Wednesday, February 16, 2011

List of failing middle/high schools in PA

PURE has been asked to post this list. Formatting is difficult but after the ditrict and school name is the percentage of proficient/advanced students at that school and then the school's rank starting with most troubled.

DISTRICT
SCHOOL
% PROF/ADV COMBINED READING & MATH

PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
LEARNING ACAD NORTH
0.00
1
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
UNIVERSITY CITY HS
5.12
2
EPHRATA AREA SD
WASHINGTON ED CENTER
7.69
3
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WEST PHILADELPHIA HS
9.64
4
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GRATZ SIMON HS
10.54
5
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
VAUX ROBERTS HS
10.88
6
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GERMANTOWN HS
10.95
7
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ROXBOROUGH HS
12.64
8
HARRISBURG CITY SD
CAREER TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
12.77
9
LANCASTER SD
PHOENIX ACADEMY
13.28
10
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DOUGLAS STEPHEN A SCH
13.86
11
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
JOHN BARTRAM HS
14.89
12
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
OLNEY HS WEST-704
15.40
13
CHESTER-UPLAND SD
CHESTER HS
15.59
14
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA HS
16.05
15
WILKINSBURG BOROUGH SD
WILKINSBURG SHS
16.23
16
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SAYRE WILLIAM L MS
16.84
17
PITTSBURGH SD
WESTINGHOUSE HS
17.26
18
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KENSINGTON INTL BUSINESS FINANCE
17.37
19
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FELS SAMUEL HS
19.05
20
PITTSBURGH SD
PEABODY HS
20.30
21
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ALCORN JAMES SCH
20.50
22
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
OVERBROOK HS
20.57
23
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KING MARTIN LUTHER HS
20.93
24
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
OLNEY HS EAST-705
21.11
25
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KENSINGTON CREATIVE & PERF ARTS HS
21.46
26
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BLUFORD GUION EL SCH
21.92
27
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
LAMBERTON ROBERT HS
21.99
28
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DUNBAR PAUL L SCH
22.12
29
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE
22.22
30
PITTSBURGH SD
OLIVER HS
22.22
31
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FITZSIMONS THOMAS ACADEMY
22.54
32
HARRISBURG CITY SD
HAMILTON SCH
23.05
33
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KENSINGTON CULINARY ARTS
23.31
34
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
JONES JOHN PAUL MS
23.38
35
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FRANKLIN BENJAMIN HS
23.43
36
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HILL LESLIE P SCH
23.79
37
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
FRANKFORD HS
24.15
38
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
EDISON HS - FAREIRA SKILLS
24.18
39
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
LINCOLN ABRAHAM HS
24.27
40
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
RANDOLPH A PHILIP AVT HS
24.53
41
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DAROFF SAMUEL SCH
24.80
42
HARRISBURG CITY SD
HARRISBURG HS
25.72
43
DUQUESNE CITY SD
DUQUESNE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
25.95
44
CHESTER-UPLAND SD
COLUMBUS EL SCH
27.08
45
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STETSON JOHN B MS
27.18
46
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SMEDLEY FRANKLIN SCH
27.42
47
HARRISBURG CITY SD
STEELE SCHOOL
28.23
48
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DOUGLASS FREDERICK SCH
28.25
49
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ALLEN ETHEL DR.
28.77
50
HARRISBURG CITY SD
MELROSE SCH
29.35
51
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BARRY COMM JOHN SCH
29.81
52
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CLEMENTE ROBERTO MS
29.87
53
HARRISBURG CITY SD
ROWLAND SCHOOL
29.95
54
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CLYMER GEORGE SCH
30.04
55
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GILLESPIE ELIZ D MS
30.17
56

PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SWENSON ARTS & TECHNOLOGY HS
30.20
57
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
KELLEY WILLIAM D SCH
30.46
58
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
POTTER-THOMAS SCH
30.56
59
HARRISBURG CITY SD
CAMP CURTIN SCH
30.99
60
CHESTER-UPLAND SD
THE VILLAGE AT CHESTER UPLAND
30.99
61
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
PASTORIUS FRANCIS P
31.24
62
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STANTON M HALL SCH
31.43
63
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DOBBINS MURRELL AVT HS
31.52
64
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WALTER G SMITH SCH
31.71
65
WILLIAM PENN SD
PENN WOOD SHS
32.37
66
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARRISON WILLIAM SCH
32.39
67
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CLEVELAND GROVER SCH
32.55
68
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARRITY WILLIAM F SCH
32.83
69
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARDING WARREN G MS
33.67
70
YORK CITY SD
WILLIAM PENN SHS
34.07
71
ALIQUIPPA SD
ALIQUIPPA JSHS
34.15
72
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BARRATT NORRIS S MS
34.29
73
READING SD
READING SHS
34.39
74
HARRISBURG CITY SD
SCOTT SCHOOL
34.50
75
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
PRATT ANNA B SCH
34.55
76
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
PENNELL JOSEPH SCH
35.12
77
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MCMICHAEL MORTON SCH
35.28
78
PITTSBURGH SD
PERRY TRADITIONAL ACAD HS
35.58
79
PITTSBURGH SD
NORTHVIEW EL
35.59
80
HARRISBURG CITY SD
LINCOLN SCH
35.94
81
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
REYNOLDS GEN JOHN F
36.14
82
PITTSBURGH SD
HELEN S FAISON ARTS ACADEMY
36.38
83
PITTSBURGH SD
PITTSBURGH UNIVERSITY PREP
36.41
84
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
CREIGHTON THOMAS SCH
36.45
85
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WRIGHT RICHARD R SCH
36.66
86
WILKINSBURG BOROUGH SD
WILKINSBURG MS
36.78
87
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
WHITTIER JOHN G
37.02
88
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
GEORGE WASHINGTON HS
37.09
89
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
VARE EDWIN H MS
37.52
90
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ELKIN LEWIS SCH
37.54
91
SOUTHEAST DELCO SD
ACADEMY PARK HS
37.61
92
PITTSBURGH SD
KING M L EL SCH
38.08
93
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MCKINLEY WILLIAM SCH
38.10
94
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HARTRANFT JOHN F SCH
38.15
95
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
EDMUNDS HENRY R SCH
38.25
96
PITTSBURGH SD
ROONEY MIDDLE SCHL
38.27
97
STO-ROX SD
STO-ROX HS
38.31
98
LANCASTER SD
MCCASKEY CAMPUSES
38.60
99
PITTSBURGH SD
LANGLEY HS
38.63
100
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
BIRNEY GEN DAVID B SCH
38.80
101
HARRISBURG CITY SD
DOWNEY SCH
38.85
102
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STEARNE ALLEN M SCH
38.94
103
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MORTON THOMAS G SCH
38.98
104
HARRISBURG CITY SD
FOOSE SCH
38.98
105
YORK CITY SD
HANNAH PENN MS
39.06
106
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
STEEL EDWARD SCH
39.07
107
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SHERIDAN PHILIP H SC
39.15
108
ERIE CITY SD
WAYNE MS
39.29
109
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
SHEPPARD ISAAC SCH
39.43
110
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
HOWE JULIA WARD SCH
39.48
111
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
MIFFLIN THOMAS SCH
39.49
112
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
ANDERSON ADD B SCH
39.64
113
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DUCKREY TANNER SCH
39.89
114
PHILADELPHIA CITY SD
DREW CHARLES R SCH
39.94
115
WILLIAM PENN SD
PARK LANE EL SCH
40.21
116
READING SD
GATEWAY SCH INTL BUISNESS & WORLD LANG
40.30
117

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

now you notice all or if not these schools are located in poor areas for no 1,the other thing nobody as of yet any data why these schools are failing also at the other well to do areas their schools are not failing why is,our schools use the same kind of curriculum yet they are failing there is something missing here no 2 we need to ask those students in those dist on why there schools is failing they are the ones there every day point no 3 they are in afro amer communities where is the OUT ROAR!!! about this tsnaumi where is everything in it's place gets wipe out,time to take a stance this is real not a joke.

Curious George said...

Why is a school named "University Prep" on a list of the worse schools in the state?

It would seem to me that a school with a name like that should be on a list of the best schools in the state.

But I know next to nothing about that school. Perhaps someone can explain this to me.

Questioner said...

The plan was that University Prep (Milliones) would become a flagship school and so a name was chosen to match. The idea was that because it was a "new school" in a refurbished building with an all new staff and concept and even a new student body since it started with just grade 9, it would shake off the problems of the schools it was replacing.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:41 has something there. Perhaps somebody has to start talking courageously to at least the high school students.
Ask them why and what they personally will do about it.

Curious George said...

Questioner,

You said that University Prep was a "new school". In what way?

Are the students held to higher standards for behavior, academics, etc.?

If I visited University Prep, would I notice it to be very different from any other PPS school?

Or is this simply a case of putting a new name on an old product?

Questioner said...

The district has used the term "new school" to mean a school that had not existed at all before (as opposed to a school with changes and improvements). The district also refers to NCLB standards for when a school is considered "new."

Questioner said...

Former Superintendent Roosevelt said at meetings with the public and community groups that U Prep would be a "flagship school" for the district. Administators said that a new school would be much more likely to succeed than a reformed existing school, since a new school would not have to overcome existing attitudes and practices.

Curious George said...

Questioner,

Thanks for the response, but I still don't have an answer to my question. Perhaps there is no answer!

How is University Prep different from any other school?

I don't mean different on paper. For example, how is being a student at University Prep different from being a student anywhere else?

I'm beginning to think that this is like Perry Traditional Academy, which I know something about. In reality, Perry is neither traditional nor an academy, but the name sure sounds impressive.

Questioner said...

It's really hard to know whether/how being a student at U Prep is different. There has definitely been some involvement w/ Pitt, at least to the extent of Pitt professors teaching some classes. And like students at Sci Tech, U Prep students receive laptops. They have a uniform of sorts (certain colors, and the shirt must have the school logo). And there are college banners hung throughout the school. Adminstrators said there would be regular individual meetings with students to discuss college plans.

Anonymous said...

Its all about the name, look at the list of schools. Many have great names.

U-Prep was supposed to be their flagship. They thought this school would become a model for the rest of the district to emulate. It will be a sinking ship. The board in its ultimate wisdom is adding more kids from different areas next year. Its only going to get worse.

I am sure The Principal Mr. Hardy will be a great educational leader and a inspiration to the students and Teachers.

Yea Right, Principal of the year!

Lets hope he goes down with the ship

Anonymous said...

Creating a new school, or school configuration, or changing a schools name is a loophole in NCLB.
Basicaly that is the reason for changing and closing schools, moving students around, creating single gender acadamies all this so called reform. Its all a game, it is easier to close a school than turn it around.

Wake up Pittsburgh

Anonymous said...

there is a prep school in Chicago for afro amr. males all their class of graduation of 104 all going gedycollege for the second time in 2 years,my point is that is what a prep school is one that produces and not just wearing the label i think that is a tragedy for PPS to have a so called PREP SCHOOL in which is one of the top failing school in Pa. meaning a name don't mean nothing if it does not produce what the name represent get rid of LABELS and prepare kids for their future down the road ( PREP means to prepare to get ready ) not meaning FAILURE!!!!!!where is PPS readiness? before you put the word on another school first understand what the word means instead for *window dressing* !!!!!whats looks GREEN is not always GREEN on the other side,so now you know what constitute a PREP school go visit Chicago to see how they have success they did the research and fact finding what a PREP school is all about they got it right.

Disgruntled said...

While I know that this drives some people here crazy, I have to point out that the school it replaced, Schenley, had the highest A-A scores on the PSSA (except for CAPA, with entrance requirements) in the district.

So, it's not only that their big plan didn't work well, it's that it's WORSE than what they had before. I don't know why that doesn't make people angrier, get attention in the newspapers, etc.

And the plans for next year are to put far more kids in that school from the old Reizenstein feeder area.

Questioner said...

And it wasn't just AA students in honors classes lifing up the percentages. Despite being starved for resources both before and after the move, Schenley is the only 9-12 school that made AYP last year. Imagine what could have been done if some of the money being spent on consultants, marketing, college, etc. had actually been directed to the school for staff working directly with students.

Anonymous said...

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7963301

That's the link for the Chicago school. Not to take anything away from those 100+ kids, because it means they did the work and met the expectations, BUT charters get RID of the kids that don't perform, that fight, etc.

Those kids go back to real public schools like...UPrep here, or the other failing HSs while the kids who respond to a charter's theme/style/rules stay and can do well.

I'm wary not of the achievements described in the story, but of the backstory that you don't get in an article like this. How many kids do they start with? How many do they lose? How many are held back repeatedly until they either meet the standard or end up leaving?

Again, that's not to say that it isn't great for the kids that stay, but to point out that the kids that couldn't do it are now more heavily concentrated in the public schools, while the goods who can succeed are gone to this charter!

Questioner said...

This article suggests that the only students who enter the Chicago school are those who are willing to accept its demands (ie, not the average kid) and that even of those, only about 2/3 graduate.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/28/urban-prep-100-percent-of_n_627429.html

Questioner said...

Op ed by Randall Taylor in favor of school choice, referencing the list of failing schools:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11047/1125602-109.stm

Kathy Fine said...

Although I have worked with and respect and thank Randall for his years of students in the PPS, I could not disagree more with his position on vouchers (rebranded "opportunity scholarships"). The rational against a voucher system is simple. While providing opportunities for disadvantaged students to have access to better schools in laudable, providing this access to a handful while leaving the rest to languish in underperforming schools is not the answer.

As stated, only a handful students will benefit from this proposal. First of all, while the long waiting list for charter schools signals the intense need for options, it does not necessarily reflect that charter schools, in the long run, provide a better education. Research has repeatedly shown that while there are some pockets of excellence among charter schools (as there are in our public system), overall, students fair no better and at times worse than at their home public school.

In addition, as stated on this blog, charter and private schools do not have to keep any students that they deem unfit for their student population. These students wind up back at their home schools, schools that will be even worse off due to the syphoning off of resources created by the voucher system.

Identifying one of the major problems in most of our public schools is easy. The effects of poverty on a student's ability to learn are clear. Poor nutrition, poor sleeping habits, increased family mobility, etc. are all associated with poverty level. The solutions are easy to identify, but not so easy to implement. But this is where we must begin. Abandoning public schools (and that is what the voucher system is, a "small government" thinking way to shrink and ultimately get rid of our public schools) is not the solution.

Anonymous said...

To cite "poverty" as the reason for "failing" public schools relieves the educational system of responsibility for education ALL children which IS being accomplished by many public schools and MUST be accomplished by ALL other public schools. If it can be done by one, it can be done by all.

Disgruntled said...

Have you looked at the statistics? The greatest predictor of school success...is income level/socioeconomic status! Note that that doesn't say "intelligence" and refrain from attacks that say anyone who points to poverty as a problem thinks those kids aren't "smart" enough. It's not the same thing at all and we can all agree on that.

Why is it that we can all agree on the things that are good for young children, those not yet even in school -- like that they should be read to, talked with, taught to play with others, taught self-control, and exposed to art and music, and to have frequent outdoor play and physical activity.

YET, when kids get to school, teachers are told that kids who have had all those advantages and kids who have had none of them should all perform the same, asap.

Now, could they in time? Absolutely, with tiny class sizes, individualized, intensive teaching, extended days to provide all the necessary extras, and intervention in the home situation to insure safe, secure, stable situations with enough healthy food and a quiet place to sleep 9-11 hours a night. Sure.

But the truth is that we're not doing anything of the sort. Instead we're telling teachers "no excuses" and "stick to the script" (which is the same for every kid). And soon a couple more kids might win some sort of prize and get a slightly better school situation -- but no change in any of the other differences that have contributed to their presence in poor and failing schools.

Anonymous said...

In all the reform ideas has anyone ever thought of turning over a building to the people who work there? Say to a school's staff, "here is complete autonomy over ccurriculum, hours of operation, extracurriculars, keep within this budget, educate the kids enrolled, go after your own additional funding, etc."

Anonymous said...

Yes, some of us have thought seriously about it; and In fact, have seriously taken it to the next level which was a proposal outlining just what was needed for the currently "failing" schools to become successful under the autonomy of principals, teachers, and community.

Certainly, PPS administration would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by supporting such efforts from any school/community that would commit to such a proposal.

Anonymous said...

Additionally, it should be noted that six principals from urban, formerly low performing, "poverty" schools have been selected as Dame-Dame Schools and have been brought to Pittsburgh to share their success with PPS staff, students, and communities.

These schools, some of whom seized the autonomy, and because they were able to demonstrate such extraordinary success in raising academic achievement (to the 80th and 90th percentiles) were "left alone" by the District's Central Office.

Such schools represented in presentations here were from inner city - Baltimore, Austin, Houston, Chicago, etc.

Anonymous said...

PPS news release:

October, 2010
Dame Dame School
On Thursday evening, October 28, 2010, from 7-8:30 PM,
Dame Dame Outstanding School Series Principal Terry
Patton, of Franklin Square Elementary School, Baltimore,
MD, presented to an enthusiastic audience at Langley Hall,
at the University of Pittsburgh.
Participants learned how Principal Patton influences high
levels of achievement at Franklin School:
High expectations around academic achievement
for all students, families, and staff
Solicits parent participation in student learning
every way, and every day
Recruits teachers who want to teach every student
every day at Franklin Square Elementary School

PPS has been very resistant to the idea that parent participation is important.

Questioner said...

This report puts 8th grade math scores at Franklin Square at 48%, well below the MD state average of 65%:

http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/maryland/baltimore/franklin-square-elementary/#test-scores

At model schools like this success is often greatest at the lower grades. Also there is often a big gap in subjects like science- suggesting an emphasis on performance on reading and math tests while other schools are spending relatively more time on science, social studies and foreign languages and on skills that are not subject to state tests such as doing presentations and working in groups.

Anonymous said...

So who profits from Dame Squared?

http://m.eb.com/redirect?type=topic&id=150511

DAME SCHOOL
education
, small private school for young children run by women; such schools were the precursors of nursery, or infant, schools in England and colonial America. They existed in England possibly before the 16th century in both towns and rural areas and survived into the 19th century. The school was frequently the teacher’s home, in which the children were taught the alphabet and some reading from the New Testament and given household chores.


Please tell me you are kidding.

Anonymous said...

Kathy,

I agree that 'vouchers' are not the solution to our country's educational problems. It is so wrong on so many levels that it simply cannot be described in a blog comment.

Vouchers can be compared to using bacterial-laden band-aids to protect and treat skin abrasions and lesions caused by self-mutilation. It covers and looks better, but is a temporary fix. Soon the wounds will fester and ooze, spreading the disease to those who are not affected, and eventually killing all.

Who are the self-mutilators? They are those who believe that GOVERNMENT is the solution to the problems initially caused by the GOVERNMENT!!!!

The initial deep slashes to education began with the creation of the Department of Education during the government expansion years of Jimmie Carter. The wounds became infected with the unionization of the teachers, and now the festering wounds are oozing and spreading. It will contiune to spread if not stopped.

As much as I agree with you Kathy on so many issues, I disagree with you about the comment of 'small government.' It is the ENORMOUS, HUNGER MONSTER known as US government that has created this mess and WE are asking them to solve it?

These dirty bandages need to come off so that the lesions can be cleaned and disinfected and left to air dry; not covered up! It will be painful but very therapeutic.

So to make the long putrid analogy short (sorry), we need to chop off the long tentacles of the MONSTER by absolving the Dept. of Education and give the responsibility back to the people of the community.

The medicine is trust, faith, and constant vigiliance which begins with the school board. They are the decision makers. If you have lost faith with the District, vote the board members out.

Trust and sincere support needs to be given to the teachers hired to do the job. They know the children best. If the District truly wants to empower the teachers, then they need to give 'automony' back to the teachers. Simply doing this can save the District enormous amounts of money. All the top heavy central administration positions created to make the decisions the teachers and site-based administrators once made can be eliminated. Can you say 'ka-ching.' Give them an 'exit' plan.

As long as we are cutting nonproducing money-draining positions, let's put salt on the blood sucking leeches known as consultants so that they drop off. 'Ka-ching.' What has their advice bought us? ......I'm waiting.

Nothing, that is what the 'race to the top' and 'job stimulus' money bought us! And we want more government intervention?

Sorry for being so long winded, but I feel much better now.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to our future. Robert Robb is also a Broad grad.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/21/detroit-schools-closing_n_826007.html