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Schools and What Parents Want from Them The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative provides timely, impartial research and analysis on key issues facing Philadelphia for the benefit of the city’s citizens and leaders. Pew is a nonprofit organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. For more information, visit www.pewtrusts.org/philaresearch. Schools and What Parents Want from Them Foreword A Landscape Transformed environment. Most of them don’t much care who provides it, as long as the school is Ferrick and Horwitz talked to dozens of educators, city officials and educational advo- cates. They visited schools and analyzed data on trends in education. Readers will note that this report includes a number of quotes from unnamed individuals. We allowed some educators to speak anonymously so that they could talk frankly about issues that go beyond their immediate responsibilities. And the parents who came to the focus groups held to supplement our poll findings did so on the understanding that they PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM IN PHILADELPHIA, K-12EDUCATION is in the midst of a sweeping transformation that has left some parents elated, others perplexed and many scrambling to keep up with the range of options available to them. And more change is on the way. private schools that account for about 7 percent of K-12 enrollment in Philadelphia. What parents think makes a huge difference. The expansion of options has given them greater con- trol over their children’s education, and school leaders are trying to respond to what parents want In our survey, we found that parents, unlike educa- tors and administrators, tend to think in terms of in- dividual schools, not educational systems, and are other. We found that discontent regarding district-run schools runs deep, particularly among those par- ents who have chosen to send their children else- where; in a focus group, several Catholic-school parents said the only reason they could imagine sending their children to district-run schools was to punish them. At the same time, parents with children in district-run schools are generally upbeat about the schools they know from first-hand experi- ence. But that does not mean they are committed to the system. Most of them have considered send- ing their children elsewhere. We found that parental desire for discipline and for Over the course of the past decade, the three largest elements in the city’s educational land- been growing. The traditional public schools, those run directly by the School District of Philadelphia, have lost 19 per- cent of their enrollment, falling from 200,435 in the school level, offers more choices than ever before. The Catholic schools, operated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, have lost 37 percent, dropping from 47,102 to 29,884 over the same period. The charter schools, which are independently run but publicly funded, have grown by 170 percent, from 12,284 to 33,107; in 2008–2009, the charters, now 67 in number, surpassed the Catholic schools as the city’s largest alternative system, building up large waiting lists for admission in the process. To find out what the city’s parents think about these trends and how they are coping with them, the Philadelphia Research Initiative commissioned a poll of 802 parents with children in local schools— focus groups of poll participants. To see the survey questionnaire, go to www.pewtrusts.org/philare- search. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY a good education for their children and are unhappy PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM opposed to expanding choice—portends a future schools will face tougher standards and in which existing schools will have to show academic results. Catholic elementary schools declined 40 percent in the past decade, while enrollment in the high schools dropped 26 percent. The once-robust is the declining number of Catholics in the city. be done to make sure that as few families as possi- ©CHRISTOPHER STEER for iStockphoto A Landscape Transformed 50 150 200 CHARTER SCHOOLS CATHOLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS 20082009 Source: Philadelphia data taken from School District of Philadelphia, “Pro- PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM children on his North Philadelphia block go to the This report is about parents and the choices they from poor or low-income families. Middle-class and wealthier families have long cited the performance of the city schools as a reason to turn to expensive oldest child reaches school age. But our survey revealed that middle-class and wealthy parents are not the only ones who aspire to a quality education for their children and are un- ter school or another public school that stresses aca- DISTRICT-RUNCHARTERCATHOLIC Pittsburgh94%2%4% Chicago85%5%10% Baltimore84%6%9% San Francisco76%4%20% Philadelphia72%14%14% Cleveland71%15%14% Washington, D.C.66%25%9% Philadelphia has a relatively low share of students in district-run schools and a relatively high share in charter and Catholic schools. Source: Philadelphia data taken from School District of Philadelphia, “Pro- PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM tion.” But with her son’s current school, Cardinal 2009–2010 academic year, she was looking into In another focus group, a mother from Northeast absolutely love her,” she said. “She has put so many This search for options leads to anomalies that are distinctly Philadelphian. In the suburbs, parents with school-age children often decide where to live based on the local public schools, paying a pre- delphia, parents tend to pick a neighborhood and Searching for the Best Option In our focus groups, parents told us about the steps dren. Some have moved to be within the catchment PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, Philadelphia has undergone significant changes in how it is governed, how it operates and in the array of educational choices it offers. The changes began in earnest in late 2001, when School Reform Commission, a five-member body, turn around a district deemed at the time of the effectively educate children. the district of today is one way to measure how To begin with, it is smaller. There were 200,435 students enrolled in district-run schools in the 2000–2001 school year. This year, there were 162,662, although that number is projected to rise slightly in the coming school year. students to charter schools, which have grown rap- idly in recent years. Ten years ago, the district offered more of a “one- were expected to go to the elementary, middle and high schools closest to their homes; there were only a handful of alternatives if those schools did not ENROLLMENT IN PHILADELPHIA’S DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS, 2000–2010 20082009 Projected Source: School District of Philadelphia, CHAPTER TWO: THE DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS the lowest-performing. Today, more than half of the district’s students per- form above the “basic” level in math and reading. in student performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), the state’s standard- Superintendent Ackerman has ambitious performing schools. High school graduation rates also have improved. Ten years ago, 48 percent of students graduated in four years. Today, the number is 57 percent, and The Public Perception considering the areas where the district has fallen short. One is the realm of public opinion. In our poll, 58 percent of parents with students in is doing is “only fair” or poor. Sixty-two percent of these parents have considered taking their children private, Catholic or charter school. African Ameri- can parents and parents under age 30 are espe- cially unhappy. STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN PHILADELPHIA’S DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS: MATH AND READING Source: School District of Philadelphia. Note: PSSA testing began in 2002. Percents listed above include all grades and subgroups. Percentage of Students Considered Proficient or Advanced on the PSSA Test 10% 20% 30% 40% MATH 20082009 23.9% 21.6% 27.5% 28.6% 33.6% 37.4% 35.5% 41.9% 38.1% 44.9% 40.6% 49.0% 44.8% 52.2% 47.7% 56.6% 50.7% PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM The poll found that 22 percent of parents whose children attend district-run schools are dissatisfied with the education their children are receiving, compared to only 3 percent of charter parents and 4 percent of Catholic- school parents. When asked for particulars about their children’s school, district parents voice approval about the quality and com- mitment of the teachers and credit the school for creating a positive climate for learning. They are least happy with the size of the classes and the availability of extracurricu- What Public-School Parents Think PARENTS CHARTER- PARENTS CATHOLIC- PARENTS Public-school parents are of two minds when it comes to Ask them about the system and they give it low ratings. Only 40 percent say the district is doing a good or excel- lent job in educating children. Ask them about their chil- dren’s individual schools, and a different picture emerges, with 71 percent saying that the schools are doing a good But there are differences in opinion among several cate- gories of parents—white and black, young and old. In VERY SATISFIED40%72%74% SOMEWHAT SATISFIED37%23%21% SOMEWHAT DISSATISFIED13%3%3% VERY DISSATISFIED9%0%1% DON’T KNOW/REFUSED0%1%0% THE COMMITMENT OF THE TEACHERS72% THE QUALITY OF THE TEACHERS71% FOR LEARNING70% THE JOB THE PRINCIPAL IS DOING IN RUNNING THE SCHOOL69% BACKGROUND IN MATH AND ENGLISH69% THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL68% TEACHER COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS67% PREPARING YOUR CHILD TO DO WELL ON STANDARDIZED TESTS65% QUALITY OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES, SUCH AS CLASSROOMS64% THE EMPHASIS OF THE CURRICULUM63% IN THE CLASSROOM62% HAVING THE NECESSARY COMPUTERS, SUPPLIES AND TECHNOLOGY61% AMOUNT OF ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILD’S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS59% HAVING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EMPHASIS ON MORAL VALUES59% THE SIZE OF THE CLASSES54% AVAILABILITY OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS50% LEVELS OF SATISFACTION AMONG PARENT GROUPS HOW PUBLIC-SCHOOL PARENTS RATE CHAPTER TWO: THE DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS “There are some gems in the system; you’ve just got to find them,” said a mother of two from north- west Philadelphia during our focus group of parents with children in district-run schools. “There are The general public has an even dimmer view. In a Research Initiative in January 2010, only 24 percent To inject choice into the system, Vallas and James Nevels, then chair of the School Reform Commis- the growth of charter schools; their enrollment dou- bled during the Vallas era, attracting large numbers of low-income students. In 2005, Vallas turned three and failed to convince officials at the Archdiocese of IN PHILADELPHIA’S DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS Source: Office of Accountability, The School District of Philadelphia, 2009 District Data Overview. Note: Based on enrollment data from June 2009. NOT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED LATINO PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM Cynthia Leung, a 40-year-old medical education re- searcher, is happy now with the Philadelphia public school that her two boys attend. But she did not always feel that way. She and her husband have been consid- ering their options and working the system for years. Her elder son, Paxton, is already on his third school, and When Paxton was nearing kindergarten age, the family lived in the Northern Liberties section of the city. The obvious option was the local district-run school, Kearny Elementary. But Leung was concerned about the lack of diversity at Kearny: its student body is 87 percent African American. As a result, she joined with other local efforts failed, Kearny’s principal began actively recruit- THE PARENTS: Leung wanted a choice. She visited a nearby elementary school, Dobson, and liked what she saw. “The kids lined Cynthia Leung and husband Joseph Wentzell CHAPTER TWO: THE DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS care, business and technology—and two district-run military academies, which provide ROTC training in addition to traditional courses. Thirteen percent of The roster of these emy, an arts academy at the former Rush Middle School and two creative and performing arts The Superintendent’s Vision PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM PFT president Jerry Jordan told us that his mem- bers disliked the reading and math programs that will be used in the lowest-performing schools and that require teachers to follow scripts in teaching these subjects. He also wondered about the wis- dom of the changes. “The curriculum has narrowed so … that they’re teaching math and literacy for the greatest part of the day.” This was being done, Jordan said, at the expense of “arts, music, science, a student well-rounded.” Jordan and Michael Lerner, head of the principals’ union, said that the “fear factor” regarding Acker- would be transferred or dismissed if they deviated from central-office dictates. Ackerman responded: “Why would you be afraid if you are doing your VANGUARD SCHOOLS. These are 25 elementary, middle and high schools at which academic achieve- ment has been at consistently high levels. In effect, these are the cream of the crop in the district, and Su- perintendent Ackerman has said that she intends to are chronic underachievers, representing nearly one- third of the 265 in the district. Schools are classified as empowerment schools if they have not achieved These are 14 schools identified by the district as the poorest-performing and in most need of intervention. They were drawn from the list of Empowerment Schools with the goal of improving student performance quickly, starting in CHAPTER TWO: THE DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS comprehensive high schools. We have comprehen- sive high schools that don’t have journalism classes, The district is likely to face financial difficulties in creased nearly every year since Edward G. Rendell became governor in 2003, a trend that will be diffi- cult to sustain given the effects of the recession on PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM CHARTER SCHOOLS, cant component of basic education in the city. And they are the only one that has been growing. There are now 67 such schools, some with multiple rollment projected to rise by nearly 2,000 in the coming year. Many of the students have come from As the largest alternative to dis- trict-run schools, charters have a vocal parent con- stituency and strong support from local politicians. Currently, there is one student in a charter school figure will almost surely rise in the years to come. One factor feeding this expansion is demand. Char- ters are highly popular with the parents they serve. In our poll, 90 percent of charter parents rated their schools as good or excellent and 95 percent of par- children’s schools, a much higher satisfaction level than parents with children in district-run schools and about the same as parents with children in Catholic schools. And demand far outstrips supply, In a focus group we conducted of participants in the poll, charter parents were effusive about what ENROLLMENT IN PHILADELPHIA’S CHARTER SCHOOLS, 2000–2010 20082009 40 50 22,319 25,287 27,982 29,431 32,100 32,348 33,107 35,005 Projected Source: School District of Philadelphia. CHAPTER THREE: THE CHARTER SCHOOLS school year. If the program extends to other district their reach even more. The irony of the district seeming to embrace its The Pros and Cons of Charters Charters are schools of choice, which means that students are not assigned to them as they are to to attend. If there are more applicants than avail- able spots, students are selected by lottery. There is no real evidence that charters cream the best IN PHILADELPHIA’S CHARTER SCHOOLS Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Public School Enrollment Reports, 2008-2009; Office of Accountability, School District of Philadelphia, Commonly Re- quested Lists, School Information 2008-2009. Note: Total does not include 3,019 Philadelphia students who attend cyber charter schools. Percent economically-disadvantaged is derived from number of students who qualify for federal free and reduced lunch program. LATINO 2009 under the federal government’s No Child Left Behind program—which in Pennsylvania establishes CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR 2009: MATH AND READING Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, “2008–09 School Level Math and Reading PSSA Results – School Totals,” authors’ analysis. Percentage of Students Considered Proficient or Advanced in the PSSA Test 010%20%30%40%50%60% MATH DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS DISTRICT-RUN SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOLS parents to sign statements promising to remain CHAPTER THREE: THE CHARTER SCHOOLS Charter parents’ happiness with what their children are What Charter Parents Think Despite the diversity of charter options, charter parents speak with one voice when it comes to their experience. SCHOOL QUALITY38% ATTENTION FOR STUDENTS/CLASS SIZE12% CURRICULUM11% HAVING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EMPHASIS ON MORAL VALUES90% QUALITY OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES, SUCH AS CLASSROOMS90% THE JOB THE PRINCIPAL IS DOING IN RUNNING THE SCHOOL89% AMOUNT OF ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS88% TEACHER COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS88% PREPARING YOUR CHILD TO DO WELL ON STANDARDIZED TESTS87% THE SIZE OF THE CLASSES87% AVAILABILITY OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS69% WHY PARENTS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO CHARTER HOW CHARTER PARENTS RATE THEIR CHILDREN’S SCHOOLS would do so, compared to 23 percent for Catholic-school parents and 45 percent for parents with children in dis- parents in our sample have children who previously at- FOR LEARNING93% IN THE CLASSROOM93% THE EMPHASIS OF THE CURRICULUM93% THE COMMITMENT OF THE TEACHERS92% THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL92% BACKGROUND IN MATH AND ENGLISH91% HAVING NECESSARY COMPUTERS, SUPPLIES AND TECHNOLOGY91% QUALITY OF TEACHERS91% PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM leave district schools for charters do so in scattered patterns, making it difficult to take full financial advantage of lower enrollment by reducing staff or shuttering facilities. If the district were to close entire schools, the potential savings would be greater. every student who leaves for a charter. If the district has failed to capitalize on this savings, they say, that Gaining Increased Acceptance city has greatly reduced resistance to them. In inter- views for this report, city and educational leaders, including Superintendent Ackerman, uniformly ex- pressed support for charter schools, with some of CHAPTER THREE: THE CHARTER SCHOOLS were welcomed. Lori Shorr, the mayor’s chief educa- tion officer, said that too many charters were granted in the early years and that “we’re paying for that now.” After Vallas’ departure in 2007, the district’s relationship with charter schools remained in limbo until Ackerman became superintendent in 2008. Ackerman, who has spent her entire career in public education, was not enamored of charters when she was superintendent in Washington, D.C., a decade ago. But now, she says, she is committed to a “di- verse provider” model. “I have come full circle with charter schools,” Ackerman explained, “I actually believe in a city you have to create a system of great schools and it really doesn’t matter what the When it was time to enroll his son, Jaquaan, in kinder- garten, Aubrey Buie, 32, a West Philadelphia census worker, sent him to the local public school, Bluford Ele- mentary. Buie, a product of the Philadelphia public schools himself, did not feel that he had much choice in the matter. As the years passed, the feedback from the boy’s teach- THE PARENTS: ifs, ands or buts about it. And if the kids have any prob- Aubrey and Jaquaan Buie PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM proven records of academic performance. Said the chief of that office, Benjamin Rayer, “We are not in- terested in simply expanding charter schools. We are interested in expanding good charter schools.” BOYS’ LATIN CHARTER SCHOOL As the name implies, Boys’ Latin has two distinguishing features: it offers education in the classics and a single- gender learning environment. Like a number of other charters, this school, located in West Philadelphia, en- forces strict behavior and dress codes. Other qualities ditional and progressive education techniques and a re- quirement that students participate in at least two extracurricular activities per school year. Now in its third year of operation, Boys’ Latin serves 360 students in FOLK ARTS CULTURAL TREASURES CHARTER SCHOOL (FACTS) Located in Chinatown, FACTS serves students in kinder- garten through eighth grade and offers a curriculum that emphasizes arts, language (all students learn Man- CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS CHARTER SCHOOL Christopher Columbus, located in South Philadelphia, has the look and feel of a well-run, traditional public school. Serving kindergarten through eighth grade, it has a student body that is 51 percent white, 35 percent black, 7 percent Asian, and 5 percent Hispanic. Classes are divided by grade level in the lower grades, by sub- ject area in the upper grades. There’s a computer lab and library. Since most students remain at the school through eighth grade and siblings of current students are given first preference for kindergarten openings, there are few slots available each year. YOUNG SCHOLARS CHARTER SCHOOL Located in Northern Liberties, Young Scholars, one of the city’s oldest charter schools, focuses on trying to The charter movement is diverse by design. While there is no typical charter school, these four offer a flavor of the CHAPTER THREE: THE CHARTER SCHOOLS Charter operators say that their schools provide a safer, more supportive environment than district-run schools, and our poll data indicate that charter par- PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM IN TERMS OF ENROLLMENT, system in Philadelphia is in a freefall. tary schools has declined 40 percent in the past decade, while enrollment in the high schools run by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has dropped 26 percent. Most pastors, principals and archdioce- san officials expect the decline to continue, with more and more parish schools and perhaps some 2010, the archdiocese closed Cardinal Dougherty The once-robust Catholic educational system in the ENROLLMENT IN PHILADELPHIA'S CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, 2000–2010 10 20 40 45,939 43,882 42,040 39,687 37,379 35,559 33,601 32,211 29,884 20082009 TOTAL High school enrollment taken from Non-Public Enrollment by County, Grade school enrollment taken from Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Office of Research and Planning, Maps and Re- ports, Philadelphia North Vicariate, Philadelphia South Vicariate, Parish CHAPTER FOUR: THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 21,358 students. Total enrollment: 29,884. Twenty- three grade schools in the city have closed since With few exceptions, Catholic schools are running below capacity. More than one of three seats in the elementary schools are unfilled. and religious Catholic educators who have devoted parents, who still place a high value on what the schools have to offer. In our poll, 92 percent of Catholic parents rated their child’s school as good or excellent, and 95 percent said they were satisfied with the quality of education their children were parents, priests and educators and “for the bishop, too.” He recalled an incident from this past Palm Sunday. He was leaving a church and was con- fronted by a woman, dressed in what he described as “North Catholic regalia,” who called him a “dis- It is particularly difficult for pastors. Under church CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOR 2009 Source: Office of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Philadelphia Note: The Catholic schools use the TerraNova Achievment Test. This data is from the 2008–2009 school year. TerraNova Scores 0%10%20%30%40% 60%70%80% MATH MATH MATH MATH NATIONAL NORM = 50% grade schools should remain open. In recent years, the central administration of the archdiocese has urged parishes to undergo what is called self-study, a process through which issues can be considered by pastors on a regional basis. The process, involv- parishes, often results in the closing or consolida- tion of schools and parishes. Said one pastor, “You could be the best, most popular pastor, but once PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM The high ratings continued when parents were asked What Catholic-School Parents Think Two things stand out in our poll of Catholic-school par- ents: how much they like their children’s schools and how Only 14 percent of Catholic-school parents rated the pub- lic system as good or excellent, compared to 24 percent of charter-school parents and 40 percent of public-school parents. Catholic-school parents—many of them with no direct ex- perience with the public system—gave the public schools SCHOOL QUALITY36% RELIGIOUS GROUNDS/MORAL VALUES29% LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE9% EMPHASIS ON MORAL VALUES96% THE COMMITMENT OF THE TEACHERS95% CREATING A POSITIVE CLIMATE FOR LEARNING94% THE EMPHASIS OF THE CURRICULUM93% IN THE CLASSROOM93% IN MATH AND ENGLISH93% THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL91% HAVING NECESSARY COMPUTERS, SUPPLIES AND TECHNOLOGY89% THE JOB THE PRINCIPAL IS DOING IN RUNNING THE SCHOOL88% QUALITY OF TEACHERS87% QUALITY OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES, SUCH AS CLASSROOMS87% TEACHER COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS87% AMOUNT OF ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILD’S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS87% PREPARING YOUR CHILD TO DO WELL ON STANDARDIZED TESTS85% THE SIZE OF THE CLASSES84% AVAILABILITY OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS81% WHY PARENTS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO CATHOLIC HOW CATHOLIC-SCHOOLS PARENTS RATE CHAPTER FOUR: THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS schools for faith formation. There is a sharp decline in those choosing religious vocations. Said one principal who was born in the 1950s, “Today’s Catholic parents are not as Catholic as our parents were. That has all changed now. They are more interested in saving the money for college. have been in the parish of our day.” ber of students enrolled in these public, independ- decade. Philadelphia school district officials esti- mate that 73 percent of the children now in charters came from district schools and 27 percent from That 27 percent amounts to about lieve that most of them came from Catholic schools. Catholic schools. They do not charge tuition. PHILADELPHIA’S CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Source: Office of Research and Planning, Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Note: This data is from the 2009–2010 school year. LATINO PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM “The need is there. For us, we need to figure out Marie Moran is a modern Catholic mother who resem- bles Catholic mothers of the past. She is devout in the practice of her religion and believes in the value of Moran, 50, who lives in the Tacony section of Philadel- phia, is herself a product of the Catholic schools and has sent her three children to Catholic schools from grades one through 12. There was never any question “It was and is a sacrifice,” said Moran, a stay-at-home officer. ”I just believe in the values that a religious- based education provides. I had that. My husband had that, and that is what I wanted my children to have.” THE PARENTS: Valuing Catholic Education In those days, students had to go to the closest Catholic high school. Today, students can pick any high school in CHAPTER FOUR: THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS On any given Sunday, only one out of four Catholics The Search for Financial Help Increasingly, Catholic schools are looking outside the parish for financial help. These efforts include PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM who often have trouble paying the tuition and fees. Nearly half the students at St. Francis receive some form of financial aid, and there are local organiza- tions that each year hand out thousands of scholar- The principal sources of this aid are the Connelly Foundation, Children’s phia and Business Leader- ship Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS). delinquency rates. Each spring, hundreds of stu- dents are sent home because their parents have are told not to return until the parent comes and One model for the future of Catholic education in Philadelphia may be the school that sits on East Thomp- Most principals and pastors believe if enrollment at a grade school dips below 200, questions are central office will urge that a self-study begin. As of this year, there were 30 Catholic grade schools in the city with enrollments below 225. These schools are at the highest risk of closing. Even schools in areas with large Catholic populations suffer enrollment losses each year. In 2009–2010, Catholic grade schools in the city were operating at 63 percent capacity, with 12,400 vacant seats. Parents of first graders are unsure if their parish school will still be open when their children reach eighth grade. What the schools end up offering, according to one educator, is a “lukewarm” educa- CHAPTER FOUR: THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS In an era when the church is feeling financial strain, number of schools and refocus only on educating “It is not an ‘either-or,’” Bishop McFadden said. “It is a ‘both-and.’ It is faith formation and the primary idea of forming young men and women in the val- ues of the Catholic faith. But there is the other part, that we do have a responsibility as Christians to care for our brothers and sisters who are poor. So we have to outreach to those children.” The bishop offered a caveat, however. If there are Catholic schools with a sizeable number of become self-sustaining and not rely on a financial PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM There is little doubt about what Philadelphia parents want when it comes to schools. They want safe, car- Charter parents told us that if the charters disap- peared, they would do everything they could to avoid sending their children to district-run schools, PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM 1. Office for Research and Planning, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, 2009–2010 enrollment data. Unless were provided to the authors by the persons or enti- 19. The Most Rev. Joseph McFadden, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, interview with au- 20. Authors’ aggregation and analysis of high school profiles as listed at https://webapps.philasd.org/ school_profile. 23. This report follows the classification of high schools used by the school district in “A Directory of 24. Authors’ aggregation and analysis of high school profiles as listed at https://webapps.philasd.org/ school_profile. Overview, p. 2. 27. A recent report by Research for Action addresses Mitchell, Elaine Simon, and Deborah Good, “Transi- tion to High School: School ‘Choice’ and Freshman Year in Philadelphia.” (Philadelphia: Research for Ac- 28. School District of Philadelphia. Empowerment School Support Web page, http://webgui.phila.k12. pa.us/offices/e/empowerment-school-support/ sance Schools for School Year 2010–2011” (press release, March 30, 2010). On June 3, the district an- nounced that West Philadelphia High, one of the 14 not become one in the 2010–2011 school year. 30. Susan Snyder, “Philadelphia Teachers Approve New Contract,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 22, 31. School District of Philadelphia, “Weighted PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM 41. Research suggests that the academic performance of charter schools varies widely from school to school, city to city, and state to state. A recent national study examining how the academic performance of students pared with the performance of students in traditional public schools found that 17 percent of charter PHILADELPHIA’S CHANGING SCHOOLS AND WHAT PARENTS WANT FROM THEM This report would not have been possible without the cooperation of the educators and parents who shared From the School District of Philadelphia, we would like to thank Superintendent Arlene Ackerman and mem- bers of her senior staff, including Tomás Hanna, chief of staff; Evelyn Sample-Oates, chief communications officer; Michael Masch, chief business officer; and Benjamin W. Rayer, associate superintendent, Charter, From the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, thanks to the Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden, the auxiliary bishop; Mary Rochford, the archdiocesan superintend- ent of schools; and Dr. Robert J. Miller, director of the archdiocese’s Office for Research and Planning. We are also grateful to the dozens of other local edu- cators, school officials, and educational advocates Hugh Allen, senior director of special projects, Na- tional Constitution Center; Lars Beck, CEO, Young Scholars Charter School; Candace Bell, program offi- cer, Children, Youth, and Families, William Penn Foun- dation; Laurada Byers, president and CEO, Byerschool Foundation; David Bromley, executive director, Big Picture Philadelphia; David Castro, president and ment, and Development, Inc.; Beverly Coleman, direc- tor, Urban Ventures Group; Rosemary Dougherty, CEO Patrick J. Field, principal, Franklin Towne Charter High School; Richard Fitzgerald, CEO, MaST Community Charter School; Carol Fixman, executive director, and principal, Imani Education Circle Charter School; Phil Goldsmith, president of CeaseFire Pa. and former CEO of School District of Philadelphia; Scott Gordon, CEO, Mastery Charter Schools; David Hardy, CEO, Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School; Lawrence F. Jones, Jr., president, Pennsylvania Coalition of Char- ter Schools, and CEO, Richard Allen Preparatory Char- rdan, president, Philadelphia Torres, president, Congreso; Sister Constance Marie Touey, St. Francis de Sales School; Joseph Michael Venditti, CEO, Franklin Towne Charter High School; John Walker, chief academic officer and principal, Uni- versal Institute Charter School; Jean Wallace, CEO, Green Woods Charter School; Mike Wang, executive director, Teach for America Greater Philadelphia-Cam- den; and, Deborah Wei, CEO and principal, Folk Arts- Cultural Treasures Charter School. not be identified by name. We thank them as well. researchers and education reformers who examine senior research associate, Research for Action; Jolley Bruce Christman, senior research fellow emeritus, Research for Action; Brian Gill, senior social scientist and associate director, Mathematica Policy Research; Ron Zimmer, associate professor, Educational Adminis- tration and Education Policy Program, Michigan State THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS www.pewtrusts.org/philaresearch