Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Summary:

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy is a public middle school located in Swissvale, PA, serving grades 6-8 with 642 students. It is part of the Woodland Hills School District, which is ranked 518 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Dickson Prep STEAM Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Pennsylvania middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past 4 school years.

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy significantly underperforms compared to the state and its own district on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 9.4% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 17.2% in the Woodland Hills School District and 40.4% statewide. The school also struggles in PSSA English Language Arts, with only 28.8% proficient or better, compared to 30.1% in the district and 53% statewide. Dickson Prep STEAM Academy's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25% of Pennsylvania middle schools for African American students, multi-racial students, and students of low socioeconomic status in both Math and ELA.

When comparing Dickson Prep STEAM Academy to nearby middle schools, it consistently underperforms. For example, Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8 and Brentwood Middle School, which are both within 6 miles of Dickson Prep, outperform it significantly on PSSA Math and ELA proficiency rates. Dickson Prep STEAM Academy's performance has remained stagnant or even declined over the past 4 school years, with little to no improvement in academic proficiency rates or rankings. The school serves a student population that is almost entirely (99-100%) eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of poverty, which likely contributes to the school's academic challenges.

Detail:

Public 6-8

7301 Schoyer Avenue
Swissvale, PA 15218

(412) 731-5816

District: Woodland Hills School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
720^th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,929

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 642

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.3%

White:

23.8%

Two or more races:

8.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dickson Prep STEAM Academy ranks worse than 80.8% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.16. (See more...)

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

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (62.3%), White (23.8%), two or more races (8.7%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy is 11.2. (See more...)

Compare Dickson Prep STEAM Academy employs 57.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy is $19,929.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Dickson Prep STEAM Academy 720^th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Dickson Prep STEAM Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Woodland Hills School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Woodland Hills School District 518^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

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Rank History for all students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2021	15.64	658^th	797	17.4%
2022	18.78	688^th	883	22.1%
2023	16.52	717^th	893	19.7%
2024	17.16	720^th	891	19.2%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.27	154^th	187	17.6%
2024	28.03	144^th	199	27.6%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.64	771^st	874	11.8%
2024	11.93	795^th	877	9.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	14.04	731^st	860	15.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.08	559^th	660	15.3%
2024	25.26	530^th	672	21.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	20.85	675^th	870	22.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	25.98	328^th	421	22.1%
2024	25.28	324^th	408	20.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	38.70	413^th	681	39.4%
2024	33.64	465^th	673	30.9%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for White 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 Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2020	165	466	3	29	0	57	720
2021	167	461	3	22	2	59	714
2022	182	458	2	24	0	68	734
2023	153	400	2	29	2	56	642

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 Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	720	56.0	12.8	99.9
2021	714	57.5	12.4	99.6
2022	734	60.0	12.2	99.6
2023	642	57.1	11.2	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 Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	720	56.0	12.8	99.9
2021	714	57.5	12.4	99.6
2022	734	60.0	12.2	99.6
2023	642	57.1	11.2	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 Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2020	$693 (4.1%)	$16,240 (95.9%)	$16,933
2021	$1,367 (8.2%)	$15,324 (91.8%)	$16,692
2022	$1,762 (8.8%)	$18,168 (91.2%)	$19,929

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Schools Near Dickson Prep STEAM 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 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	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
Dickson Prep STEAM Academy	Public	6-8	7301 Schoyer Avenue	Swissvale	15218	Allegheny County	Woodland Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 731-5816	642	57	11.2	100.0%	153 (23.8%)	400 (62.3%)	29 (4.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.7%)	17.2	720^th of 891 public middle schools	19.2%		16.5	717^th of 893 public middle schools	19.7%	3				8.8	5.1	12.6	9.4		30.3	30.3				30.5	23.7	30.4	28.8	$19,929	$1,762	$18,168
Pittsburgh Sterrett 6-8	Public, Magnet	6-8	7100 Reynolds St	Pittsburgh	15208	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(412) 529-7870	208	20	10.1	100.0%	15 (7.2%)	178 (85.6%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.3%)	26.6	640^th of 891 public middle schools	28.2%		18.5	697^th of 893 public middle schools	21.9%	57				26.8	10.6	2.1	14.6		33.4	33.4				43.2	28.1	42.5	38.0	$11,483	$1,477	$10,005
Steel Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	3114 Main St	Munhall	15120	Allegheny County	Steel Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 464-3600	404	32	12.5	100.0%	199 (49.3%)	150 (37.1%)	6 (1.5%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (10.6%)	36.1	585^th of 891 public middle schools	34.3%		39.7	554^th of 893 public middle schools	38.0%	31			15.4	19.5	20.6	19.1	18.7		50.6	50.6			31.2	43.5	37.9	40.4	38.2	$17,510	$928	$16,581
West Mifflin Area Middle School	Public	4-8	81 Commonwealth Ave	West Mifflin	15122	Allegheny County	West Mifflin Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 466-9131	803	58	13.7	100.0%	486 (60.5%)	179 (22.3%)	34 (4.2%)	14 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (11.1%)	45.9	502^nd of 891 public middle schools	43.7%		38.8	563^rd of 893 public middle schools	37.0%	61		24.4	12.4	39.9	38.9	17.2	26.7	69.3	45.7	57.5		31.3	31.5	41.6	42.4	43.1	38.1	$12,059	$266	$11,793
Life Male STEAM Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	6-9	777 Penn Center Blvd	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Life Male STEAM Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(412) 867-6209	93	9	10.3	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	79 (84.9%)	4 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.5%)	7.9	830^th of 891 public middle schools	6.8%		7.2	845^th of 893 public middle schools	5.4%	15				0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0		34.7	34.7				7.1	6.1	17.4	10.0	$22,301	$489	$21,812
Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8	Public	6-8	220 40th Street	Pittsburgh	15201	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 529-5740	150	16	9.1	100.0%	34 (22.7%)	71 (47.3%)	30 (20.0%)	8 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.7%)	23.7	662^nd of 891 public middle schools	25.7%		36.4	584^th of 893 public middle schools	34.6%	78				2.9	29.0	12.2	14.9		29.3	29.3				17.2	44.5	29.3	30.4	$26,795	$3,447	$23,348
Brentwood Middle School	Public	6-8	3601 Brownsville Rd	Pittsburgh	15227	Allegheny County	Brentwood Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 881-4940	271	20	13.3	62.4%	194 (71.6%)	37 (13.7%)	16 (5.9%)	13 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.1%)	67	287^th of 891 public middle schools	67.8%		58.6	370^th of 893 public middle schools	58.6%	83				42.0	23.1	41.9	34.7		63.5	63.5				69.5	48.4	67.6	60.7	$19,407	$1,649	$17,758
Provident Charter School	Public, Charter	2-8	1400 Troy Hill Road	Pittsburgh	15212	Allegheny County	Provident Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(412) 709-5160	325	67	4.8	46.8%	218 (67.1%)	64 (19.7%)	10 (3.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.5%)	23.2	666^th of 891 public middle schools	25.3%		11.9	775^th of 893 public middle schools	13.2%	109	26.1	16.4	21.9	36.3	12.9	9.1	21.0	62.7	39.4	55.0	19.1	23.5	24.1	27.3	9.7	21.2	21.6	$27,786	$3,515	$24,272
Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8	Public, Magnet	6-8	1018 Peralta St	Pittsburgh	15212	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(412) 529-4190	244	19	12.7	100.0%	76 (31.1%)	113 (46.3%)	23 (9.4%)	8 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.8%)	42.7	534^th of 891 public middle schools	40.1%		37.6	573^rd of 893 public middle schools	35.8%	39				19.6	25.6	22.9	22.5		42.9	42.9				46.3	42.7	57.2	48.2	$25,783	$3,317	$22,466
Linton Middle School	Public	6-8	250 Aster St	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 795-3000	640	50	12.7	100.0%	131 (20.5%)	413 (64.5%)	34 (5.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (9.1%)	17.6	711^th of 891 public middle schools	20.2%		12.9	758^th of 893 public middle schools	15.1%	47				12.0	8.9	11.1	10.7		30.5	30.5				29.3	28.7	30.0	29.4	$10,526	$6,822	$3,704

Frequently Asked Questions about Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Is Dickson Prep STEAM Academy a good school?

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy ranks in the bottom 19.2% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

How many students attend Dickson Prep STEAM Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 642 students attended Dickson Prep STEAM Academy.

What district is Dickson Prep STEAM Academy in?

Woodland Hills School District

What is the racial makeup of Dickson Prep STEAM Academy?

Students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy are 62% African American, 24% White, 9% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.