Back to class: Philadelphia's top-rated and most-improved public middle schools

Back to class: Philadelphia's top-rated and most-improved public middle schoolsPhoto: iStock
Hoodline
Published on August 27, 2019

How strong are the public middle schools in Philadelphia?

With a fresh school year kicking off, we analyzed newly released data from Niche.com — which include comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews — to identify those schools that made the biggest strides last year and those that lead their peers.

Russell Conwell Middle School's overall rating improved the most among similar schools in Philadelphia, rising from a C- to a C, according to data from Niche.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 1849 E. Clearfield St., enrolls 414 students. Russell Conwell Middle School serves a diverse population: 43% of students identify as Hispanic and 35% identify as black. Niche graded the school a C for academics (on an A-D scale).

The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.

Academically, 25% of Russell Conwell Middle School's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 62% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 14% in math and 34% in reading.

While some public middle schools in Philadelphia are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:

  • CCA Baldi Middle School, with an overall rating of C+.
  • AMY Northwest Middle School, with a C rating overall.

Want more of the latest intel on Philadelphia schools? Hoodline also analyzed the latest Niche ratings for the city's charter high schools.


This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.