The Notebook

Stories tagged: high school selection

Develop a common application for all Philly schools, groups say

by Kofi Biney Posted in April 2013 Edition | Permalink

The process of enrolling in a District or charter school can be complex and fraught with requirements that may discourage some parents and students. Advocacy groups like Education Voters Pennsylvania are pushing the District to simplify the process of how students are assigned to schools by implementing a common or universal enrollment system.

Deadline for high school applications fast approaching

Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 11/28/2012 - 16:31 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Charlotte Pope

The deadline for applications to attend citywide admission or special admission high schools, or to transfer to District neighborhood schools is Friday, Nov. 30.

All students in grades 8 through 11, including English language learners and children with disabilities, may apply to neighborhood high schools outside their neighborhood attendance area and citywide and special admission high schools.

Commentary: It's time to adopt a common enrollment system, starting with high school

Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 15:12 Posted in Commentary | Permalink

This is a guest blog, and the ideas expressed are solely the opinions of the author. The Notebook invites guest blog posts on current topics in Philadelphia education from its readers. Send submissions to notebook@thenotebook.org.

by Susan Gobreski

Philadelphia is in transition again. District leaders have said that they want to create more high-quality seats and more choices for families, and give schools more autonomy in how they structure academic programs and culture. There is discussion about reorganizing schools -- re-aligning grade configurations, closing some places and expanding others -- and the role of charter schools in the district’s future.

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

Posted in Fall Guide 2012 Edition | Permalink

The Notebook gathered data including enrollment, student demographics, attendance, and test scores. You can view a PDF of the center spread of data from the print edition.

Key to data for District schools

Schools that serve more than high school grades are noted – data are for the entire school.

Here you will find the description of school types.

Making sense of the numbers

Posted in Fall Guide 2012 Edition | Permalink

The school profiles in this guide tell you a lot about the 89 schools we highlight and their programs. Here we provide statistics that give you a picture of how their
students are performing. That is important information as you think about where to apply to high school.

On the facing page you’ll find data about all the District-run schools. On this page, the schools shown are charters.

A note from the editor

Posted in Fall Guide 2012 Edition | Permalink

To our readers,

Welcome to our fourth annual fall guide to Philadelphia’s public high schools. This is the first of six Notebook print editions for the school year, and it has become our most popular one. It’s now a fixture in some middle grades teachers’ classrooms. Selecting and getting into high school is a pivotal point in students’ lives, and we’ve made this a resource that addresses the importance of that decision.

Get a jump on high school

By Katie McCabe Posted in Fall Guide 2012 Edition | Permalink

If you believe the time to start thinking about high school is near the end of 8th grade, think again.

Both the application process and the transition into 9th grade can be challenging for parents and students, so the earlier you start, the better.

“I started talking to [my kids] when they were in 6th or 7th grade,” said Autumne Hall, a Philadelphia parent who now lives in Mayfair and has a child in middle school, high school, and college.

How to change high schools in midstream

By Paul Jablow Posted in Fall Guide 2012 Edition | Permalink

High school students in Philadelphia public schools transfer for two basic reasons: They are having problems at their current school or they hope for better educational opportunities elsewhere.

In either case, District officials are working to make the changes quicker and easier.

“We want to be able to streamline the process,” says Danielle Seward, deputy chief of student enrollment and placement.

Quicktakes: Should there be more charter schools in Philadelphia?

Interviews and photos by Charlotte Pope Posted in October 2012 Edition | Permalink

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A resource to help parents choose

Posted in October 2012 Edition | Permalink

Many Philadelphia parents want to take advantage of the city’s varied school options but feel they need better information.

The Philadelphia School Partnership (PSP) wants to help.

This October, PSP will launch GreatPhillySchools. The goal is to provide parents with a one-stop shop for information and quality ratings on the vast majority of Philadelphia’s District, charter, and private schools, which number close to 500 (see graph).