The Notebook

Stories tagged: magnet 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.

Choosing a high school: Commonly asked questions

by Dale Mezzacappa Posted in Fall Guide 2012 Edition | Permalink

How do I get started?

Talk to the adults in your life, including teachers, counselors, and parents or guardians. Review the articles and school profiles in this guide. Get a copy of the District’s high school directory published every fall and meet with your counselor. Seventh and 8th graders should attend the High School Expo, scheduled this year on September 28 and 29, where all District and charter schools are represented and you can ask questions. In October, the Philadelphia School Partnership will launch its website, greatphillyschools.org, from which you can get information on academics, extracurricular activities, graduation rates, college enrollment, safety and other factors.

From neighborhood schools, 1 in 4 made it to college

by Benjamin Herold for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks Posted in Summer 2012 Edition | Permalink

There are some glimmers of progress. The percentage of Philadelphia high school graduates who enroll in college immediately after finishing school is on the rise, from 40 percent in 2008 to 44 percent last year.

"It's low, but I definitely think we're moving in the right direction," said Fran Newberg, the District's deputy for accountability and technology

19 high-performing District schools to expand

Submitted by Benjamin Herold on Tue, 04/17/2012 - 14:50 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Benjamin Herold
for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks

The District will add 2,272 seats across 19 high-performing traditional public schools beginning next September, officials announced Tuesday.

“This lets the city of Philadelphia know that the District is investing in the growth of high-quality, high-performing school options,” said Penny Nixon, chief academic officer.

A total of 1,802 seats will be added in 11 high schools, all of which are either special admission or citywide admission schools. In six elementary and two middle schools, 470 seats will be added. All of the schools are highly rated, with scores of 3 or better on the District’s 10-point School Performance Index (SPI) scale. On that scale, 1 is the top score.

Setting an example

by Benjamin Herold Posted in October 2011 Edition | Permalink

As a recently created high school preparing to graduate its first senior class, the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush in Northeast Philadelphia is just beginning to establish a sporting tradition.

If the school is lucky, it will someday have a legacy to equal that of its principal, Jessica Brown.

A three-time collegiate All-American in lacrosse and a standout field hockey player, Brown was inducted into Kenyon College’s athletic Hall of Fame in September.

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

Posted in Fall Guide 2011 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, and spreadsheets of District and charter data.

Admisión a la escuela superior: Preguntas comunes

por Dale Mezzacappa Posted in "Fall Guide" 2011 Edition | Permalink

¿Cómo empiezo?

Where are students applying? Where are they getting in?

Posted in Fall Guide 2011 Edition | Permalink

UPDATE: We received new numbers from the District after hearing from principals that the data the District first supplied us was incorrect.

Special admission and citywide admission schools

School name

Getting into high school: Commonly asked questions

by Dale Mezzacappa Posted in Fall Guide 2011 Edition | Permalink

How do I get started?

Talk to the adults in your life, including teachers, counselors, and parents or guardians. Get a copy of the District’s middle school guide, which gives advice about making the most of the middle years and sorting out your interests. Then, read this guide and the District’s high school directory, and meet with your counselor. Seventh and 8th graders should attend the High School Expo, scheduled this year in October.

When should I start thinking about high school choices?