Is Rowland Academy a good school?

Rowland Academy ranks in the bottom 0.8% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

How many students attend Rowland Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 577 students attended Rowland Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Rowland Academy?

Students at Rowland Academy are 56% Hispanic, 37% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% Asian.

Rowland Academy

Summary:

Rowland Academy is a public middle school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 588 students. The school is part of the Harrisburg City School District, which is ranked 575 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Rowland Academy has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in Pennsylvania, with a statewide ranking between 724 and 887 out of over 800-900 middle schools over the past decade.

Rowland Academy faces significant challenges in improving the academic performance of its students, particularly for its most vulnerable populations. The school's consistently low rankings, high dropout rates, and large achievement gaps compared to both state and local averages indicate a need for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the root causes of its underperformance. For example, in 2023-2024, only 0.5% of Rowland Academy students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 40.4% statewide and 5.7% in the Harrisburg City School District. The school's performance is particularly concerning for specific student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students, who rank in the bottom 10-15% of Pennsylvania middle schools in these categories.

Interestingly, Rowland Academy's performance is significantly lower than that of other nearby middle schools, such as Camp Hill Middle School and Marshall Math Science Academy, which are also part of the Harrisburg City School District and Central Dauphin School District, respectively. These nearby schools, while still serving economically disadvantaged populations, have much higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings, suggesting that factors beyond just socioeconomic status may be contributing to Rowland Academy's poor performance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1842 Derry Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104-1842

(717) 703-4500

District: Harrisburg City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
884^th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,818

Student/teacher ratio: 18.7

Number of students: 577

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.8%

African American:

37.4%

Two or more races:

3.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Rowland Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rowland Academy ranks worse than 99.2% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Harrisburg City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.53. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Rowland Academy has the largest middle school student body size in the Harrisburg City School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (55.8%), African American (37.4%), two or more races (3.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rowland Academy is 18.7. 2 middle schools in the Harrisburg City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Rowland Academy employs 30.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rowland Academy is $19,818, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Harrisburg City School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rowland Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Rowland Academy 884^th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Rowland Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Harrisburg City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Harrisburg City School District 575^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rowland Academy

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Rank History for all students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	2.25	614^th	643	4.5%
2004	1.30	643^rd	663	3.0%
2006	0.35	736^th	736	0.0%
2007	1.57	740^th	749	1.2%
2008	0.86	751^st	753	0.3%
2009	4.24	741^st	770	3.8%
2010	1.66	795^th	805	1.2%
2011	2.25	806^th	825	2.3%
2012	2.33	815^th	834	2.3%
2013	0.95	744^th	758	1.8%
2014	0.61	724^th	728	0.5%
2015	3.76	826^th	835	1.1%
2016	3.58	860^th	870	1.1%
2017	3.51	872^nd	877	0.6%
2018	4.18	845^th	861	1.9%
2019	3.89	877^th	891	1.6%
2021	5.83	776^th	797	2.6%
2022	5.54	873^rd	883	1.1%
2023	4.95	887^th	893	0.7%
2024	4.53	884^th	891	0.8%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.73	95^th	143	33.6%
2024	22.96	137^th	150	8.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.22	866^th	874	0.9%
2024	5.13	871^st	877	0.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	4.17	857^th	860	0.3%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	14.09	650^th	660	1.5%
2024	16.19	651^st	672	3.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.31	860^th	870	1.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.01	418^th	421	0.7%
2024	12.26	406^th	408	0.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rowland Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.71	357^th	362	1.4%
2024	9.23	359^th	362	0.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Rowland Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2000	50	488	17	73	0	n/a	n/a	628
2001	50	468	13	64	0	n/a	n/a	595
2002	46	444	5	79	0	n/a	n/a	574
2003	46	444	5	79	0	n/a	n/a	574
2004	19	426	14	73	0	n/a	n/a	532
2006	36	409	22	192	0	n/a	n/a	659
2007	38	397	27	199	0	n/a	n/a	661
2008	30	386	18	201	0	n/a	n/a	635
2009	32	389	14	199	2	n/a	n/a	636
2010	43	376	12	193	0	n/a	n/a	624
2011	38	420	17	210	2	0	1	688
2012	29	398	11	194	1	0	4	637
2013	15	355	8	219	1	0	6	604
2014	25	407	14	300	2	0	6	754
2015	36	433	30	307	0	0	6	812
2016	32	429	25	317	0	0	11	814
2017	24	358	14	319	0	0	8	723
2018	18	366	5	335	0	0	9	733
2019	22	374	3	364	0	0	15	778
2020	15	392	10	382	0	0	20	819
2021	22	357	9	375	0	0	19	782
2022	21	355	13	397	0	0	30	816
2023	17	222	12	315	0	0	22	588
2024	11	216	10	322	0	0	18	577

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rowland Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	628	44.0	14.3	93.9
2001	595	47.0	12.7	0
2002	574	52.0	11.0	0
2003	574	52.0	11.0	0
2004	532	40.1	13.3	0
2006	659	45.4	14.5	83.8
2007	661	46.8	14.1	n/a
2008	635	54.6	11.6	n/a
2009	636	58.6	10.8	n/a
2010	624	56.1	11.1	89.3
2011	688	51.1	13.4	88.5
2012	637	49.5	12.8	86.3
2013	604	49.0	12.3	86.9
2014	754	41.8	18.0	85.5
2015	812	53.0	15.3	99.6
2016	814	62.0	13.1	79.2
2017	723	56.8	12.7	88.8
2018	733	61.2	11.9	88.3
2019	778	61.2	12.6	100
2020	819	62.9	13.0	100
2021	782	57.8	13.5	99.6
2022	816	55.9	14.5	99.6
2023	588	33.6	17.4	100
2024	577	30.7	18.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Rowland Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	628	44.0	14.3	93.9
2001	595	47.0	12.7	0
2002	574	52.0	11.0	0
2003	574	52.0	11.0	0
2004	532	40.1	13.3	0
2006	659	45.4	14.5	83.8
2007	661	46.8	14.1	n/a
2008	635	54.6	11.6	n/a
2009	636	58.6	10.8	n/a
2010	624	56.1	11.1	89.3
2011	688	51.1	13.4	88.5
2012	637	49.5	12.8	86.3
2013	604	49.0	12.3	86.9
2014	754	41.8	18.0	85.5
2015	812	53.0	15.3	99.6
2016	814	62.0	13.1	79.2
2017	723	56.8	12.7	88.8
2018	733	61.2	11.9	88.3
2019	778	61.2	12.6	100
2020	819	62.9	13.0	100
2021	782	57.8	13.5	99.6
2022	816	55.9	14.5	99.6
2023	588	33.6	17.4	100
2024	577	30.7	18.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rowland Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,886 (12.3%)	$13,423 (87.7%)	$15,310
2020	$1,216 (13.3%)	$7,954 (86.7%)	$9,169
2021	$763 (5.2%)	$13,816 (94.8%)	$14,578
2022	$515 (2.6%)	$19,303 (97.4%)	$19,818

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rowland Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 877^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 887^th of 893 Middle schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Math (Rowland Academy)	0.6	0	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	43	35.5	7.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Rowland Academy)	5.1	3.4	1.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	58.5	53.6	4.9%
6th Grade Math (Rowland Academy)	2.8	1.4	1.4%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Rowland Academy)	15.2	9.7	5.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (Rowland Academy)	1.4	0.6	0.8%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Rowland Academy)	14.4	6.1	8.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Rowland Academy)	0	0
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Rowland Academy)	9.1	14.3	5.2%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Rowland Academy)	13.8	12.6	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Rowland Academy)	1.2	0.7	0.5%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Rowland Academy)	9.1	14.3	5.2%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Rowland Academy)	11.7	9.5	2.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	778	588	24.4%
African American	374	222	40.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	12	300%
Hispanic	364	315	13.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	22	17	22.7%
Two or More Races	15	22	46.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Rowland Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSSA Math (2024)					PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rowland Academy	Public	6-8	1842 Derry Street	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4500	577	31	18.7	100.0%	11 (1.9%)	216 (37.4%)	322 (55.8%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.1%)	4.5	884^th of 891 public middle schools	0.8%		4.9	887^th of 893 public middle schools	0.7%	3		0.0	1.5	0.0	0.5	8.6	8.6		8.1	8.0	8.3	8.1	$19,818	$515	$19,303
Marshall Math Science Academy	Public, Magnet	5-8	301 Hale Avenue	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(717) 703-1200	380	5	76.0	99.2%	22 (5.8%)	191 (50.3%)	138 (36.3%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	44.6	517^th of 891 public middle schools	42.0%		39.5	556^th of 893 public middle schools	37.7%	39	16.0	17.9	20.3	15.1	17.4	48.7	48.7	39.0	43.8	61.4	60.8	50.6	$20,123	$523	$19,600
Marshall Academy	Public	5-8	301 Hale Ave	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1400	73	23	3.1	100.0%	1 (1.4%)	34 (46.6%)	33 (45.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.8%)	6.5	861^st of 891 public middle schools	3.4%		5.7	875^th of 893 public middle schools	2.0%	14	0.0	0.0	4.3		1.7			6.7	0.0	17.4		15.5	$30,952	$804	$30,148
Susquehanna Township Middle School	Public	6-8	801 Wood St	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Susquehanna Township School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 657-5125	744	43	17.2	69.5%	136 (18.3%)	237 (31.9%)	131 (17.6%)	147 (19.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	92 (12.4%)	25.8	645^th of 891 public middle schools	27.6%		19.5	692^nd of 893 public middle schools	22.5%	47		13.6	12.3	10.3	12.2	40.2	40.2		33.5	39.2	41.6	37.8	$18,377	$602	$17,774
New Cumberland Middle School	Public	6-8	331 8th St	New Cumberland	17070	York County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 774-0162	538	43	12.5	47.4%	344 (63.9%)	54 (10.0%)	83 (15.4%)	22 (4.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.8%)	58.5	380^th of 891 public middle schools	57.4%		47.8	495^th of 893 public middle schools	44.6%	115		41.4	31.0	23.5	32.5	48.4	48.4		55.7	57.8	53.6	55.7	$18,324	$1,097	$17,227
Swatara Middle School	Public	6-8	1101 Highland St	Steelton	17113	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 939-9363	644	49	13.2	100.0%	133 (20.7%)	196 (30.4%)	147 (22.8%)	89 (13.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	76 (11.8%)	26.7	639^th of 891 public middle schools	28.3%		25.7	649^th of 893 public middle schools	27.3%	10		22.1	13.6	7.2	14.6	32.5	32.5		42.6	39.4	35.5	39.3	$14,598	$557	$14,041
Camp Curtin Academy	Public	6-8	2900 N 6th Street	Harrisburg	17110	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4200	470	37	12.8	100.0%	9 (1.9%)	255 (54.3%)	179 (38.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.1%)	5.1	878^th of 891 public middle schools	1.5%		5	886^th of 893 public middle schools	0.8%	8		0.8	0.0	0.0	0.3	13.6	13.6		10.4	11.5	11.8	11.2	$21,996	$571	$21,425
Central Dauphin Middle School	Public	6-8	4600 Locust Lane	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 540-4606	855	60	14.3	35.8%	591 (69.1%)	95 (11.1%)	59 (6.9%)	68 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.9%)	75.7	189^th of 891 public middle schools	78.8%		75.1	197^th of 893 public middle schools	77.9%	8		40.1	41.8	31.7	37.9	69.7	69.7		66.7	65.2	66.4	66.0	$14,040	$694	$13,346
Central Dauphin East Middle School	Public	6-8	628 Rutherford Rd	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 545-4709	663	56	11.7	100.0%	129 (19.5%)	200 (30.2%)	131 (19.8%)	147 (22.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.1%)	30.5	616^th of 891 public middle schools	30.9%		26.7	642^nd of 893 public middle schools	28.1%	26		21.7	11.1	10.9	14.8	32.7	32.7		48.2	37.1	45.5	43.6	$15,056	$768	$14,288
Camp Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	2401 Chestnut St	Camp Hill	17011	Cumberland County	Camp Hill School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 901-2450	296	26	11.1	23.3%	225 (76.0%)	11 (3.7%)	32 (10.8%)	12 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.4%)	81.7	126^th of 891 public middle schools	85.9%		85.2	102^nd of 893 public middle schools	88.6%	24		34.7	67.3	41.0	48.5	85.6	85.6		50.5	82.7	81.2	71.5	$17,626	$579	$17,047

Rowland Academy

Rowland Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Harrisburg City School District:

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Rank History for Rowland Academy

Rank History for all students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for Female students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for Disabled students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for Male students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for African American students at Rowland Academy

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rowland Academy

Enrollment information for Rowland Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Rowland Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Rowland Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Rowland Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Rowland Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Rowland Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Rowland Academy

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