PhiladelphiaGrowth vs statuseasy
PVAAS growth is more democratic than proficiency — and Philly has the data NYC doesn't
Thesis
Eight Philly schools hit the maximum PVAAS Algebra growth score of 100 — and they span the demographic spectrum from selective (William W. Bodine HS, Academy at Palumbo) to neighborhood (Baldi MS, Ethan Allen, Joseph Catharine). Status-level proficiency is dominated by selective schools; growth-level value-add is reachable for any school. NYC's analogous platform couldn't tell this story — no growth measure was available.
Supporting findings
- PVAAS = Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System. A school scoring 100 met or exceeded annual growth expectations across the subject.
- Eight Philly schools hit PVAAS=100 on Algebra I in 2024-25.
- Two are selective (Bodine, Palumbo); six are neighborhood — including Baldi MS (also in the PSSA punching-above list).
- By contrast, the top proficiency lists are dominated by selective HS + the two K-8 elite schools (Penn Alexander, Masterman feeder).
Reporting directions
- Build a 'growth without proficiency' list — schools with PVAAS=100 but proficiency below median. Those are schools moving kids substantially upward from a low baseline.
- Build the inverse: 'proficiency without growth' — schools at the proficiency ceiling that aren't growing kids further. These are selection-effect schools.
- Methodology piece: status-vs-growth is a substantial editorial decision; explain to readers when each is the right view.
Methodology & replication recipe — the queries + sources behind the findings above.