Philadelphia's public school students have made some gains following a nationwide, post-pandemic academic slump, but they still lag behind U.S. averages on test scores.
The National Center for Education Statistics, which puts out the "nation's report card" every two years, found that fourth grade math scores have improved by an average of 2 points on tests given by the National Assessment of Educational Progress since 2022. Students in the School District of Philadelphia, however, exceeded this gain, boosting their scores by 7 points. Despite the stronger bump, Philly's fourth graders are still below average in math. They averaged 216 points out of 500, while the national average for fourth graders was 237.
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There was no significant change in eighth grade math scores, nationally or at a citywide level, over the past two years. The average was 274 across the U.S. and 252 in the School District of Philadelphia.
U.S. reading scores continued to trend downward. The NCES reported an average 2-point decline among both fourth graders and eighth graders since 2022. They averaged scores of 215 and 258, respectively. Philadelphia public schools did not see a decline nor an improvement. They remained stagnant, though slightly below 2019 levels. Fourth graders averaged 195, and eighth graders 242.
NCES Associate Commissioner Daniel McGrath said in a statement that the continued declines in reading comprehension since 2019 "suggest we're facing complex challenges that cannot be fully explained by the impact of COVID-19."
The results were a major talking point at the School District of Philadelphia's second State of Schools address Thursday. City and school officials touted the improvements while acknowledging that Philly — like the rest of America — is still struggling to recover to pre-pandemic academic levels. The district saw encouraging gains in the 2023-2024 school year, including a 6.3% increase in its four-year graduation rate and a 13.6% spike in students passing the NOCTI test, which assesses technical skills. Student enrollment also increased for the first time in a decade.
On an infrastructure level, the school district continued to chip away at the number of schools lacking adequate air conditioning — a yearslong issue that has forced several buildings to shutter on hot summer days. Only 57 schools now lack proper AC, compared to 118 in the 2022-2023 school year. This improvement is thanks in part to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has spearheaded a funding initiative. His foundation fronted the costs of cooling at 10 schools last summer, and has continued to raise money in the months since.
Superintendent Tony Watlington said the school district has launched at least 47 of the 62 strategic actions in its five-year Accelerate Philly plan "at some level." Next items on the agenda include relaunching "Parent University" and a corresponding app later this spring. The program provided math refresher courses and computer training to help families better understand their children's homework. The school district also plans to form a parent and guardian council to advise the superintendent.
"We've got a lot of work to do, but our children are well on their way," Watlington said.
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