics in 

our center spread show that in some schools, nearly every entering 

9th grader graduates four years later. At others, fewer 

than half of students make it through. Our school profile section 

shows that some have rich arrays of programs and activities, 

while others have fewer special offerings. 

The local group Research for Action has found that students 

who are Black, Latino, male, or in special education are 

less likely to end up attending one of the schools they sought 

in the high school selection process. Hopefully this guide is 

a step toward giving everyone a more equal shot in the process 

by providing good information to all. Equally important, given 

the deep inequities in the system, we hope to provide our readers 

with the information they need to be advocates for change. 

Look for stories from our previous guides and additional 

tools for learning more about high schools in our expanded 

online version at www.thenotebook.org. 

If you find this guide valuable, we encourage you to become 

a member of the Notebook. As a reader-supported, nonprofit 

news organization since 1994, we depend on your contributions 

to maintain our independent watchdog role. We welcome your 

feedback – our contact information is on page 3. Best wishes 

for the new school year! 

Paul Socolar 

Editor and director 

An independent, nonprofit 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, Jolley Bruce Christman, Derrick Gantt, Abigail Gray, Helen Gym, 

Harold Jordan, Len Rieser, Brett Schaeffer, Mary Ann Smith, Ron Whitehorne, Jeff Wicklund 

Editor and director: Paul Socolar 

Managing editor: Wendy Harris 

Contributing editor: Dale Mezzacappa 

Education reporter: Benjamin Herold 

Web editor: Erika Owens 

Operations/business manager: Corey Mark 

Development and Membership Associate: Allison Budschalow 

Outreach fellow: Jason Lozada 

Design: Joseph Kemp 

Photography: Harvey Finkle 

Copy editor: Juli Warren 

Spanish translation: Mildred S. Martínez 

Editorial assistance: Len Rieser, Sandy Socolar 

Interns: April Lin, Katrina Morrison, Jeniffer Valdez, Avi Wolfman-Arent, C. Shonda Woods 

Distribution: Ashley Arnwine, Rebecca Bradley, Ron Whitehorne, Salvation Army 

Special thanks to… Our members, advertisers, and volunteers who distribute the Notebook. Funding 

in part from the Barra Foundation, Citi, Communities for Public Education Reform, Samuel S. Fels 

Fund, Hamilton Family Foundation, Allen Hilles Fund, Patricia Kind Family Foundation, John 

S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Union Benevolent Association, William Penn Foundation, 

Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial, and from hundreds of individuals. 

2 Philadelphia Public School Notebook Guide 2011

what’snewinthedistrict 

Doing more with less 

As the school year starts, 

budget cuts, staffing 

challenges, and leadership 

turmoil will force Philly schools 

to make hard decisions. 

by Benjamin Herold 

A new acting superintendent. 

Hundreds fewer teachers and support 

staff. 

And perhaps most challenging of all, 

roughly $320 million less in the District’s 

coffers, which means cuts in everything 

from new textbooks to school nurses. 

Such are the realities facing a District 

that enters the new school year 

needing to do more with less. 

“This is a really important time. We 

need everybody who has anything to do 

with educating children to feel as though 

they are part of the solution,” said Leroy 

D. Nunery II, who was named acting superintendent 

August 22. 

Nunery assumes control of a District 

in transition. 

More than 60 principals are starting 

the year at new schools, numerous 

school closings are expected to be announced 

this fall, and a statewide probe 

into possible cheating on standardized 

tests could soon deepen. 

In addition, the District has also 

been staggered by recent events, including 

the messy and protracted departure 

of former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, 

the continued statewide push to 

expand charter schools and voucher options, 

and unprecedented reductions in 

federal and state financial support. 

The funding cuts will impact schools 

directly. At Benjamin Franklin High in 

North Philadelphia, for example, Principal 

Christopher Johnson says his budget 

has been slashed by 38 percent. In practical 

terms, that means 16 fewer teachers, 

average class sizes that have risen from 

23 to 32 students, and the closing of the 

popular student success center that for 

years helped students prepare for college. 

“Were we hit hard? Yes. Did they 

take everything? Not even close,” said 

Johnson, who remains positive despite 

the challenges. 

Indeed, the forecast for this school 

year is not all doom and gloom. 

The District is coming off its ninth 

straight year of standardized test score 

gains, a streak it hopes to continue by 

carrying on with the key components of 

Imagine 2014, Ackerman’s five-year strategic 

plan. 

Despite apocalyptic predictions dur- 

aboutthenotebook 

ing the budget process, critical programs 

and services like full-day kindergarten, 

instrumental music, and free transportation 

for most students remain intact. 

A new educational accountability 

agreement between the city, state and 

District offers hope of more transparency 

in the District’s finances and decisionmaking. 

And through the Renaissance 

Schools initiative, added resources and 

hopes for overhaul are coming to six of 

the District’s historic – but troubled – 

neighborhood high schools. Audenried, 

Simon Gratz, and Olney are among the 

seven low-performing schools handed 

over to Renaissance charter operators. 

Germantown, Martin Luther King, and 

West Philadelphia high schools are the 

District’s three new Promise Academies. 

“We’re trying to present the prudent 

course of action and extend what 

good work has already been done,” said 

Nunery. 

Starting over 

But for many schools, staying the 

course will not be an option this year. 

For instance, at Potter-Thomas Elementary 

School in Kensington, Principal 

Dywonne Davis-Harris is starting 

over for the second year in a row. 

Potter-Thomas is one of the District’s 

original Promise Academies, or 

internal turnaround schools. Two weeks 

before school, Davis-Harris still had 

more than 20 vacant teacher positions 

to fill. What was supposed to be a year 

of continued growth for an established 

instructional team turned into a lastminute 

scurry to plug holes. 

“Each year, the children are seeing 

different faces,” said Davis-Harris, who 

described the staffing situation as “disheartening.” 

Potter-Thomas is not alone. 

On the heels of the massive budget 

cuts and protracted legal battles between 

the District and the teachers’ union over 

how to handle more than 1,200 teacher 

layoffs, the District is facing significant 

staffing challenges. 

Hundreds of the laid-off teachers 

were reinstated, but things were in flux 

until the last minute. Many frustrated 

teachers say they spent the summer in 

limbo, waiting to learn if they would 

have jobs and where they might be assigned. 

Many took other positions elsewhere 

while waiting. For those who were 

placed, the turmoil and confusion means 

less time to prepare for the specific grade, 

subject, and students that they teach. 

The Philadelphia Public School Notebook is an independent news service whose mission is to 

promote informed public involvement in the Philadelphia public schools and to contribute to the development 

of a strong, collaborative movement for positive educational change in city schools and for schools 

that serve all children well. The Notebook has published a newspaper since 1994. 

Philadelphia Public School Notebook is a project of the New Beginning Nonprofit Incubator of Resources 

for Human Development. Send inquiries to: 

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The Notebook is a member of the Sustainable Business Network and the Investigative News Network. 

Nunery is new acting schools chief 

Leroy D. Nunery II describes 

himself as a “God-fearing, intellectually 

curious, entrepreneurially minded, 

technologically able and pragmatic 

African-American man.” 

He is also the School District of 

Philadelphia’s new acting superintendent. 

Prior to his elevation to schools 

chief, Nunery, 55, served as deputy 

to departed Superintendent Arlene 

Ackerman, where he made a salary of 

$230,000. He previously served as 

the District’s chief of institutional advancement 

and strategic partnerships. 

He was a finalist in the District’s 2008 

superintendent search that led to the 

hiring of Ackerman. 

Nunery has an extensive background 

in the private sector, including 

a two-year stint overseeing the charter 

school division of the former Edison 

Schools, a controversial for-profit educational 

management company. He 

was not directly involved in their 2002 

takeover of 20 schools in the city. 

He also worked as the vice president 

of business services at the University 

of Pennsylvania, where he 

helped oversee the revitalization of the 

University City neighborhood. 

“He is a heart and soul kind of 

guy,” said current Drexel President 

John Fry, who was Nunery’s boss at 

the time. “Anyone who has worked 

with him will tell you about his work 

“Our goal is to have a qualified 

teacher in every classroom,” said PFT 

President Jerry Jordan. 

The District also enters the new 

school year with a significantly reduced – 

and reorganized – non-instructional staff. 

All told, the 2,418 people affected by the 

District’s “reduction in force” included 

739 non-instructional school-based personnel, 

such as per diem school safety officers, 

and 457 central office staffers. 

Among the hard-hit departments at 

440 North Broad is the District’s finance 

office, which is set to lose more than half 

its staff. 

And though the District still counts 

a total of nine academic subdivisions, 

some have been reshuffled. Middle 

schools are now folded into the divisions 

that include their neighborhood 

elementary schools. 

A relative newcomer, Joel Boyd, is 

now in charge of the District’s 11 total 

Promise Academies, and veteran District 

administrator John Frangipani now 

heads a new, separate division for the 

District’s 13 Renaissance charter schools. 

Some central office changes will be 

directly felt by students, parents, and 

community members. 

For example, Parent University, 

which provides classes and enrichment 

opportunities to parents across the city, 

saw its budget slashed by 45 percent. 

There will also be fewer services and 

supports available to immigrant students 

and families for whom English is a second 

language. Two of the District’s four 

Benjamin Herold 

Leroy D. Nunery II became acting superintendent 

in August, replacing Arlene Ackerman. 

ethic and the energy he brings.” 

Nunery has been a player in some 

of the recent controversies that have 

besieged the District. He has declined 

to talk publicly about his participation 

in a secret, closed-door conversation 

about what company would manage 

the conversion of Martin Luther King 

High School into a charter school. 

Reporting on that March meeting 

by the Notebook and NewsWorks.org 

helped prompt an investigation by Mayor 

Michael Nutter’s chief integrity officer, 

Joan Markman. As of late August, 

the investigation was still ongoing. 

For more breaking news, go to 

www.thenotebook.org. 

–Benjamin Herold 

Newcomer Learning Academies are being 

closed, and the number of bilingual 

counseling assistants has been cut from 

103 to 58. 

Some advocates are concerned. 

“The real question is whether, when 

a non-English-speaking parent needs 

help from a person who speaks their language, 

a person will be available – where 

they’re needed, when they’re needed, 

and with the right skills and training,” 

said Len Rieser, executive director of the 

Education Law Center. 

A changing landscape 

After the Notebook uncovered a 

Pennsylvania Department of Education 

report that flagged dozens of schools 

across the city and state for possible 

cheating on 2009 state standardized 

tests, District officials say changes are 

coming to test administration and monitoring 

protocols this year. 

And there could be more fallout – 

further statistical analysis of 2010 and 

2011 test results is expected this fall. 

Also new in 2011-12 are two school 

consolidations and five grade configuration 

changes – the first steps in what the 

District promises will be a comprehensive 

new facilities master plan. 

In October, the District intends to 

announce what could be dozens of additional 

closings and other “rightsizing” 

actions. Following three months 

of public hearings, those recommendations 

could be voted on by the School 

(continued on page 4) 

Guide 2011 Philadelphia Public School Notebook 3

Dear Friends of Philadelphia Futures 

and White-Williams Scholars, 

On July 1, 2011, White-Williams Scholars and Philadelphia Futures 

— organizations that have helped thousands of Philadelphia students 

achieve their potential by building a foundation for success in 

college — became one organization. 

White-Williams Scholars and Philadelphia Futures are now united in 

a combined mission to provide a broad range of high potential, collegebound 

Philadelphia students with deep, rigorous, life-changing programs 

and resources as they make their journey to and through college. 

This bold, exciting step leverages the effectiveness, expertise and 

resources of both organizations, and will dramatically expand the reach 

and depth of our relationships with students, parents and our 

school district and college partners. 

Service to our students remains of paramount importance to us. Accordingly, 

during 2011–2012, all White-Williams Scholars’ and Philadelphia Futures’ 

programs and services will continue uninterrupted as we set our course 

for the future. 

PROGRAM OFFERINGS 2011–2012 

Sponsor-A-Scholar Program 

Currently recruiting for the High School Class of 2015. 

CONTACT: Ann-Therese Ortíz 

215.790.1666 x 421 

White-Williams Scholars 

College Connection Program 

For current participants in the High School Classes of 2012 and 2013 only. 

CONTACT: Jason Smith 

215.735.4480 x 209 

White-Williams Scholars Stipend Program 

and Back-on-Track 

For current participants in the High School Classes of 2012 and 2013 only. 

CONTACT: Ebonye Holmes 

215.735.4480 x 203 

Charles Ellis Trust for Girls 

Accepting applications for all High School Classes. 

CONTACT: Rafaela Torres 

215.735.4480 x 205 

Step Up to College Guide 

Watch for an October release date. 

CONTACT: Erin Kane 

215.790.1666 x 422 

We look forward 

to working with 

YOU! 

A Union of White-Williams Scholars&PHILADELPHIA 

FUTURES 

www.philadelphiafutures.org 

what’snewinthedistrict 

Benjamin Herold 

Katharine Harvey teaches at Clemente Middle School, a Promise Academy with staffing challenges. 

New school year 

(continued from page 3) 

Reform Commission as early as January 

2012. The goal is to shed 35,000 empty 

seats and realign the District’s physical 

plant to account for the city’s changing 

population and the continuing tide of 

students moving to charters. 

In the past five years, the District 

has lost 11,000 students, many to charter 

schools, including the charter conversions 

that are part of the Renaissance 

initiative. 

In the next three years, District officials 

expect to lose 10,000 more stu- 

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DVHS-Bucks/Montco 

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Warminster, PA 18974 

DVHS-Southwest 

6404 Elmwood Ave. 


DVHS-Berks/Montco 

692 E. Schuylkill Road 

Pottstown, PA 19465 

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T: 215-677-6107 

www.dvhs.org 

Board members proudly serving the Commonwealth 

of Pennsylvania, fifteen Local School Districts, 

including the Philadelphia School District 

Board members striving to effectuate positive change 

to improve statewide standards for alternative education 

in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 

David T. Shulick, Esquire, President 

Mattie Thompson, CEO/CAO 

Licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 

Alliances: 

Additional Local Community Alliances to 

Support Student Success 

dents. Neighborhoods like North Central 

and West Philadelphia are projected 

to continue experiencing a steep decline 

in the number of school-aged children 

attending traditional public schools. 

Among the schools changing their 

configurations this year are Mann and 

Smedley elementaries, both Renaissance 

schools run by Mastery Charter. Both are 

adding a 6th grade. 

In Northeast Philadelphia, Hancock 

Elementary and LaBrum Middle School 

are now consolidated into one school 

under a single administration. 

Also part of the facilities plan, 

eight unused District properties, including 

the old Ada Lewis Middle 

School in East Germantown, are now 

for sale. Their disposition will be guided 

by a new “Adaptive Reuse Policy,” 

which District officials hope will allow 

for the speedy sale of surplus property 

and help facilitate the buildings’ conversion 

to community or educational 

purposes. 

One new school building is opening 

this year – West Philadelphia High, 

which is moving into a new $53 million 

facility down the street from its historic 

home at 47th and Walnut Streets. 

The building is not all that’s new 

at West, however. Former Mastbaum 

principal Mary Sandra Dean will be 

the school’s fifth leader in the past 13 

months, a consequence of the school’s 

rocky transition to a Promise Academy. 

West will also be opening with an 

almost entirely new teaching staff, just 

one year after turning over 40 percent of 

its teachers. 

With the start of school fast approaching, 

rising senior Kyhare Moore 

is both apprehensive and skeptical about 

all the changes. 

“You can make it look nice and you 

can give new school uniforms, but [it’s] 

still going to be West,” said Moore. 

Ben Herold is an education reporter for the 

Notebook and WHYY’s NewsWorks. 

Clearing the record 

The school year calendar that appeared 

in the Summer 2011 edition of 

the Notebook contained two erroneous 

dates. The correct calendar appears on 

page 13 of this edition. 


lookingaheadtohighschool 

These neighborhood schools are actively recruiting 

Mastery’s and ASPIRA’s 

Renaissance charters hope 

to stem the flow of transfers 

to other high schools. 

by Paul Jablow 

Avvonya Payne was so determined 

this summer to get her daughter Alicia 

into a good, safe school that if need be, 

“I’d have sold my house and gone into a 

shelter.” 

But she was confident that wouldn’t 

be necessary when neighborhood recruiters 

from Simon Gratz High School spotted 

Alicia on the street and convinced her this 

was where she belonged. “Mom,” she said 

when she got home. “This is the school I 

want to go to.” 

“It was like the heavens opened up 

and God answered my prayers,” her mother 

said as she sat in the office of the school’s 

new principal, LaQuanda Jackson. 

Payne had been unhappy with conditions 

at Northeast High School, where 

Alicia went last year. And Gratz – one 

of 19 Philadelphia schools on the federal 

persistently dangerous schools list – ordinarily 

might not have been considered an 

escape hatch. 

But Gratz’s new operator, Mastery 

Charter Schools, is determined to change 

both the reputation and the reality. It has 

been a war waged on two fronts - planning 

changes at the school and selling 

those changes to neighborhood residents 

who might otherwise have their children 

apply elsewhere. In Alicia’s case, they said 

she would be walked to school if that’s 

what it took. 

Similar recruitment efforts are taking 

place at another neighborhood high 

school, Olney, under a new operator, AS- 

PIRA of Pennsylvania. 

Both were named Renaissance 

Schools by the District earlier this year and 

both are trying to attract more neighborhood 

students who otherwise might have 

transferred out, or tried to. 

“We’re trying to encourage more 

neighborhood kids to come back,” says 

Courtney Collins-Shapiro, deputy chief 

innovation officer of Mastery. 

“By next year we hope the word will 

be out that we’ve turned the school around 

... that it’s a good place to be.” 

Both Gratz and Olney have used mailings, 

information sessions, home visits, and 

neighborhood recruiting to try to fill their 

enrollments. Mastery paid community residents 

to recruit and even used paid radio 

spots and two billboards on Hunting Park 

Avenue. The schools also worked through 

community organizations to spread the 

word. (Officials at a third new Renaissance 

high school, Audenried, say they expect to 

fill the school without major recruiting efforts). 

Remaking the schools’ image is a formidable 

task. According to District figures 

for 2010, 60 percent of students in the 

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October 19, 2011, 6 p.m. • The Union League of Philadelphia 

Honoring: 

Jane Golden, Executive Director, Philadelphia Mural Arts Program 

Rue Landau, Executive Director, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations 

Chris Satullo, Executive Director of News and Civic Dialogue, WHYY 

Harris Sokoloff, Executive Director, Penn Project on Civic Engagement, 

University of Pennsylvania 

Tickets are $100 individual (1 ticket); Students and young friends $75 

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Educators & Students Welcome! 

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Gratz catchment area 

and a third in the Olney 

catchment area 

transfer out. 

It is a citywide 

problem. According 

to District figures, the 

percentage of students 

transferring to 

a school other than 

their neighborhood 

school ranges up to 

80 percent in the 

Germantown High 

School catchment 

area and is over 50 percent for most neighborhood 

schools. Gratz is actually in the 

middle of the pack and Olney has the lowest 

rate. As students have transferred out, 

the population of many neighborhood 

schools has dwindled. 

Ideally, District officials say, students 

would transfer out of their catchment area 

only if they qualified for a more selective 

school or specialized school or wanted a 

program only available elsewhere, such 

as the automotive technology program at 

West Philadelphia High School. 

In that spirit, Collins-Shapiro says 

Gratz isn’t necessarily trying to attract 

those students who might get into the 

most selective public schools but is instead 

angling for students who might otherwise 

transfer to other neighborhood or 

citywide schools strictly on academic or 

safety issues. 

Indeed, both Mastery and ASPIRA 

see safety as perhaps the key issue. At student 

focus groups earlier this year, Jackson 

says she was repeatedly asked, “Are you going 

to make (other students) stop walking 

the halls?” 

“The halls are just for a transition 

from class to class,” says Jackson, a former 

assistant principal in Burlington City, N.J., 

and a recent graduate of the Mastery principal 

apprentice program. 

In each school, teachers and administrators 

will have hallway stations at the 

end of each class period. 

Jackson said she hopes for both a “significant 

decrease in violent incidents” at 

Gratz and a first-year increase in PSSA 

proficiency in reading and math from nine 

percent of the students to 25 percent. 

At Olney, hopes are equally high. AS- 

PIRA made one big change immediately: 

After several years of being divided into 

Olney East and West, the two schools are 

one again. 

At a recent orientation day, prospective 

9th graders and their parents passed 

through metal detectors into a cordon featuring 

ice water and smiling teachers and 

administrators. 

“Our students will be as competitive 

as any students in the city,” said Principal 

Jose Lebron, sleeves rolled up as his voice 

boomed into the sweltering, cavernous 

auditorium. 

“If you’re not in uniform, you can’t 

enter the building. Parents, this is one of 

those times you play a key role. 

“My message to the staff is that 

they respect students at all times.” Of 

the students, he said, he would demand 

“total respect for teachers and adminis- 

C. Shonda Woods 

Mastery Charter Schools placed billboards on Hunting Park Avenue to 

recruit students to Gratz High. 

trators at all times.” 

Lebron, who is equally comfortable 

speaking English or Spanish, was a principal 

at Edison High School and two other 

city schools before retiring in 2007 to take 

a series of temporary assignments for the 

District. He said he had been lured back 

to full-time duty by the prospect of turning 

around a troubled neighborhood school. 

The teachers, he told the crowd of 

about 150 students and parents, were attracted 

by the same challenge: “Every single 

one of them is here because they want 

to be here. They were not assigned.” 

LeTretta Jones, who runs the District’s 

Office of Student Placement, said 

that while Gratz and Olney are now 

charters, “They are still neighborhood 

schools” and must give first preference to 

residents from their catchment area and 

students who attended last year. The District 

will continue to manage the transfer 

process for out-of-area students who 

want to attend the Renaissance charter 

high schools. 

Officials at both schools say they will 

need to attract out-of-area students at least 

this year and that their efforts show signs 

of bearing fruit. 

By early August, Collins-Shapiro said, 

some 240 students from outside the catchment 

area had applied for a lottery to fill 

any remaining places. She estimated that 

Gratz would need 275 out-of-area students 

to fill its 1,157 slots. 

While some parents were saying, 

“We’ll wait and see if you turn the school 

around,” she said, Mastery had also received 

inquiries from parents whose 

students were enrolled in non-public 

schools last year. 

Alberto Calderon, executive director 

of ASPIRA, and Evelyn Nunez, superintendent 

of ASPIRA Schools, are 

confident they can fill Olney’s 1,660 slots 

despite the fact that only 400 of the feeder 

schools’ 751 8th grade graduates originally 

chose the school last year. 

Nunez said that at the orientation session, 

she had spoken to six students who 

had been accepted elsewhere but were 

now considering Olney. 

And Calderon said that he expected 

more than 30 students from Stetson Middle 

School, an ASPIRA charter, to come 

to Olney even though they live in the Edison 

High School catchment area. 

“They know what we did at Stetson,” 

Calderon said. 

Paul Jablow is a freelance writer for the 

Notebook. 



Students face long odds at many popular schools 

Knowing the chances of 

admission to various schools 

can help guide students in 

the application process. 

by Dale Mezzacappa 

So, what are your chances of being admitted 

to a particular high school? 

By comparing the number of applicants 

to the number of students accepted, the 

Notebook was able to compare the District’s 

high schools on how selective they are. 

This information (see p. 7), while not 

widely known, is potentially vital to applicants. 

Competition is stiff to get into the 

District’s special and citywide admissions 

schools (see p. 16 for definitions of types of high 

schools). But each year thousands of students 

unknowingly apply to schools where their 

chances of getting in may be lower than 1 

percent. Eighth graders get to list just five 

schools on their application, and need to be 

strategic in using those options. 

Surprisingly, Central High School, 

despite its high admission standards, has 

much better odds for applicants than many 

of the other selective schools. 

The selective school that accepted 

the smallest percentage of applicants, 7 

percent, was Parkway Center City, followed 

closely by School of the Future at 8 

percent, and Science Leadership Academy 

and Bodine at 9 percent. 

Masterman’s odds are similarly slim 

overall – and become virtually nil for any- 

one who isn’t already a middle-school student 

there. 

The chances of Masterman 8th graders 

being able to continue into the much 

smaller high school program are about 50- 

50, but these students take nearly all available 

slots. 

Principal Marge Neff said that this 

year, only seven or eight students out of 

about 1,200 applicants from outside Masterman 

were accepted for 9th grade. That’s 

an acceptance rate of less than 1 percent 

for outsiders. 

Besides having high test scores and 

grades, outside applicants to Masterman 

must have already taken Algebra 1 and one 

year of either French or Spanish, Neff said. 

“We look at all the applications, but 

many don’t meet the criteria,” Neff said. 

“The ones that did qualify were wait-listed 

and a few were accepted.” 

The Girard Academic Music Program 

(GAMP) also fills much of its 9th grade of 

66 students from the ranks of its middle 

school. The school received more than 

600 applications. Coming from the outside, 

the odds of getting in are much worse 

than one in 10. 

Central is most popular 

Central, which accepts the largest 

freshman class of all the selective schools, 

by far has the most applicants – well over 

4,000. But since its freshman class has more 

than 600 students, the odds of being ac- 

cepted are fairly high – nearly one in four – 

greater than schools like Dobbins and Saul. 

Central President Sheldon Pavel said 

that he accepted 1,016 students for 9th 

grade. Of that number 613 enrolled. 

Central’s requirements are among the 

most stringent – standardized test scores 

above the 88th percentile, all As and Bs, 

the ability to write a coherent essay, few 

absences and latenesses, and a good disciplinary 

record. 

“If you meet the requirements, you 

will be accepted,” said Pavel. “This school 

is a microcosm of democracy. My position 

is that if kids are qualified, I want them to 

come. I will find a place.” 

A large portion of Central’s applicants 

are from outside the public school system. 

Pavel said that students from 383 schools – 

including some from abroad – applied, and 

176 schools are represented among the 

new enrollees. 

Girls High also has a higher admission 

rate than many other schools – 20 percent. 

Of course, because it is single-sex, the applicant 

pool is cut nearly in half. 

A majority of the selective and citywide 

schools have acceptance rates of 15 

percent or less. Communications Tech is 

the only District school where more than 

half the applicants get in. Three others 

have odds of admission better than 30 percent: 

the Arts Academy at Rush, Robeson 

High School for Human Services, and 

Motivation High School. 

After Central, the schools in greatest 

demand are Franklin Learning Center, 

Swenson, High School of the Future, Science 

Leadership Academy, CAPA, Mastbaum, 

Dobbins, Bok, and Parkway Center 

City. All these attracted more than 2,000 

applicants last year. Bodine’s application 

count came in at just under that number. 

Neighborhood schools 

Students also apply to attend neighborhood 

high schools outside their area. 

The most popular is Northeast, where 

more than 1,500 students applied. Unfortunately, 

Northeast is overcrowded, and so 

in 2010 none of those applicants were accepted 

to the high school. Northeast houses 

an aerospace magnet program which takes 

students from all over the city in a separate 

admissions process. Nearly 1,500 students 

applied to that, and more than 200 were accepted 

– a rate of 14 percent. 

In all, 18 neighborhood high schools 

accepted no transfers. Lincoln High 

School turned away all 634 of its applicants, 

and Edison turned away all 511. 

The most popular neighborhood high 

school that did accept applicants is Washington 

High in the far Northeast. It had 

more than 700 out-of-area applicants, but 

it took nearly 100, for an acceptance rate 

of 13 percent. 

Contact Notebook Contributing Editor 

Dale Mezzacappa at dalem@thenotebook.org. 



Where are students applying? Where are they getting in? 

Special admission and citywide admission schools Neighborhood high schools 

School name Total Spaces Total % School name Total Spaces Total % 

applied available approved approved 

applied available approved approved 

Central 4,190 630 1,016 24% Northeast 1,537 0 0 0% 

Franklin Learning Center 2,469 180 326 13% Washington 721 92 92 13% 

Swenson 2,438 220 328 13% Lincoln 634 0 0 0% 

High School of the Future 2,386 160 183 8% Roxborough 617 108 140 23% 

Science Leadership Academy 2,252 125 200 9% Edison 511 0 0 0% 

CAPA 2,201 185 259 12% Franklin, Benjamin 403 200 153 38% 

Mastbaum 2,153 450 474 22% Kensington CAPA 376 0 0 0% 

Dobbins 2,114 375 326 15% Overbrook 342 0 0 0% 

Bok 2,070 450 604 29% Frankford 330 13 13 4% 

Parkway Center City 2,007 100 134 7% University City 289 82 82 28% 

Bodine 1,996 165 181 9% Fels 243 0 0 0% 

Phila. High School For Girls 1,743 250 350 20% Furness 230 0 0 0% 

Academy at Palumbo 1,714 130 247 14% Gratz 183 0 0 0% 

Carver 1,568 150 180 11% Kensington Culinary Arts 179 0 0 0% 

Northeast Magnet 1,481 200 207 14% Lamberton 141 0 0 0% 

Masterman 1,419 110 111 8% Carroll 135 0 0 0% 

Randolph 1,083 168 305 28% Douglas 133 30 30 23% 

Saul 1,060 135 152 14% West 130 45 45 35% 

Constitution 1,045 80 108 10% Olney East 126 0 0 0% 

Arts Academy at Rush 939 150 324 35% Germantown 122 63 63 52% 

Phila. Military Acad. at Elverson 840 100 122 15% Rhodes 104 0 0 0% 

Phila. HS for Business & Tech 770 60 214 28% Kensington Business 102 0 0 0% 

GAMP 635 66 66 10% King, M.L. 101 0 0 0% 

Communications Tech. 590 165 336 57% Sayre 99 45 45 45% 

Phila. Military Acad. at Leeds 585 75 90 15% Bartram 90 0 0 0% 

Parkway Northwest 573 99 122 21% South Philadelphia 88 0 0 0% 

Lankenau 555 90 149 27% Strawberry Mansion 83 30 34 41% 

Parkway West 457 85 94 21% Olney West 81 0 0 0% 

Robeson 448 80 144 32% FitzSimons 78 59 59 76% 

Motivation 386 66 123 32% Vaux 75 35 38 51% 

Data are for applications to 9th grade from fall 2010. Audenried 52 20 20 38% 

Source: School District of Philadelphia Office of Student Placement 

Kensington Urban Ed. Academy 34 25 26 76% 

Get To Know 

La Salle University 

and our Programs 

for Practicing Teachers 

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For more information, 

please contact: 

Megan Lawler 

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lawler@lasalle.edu 

www.lasalle.edu/graded 

Never stop exploring 



A timeline for choosing 

September – October 

• Counselors distribute high school application forms, directory, and materials. 

• District holds High School Expo – this year it is Oct. 22 - Oct. 23 at School District 

headquarters, 440 N. Broad St. 

• Non-public students can obtain materials at the Expo or from the Office of Student 

Placement. 

• Families research schools. 

• 8th grade counselors may hold information sessions for parents and students to help 

them choose schools and fill out the application form. Parents should keep in touch 

with counselors. 

September - March 

• Some high schools allow prospective applicants to visit and shadow students. Families 

should contact schools directly. 

By October 28 

• Students select up to 5 schools and return application form, signed by parent or guardian, 

to their school counselor. Applications may be submitted as early as Sept. 23. 

• 8th grade counselor enters application information into a networked computer system. 

• Non-public school students submit applications directly to the District’s Office of Student 

Placement. 

November – January 

• Selective high schools begin to evaluate applications. 

• Selective schools begin to conduct interviews and auditions. Some auditions and interviews 

are by invitation only and these schools only send out notifications, not rejections. 

Other schools interview all applicants but may send letters with date and time to counselors, 

not students (if a student has a conflict, s/he must reschedule). Some schools 

expect students to take the initiative in scheduling interviews. 

• Students should regularly consult counselors to keep on top of their applications. 

January - March 

• Special admission schools make acceptance, rejection, and wait-list decisions. 

• Citywide schools choose the students who qualify to enter into the admissions lottery. 

• The District Office of Student Placement runs three separate lotteries (for general education, 

special education, ELL) to determine which students are accepted to citywide 

schools and to neighborhood schools with outside applicants. 

March 

• Notification letters are sent to students who have been accepted to one or more schools. 

March – April 

• Students with multiple acceptances are expected to choose within two weeks and submit 

a form with their choice to the 8th grade counselor. They are urged to make timely 

decisions so the second round of placements can begin. Non-public school students 

send their choice directly to the Office of Student Placement. 

Mid-April 

• After “multiple acceptance” students pick their schools, final letters are sent to all students 

that indicate where they’ve been accepted, not accepted, or waitlisted. 

April – September 

• Additional lotteries are conducted to fill remaining slots. 

• Parents, counselors, and principals can advocate on behalf of students originally waitlisted 

or disapproved through phone calls and recommendation letters. 

• Additional letters are sent to remaining applicants, informing them of subsequent decisions. 

In this round of letters, students are admitted to only one school. 

–Dale Mezzacappa 

Getting into high school: 

Commonly asked questions 

by Dale Mezzacappa 

How do I get started? 

Talk to the adults in your life, including 

teachers, counselors, and parents 

or guardians. Get a copy of the District’s 

middle school guide, which gives advice 

about making the most of the middle 

years and sorting out your interests. 

Then, read this guide and the District’s 

high school directory, and meet with 

your counselor. Seventh and 8th graders 

should attend the High School Expo, 

scheduled this year in October. 

When should I start thinking about 

high school choices? 

No later than the beginning of 7th 

grade. High schools look at attendance, 

grades, and test scores from that year in 

determining who is qualified to attend. 

What is the difference between a special 

admission and a citywide admission 

high school? 

Special admission schools set a high 

bar, with test score cutoffs and specific 

requirements regarding grades and attendance. 

Citywide admission schools 

give less weight to test scores, but still 

set minimum standards regarding grades, 

attendance, and discipline records. The 

principals at special admission schools 

decide who gets in, while citywide admission 

schools put all qualified students 

into a lottery. 

What if I want to go to a charter school? 

Charter schools are required to 

conduct lotteries if they have more applicants 

than spaces. They are not permitted 

to pick and choose their students. 

However, many have detailed applications 

and deadlines in order to be entered 

into the lotteries. If you are interested in 

a charter school, you should contact that 

school directly as early as you can. 

How can I find out the admissions requirements 

of a school? 

Your counselor can help explain the 

admission requirements for each school. 

This guide and the District’s high school 

directory include the requirements. 

If I don’t meet the exact criteria of a selective 

school, should I apply anyway? 

Yes, but only if your record comes 

close to meeting all the requirements. 

They often admit students who do not 

meet every criterion. Principals at selective 

schools may seek recommendations 

from counselors and principals from the 

schools that applicants attend. Interviews 

can also make a big difference. 

Certain schools have lots of applicants 

– how can I improve my chances? 

There are schools in the city that are 

not as well known but may have similar 

programs. Check them out (see pages 6-7 

for more on the odds of getting admitted). 

Should I visit the school as part of the 

admission process? 

Yes, to get the “feel” of a school. 

Some schools allow applicants to shadow 

students for all or part of a day. Some 

require interviews or auditions. Check 

with your counselor. 

If I get rejected from all my choices, 

what should I do? 

If you get on the waiting list of a special 

admission school, there is a chance 

that you will be admitted. You should 

keep in touch with your counselor and 

with the school you want to attend. For 

special admission, individual schools 

manage their own waiting lists. 

If you are on the waiting list for one 

or more citywide admission schools, 

your name will be entered in a second 

or even a third lottery to fill the 

spaces in those schools once students 

accepted in the first round have made 

their choices and some have opted out. 

You should keep informed about these 

lotteries. While decisions for citywide 

admission schools are not made at the 

school level, it doesn’t hurt to let the 

principal know of your interest. 

What is “directed admit?” 

Once the selection overall process 

is completed, each school with an 8th 

grade is asked to submit to the region, 

or academic division, the names of several 

students who the school feels would 

benefit from attending Central or Girls 

High. Each region then submits two 

or three names each for Central and 

Girls to the Office of Student Placement, 

which makes the final decision. 

This affects only a very small number of 

students and only applies to these two 

schools. 




Getting in: Common questions 


I want to go to my neighborhood high 

school. Do any have special programs? 

Many neighborhood high schools 

house special programs in such areas as 

health occupations, culinary arts, criminal 

justice, communications, graphics, 

and automotive technology. The District’s 

high school directory includes 

a summary by area of interest of where 

these programs are located. 

How do I find out whether a Career 

and Technical Education (CTE) program 

leads to state certification? 

There are 88 state-approved Career 

and Technical Education programs in 

Philadelphia. State-approved programs 

are those in which students are enrolled 

in a three-year sequential academic and 

technical program in their chosen field. 

The programs are on the Philadelphia 

Workforce Investment Board’s High 

Priority Occupation (HPO) list, which 

indicates that the program is meeting 

the workforce development needs of 

the region. To see which schools offer 

these programs, check the school profiles 

listed in this guide. Those programs 

that are marked with a dagger are stateapproved. 

Can I apply to a neighborhood high 

school in another area? 

Yes. Keep in mind that students 

outside the feeder area are selected by 

lottery and only after all neighborhood 

students are accommodated. 

Should students with IEPs apply to selective 

high schools? 

All students are encouraged to 

apply to any high school that interests 

them and for which they meet the 

basic qualifications. A court decision 

called LeGare requires the District 

to maintain a minimum percentage 

of students with individualized education 

programs (IEPs) in selective 

schools. There are separate lotteries 

for special ed students (and English 

language learners) at the schools that 

have lotteries. 

What are the rules for English language 

learners? 

English language learners are encouraged 

to apply to selective schools. 

A court decision called Y.S. requires the 

District to maintain a minimum percentage 

of English language learners in 

selective schools and bars schools from 

denying qualified ELLs admission by 

claiming a lack of services. 

Can I get help with high school placement 

at the Parent and Family Resource 

Centers? 

Applications, high school directories, 

and explanations of the policies and procedures 

for the voluntary selection process 

Jeniffer Valdez 

Parent Deneen Himmons reviews last year’s Notebook high school guide, which is one source for 

comparing statistics on how schools are doing. 

are available there. Parents will also be 

given access to the District’s website where 

they can obtain school profiles. 

Where can I find official information 

from the District? 

At the website of the School District’s 

Office of Student Placement: 

webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/s/stu- 

dent-placement 

The District also publishes its own 

high school directory. 

Contact Notebook Contributing Editor Dale 

Mezzacappa at dalem@thenotebook.org. 

A version of this article in Spanish appears on 

page 13. 



Applying to high school is a family affair 

Having information about the 

options is key. Then parents 

and students can navigate the 

process more smoothly. 

by Jeniffer Valdez 

Maria DeJesus*, 42, emigrated from 

the Dominican Republic three years ago. 

Having no knowledge of the range of 

options, she enrolled her son in the 9th 

grade at South Philadelphia High, his 

neighborhood school. 

She was never informed that she and 

her son had many other choices, nor did 

she receive help with the application process. 

When she opted for Southern, she 

had no idea it was rife with ethnic tension. 

She said her son was assaulted there 

on two occasions. In December 2009, 

Southern’s problems gained national head- 

*a pseudonym 

lines when Asian students were attacked 

en masse by schoolmates. 

Ultimately, DeJesus found support 

from the immigrant parent support group 

JUNTOS and was able to transfer her son 

to Furness High School, from which he 

graduated in June. 

Looking back on the experience, 

DeJesus said she wishes the District had 

taken more initiative to inform immigrant 

parents about school options because it 

might have meant a different outcome for 

her son. 

“I didn’t know my rights,” she said. 

Navigating the high school application 

process can be daunting. The District 

has 61 special admission, citywide admission, 

and neighborhood high schools. 

More than 30 Philadelphia charter schools 

also offer a high school program. 

Depending on the school, applicants 

must wade through paperwork, go to auditions, 

enroll in lotteries, and interview 

Opportunities for educators and students in grades 1-12 

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Saturday classes for high school 

students as well as summer intensive 

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Exploration, Dance, Music Studies 

and Musical Theater. 

Saturday Arts Lab 

Educational opportunities in the 

visual arts and technology for 

students in grades 1-8. 

Scholarships are available for all teachers in the 

School District of Philadelphia. 

Register now or learn more at cs.uarts.edu 

215.717.6006 cs@uarts.edu 


Tamara Foy used the District’s Parent University to research the high school application process and 

to strenghten her own academic skills. She earned several certifications. 

with school staff to be admitted. While 

students and their school counselors take 

the lead, parents are just as much a part of 

the process. 

Some parents have the system down 

pat. But many find themselves struggling 

to get a handle on what’s required. They 

don’t know the options or where to access 

meaningful information. Parents with limited 

English and with special needs children 

are often at a particular disadvantage. 

Understanding the different categories 

of high schools is the first step. Neighborhood 

high schools have geographic 

boundaries, and students are guaranteed 

admission if the school they attended in 

8th grade falls within the feeder pattern. 

Students living outside the feeder pattern 

can also apply, but admission is based on 

available space and is determined through 

a lottery. 

The District’s citywide admission and 

special admission schools have requirements 

for grades, test scores, and attendance 

and behavior records. 

Charters are open to all and must hold 

lotteries if there are more applicants than 

slots. But they each have their own application 

process, and many of them have 

application forms just to be entered in a 

lottery. 

“We work to say to middle school parents 

that these are the types of schools and 

opportunities that will be available to your 

child … and these are the types of questions 

you should be asking,” said Karren 

Dunkley, deputy chief of the Office of Parent, 

Family, Community Engagement, and 

Faith-based Partnerships. 

One place to learn about the process 

is Parent University, one of former superintendent 

Arlene Ackerman’s key initiatives. 

Parent University provides information 

about the application process in addition 

to offering classes for parents to 

improve their work-life skills. The Office 

of Counseling and Promotion Standards 

both supports the school counselors and 

works with Dunkley’s office to educate parents 

about finding a good school match. 

Parent ombudsmen – though recent 

budget cuts have reduced the number districtwide 

– are also information hubs for 

specifics on the process. 

Other services for families include 




Applying 


high school information meetings, which 

are conducted in several languages to accommodate 

non-English-speaking families. 

Web pages called FamilyNet and 

StudentNet allow parents and students to 

access their records, track their academic 

progress, and conduct re- 

search on a variety of high 

school-related topics, including 

how to transfer. 

Parents can also attend 

the District’s annual High 

School Expo, which this 

year will be held on October 

22 and 23 at 440 North 

Broad Street. 

The Notebook asked 

several parents how they handled the application 

process. They agreed that it is 

important to start early, maintain communication, 

and stay informed. 

Starting early 

Cathy Roccia-Meier, who lives in 

South Philadelphia, is a longtime parent 

advocate. 

But, she said, “even with the proper 

access and information, the process can 

be a challenge.” 

Roccia-Meier, 43, is the parent of a 

special needs child who will attend Science 

Leadership Academy in September. 

Her son Pierce was diagnosed with autism 

in the 4th grade. Since that time Roccia- 

Meier has worked closely with staff at 

Telling parents 

about high school 

options can make 

a real difference 

in the outcomes 

for students. 

Nebinger, her son’s elementary school, to 

understand his academic and social needs. 

Roccia-Meier began looking at 

high schools when Pierce was in 8th 

grade and considered Constitution High 

School, Arts Academy at Rush, and Girard 

Academic Music Program, but SLA 

seemed to be the best fit. Roccia-Meier 

said she wishes she started her search 

a year earlier, though, be- 

cause the paperwork required 

for a special-needs 

student application can be 

overwhelming. 

“Starting in 8th grade is 

already too late. You really 

need to start earlier and pace 

yourself,” she said. 

Having worked closely 

with Nebinger, Roccia- 

Meier knew which high schools presented 

the best options for special-needs 

children and understood the application 

process itself. Even though she wished 

she had started earlier, she was able to 

gather the required documents in September 

and October of Pierce’s 8th grade 

year, including letters of recommendation 

and evaluations. She made the application 

deadline. 

While her experience was positive, 

Roccia-Meier said she realizes that not all 

parents with special-needs children have 

the same outcome. 

“It varies because one school could be 

good at getting information to families and 

another school may not be,” she said. “I 

think for special-needs children, the fam- 


Cathy Roccia-Meier started her search for high 

schools when her son Pierce was in 8th grade. 

ily has to be become completely involved 

because there’s a lot of decision-making.” 

Collecting information 

For Tamara Foy of North Philadelphia, 

the first step to the process was contacting 

a parent ombudsman. Foy also attended 

informational meetings at several different 

high schools, and talked with her daughter 

Tishae to determine which school she 

thought would be the best choice. 

Tishae wanted to go to Audenried 

High School – now a charter operated 

by Universal Companies, Inc. – because 

that’s where her friends were going. 

Foy wasn’t opposed, and through 

the parent ombudsman she learned 

how Parent University might be able 

to help her obtain information. 

Foy also used Parent University as 

a resource to sharpen her own academic 

skills. She said all the knowledge she 

gained has allowed her to be engaged in 

her daughter’s education. Foy has taken 

classes covering a variety of topics, including 

how to use the Internet, strategies 

for mediating disputes between 

children, and time management tips. 

Tishae, now 16, is a sophomore at 

Audenried. Foy said she made a good 

choice and applauds the District for providing 

information about the application 

process through the Parent University. 

She said it has given her the guidance she 

and her daughter needed. 

“These classes helped me to help her,” 

said Foy. 

Jeniffer Valdez, a Haverford College student, 

interned at the Notebook this summer. 

Fall Guide on the web 

This is the Notebook’s third annual 

fall guide. The full contents of all 

three are available at thenotebook.org/ 

choosing-high-school 

Plus, all of the high school profiles 

are searchable at thenotebook.org/ 

school-search. You can search for the 

details most important to you – a specific 

sport, class, or other feature. 

We’re still building out our high 

school web center and value your 

feedback. Email your suggestions to 

erikao@thenotebook.org. 


enespañol 

Estas escuelas de la comunidad están reclutando activamente 

Mastery y ASPIRA, operadores 

de escuelas chárter del 

programa ‘Renaissance’, 

esperan aprovechar el flujo de 

transferencias a otras escuelas 

superiores. 

Por Paul Jablow 

Avvonya Payne estaba tan determinada 

este verano a matricular a su hija Alicia 

en una escuela buena y segura que, de ser 

necesario, “Hubiese vendido la casa para 

irme a un refugio.” 

Sin embargo, se sintió confiada de que 

eso no sería necesario cuando los reclutadores 

de la Escuela Superior Simon Gratz 

vieron a Alicia en la calle y la convencieron 

de que allí es que pertenece. “Mami,” 

dijo cuando llegó a la casa. “Esta es la escuela 

a la que quiero ir.” 

“Fue como que los cielos se abrieron 

y Dios contestó mis oraciones,” dijo su 

mamá al sentarse en la oficina de la nueva 

principal de la escuela, LaQuanda Jackson. 

Payne no estaba contenta con las 

condiciones en la Escuela Superior Northeast, 

donde Alicia asistió el año pasado. Y 

Gratz – una de las 19 escuelas de Filadelfia 

en la lista de escuelas persistentemente 

peligrosas – no es una escuela que ella ordinariamente 

hubiese considerado como 

solución. 

Pero la nueva administración de 

la Gratz, Mastery 

Charter Schools, está 

determinada a cambiar 

tanto la reputación 

como la realidad. 

Ha sido una 

guerra peleada en 

dos frentes – planificando 

cambios en 

la escuela y vendiéndoles 

esos cambios 

a los residentes de 

la comunidad, que 

de otro modo solicitarían admisión para 

sus hijos en otra escuela. En el caso de 

Alicia, ellos le dijeron que caminarían 

con ella a la escuela si fuera necesario. 

Se están usando esfuerzos de reclutamiento 

similares en la Escuela Superior 

Olney, otra escuela de la comunidad que 

ahora está bajo la nueva administración de 

ASPIRA of Pennsylvania. 

Ambas fueron designadas como Renaissance 

Schools por el Distrito a principios 

de este año y ambas están tratando 

de atraer más estudiantes de la comunidad 

que de otro modo se hubiesen transferido 

fuera del área o tratado de hacerlo. 

“Estamos tratando de motivar a más 

estudiantes de la comunidad a regresar,” 

dice Courtney Collins-Shapiro, directora 

de innovación de Mastery. 

“Para el próximo año esperamos que 

se haya regado la voz de que cambiamos la 

escuela... que es un buen lugar para estar.” 

Tanto la Gratz como 

la Olney han usado 

correspondencia, sesiones 

de información, visitas al 

hogar, y reclutamiento en 

la comunidad para tratar 

de llenar su matrícula. 

Tanto la Gratz como la Olney han 

usado correspondencia, sesiones de información, 

visitas al hogar, y reclutamiento 

en la comunidad para tratar de llenar su 

matrícula. Mastery le pagó a residentes de 

la comunidad para que reclutaran y hasta 

pagó por anuncios de radio y dos letreros 

gigantes en la Avenida Hunting Park. Las 

escuelas también trabajaron con organizaciones 

comunitarias para regar la voz. 

(Los funcionarios de una tercera escuela 

superior nueva del programa Renaissance, 

Audenried, dijeron que esperan llenar la 

escuela sin emplear esfuerzos mayores de 

reclutamiento). 

Rehacer la imagen de estas escuelas 

es una tarea monumental. De acuerdo 

con las cifras del Distrito para el 2010, 60 

por ciento de los estudiantes en el área de 

asistencia de la Gratz y una tercera parte 

de los estudiantes en el área de asistencia 

de la Olney se transfirieron a otra escuela. 

Esto es un problema que afecta la ciudad 

completa. Según las cifras del Distrito, 

el porcentaje de estudiantes que se están 

transfiriendo a otra escuela que no es la de 

su comunidad varía desde 80 por ciento en 

el área de asistencia de la Escuela Superior 

Germantown a más de 50 por ciento en la 

mayoría de las escuelas de la comunidad. 

Gratz está en el medio de ese grupo y Olney 

tiene el porcentaje más bajo. A medida 

que los estudiantes se transfieren, la población 

de muchas 

escuelas de la comunidad 

ha disminuido. 

Gratz perdió 600 

estu diantes en cinco 

años. 

Idealmente, 

dicen los funcionarios 

del Distrito, 

los estudiantes se 

transferirían de su 

área sólo si cualifican 

para una escuela 

más selectiva o especializada o porque 

desean un programa que únicamente está 

disponible en otro lugar, como por ejemplo 

el programa de tecnología automotriz 

en la Escuela Superior West Philadelphia. 

Por eso, Collins-Shapiro dice que la 

Gratz no está necesariamente tratando de 

atraer a aquellos estudiantes que pudieran 

ser admitidos a las escuelas públicas más 

selectivas, sino que está enfocándose en 

los estudiantes que se transferirían a otras 

escuelas de comunidad o de admisión abierta 

estrictamente por asuntos académicos 

o de seguridad. 

De hecho, tanto Mastery como 

ASPIRA consideran que la seguridad es 

posiblemente el problema clave. En grupos 

estudiantiles de enfoque a principios 

de este año, Jackson dice que a ella le 

preguntaron repetidamente “¿Usted va 

a hacer que (los otros estudiantes) dejen 

de caminar por los pasillos?” 

LÉALO EN LA WEB 

www.thenotebook.org 

Harvey Finkle 

La Escuela Superior Olney, que ahora es una escuela chárter administrada por ASPIRA of 

Pennsylvania, ha estado reclutando estudiantes para llenar sus 1,660 espacios disponibles. 

“Los pasillos son simplemente para ir 

de una clase a otra,” dice Jackson, antigua 

principal en Burlington City, N.J., y graduada 

reciente del programa de aprendiz 

de principal en Mastery. 

En cada escuela, los maestros y 

admi nistradores tendrán estaciones en 

los pasillos al final de cada clase. 

Jackson dijo que espera tanto “una reducción 

significativa en incidentes violentos” 

en Gratz y un aumento de primer año 

en las puntuaciones del PSSA en lectura y 

matemáticas de 9% a 25%. 

En Olney, las expectativas son igualmente 

altas. ASPIRA hizo un cambio inmediatamente: 

Después de varios años de 

estar dividida en Olney East y Olney West, 

las dos escuelas se unieron nuevamente en 

una sola. 

En un día de orientación reciente, los 

padres de los futuros estudiantes de 9no 

grado y sus hijos pasaron por detectores de 

metal y llegaron a un área con agua fría y 

maestros y administradores sonrientes. 

“Nuestros estudiantes serán tan competitivos 

como cualquier estudiante de 

la ciudad,” dijo el principal José Lebrón, 

con las mangas subidas y la corbata firmemente 

puesta en el cuello mientras su voz 

retumbaba en el caluroso y cavernoso auditorio. 

“Si no estás vestido de uniforme, no 

podrás entrar al edificio. Padres, esta es una 

de las ocasiones en que ustedes juegan un 

papel importante. 

“Mi mensaje al personal es que respeten 

a los estudiantes en todo momento.” 

De los estudiantes, dijo “que exigiría “respeto 

total para los maestros y administradores 

en todo momento.” 

Lebrón, que habla igualmente bien en 

inglés o español, fue principal de la Escuela 

Superior Edison y de dos otras escuelas de 

la ciudad antes de retirarse en el 2007 para 

tomar una serie de asignaciones temporeras 

del Distrito. Él dijo que el prospecto 

de rehabilitar una escuela en problemas 

le atrajo y logró que regresara a trabajar a 

tiempo completo. 

Los maestros, le dijo a un grupo de más 

o menos 150 estudiantes y padres, fueron 

atraídos por el mismo reto: “Cada uno de 

ellos está aquí porque quiere estar aquí. 

Nadie los asignó.” 

LeTretta Jones, directora de la Ofi- 

cina de Ubicación de Estudiantes del 

Distrito, dijo que aunque Gratz y Olney 

ahora son escuelas chárter, “todavía son 

escuelas de la comunidad” y le tienen que 

dar la primera preferencia a los residentes 

de su área de asistencia y a cualquier 

estudiante que haya asistido a esa escuela 

el año pasado. El Distrito continuará 

manejando el proceso de transferencia de 

los estudiantes de otras áreas que deseen 

asistir a las escuelas superiores chárter del 

programa Renaissance. 

Los funcionarios de ambas escuelas 

dijeron al menos este año que necesitan 

atraer estudiantes de otras áreas y que sus 

esfuerzos están rindiendo frutos. 

A principios de agosto, dijo Collins- 

Shapiro, unos 240 estudiantes de fuera 

del área de asistencia habían solicitado 

la lotería para llenar cualquier espacio restante. 

Ella calculó que Gratz va a necesitar 

unos 275 estudiantes de otras áreas para 

llenar su total de 1,157 espacios. 

Aunque algunos padres estaban 

diciendo, “Vamos a esperar para ver si la 

escuela mejora,” dijo ella, Mastery también 

ha recibido llamadas de padres cuyos 

hijos estaban matriculados en escuelas 

privadas o religiosas el año pasado. 

Alberto Calderón, director ejecutivo 

de ASPIRA of Pennsylvania, y Evelyn 

Núñez, superintendente de ASPIRA 

Schools, dijeron que se sienten confiados 

de poder llenar los 1,660 espacios en Olney 

a pesar de que sólo 400 de los 751 

estudiantes de 8vo grado de las escuelas 

del área originalmente seleccionaron esa 

escuela el año pasado. 

Núñez dijo que en la sesión de orientación 

ella habló con seis estudiantes que 

habían sido aceptados en otra escuela pero 

que ahora están considerando asistir a la 

Olney. 

Además, Calderón dijo que espera 

que más de 30 estudiantes de la Escuela 

Intermedia John B. Stetson (una escuela 

chárter de ASPIRA) vengan a la Olney a 

pesar de que viven en el área de asistencia 

de la Escuela Superior Edison. 

“Ellos saben lo que hicimos en Stetson,” 

dijo Calderón. 

Paul Jablow es un escritor independiente del 

Notebook. 

Traducción por Mildred S. Martínez. 


enespañol 

Admisión a la escuela superior: Preguntas comunes 

Por Dale Mezzacappa 

¿Cómo empiezo? 

Habla con los adultos en tu vida, 

que incluyen maestros, consejeros y tus 

padres o encargados. Consigue una copia 

de la guía de escuelas intermedias del 

Distrito, en la cual explica cómo aprovechar 

al máximo los años de intermedia 

y determinar qué cosas te interesan. 

Luego, lee esta guía, consulta el directorio 

de escuelas superiores del Distrito 

y reúnete con tu consejero. Los estudiantes 

de séptimo y octavo grado deben ir 

a la High School Expo, que este año está 

programada en octubre. 

¿Cuándo debo empezar a pensar en las 

opciones de escuela superior? 

No más tarde del comienzo de 7mo 

grado. Las escuelas superiores toman en 

cuenta la asistencia, las calificaciones 

y las puntuaciones de exámenes desde 

séptimo grado cuando van a determinar 

quién está cualificado para admisión. 

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre una escuela 

superior con admisión especial y una 

escuela superior con admisión abierta a 

toda la ciudad? 

Las escuelas con admisión especial 

ponen la barra muy en alto, con puntuaciones 

mínimas en los exámenes y requisitos 

específicos en cuanto a las calificaciones 

y la asistencia. Las escuelas con 

admisión abierta a toda la ciudad le dan 

menos peso a las puntuaciones de examen 

pero de todos modos tienen estándares 

mínimos en cuanto a calificaciones, asistencia 

y disciplina. Los principales de las 

escuelas con admisión especial deciden 

quién será aceptado, mientras que las 

escuelas con admi sión abierta a toda la 

ciudad ponen a todos los estudiantes cualificados 

en una lotería. 

¿Qué hago si quiero ir a una escuela 

chárter? 

A las escuelas chárter se les requiere 

llevar a cabo loterías si tienen más solicitudes 

que espacios disponibles. No se les 

permite seleccionar a sus estudiantes. Sin 

embargo, muchas tienen solicitudes detalladas 

y fechas límite para poder participar 

en las loterías. Si te interesa una escuela 

chárter, debes comunicarte con esa escuela 

directamente lo más pronto posible. 

¿Cómo puedo averiguar los requisitos 

de admisión de una escuela? 

Tu consejero puede explicarte los 

requisitos de admisión para cada escuela. 

Esta guía y el directorio de escuelas superiores 

del Distrito incluyen los requisitos. 

¿Debo de todos modos solicitar admi sión 

aunque no cumpla con los criterios exactos 

de una escuela selectiva? 

Sí, pero únicamente si te acercaste 

mucho a cumplir los requisitos. A menudo 

admiten estudiantes que no cumplen 

con todos los criterios. Los principales de 

esas escuelas selectivas buscan recomendaciones 

de los consejeros y principales 

de las escuelas de los solicitantes. Las 

entre vistas también hacen mucha diferencia. 

Ciertas escuelas tienen muchos solicitantes. 

¿Cómo puedo mejorar mis probabilidades? 

Hay escuelas en la ciudad que no son 

tan conocidas pero que tienen progra mas 

similares. Chequéalas también (en las 

páginas 6-7 hay más información sobre las 

probabilidades de ser admitido). 

¿Debo visitar la escuela como parte del 

proceso de admisión? 

Sí, para ver cómo se “siente” la escuela. 

Algunas escuelas permiten que un solicitante 

pase el día o parte del día con uno de sus 

estudiantes. Algunas requieren entrevistas o 

audiciones. Pregúntale a tu consejero. 

Digamos que todas las escuelas que solicité 

me rechazaron. ¿Qué debo hacer? 

Si te ponen en la lista de espera de 

una escuela con admisión especial, hay 

probabilidad de que te admitan. Mantente 

en comunicación con tu consejero 

y con la escuela a la que quieres ir. En el 

caso de admisión especial, cada escuela 

se encarga de su propia lista de espera. 

Si estás en la lista de espera de una o 

más escuelas con admisión abierta, tu nombre 

se pondrá en una segunda y hasta tercera 

lotería para llenar los espacios después 

de que los estudiantes aceptados en la primera 

ronda hayan tomado una decisión y 

algunos hayan optado por ir a otra escuela. 

Debes mantenerte al tanto de esas loterías. 

Aunque la decisión de las escuelas con 

admisión abierta no se toma en la escuela 

misma, no sería mala idea dejarle saber al 

principal que tienes interés en su escuela. 

¿Qué es una “admisión dirigida” (directed 

admit)? 

Después de que el proceso general de 

selección termina, a cada escuela que tiene 

8vo grado se le pide que le entregue a la 

región (o división académica) los nombres 

de varios estudiantes que la escuela 

considera se beneficiarían de asistir a la 

Escuela Superior Central o a la Girls High. 

Cada región entonces le presenta a la Oficina 

de Ubicación de Estudiantes dos o 

tres nombres para cada una de las escuelas 

(la Central y la Girls) y esa oficina toma la 

decisión final. Esto afecta únicamente a un 

número pequeño de estudiantes y sólo se 

aplica a estas dos escuelas. 

Yo quiero asistir a la escuela superior 

de mi comunidad. ¿Esas escuelas tienen 

programas especiales? 

Muchas escuelas superiores de la comunidad 

cuentan con programas especiales en 

áreas como ocupaciones de salud, artes culinarias, 

justicia criminal, comunicaciones, 

gráficas y tecnología automotriz. El directorio 

de escuelas superiores del Distrito incluye 

un resumen por área de interés que muestra 

dónde están ubicados esos programas. 

¿Cómo averiguo si un programa de educación 

vocacional y técnica (CTE) otorga 

la certificación estatal? 

En Filadelfia hay 88 programas de Educación 

Vocacional y Técnica aprobados por 

el estado. Los programas aprobados por el estado 

son aquellos en los que los estudiantes 

se matriculan en un programa académico 

y vocacional secuencial de tres años en el 

campo que seleccionaron. Los programas 

están en la lista de ocupaciones de alta prioridad 

(High Priority Occupation, HPO) de la 

Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, lo 

cual indica que el programa está cumpliendo 

con las necesidades de desarrollo de la 

fuerza laboral en esa región. Para ver cuáles 

escuelas ofrecen estos programas, consulta 

los perfiles que aparecen en esta guía. Los 

programas que tengan la marca tipográfica 

de puñal son los aprobados por el estado. 

¿Puedo solicitar admisión a la escuela de 

otra comunidad? 

Sí. Ten en cuenta que los estudiantes 

que no viven en esa área serán seleccionados 

por lotería solamente después de 

haber acomodado a todos los estudiantes 

que sí viven ahí. 

¿Los estudiantes con IEPs pueden solicitar 

admisión a las escuelas superiores 

selectivas? 

A todos los estudiantes se les alienta a 

solicitar cualquier escuela superior que les 

interese y para la cual cumplan las cualificaciones 

básicas. La decisión del tribunal 

en el caso LeGare requiere que el Distrito 

mantenga un porcentaje mínimo de estudiantes 

con programas individualizados de 

educación (IEPs) en las escuelas selectivas. 

Hay loterías separadas para los estudiantes 

de educación especial y los que están apren- 

diendo inglés en las escuelas con lotería. 

¿Cuáles son las reglas para los estu diantes 

que están aprendiendo inglés (ELL)? 

A los estudiantes que están aprendiendo 

inglés (ELLs) se les exhorta solicitar admisión 

a las escuelas selectivas. La decisión 

del tribunal en el caso Y.S. requiere que el 

Distrito mantenga un porcentaje mínimo 

de estudiantes que están aprendiendo inglés 

en las escuelas selectivas y prohíbe que las 

escuelas les nieguen admisión a los ELLs cualificados 

alegando falta de servicios. 

¿Puedo obtener ayuda en los Centros de 

Recursos para Padres y Familias? 

En los Centros hay solicitudes, directorios 

de escuelas superiores, y explicaciones 

de las políticas y procedimientos para 

el proceso voluntario de selección. A los 

padres también se les dará acceso al sitio 

Web del Distrito, donde podrán conseguir 

los perfiles de las escuelas. 

¿Dónde puedo encontrar la información 

oficial del Distrito? 

En el sitio Web de la Oficina de 

Ubicación de Estudiantes del Distrito 

Escolar: webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/offices/s/ 

student-placement 

El Distrito también publica su propio 

directorio de escuelas superiores. 

Traducción por Mildred S. Martínez. 

SCHOOL CALENDAR 2011-2012 CALENDARIO DE LA ESCUELA 

9/1 Staff only – Organization day No hay clases – Día organizacional 

9/2 Staff only – Professional No hay clases – Día de desarrollo 

development day profesional para personal 

9/5 Labor Day – Schools/ Día trabajo – Escuelas/ 

administrative offices closed oficinas administrativas cerradas 

9/6 First day of elementary and Primer día de clases en 

secondary pupil attendance escuelas elementales y secundarias 

9/6-9/12 Kindergarten, Pre-kindergarten Conferencias de padres 

Head Start, and Bright Futures y maestros de kinder, 

parent/teacher conferences Head Start, y Bright Futures 

9/13 First day of Kindergarten, Primer día de clases kinder, 

Pre-kindergarten, Head Start & 

Bright Futures student attendance 

Head Start, y Bright Futures 

9/29-9/30 Rosh Hashana – Schools/ Rosh Hashana – Escuelas/ 


10/10 Columbus Day – Schools/ Día de Colón – Escuelas/ 




11/11 Veterans Day – Schools/ Día del Veterano – Escuelas/ 


11/24-11/25 Thanksgiving holiday – Schools/ Acción de Gracias – Escuelas/ 


12/26-12/30 Winter recess – Schools closed Vacaciones de Invierno – Escuelas cerradas 

12/26 Winter recess – Administrative Vacaciones de Invierno – Oficinas 

offices closed administrativas cerradas 

1/2 New Year’s Day – Schools/ Año Nuevo – Escuelas/ 


1/16 Martin Luther King Day – Schools/ Día de Martin Luther King – 

administrative offices closed Escuelas/oficinas administrativas cerradas 

2/20 Presidents’ Day – Schools/ Día de los Presidentes – Escuelas/ 


4/2-4/6 Spring recess – Schools closed Vacaciones de Primavera – Escuelas cerradas 

4/6 Spring recess – Administrative 

offices closed 

Oficinas administrativas cerradas 



5/28 Memorial Day – Schools/ Día de la Recordación – Escuelas/ 


6/14 Last day for pupils Último día de clases 





6/19 Last day for staff – Último día de trabajo para 

Organization day los maestros – Día organizacional 



Gearing up for college 

These high school programs 

prepare students for 

postsecondary success. 

by Wendy Harris 

Even though Juwann Bennett maintained 

a solid B average through 9th and 

10th grade at Girard Academic Music 

Program (GAMP), a special admissions 

school, he never thought about going to 

college. 

Well, at least not at first. 

“When I was younger I thought of college 

as some foreign place. I didn’t think 

it was attainable,” said Bennett, now a 

Temple University student. 

“When I heard of someone graduating 

from college, I thought of it as like someone 

performing brain surgery,” he said. 

But Bennett’s thinking changed in 

the summer of 2009, right before his 11th 

grade year, when his mother called the 

District about a program to prepare for the 

SATs. Instead, the District told her about 

its dual enrollment program, an initiative 

that allows 11th and 12th graders to earn 

college credits at several local colleges and 

universities while still in high school. 

Many District schools have programs 

that give middle and high school 

students a head start on postsecondary 

studies. Among the others are the Advanced 

Placement Program, which offers 

college-level courses at 56 high schools, 

and GEAR UP, a federal- and state-funded 

program that provides enrichment activities, 

tutoring, and other college-ready supports. 

Since Bennett met the academic criteria 

for dual enrollment, he was willing to 

give it a try. 

He had several choices: Community 

College of Philadelphia, University of the 

Sciences, Cheyney, Eastern, Holy Family, 

Lincoln, and St. Joseph’s Universities – all 

of which partner with the District. Bennett 

opted for CCP because it was close to 

GAMP and home. He took the required 

entrance test, placing him on college level 

– no remedial courses were allowed – and 

signed up for a criminal justice course, Intermediate 

Algebra, Psychology, English 

101, and Biology during his first two semesters. 

“I was like ‘Wow, I get to experience 

the college life,’” remembered Bennett, 

who is a criminal justice major. 

“I remember picking out a whole 

wardrobe of what I would wear.” 

Bennett, who participated in the program 

his junior and senior years, admits 

that signing up for dual enrollment made 

his schedule “crazy.” His day started at 7 

a.m. with band, followed by a seven-hour 

school day, and nearly two hours of football 

practice before heading to CCP for his 

evening classes. 

“There was no eating or sleeping,” he 

quipped. “I pulled a lot of long nights, but 

it matured me and helped me plan things.” 

When Bennett graduated from 

GAMP in June 2011, he had earned 37 

credits through the dual enrollment program, 

all of which he was able to transfer to 

Temple, making him an incoming sophomore 

instead of a freshman. 

Bennett’s experience is not the norm. 

Most Philadelphia graduates don’t go 

straight to college, according to the latest 

data. A meager 39 percent of public school 

graduates enroll in college the first fall after 

they graduate high school. For those who 

graduate from neighborhood high schools, 

that number is even lower at 29 percent. 

Here is a close look at three programs 

designed to increase college-going rates of 

city high school students: GEAR UP, Advanced 

Placement, and dual enrollment. 

The school profiles (see p. 15) identify 

what college access programs high schools 

are offering. 

Dual enrollment 

To enter the dual enrollment program, 

students must have a 2.5 grade point average 

and 90 percent or better attendance 

record, no disciplinary record, and demonstrated 

academic ability and motivation. 

Each of the colleges and universities that 

partner with the District has its own entry 

requirements, which can include essaywriting 

and placement tests. 

Students can take courses at any of 

the participating schools and forward the 

credits to the college or university of their 

choice. In the 2010-11 school year, 440 

District students and 264 nonpublic/charter 

students participated. 

But the program is in jeopardy due to 

drastic cuts in state aid. Last year the District 

got nearly $900,000 to cover students’ 

books, tuition, fees, and some transportation. 

Now, with the state eliminating that 

funding, Ted Thompson, deputy chief of 

the District’s Office of Sec- 

ondary School Reform, 

said the District is working 

with its university partners 

to leverage more costfriendly 

options. Among 

them: online classes and 

using District teachers 

with master’s degrees as 

adjuncts to offer courses at 

District schools. 

“At this point schools 

with grants that afford 

them the flexibility to create an option for 

dual enrollment are encouraged to use that 

as an option,” Thompson said. 

GEAR UP 

Makiya Mayes’ list of potential colleges 

isn’t especially long, but this 13-yearold 

knows what she wants. 

“I want to go to Lincoln, Penn State, 

Florida State, or Spelman,” Mayes said 

without pause. 

“And I want to be a lawyer because I 

like to talk and prove my point.” 

To help prepare for college, Mayes, 

who admits to “having a lot of Cs” while 

at Kearny Elementary School, decided to 

participate in a program offered through 

the District called GEAR UP. 

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness 

and Readiness for Undergraduate 

Programs) is a national initiative that provides 

six-year grants to states to provide 

services at high-poverty middle and high 

schools. Services include the creation of 

learning plans, tutoring, classes on how to 

With only 39 

percent of students 

going straight on to 

college, programs 

to increase the 

college-going rate 

are sorely needed. 

Harvey Finkle 

Temple University student Juwann Bennett earned a full year of college credits while in high school at 

Girard Academic Music Program. 

become more college-ready, college tours, 

and parent seminars and workshops with 

information about how to engage students 

about the college-going process. There are 

two types of GEAR UP grants. Partnership 

grants are awarded by the U.S. Department 

of Education directly to districts 

and local partners. State grants are given 

to state agencies to support activities in 

multiple districts. 

The program serves an entire cohort 

of students starting in 7th grade and follows 

them through high school. 

In the 2010-11 school year, 1,461 10th 

graders at Fels, Furness, Germantown, and 

Overbrook participated in State GEAR 

UP. Students at Edison, Frankford, Ben 

Franklin, Lincoln, Roxborough, University 

City, South Philadelphia, and Vaux are 

also supported by the Partnership GEAR 

UP, as well as 7th and 8th 

graders at 26 schools. 

Partnership GEAR 

UP provides all the supports 

of the state, but 

additionally offers three 

courses designed to prepare 

students for postsecondary 

experiences: College 

Ed, Career Choices, 

and AVID (Advancement 

Via Individual Determination). 

AVID, seemingly the most popular of 

the three, teaches study habits, organizational 

skills, and the Cornell Note-taking 

System. Students are armed with a large 

binder for homework, tests, quizzes, and 

other papers that must be kept orderly at all 

times and is subject to weekly inspections. 

AVID students are also tutored by 

college students and take part in seminars 

where they learn how to dialogue in 

group settings. Thompson said parents are 

engaged in the process to ensure students’ 

success because it is so rigorous and timeconsuming. 

“Parents and students sign a contract 

that they understand that they will be getting 

additional work, but also additional 

supports around their binder work and 

how you organize,” he said. 

Lashawnda Gonzalez, who starts The 

Promise Academy at University City High 

in September, said she feels better prepared 

to pursue her college goals because of the 

AVID program at Rhoads Middle School. 

“I can’t say that I was interested in 

GEAR UP at first, but it was something 

to try. So I did, and since I’ve joined my 

grades have improved and it has gotten 

me on the track of wanting to go to college 

and become something in my life,” 

she said. 

Advanced Placement 

Nearly every District high school offers 

college-level courses through the College 

Board Advanced Placement Program. 

AP courses are designed to be rigorous and 

include more complex reading and writing 

assignments than regular courses. 

There are 28 different courses offered 

ranging from psychology to calculus to history. 

Every class is approved by the College 

Board. Students can earn college credits, 

but that is up to the individual college or 

university. Students take an AP exam at 

the end of the course. Most colleges grant 

credit or upper level course placement for 

scores of 3, 4, or 5. 

According to Thompson, in the 2010- 

11 school year, there were 6,885 AP enrollments; 

many students took multiple 

AP classes. Some courses, he said, are offered 

over the summer. 

Not all students do take the tests, 

however, and in past years, most Philadelphia 

students who took them failed to 

score 3 or higher. 

This past summer, Thompson said every 

AP teacher went through the College 

Board’s training to make sure they knew 

how to keep the course on a high standard. 

The District also worked with principals 

and teachers to ensure that other courses 

adequately prepare students for the AP offerings. 

Isabella Tognini, an 11th grader at 

Science Leadership Academy, took an AP 

European History course over the summer 

at Benjamin Franklin High School and 

plans to take more this school year. 

“I think the speed of the class is going 

to definitely help me with things like 

taking notes,” said Tognini, who wants to 

attend Hobart College, a small school in 

upstate New York, to study business. 

“I’m also learning how to follow a 

teacher and catch everything they are saying,” 

she said. “In college you really don’t 

have time to slack off and put your pen 

down and take a break.” 

Contact Notebook Managing Editor 

Wendy Harris at wendyh@thenotebook.org. 


Academy at Palumbo 

1100 Catharine St., 19147 

Ph: 215-351-7618 Fax: 215-351-7685 

Adrienne Wallace-Chew, Principal 

Email: awallacechew@philasd.org 

www.philasd.org/schools/palumbo 

2010-11 enrollment: 564 

Admissions requirements: 88th percentile or above 

on PSSA; all As and Bs in major subjects on most 

recent final report card, with possible exception 

of one C; no negative discipline reports; excellent 

attendance and punctuality 

Student racial demographics: 

African American – 49% Latino – 10% 

Asian/Pacific Islander –20% 

White – 20% Other – 2% 

% of English language learners: 4% 

% of special education students: 3% 

% eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch: 73% 

New this year: Expansion of partnership with 

Temple University Prime Movers Journalism to 

include involvement in a Temple University advertising 

initiative; retained all three counselors 

and all teachers, except for one art position; 

will strengthen academic, discipline practices, 

and school climate initiatives through an enhanced 

single school culture and develop these 

through various professional developments 

during the year 

Points of pride: Made AYP with increases in PSSA 

scores; College Board Advanced Placement 

Program; diverse student body; freshman class has 

doubled in 2011; $12 million renovation project; 

National Honor Society; Prime Movers Journalism 

AP courses: European History, Chemistry, US History, 

Physics B, Psychology, English Literature, 

Government and Politics, Biology, Calculus AB, 

Statistics, Chinese, Spanish, Studio Art 

Other special academic offerings: Dual enrollment; 

internships; 11th grade project 

Foreign languages: Spanish, Chinese 

Activities: School newspaper: The Griffin Gazette; 

drama club; debate club; Gay-Straight Alliance; 

30-member orchestra; 40-member choir; National 

Honor Society; University of Penn School of 

Law Partners Moot Court; dual enrollment; VIEW 

Program at Villanova; SEAMAAC; Inkblot Literary 

Magazine; National Academic League; Community 

Service Club; career day; Multicultural Day; 

College Fair Day; Project Pride; peer mediators; 

jazz and rock bands; yoga club; garden club; pep 

squad; chess club 

Boys’ sports: Basketball, Volleyball, Football*, Baseball*, 

Track & Field*, Soccer 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Track & 

Field*, Soccer*, Badminton* 

Titles/Championships won: Boys’ volleyball, Public 

League Title 2010; Girls’ volleyball, Division 

Champions 

The Arts Academy 

at Benjamin Rush 

11081 Knights Rd., 19154 

Ph: 215-281-2603 Fax: 215-281-2674 

Jessica Brown, Principal 

Email: jebrown@philasd.org 

www.rushartsonline.org 


Admissions requirements: Strong academic record; 

excellent punctuality, behavior, and attendance 

record; proficient or advanced on PSSA reading and 

math; successful audition in chosen art major 



Asian/Pacific Islander – 5% 





HIGHSCHOOLPROFILES2011 

Directory of Philadelphia's public and charter high schools 

SPECIAL ADMISSION 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

New this year: Additional course offerings moving 

toward becoming a 9-12 high school; 2012 will be 

the first graduating class; additional courses include 

Writing For Publication, Local and Global Environmental 

Science, Video Journalism, Understanding 

Comics, Spanish 3, Narrative Filmmaking, Film 

Studies, Debate, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Singers, 

Keyboarding; 12th grade courses, which include 

additional electives along with a senior project 

Points of pride: Student-centered community; 

integration of the arts into all programming; 21st 

century tools used to enhance learning; gained recognition 

in ASCD’s SmartBriefs; reflective teaching 

and learning in classes; media literacy permeates 

curriculum 

AP courses: Chemistry, English, Physics II, Calculus 

Other special academic offerings: Biology II, Environmental 

and Global Science, Spanish 3 

Foreign languages: Spanish 

Activities: School newspaper: The Palette; Build- 

On; band; choir; Clay Club; Global Awareness; 

G4 Summit; math help; homework help; Girls 

For Change; media arts; literary journal; graphic 

arts; media 

Boys’ sports: Basketball, Track & Field, Baseball 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Track & Field; Soccer, Volleyball, 

Softball 

Bodine High School for 

International Affairs 

1101 N. 4th St., 19123 

Ph: 215-351-7332 Fax: 215-351-7370 

Deborah Jumpp, Principal 

Email: djumpp@philasd.org 

www.bodine.phila.k12.pa.us 


Admissions requirements: Advanced or proficient on 

PSSA reading and math; all As and Bs in major subjects 

on most recent final report card, with possible 

exception of one C; no disciplinary reports; excellent 

attendance and punctuality; 80th percentile on 

standardized exams 








New this year: New administrative team that will 

foster the following programs: International Baccalaureate 

Diploma Program, Advanced Placement, 

and College Excel/Dual Enrollment at Community 

College of Philadelphia, Eastern University, Lincoln 

University and St Joseph’s 

University; completion of the 

Philadelphia Mural Arts/Restored 

Spaces project, involving installation 

of murals on the building, 

tree planting, and outdoor seating 

and shelter installation for 

classes and recreation 

Points of pride: 2009 National 

Blue Ribbon School; 2010 

Philadelphia School District 

Vanguard School; 2010 Philadelphia 

School District Teacher 

of the Year, Aaron Greberman; 

2008 & 2009 Teachers of the 

Year, Gina Hart, Brian Malloy; 

partnership with World Affairs 

Council of Philadelphia 

AP courses: Calculus AB, English 

Language & Composition, U.S. 

History, Spanish Language, 

Spanish Literature 

Foreign languages: Spanish, 

French 

Activities: School newspaper: 

The Ambassador; four cultural 

assemblies per year; weekly 

instrumental lessons; World Affairs 

Council; debate; Build-on; 

Red Cross; National Academic 

League; Academic World Quest; 

mock trial; chess; Philadelphia 

Student Union; Asian Club; Latino Club; literary 

magazine; Gay-Straight Alliance; National Honor 

Society; International Baccalaureate Diploma 

Programme, including Math Studies, Business 

Management, Spanish, French, English, History of 

the Americas, 20th Century History, and Theory of 

Knowledge 

KEY TO THE SCHOOL PROFILES 

Harvey Finkle 

Academy at Palumbo’s Antwan Currie, winner of the Notebook’s 

2011 award for best columnist, with emcee Loraine Ballard Morrill 

of Clear Channel Radio at the Notebook annual June celebration. 

Currie’s column appeared in the school’s Griffin Gazette. 

Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross 

Country, Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field, Football (w/ 

Mastbaum HS), Badminton* 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, 

Soccer (spring), Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, 

Badminton* (Regional teams for swimming 

and gymnastics) 


This is a directory of District and charter high schools. The contact information and demographic data for District 

schools are from the School District of Philadelphia. Charter school data are compiled from the District and from 

charter school annual reports filed with the state. Sports information is from the PIAA and school surveys. 

All schools were asked to complete a survey. Information in the following profile sections is self-reported by the 

schools: “New this year,” “AP courses,” “Points of pride,” “Career and Technical Education programs,” “Other special 

academic offerings,” “Foreign languages,” and “Activities.” Survey responses are edited for length and some claims 

may be removed if they cannot be independently verified. 

Abbreviations used throughout the listings: 

NR = No response by the school 

NA = Not applicable/available 

AP = Advanced placement 

AYP = Adequate Yearly Progress 

CTE = Career and Technical Education 

IB = International Baccalaureate 

DOL = Department of Labor (U.S.) 

PIAA = Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association 

* = These sports are not authorized for PIAA competition 

† = These CTE programs are state-approved. 



HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15) 

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 


Admissions requirements: As and Bs in major subjects, 

with the exception of one C; 80th percentile on 

standardized exam; good attendance, punctuality and 

behavior; successful audition in chosen art field; high 

proficient scores on PSSA in reading and math 








New this year: New teachers 

Points of pride: A full college preparatory program; 

annual spring musical involving over 200 students; 

state-of-the-art Neo-Gothic facility; programs in 

dance, instrumental and vocal music; theater; outstanding 

visual arts and creative writing departments 

AP courses: English Language & Composition, 

English Literature & Composition, World History, 

Biology, Music Theory 

Career & Technical Education programs: Film†, 

Graphic Design† 

Other special academic offerings: Honors classes in 

all core subjects beginning in the 10th grade 

Foreign languages: Spanish, Italian 

Activities: School newspaper: The Painted 

Word; one full musical and six plays in 2009- 


10 school year; 70-member concert band; 

35-member jazz band; 50-member concert 

choir; 37-member mixed choir; 110-student 

dance performances; 55-student writers’ cafe; 

145-student visual arts gallery 

Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Volleyball 

Girls’ sports: Cross Country, Softball, Volleyball 

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@philasd.org 

www.carver.phila.k12.pa.us 


Admissions requirements: 85th percentile on PSSA; 

all As and Bs (one C allowed in a minor subject) and 

www.thenotebook.org 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

Harvey Finkle 

Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) has a creative writing track, 

along with its visual arts, dance, theater, and music programs. 

no failures in any subject; excellent behavior and 

attendance; advanced scores on PSSA reading and 

math; one-page essay detailing reasons for wishing 

to attend this school 








New this year: Forensics course for grades 10-12 

Points of pride: U.S. Dept. of Education 2008 Blue 

Ribbon School; 2011 U.S. News & World Report: 

Bronze Commendation; annual college fair (60 

recruiters); high staff and student attendance; 1st 

place 2010 State Chess Championship 

AP courses: Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, English 

Literature, Environmental Science, Physics, Statistics, 

U.S. Government and Politics, U.S. History 

Career & Technical Education programs: Engineering 

Technology/Project Lead the Way 

Other special academic offerings: Engineering 

Program: pre-engineering elective courses 

prepare students who are considering majors 

in engineering or engineering technology; 

courses are: Engineering Survey, Introduction to 

Engineering, Principles of Engineering, Digital 

Electronics, and Civil Engineering/Architecture; 

a certified PLTW (www.pltw.org) school, students 

can earn college credit for engineering courses; 

Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Career & Technical 

Education has approved program for Engineering 

Technology; partnership team provides program 

support including guest speakers, field trips, and 

internship and mentor experiences for students; 

Biomedical Program: a 3-year program designed 

to prepare students for careers in the medical 

sciences, science research, and university premedical 

programs 

Foreign languages: Spanish, Chinese 

Activities: 20-member band; 10-member rock 

band; National Honor Society; National Beta Club; 

National Society of Black Engineers; student gov- 

TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOLS 

Special admission high schools 

These 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 admissions programs within 

them. Students across the city may apply. 

Citywide admission high schools 

Students citywide are eligible to apply to these 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 schools have geographic boundaries; students are 

guaranteed admission if their school for grade 8 falls 

within the feeder pattern. Those living outside of the 

ernment; Model United Nations; Red Cross; chess; 

Anime; Architecture, Construction and Engineering 

Mentoring; debate team; mock trial; moot court; 

Biomed Program; Environthon; LGBSTA; Outward 

Bound; ping-pong; science fair; self-defense; stage 

crew; Technology Student Association & Robotics; 

weight room; yearbook 

Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, 

Indoor Track & Field, Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field, 

Volleyball, Swimming*, Gymnastics* 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Indoor Track 

& Field, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, 

Cheerleading*, Swimming*, Gymnastics* 

Titles/Championships won: Cierra White, 2011 PIAA 

Track & Field champion and national record-holder 

for 200 m.; 2nd place, 2010 Public League Cheerleading 

competition, Pyramid Division 

Central High School 

1700 W. Olney Ave., 19141 

Ph: 215-276-5262 Fax: 215-276-4721 

Dr. Sheldon Pavel, President 

Email: spavel@philasd.org 

www.centralhigh.net 

2010-11 enrollment: 2,387 

Admissions requirements: Must score on or above 

88th percentile on PSSA; all As and Bs (one C allowed) 

in major subjects on most recent final report 

card; excellent behavior and attendance; one-page 

writing sample on self-selected topic 








New this year: Windows; renovated auditorium; 

second year of all-school musical; over 25 new staff; 

a return to The Academy of Music for commencement; 

expansion of interdisciplinary professional 

development; implementation of Academic Integrity 

policy and interactive web site 

Points of pride: student achievement; alumni involvement; 

faculty expertise and dedication; parental 

engagement and support; Vanguard designation 

and Blue Ribbon status for 2011-12; multicultural 

environment 

AP courses: English Language, English Literature, 

World History, European History, U.S. History, 

Government, Macroeconomics, Psychology, Calculus 

AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Computer Science, 

Biology, Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C, Environmental 

Science, Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, 

Latin, Art, and Music Theory 

Other special academic offerings: Full International 

Baccalaureate program, Mentally Gifted program 

servicing over 1,000 students, and ESOL 

program; extraordinary elective courses including 

Victorian Literature, Psychology, Constitutional 

Law, Asian Studies, Advanced African/American 

Studies, Genetics, Materials Science, Robotics, 

Anatomy and Physiology, Visual Culture, 

Music Technology, Web Design, Public Speaking, 

Multicultural Literature, Research, Microbiology, 

Forensics, Organic Chemistry, Japanese Studies, 

Sculpture, and Photography 


feeder pattern may also apply, but admission is based 

on available space and determined through a lottery. 

Some of these are now run by charter school operators 

as Renaissance Schools. Others are Promise Academies 

getting extra supports from the School District. 

Charter high schools 

There are 30 charters serving the high school grades, not 

counting the Renaissance charter schools. Charters are 

not District-operated – each functions as an independent 

district. Any Philadelphia student may apply to 

these 30 charter schools, and schools are required to 

choose students by lottery if there are more applicants 

than slots. They are not allowed to exclude applicants 

based on grades or test scores or other aspects of their 

record. But each school has its own procedures and 

deadlines, as well as different interview, orientation, and 

paperwork requirements for students and parents before 

enrollment is guaranteed. 



HIGH SCHOOLS 


Foreign languages: Chinese, French, Italian, Latin, 

Spanish 

Activities: School newspaper: Centralizer; school musical; 

40-member orchestra; 15-member jazz band; 

vocal program including choir and concert choir; 

literary magazines; Student Voices, mock trial and 

debate; dramatics; drama program; creative writing; 

special “days” such as International, Women’s, Earth, 

and Career; award-winning robotics program 


Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track & Field, Soccer, 

Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, 

Volleyball, Wrestling 


Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Indoor Track & 

Field, Soccer (spring), Softball, Swimming and Diving, 

Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball 

Franklin Learning Center 

616 N. 15th St., 19130 

Ph: 215-684-5916 Fax: 215-684-8969 

Charles Staniskis, Principal 

Email: cstanisk@philasd.org 

www.flc.phila.k12.pa.us 


Admissions requirements: As and Bs (one C allowed) 

in major subjects; above 75th percentile on 

standardized tests; good attendance and behavior 

record; no disciplinary reports; audition or presentation 

of portfolio for students interested in arts major 




White – 25% Other –


Philadelphia’s District and charter high 

Percentage Percentage Percentage Average Average Out-of-school Average Average Average 2010 2010 4-year College- 

2010 of low of special of English teacher student suspensions score score score PSSA % PSSA % graduation going rate: 

total income education language daily daily per 100 SAT SAT SAT proficient proficient rate - class class of 

School name 

Special admission high schools 

enrollment students students learners attendance attendance students verbal math writing Reading Math of 2010 2010 

Academy at Palumbo 564 73% 3% 4% 98% 95% 0 469 456 447 92% 86% 93% 67% 

Arts Academy at Rush 379 51% 11% 5% 98% 94% 3 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 

Bodine 547 62% 6% 3% 97% 94% 6 471 494 468 85% 72% 90% 80% 

Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) 682 49% 5% 2% 96% 93% 3 504 477 490 90% 68% 92% 75% 

Carver HS of Engineering & Science 704 59% 3% 3% 98% 95% 7 466 498 443 88% 85% 96% 76% 

Central 2,387 49% 1% 1% 97% 95% 1 538 576 534 98% 98% 92% 85% 

Franklin Learning Center 676 73% 6% 3% 97% 89% 1 422 445 415 77% 71% NA 69% 

Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP)* 497 47% 5%


schools: How are they doing? 

Which Philadelphia 

high schools 

stand out for … 

… high teacher attendance*? 

Academy at Palumbo 

Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush 

Carver HS of Engineering & Science 

Girard Academic Music Program – GAMP 

Phila. Military Academy at Elverson 

*data not available for charter schools 

School name 

2010 

high school 

enrollment 

Percentage 

of low 

income 

students 

Percentage 

of special 

education 

students 

Charter schools serving high school grades 

Arise Academy 218 75% 53% 0% 64% 206 NA NA NA 7% 2% NA 

Boys' Latin of Philadelphia 461 79% 14% 1% 95% NA NA NA NA 21% 9% NA 

Charter HS for Architecture & Design 573 65% 12% 2% 92% 67 398 392 379 50% 54% 50% 

Community Academy of Philadelphia 564 80% 14% 10% 88% NA NA NA NA 40% 17% 45% 

Delaware Valley 621 74% 16%


HIGH SCHOOLS 


increase student involvement in sports 

Points of pride: Achieving AYP; college attendance 

rate; Classroom for the Future school; affiliation with 

Lantern Theatre and City Year; PE/HE at Temple; 

partnership with University of Delaware in Science 

and Math Ed. 

AP courses: Biology, American History, English 

Language, English Literature 


Activities: School plays, including Fences in 2010 

and Red Herring in 2011; student government; 

drama club; robotics; tutoring; senior activities; service 

learning and enrichment; six-week Residential 

Math and Science Summer Enrichment Program at 

the University of Delaware 

Boys’ sports: Soccer, Track & Field, Volleyball, cooperative 

sponsorships for Football and Baseball 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cheerleading*, Volleyball, 

cooperative sponsorships for Softball 

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@philasd.org 

www.philasd.org/schools/parkwaynw 


Admissions requirements: As and Bs (one C allowed) 

in major subjects; good behavior, attendance, and 

punctuality; advanced or proficient on PSSA in 

reading and math; 70th percentile or higher on 

standard exams; interview and school and/or community 

volunteer hours 





CITYWIDE ADMISSION 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 

from non-English-speaking backgrounds 

Points of pride: Prepare students for high-paying 

jobs; college preparation; made AYP five of past 

seven years; listed in US News & World Report as 

one of best nine schools in Philadelphia; acknowledged 

by PA Dept. of Education as one of the top 

CTE schools in the state 

AP courses: Environmental Science, English Literature, 

American History 

Career & Technical Education programs: Culinary; 

Carpentry†; Computer Repairs and Networking†; 

Nursing Technology†; Engineering-Related Technology†; 

Accounting†; Business Technology; Sports 

Marketing; Commercial Arts and Advertising 


Activities: Two arts festivals held in 2009-10; art 

and music programs; National Honor Society; robotics 

class; chess club; drama club, yearbook club, 

student council; International Club; Computer Repairs 

Club; photography club; School Beautification 

Club; No Place For Hate Student Mentors; Going to 

College Club 


Country, Football, Soccer, Track & Field 


Softball, Track & Field, Volleyball, Badminton*, 

Cheerleading* 

Titles/Championships won: Football, five-year Division 

Champs 

Communications Technology 

High School 

8110 Lyons Ave., 19153 

Ph: 215-492-6958 Fax: 215-492-6074 

Saliyah Cruz, Principal 

Email: scruz@philasd.org 

www.philasd.org/schools/commtech 


Admissions requirements: Marks of A, B, or C; no 

more than 10 absences; no more than 5 latenesses; 

no negative disciplinary reports on most recent final 

report card 








New this year: Journalism program; Calculus will 

be added as an AP course; monthly Saturday 

SAT/PSSA Prep courses; peer mentoring and 

mediation to continue to develop student leadership 

and promote a spirit of personalization and 

community 

Points of pride: 66% proficiency in NOCTI (occupational 

competency) scores; significant increase in 

2010-11 SAT scores; class of 2011 earned over 

$300,000 in scholarships for college/trade schools; 

regional winners in annual Technology Student Association 

Regional Competitions 

AP courses: English, Government, Calculus 

Career & Technical Education programs: Commercial 

Photography†, Cinematography (Radio and Television) 

†, Graphic Arts† 

Other special academic offerings: Journalism 

Foreign languages: Spanish, French 

Activities: Technology Student Association; National 


Honor Society; cooking club; photography club, 

journalism; student government; yearbook 


Country, Football, Track & Field 


Softball, Track & Field 

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 




no negative disciplinary reports on the most recent 

final report card; excellent attendance and behavior 

record; written essay; personal interview 








New this year: New student schedule; new 

science, social studies and art teachers; new 

electives include Psychology, Entrepreneurship 

and Sociology; student schedule has moved from 

a block format to a modular roster; classes will 

meet for 60 or 90 minutes, either for a half-year 

or entire school term 

Points of pride: Only social studies-themed high 

school in Pennsylvania; school governance modeled 

after U.S. Constitution; consistent AYP status; significant 

partnerships; service learning required of all 

students; national finalists in National History Day 

AP courses: U.S. History, U.S. Government, Literature, 

Environmental Science, Psychology 

Other special academic offerings: Dual enrollment 

during school time 


Activities: School newspaper: CHS Chronicles; theatrical 

productions; senior choir; mock trial; debate; 

yearbook; Shakespeare Club; World Council; student 

government; National History Day; Science Fair; 

peer mediation; service learning 

Boys’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Soccer, Baseball 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading*, 

Tennis, Soccer, Volleyball 

Sports championships: Boys’ Basketball Class A 

District XXII champions; Boys’ Basketball Public 

League Runner-up 

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 





final report card 




White –


HIGH SCHOOLS 


Country, Football, Indoor Track & Field, Tennis, 

Track & Field, Badminton* 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Indoor 

Track & Field, Cheerleading*, Soccer (spring), 

Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball 

High School of the Future 

4021 Parkside Ave., 19104 

Ph: 215-823-5502 Fax: 215-823-5504 

Rosalind Chivis, Principal 

Email: rchivis@phila.k12.pa.us 





final report card 



Asian/Pacific Islander –


HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 


NEIGHBORHOOD 

HIGH SCHOOLS 


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 






NEIGHBORHOOD 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 

camera system); all 9th graders will be enrolled in a 

special 9th grade academy; recipient of a DOL grant, 

which includes resources for mentoring and special 

initiatives to enhance school climate and culture 

Points of pride: Varsity Cheerleading Team – 2011 

Public League Champions (10th consecutive year); 

JROTC-Districtwide award winners; Boys’ Varsity 

Basketball Team – 2011 Public League Champion- 

District IV; Boys’ Varsity Baseball – Public League 

Champion; George Washington Carver Science 

Fair: first place – John Arnault – full scholarship, 

Drexel University 

AP courses: Government, US History, Physics, 

Calculus, English 

Career & Technical Education programs: Building 

Maintenance†, Culinary Arts† 

Other special academic offerings: Honors classes 


Activities: School newspaper: The Pioneer; plays, 

including Wipeout, Romeo & Juliet; 30-member 

band; Anime Club; book club; dance; National 

Honor Society; student government; yearbook; teen 

court; ceramics 


Country, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field, 

Volleyball, Wrestling, Badminton* 


Field Hockey, Soccer (spring), Softball, Tennis, 

Track & Field, Volleyball, Badminton* 

Titles/Championships won: Varsity Cheerleading Team – 

2011 Public League Champions; Boys Varsity Basketball 

Team – 2011 Public League Champion-District IV; 

Boys Varsity Baseball – Public League Champion 

Benjamin Franklin High School 

550 N. Broad St., 19130 

Ph: 215-299-4662 Fax: 215-299-7285 

Christopher Johnson, Principal 

Email: cjohnson@philasd.org 

www.philasd.org/schools/benfranklin 




Asian/Pacific Islander – 6% White –

NEIGHBORHOOD 

HIGH SCHOOLS 


graduating prepared for college and careers; expect 

climate and culture to be impacted positively; will 

work to improve performance in math and increase 

graduation rates 

Points of pride: Increases in PSSA math and reading 

scores; Autistic support classes which have been 

chosen as a model for the District; having met 8 out 

of 11 PSSA criteria; partnerships with Philadelphia 

Academies and University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton 

School of Business; business skills and knowledge 

students will gain through the partnerships 

AP courses: English Literature, English Composition, 

U.S. History 

Career & Technical Education programs: Courses in 

Business Technology and Journalism 

Other special academic offerings: Journalism 

Foreign languages: Spanish and Spanish Heritage 

Activities: School newspaper; stock market club; 

Wharton Entrepreneurship business club; Peace 

Club; guitar; teacher and student basketball team 

Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, 

JV Football 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, Cheerleading 

Kensington High School for 

Creative and Performing Arts 

(CAPA) 

1901 N. Front St., 19122 

Ph: 215-291-5010 Fax: 215-291-6334 

Debora Carrera, Principal 

Email: dcarrera@philasd.org 






NEIGHBORHOOD 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 

center; six academies: Business, Fine & Performing 

Arts, Law, Environmental Science, Horticulture, 

and Health Related Technologies 

AP courses: Biology, Math, English, Chemistry, Environmental 

Science, U.S. History, Government 

Career & Technical Education programs: Pursuing 

Health-Related Technologies approval; Business 

Technology approved for 2011-12; a Future 

Business Leaders of America (FBLA) group in 

the Business Academy; a Health Occupations 

Student Association (HOSA); Red Cross Club in 

the Health Related Technology Academy 

Other special academic offerings: AVID – Achievement 

via Individual Determination for new 9th 

graders; Gates Foundation Proficiency Based 

Pathways for 9th graders; U.S. Dept. of Labor 

Mentoring, Education & Employment Services 

Grant; School Improvement Grant; Small Learning 

Community Grant; six career academies; 9th grade 

success academy 

Foreign languages: American Sign Language, Chinese, 

Spanish 

Activities: School newspaper: Lincoln Log; plays 

and mural art; 43-member band; 27-member 

choir 

Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Football, 

Golf, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track & 

Field, Volleyball, Wrestling, Badminton* 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Field Hockey, Golf, 

Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track & 

Field, Volleyball, Badminton* 

Northeast High School 

1601 Cottman Ave., 19111 

Ph: 215-728-5018 Fax: 215-728-5004 

Linda Carroll, Principal 

Email: lmcarroll@philasd.org 

www.nehs.phila.k12.pa.us 

2010-11 enrollment: 3,226 








No response to survey questions 


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* 

ASPIRA Olney High School 

100 E. Duncannon Ave., 19120 

Ph: 215-456-3014 Fax: 215-456-3064 

Principal: Jose Lebron 

2010-11 enrollment: 1,528 

Data are combined from Olney East, Olney West 








New this year: Olney East and West are being 

converted into Olney Charter School and will be 

operated by ASPIRA of PA, Inc. 


Points of pride: AP English; AP Social Studies; 

honors for 10th grade core subjects; Health Tech 

Academy; business program 

AP courses: U.S. Government, Literature and 

Composition 

Career & Technical Education programs: Health 

Technology 

Other special academic offerings: Study Island and 

Achieve 3000 


Activities: School newspaper: O Zone; National 

Honor Society; business 


Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, Wrestling 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Gymnastics, Soccer 

(spring), Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball 

Overbrook High School 

5898 Lancaster Ave., 19131 

Ph: 215-581-5507 Fax: 215-581-3406 

Ethelyn Payne Young, Principal 

Email: eyoung@philasd.org 

www.philasd.org/schools/overbrookhs 

2010-11 enrollment: 1,485 




NEIGHBORHOOD 

HIGH SCHOOLS 




NEIGHBORHOOD 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 

ad; chess team; concert choir; culinary arts, DECA; 

fashion club; Future Business Leaders of America; 

Human Relations Council; musical; National Society 

of Black Engineers; newspaper; orchestra; Peer 

Group Connection; Physics Bowl; robotics; South 

Asian Cultural Organization; stage crew; student 

government; website; yearbook; Young Playwrights 


Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track & 

Field, Volleyball, Wrestling 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Field Hockey, Soccer 

(spring), Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, 

Track & Field, Volleyball; 

Titles/Championships won: 2011 Girls’ Field Hockey 

Championship; 2011 Girls’ Lacrosse Championship 

The Promise Academy at 

West Philadelphia High School 

4700 Walnut St., 19139 

Ph: 215-471-2902 Fax: 215-471-6402 

Mary Dean, Principal 

Email: msdean@philasd.org 





CHARTER 

HIGH SCHOOLS 



White –

CHARTER 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 


New this year: Power School; volleyball; RTI Process; 

inclusion process for Special Education; second year 

of the Academy/Career Cluster Model during which 

students will have greater flexibility in the selection 

of content and elective classes; special education 

program will include a co-teaching model to increase 

student engagement and academic performance; 

extended school day is mandatory for students who 

are not advanced or proficient in their benchmarks 

Points of pride: High postsecondary placement; 

Michael Vick School Campaign; Community Service 

(Coaches for Cancer, Dancing for Pearls to Combat 

Cancer, books for Ghana school children, Yearly 

Red Cross Blood Drive); first Bill Gates Millennium 

Scholar; physics winner in George Washington 

Carver Science Fair; WURD 900AM radio program 

highlighting STEM education 

AP courses: English Literature, Physics, Statistics, 

US Government, Biology 

Career & Technical Education programs: Nursing, 

Culinary, Technology 

Other special academic offerings: Academy/Career 

Cluster Models to prepare students for postsecondary 

placement and the workplace 

Foreign languages: French, Spanish, and access to 

Rosetta Stone 


Activities: Dwight Evans Civic Leadership Team; 

African Dance & Drumming; drum line & instrumental 

ensemble; 30-member chorus ensemble; mock 

trial team; Capoeira Angola Group; chess; JAAMA; 

Say Yes to Education; STEM Academy (Sea Perch); 

theatre program; pillars of peace (student mediation 

program) 

Boys’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Football, 

Track & Field, Volleyball 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Track & 

Field, Volleyball, Cheerleading* 

KIPP Philadelphia 

Charter School 

1209 Vine St., 19107 

Ph: 215-717-2475 Fax: NR 

Eric Leslie, Principal 

Email: eleslie@kippphiladelphia.org 

www.kippphiladelphia.org 

2010-11 enrollment, high school grades: 105 

Grades served: K-1 & 5-10 

Student racial demographics (2010): 




CHARTER 

HIGH SCHOOLS 


% special education students: 19% 


New this year: Football; Linton’s Lunch Program; 

new ASL/s, new culture team members; continue to 

reevaluate and improve our practices, which means 

finding new and innovative teaching methods, 

utilizing technology and education “best practices,” 

focusing on school culture, and driving home critical 

concepts of respect, responsibility, and pride 

Points of pride: Second year in a row of EPIC Gold 

Awards; beating the state average on PSSA for 

7th and 8th grades; named by the President as a 

model charter school; reduced violence by 80%; 

robust, college-focused curriculum; internships for 

10th and 11th graders 

AP courses: Human Geography, US History, Language 


Activities: School newspaper: Puma Press; plays, 

including two held in 2009-10; chess club; debate 

team; pep squad; yearbook club; student government; 

Social and Emotional Learning Program; 

Saturday School; Learning Institute to support 

incoming 7th graders, starting in April. MCSC 

Inzpire Glee Club; Hip Hop Dance Club; sewing 

club; Gay-Straight Alliance; City Year’s annual prom 

fashion show sponsored by David’s Bridal 

Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Lacrosse, 

Soccer 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Bowling, Lacrosse, Soccer 

(spring) 

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 

Matt Troha, Principal 

Email: matt.troha@masterycharter.org 

www.masterycharter.org 


Grades served: 7-12 

Admissions requirements: Application, lottery, mandatory 

information session for parents and students 





% English language learners: 3% 

% special education students: 20% 


New this year: Class designed to raise homework 

completion rates; same-day late detentions to deter 

tardiness; merit system to earn access to trips, 

prizes, and special events; three AP classes 

Points of pride: High college acceptance rate; $3 

million in financial aid packages; EPIC Silver 

Award: national award for significant gains in student 

achievement; closing state achievement gap 

in MS Reading/Math; President Obama selects 

Mastery as example of effective reform; top 10% 

of Philadelphia schools according to SPI rating. 

AP courses: Physics, Literature, Calculus, Language 

Other special academic offerings: ELL and Life Skills 

Support; Social Emotional Learning classes; internship 

classes and placements; College Readiness 

classes. 



Activities: Student plays; yearbook; drill team; 

Green Club; Spanish Club; National Honor Society; 

student government; cycling; staff/student-selected 

summer enrichment camps such as sports conditioning, 

recycling, cooking, literary adaptation, 

introduction to competitive volleyball 

Boys’ sports: Basketball, Track & Field, Cross 

Country 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Track & Field, Cross Country, 

Softball 

The Mathematics, Civics and 

Sciences Charter School 

447 N. Broad St., 19123 

Ph: 215-923-4880 Fax: 215-923-4859 

Veronica Joyner, CAO 

Email: info@mcscs.org 

www.mcscs.org 


Grades served: 1-12 

Admissions requirements: Application, lottery, preference 

given to students living in Philadelphia and 

students with siblings attending the school 




CHARTER 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

(CONTINUED) 

The Philadelphia Academy 

Charter School 

1700 Tomlinson Rd., 19116 

Ph: 215-673-3990 Fax: 215-673-3341 

Larry Sperling, CEO 

Email: lsperling@pacsweb.org 

www.pacsweb.org 


Grades served: K-12 

Admissions requirements: Application, lottery held 

in April 





CHARTER 

HIGH SCHOOLS 


men, sophomores, and juniors participate in career 

development internships 

Other special academic offerings: Seniors who qualify 

participate in college dual enrollment classes on 

campuses in Philadelphia 


Activities: Student Council; National Honor Society; 

chess team; running club; drama club; fashion 

show; talent show; ping-pong 

Boys’ sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, 

Bowling 

Girls’ sports: Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Cheerleading, 

Bowling 

Titles/Championships won: 2011 Girls’ Basketball 

Public League Champions 

Sankofa Freedom Academy 

401 E. Roosevelt Blvd., 19120 

Ph: 215-288-2001 Fax: 215-288-2099 

Ayesha Imani, Head of School & Founder 

Email: ayeshaimani1@aol.com 

www.sfacs.us 


Grades served: K-6 & 9-11 

Admissions requirements: Application, lottery, preference 

given to students from schools identified by 

the District as overcrowded 

Student demographics (2010): 



White –


Where to go online for lots more info 

http://bit.ly/district-profiles 

School Performance Index 

from School District 

Scale that shows how each high school 

stacks up on a variety of indicators in the 

annual reports compared to all city public 

high schools and to a group with similar 

demographics. Schools are rated on a 

scale of 1 to 10 in each category, with 1 

being the best and 10 the worst. In 2010, 

charter schools here are also given an SPI 

score for the first time. 

whoyagonnacall? 

School District of Philadelphia 

Leroy D. Nunery, II (Acting Superintendent): 215-400-4100 

Assistant Superintendents 

Joel Boyd, Promise Academies: 215-400-6363 

Emmanuel Caulk, AD8 (South): 215-351-7266 

Linda Chen, AD6 (Northeast): 215-281-3623 

Linda Cliatt-Wayman, High Schools: 215-684-5454 

Francisco Duran, AD5 (North): 215-291-5686 

John Frangipani, Renaissance Charters: 215-400-4090 

Lissa Johnson, AD9 (West): 215-823-5530 

Karen Kolsky, AD7 (Northwest): 215-248-6685 

Benjamin Wright (Alternative Education): 267-292-6600 

School Reform Commission 

Robert L. Archie, Jr.: 215-400-6270 

Denise Armbrister: 215-400-6273 

Joseph Dworetzky: 215-400-4010 

Johnny Irizarry: 215-400-6862 

City of Philadelphia 

Mayor Michael Nutter (D): 215-686-2181 

City Council Members-at-Large (elected citywide) 

W. Wilson Goode, Jr. (D): 215-686-3414 

Bill Green (D): 215-686-3420 

William K. Greenlee (D): 215-686-3446 

Jack Kelly (R): 215-686-3452 

James F. Kenney (D): 215-686-3450 

Blondell Reynolds Brown (D): 215-686-3438 

Frank Rizzo (R): 215-686-3440 

District City Council Members 

Frank DiCicco (D): 215-686-3458 

Anna C. Verna (D): 215-686-3412 

Jannie L. Blackwell (D): 215-686-3418 

Curtis Jones, Jr (D): 215-686-3416 

Darrell L. Clarke (D): 215-686-3442 

Joan L. Krajewski (D): 215-686-3444 

Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez (D): 215-686-3448 

Donna Reed Miller (D): 215-686-3424 

Marian B. Tasco (D): 215-686-3454 

Brian J. O’Neill (R): 215-686-3422 

To find out which District City Council member, 

State Senator, State Representative, or member 

of Congress represents you, call The Committee 

of Seventy at 1-866-268-8603. 

School Profiles 


Total enrollment and percentage breakdown 

of student body based on ethnicity, 

economic disadvantage, English language 

learners, and special education. 

The “Additional Data” section is the 

only place with data relating to climate: 

student and teacher attendance rates, 

student suspensions, serious incidents, 

and student turnover during the year. 

Bar graph alert: If you want to compare 

schools, the height of the bars is misleading. 

Each school’s graph has its own scale. 

School Annual Reports 

for all high schools 


Snapshot of each school showing test scores, 

achievement gaps among ethnic groups, percentage 

of students on track to graduation, 

dropout rate, and (self-reported) percentage 

of students getting college/career counseling 

and taking college entrance exams. 

There are also indicators relating to school 

operations, community satisfaction, and 

other milestones chosen by the school. Helpful 

symbols indicate whether targets were met 

and how the school compares to others in the 

District. 

http://bit.ly/philly-spi http://bit.ly/philly-paayp 

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 

Governor Tom Corbett (R): 717-787-2500 

State Senators 

Lawrence M. Farnese, Jr. (D): 215-560-1313 

Christine Tartaglione (D): 215-533-0440 

Shirley M. Kitchen (D): 215-227-6161 

Michael J. Stack, III (D): 215-281-2539 

Vincent J. Hughes (D): 215-471-0490 

LeAnna Washington (D): 215-242-0472 

Anthony Hardy Williams (D): 215-492-2980 

State Representatives 

Louise Williams Bishop (D): 215-879-6625 

Brendan F. Boyle (D): 215-676-0300 

Kevin J. Boyle (D) 215-331-2600 

Vanessa Lowery Brown (D): 215-879-6615 

Michelle F. Brownlee (D) 215-684-3738 

Mark B. Cohen (D): 215-924-0895 

Angel Cruz (D): 215-291-5643 

Lawrence H. Curry (D): 215-572-5210 

Pamela A. DeLissio (D) 215-482-8726 

Dwight Evans (D): 215-549-0220 

Kenyatta J. Johnson (D): 215-952-3378 

Babette Josephs (D): 215-893-1515 

William F. Keller (D): 215-271-9190 

Michael P. McGeehan (D): 215-333-9760 

Thomas P. Murt (R): 215-674-3755 

John Myers (D): 215-849-6592 

Dennis M. O’Brien (R): 215-632-5150 

Michael H. O’Brien (D): 215-503-3245 

Cherelle L. Parker (D): 215-242-7300 

Tony J. Payton Jr. (D): 215-744-7901 

James R. Roebuck (D): 215-724-2227 

John P. Sabatina Jr. (D): 215-342-6204 

John J. Taylor (R): 215-425-0901 

W. Curtis Thomas (D): 215-232-1210 

Ronald G. Waters (D): 215-748-6712 

Jewell Williams (D): 215-763-2559 

Rosita C. Youngblood (D): 215-849-6426 

U.S. Congress 

Senator Patrick Toomey (R): 484-809-7994 

Senator Robert Casey (D): 215-405-9660 

Rep. Chaka Fattah (D): 215-387-6404 

Rep. Robert Brady (D): 215-389-4627 

Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D): 215-335-3355 

Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R ): 215-579-8102 

Become a member! 

We depend on your financial support! 

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unlimited online access, notices and discounts 

to special events, and much more! 

Yes, I’d like to become a member of the Notebook for 2011! 

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http://bit.ly/philly-annual-reports 

Academic 

Achievement Report 

from Pennsylvania 

Department of Education 

State-operated site includes an adequate 

yearly progress report and a report card on 

each school, with information required by 

No Child Left Behind – primarily graduation 

rates and student proficiency rates on 

the state test. Test score information can 

be viewed in various ways, including yearby-year 

trends. 

Editor’s Circle – $500 

Mail to Public School Notebook, 3721 Midvale Avenue, Phila., PA 19129 

WWW.THENOTEBOOK.ORG/MEMBERSHIP 


DOCTOR OF EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL 

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 

AT HOLY FAMILY UNIVERSITY 

LEARN AND LEAD. Holy Family University is proud to announce its first 

doctoral program: the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership 

and Professional Studies. 

The mission of this new EdD program is to develop effective and ethical leaders 

for schools and communities who can make significant contributions to their 

fields of knowledge through applied research. 

The program is flexible and designed for working professionals with 

courses offered during evening and summer sessions. Some online and weekend 

courses are available as well. Applications for the doctoral program are now being 

accepted for the Fall 2012 class. 

A longtime leader in education studies, Holy Family continues to advance its 

offerings and curricula better to serve educators, schools, and students. The new 

EdD is specifically structured for you—a working practitioner seeking advanced 

studies for professional development and advancement. Join us and learn from 

a leader—then lead yourself. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Web: my.holyfamily.edu/grad/programs/edu_main.asp 

Phone: 267-341-3327 

E-mail: gradstudy@holyfamily.edu 

TO SCHEDULE AN INDIVIDUAL 

APPOINTMENT TO MEET WITH 

AN ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR: 

my.holyfamily.edu/grad/ 

appointment.asp 

APPLICATIONS NOW 

BEING ACCEPTED FOR: 

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