PhiladelphiaPunching above expectationeasy
12 Philly schools punching above demographic expectation on PSSA ELA
Thesis
Twelve Philly schools at ≥80% economically disadvantaged hit the 90th percentile or higher against their demographically-matched peer group on PSSA ELA all-grades. The list includes A.S. Jenks (peer-pct 1.00, 70.5% proficient), Baldi MS (1.00, 57.6%), Edwin Stanton (0.97, 56.4%), Samuel Powel (0.97, 68.1%), Hackett (0.95, 55.6%), and seven more.
Supporting findings
- Universe: 287 schools have peer groups (k=40 KNN on demographic features); 12 of them sit at ≥90th percentile vs peers AND ≥80% econ-disadv.
- A.S. JENKS ACADEMICS PLUS SCH — peer pct 1.00, 70.5% PSSA ELA, 100% econ-disadv.
- BALDI MIDDLE SCHOOL — peer 1.00, 57.6% PSSA, 100% econ-disadv.
- JENKS ACADEMY ARTS & SCIENCES — peer 1.00, 60.4%, 96% econ-disadv.
- EDWIN M. STANTON SCHOOL, SAMUEL POWEL SCHOOL, HACKETT SCHOOL all in the 0.95–0.97 range.
- Note: SAMUEL GOMPERS SCHOOL appears here AND in the OSS chronic-suspension story — high-need school excelling academically while also struggling with discipline.
Reporting directions
- Interview principals at the top 5 — Jenks, Baldi, Stanton, Powel, Hackett.
- Map them by Learning Network. (Several are Network 9 / Network 11 — the all-low-need-decile networks.)
- Cross-reference with PVAAS growth: do these schools also show high growth, or are they at the proficiency ceiling for their cohort?
Methodology & replication recipe — the queries + sources behind the findings above.