School of the Future

Summary:

School of the Future is a public magnet high school in Philadelphia, PA, serving 568 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 494 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, School of the Future has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Pennsylvania high schools over the past decade, with its highest ranking being 529 out of 591 schools in the 2012-2013 school year.

The school's academic performance is a significant concern, with only 4.1% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 41.6% statewide and 25.7% in the district. Similarly, the school's performance in Biology (9% proficient) and Literature (23.3% proficient) lags behind the state and district averages. The school's four-year graduation rate has been around 87.5% in recent years, which is on par with nearby schools, but the dropout rate has been higher, ranging from 1.6% to 5.9% over the past few years. Additionally, the school serves a high-need population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

When compared to other high schools in the immediate vicinity, such as Robeson High School for Human Services and Parkway West, both magnet schools, School of the Future generally performs worse academically. The school's performance also varies significantly by student subgroup, with African American students and students with disabilities performing better than the overall school average, while female students and students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds lag behind their peers. Despite the school's higher spending per student, which has increased from $12,589 in 2018-2019 to $18,264 in 2021-2022, the academic outcomes have not improved accordingly.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

4021 Parkside Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19104

(215) 400-7790

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
657^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,264

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 568

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.7%

Hispanic:

3.9%

Two or more races:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details School of the Future ranks worse than 95.8% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 43^rd among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.7. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at School of the Future who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (91.7%), Hispanic (3.9%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at School of the Future is 13.7, which is the 23^rd best among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare School of the Future employs 41.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at School of the Future is $18,264, which is the 26^th highest among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

School of the Future:

SchoolDigger ranks School of the Future 657^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See School of the Future in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Philadelphia City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Philadelphia City School District 494^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for School of the Future

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Rank History for all students at School of the Future

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2009	4.54	597^th	632	5.5%
2010	2.48	625^th	649	3.7%
2011	8.71	610^th	660	7.6%
2012	25.75	552^nd	664	16.9%
2013	12.45	529^th	591	10.5%
2014	1.58	554^th	580	4.5%
2015	2.13	643^rd	680	5.4%
2016	10.31	588^th	677	13.1%
2017	3.14	618^th	663	6.8%
2018	2.05	639^th	673	5.1%
2019	1.61	662^nd	693	4.5%
2022	5.78	589^th	634	7.1%
2023	6.28	624^th	674	7.4%
2024	3.70	657^th	686	4.2%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at School of the Future

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.36	590^th	652	9.5%
2024	5.38	633^rd	664	4.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at School of the Future

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	2.37	653^rd	665	1.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at School of the Future

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.01	457^th	502	9.0%
2024	27.31	375^th	513	26.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at School of the Future

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	7.14	611^th	662	7.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at School of the Future

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.77	208^th	260	20.0%
2024	16.83	244^th	284	14.1%

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

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department 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 Department of Education

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Enrollment information for School of the Future

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	2	155	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	162
2008	4	297	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	311
2009	6	367	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	1	386
2010	19	441	3	11	1	n/a	n/a	2	477
2011	16	375	1	11	0	0	1	0	404
2012	20	341	4	24	0	0	5	0	394
2013	14	341	8	32	0	0	4	0	399
2014	14	610	11	56	1	0	6	0	698
2015	13	538	7	41	2	0	5	0	606
2016	12	458	5	34	1	0	3	0	513
2017	12	427	4	25	1	0	4	0	473
2018	9	438	4	20	1	0	8	0	480
2019	7	493	5	20	2	0	23	0	550
2020	3	506	5	19	2	0	25	0	560
2021	6	681	8	26	1	0	28	0	750
2022	5	639	8	24	4	0	20	0	700
2023	5	521	6	22	4	0	10	0	568

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 School of the Future

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	162	11.0	14.7	80.2
2008	311	20.5	15.2	83
2009	386	20.5	18.7	84.4
2010	477	31.0	15.3	42.9
2011	404	30.1	13.4	49.8
2012	394	24.1	16.3	48.2
2013	399	25.9	15.3	99.2
2014	698	35.0	19.9	99.6
2015	606	40.0	15.1	99.5
2016	513	12.0	42.7	100
2017	473	32.1	14.7	99.8
2018	480	25.7	18.6	100
2019	550	30.7	17.8	99.6
2020	560	30.7	18.2	100
2021	750	45.0	16.6	99.6
2022	700	39.3	17.7	99.6
2023	568	41.3	13.7	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 School of the Future

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	162	11.0	14.7	80.2
2008	311	20.5	15.2	83
2009	386	20.5	18.7	84.4
2010	477	31.0	15.3	42.9
2011	404	30.1	13.4	49.8
2012	394	24.1	16.3	48.2
2013	399	25.9	15.3	99.2
2014	698	35.0	19.9	99.6
2015	606	40.0	15.1	99.5
2016	513	12.0	42.7	100
2017	473	32.1	14.7	99.8
2018	480	25.7	18.6	100
2019	550	30.7	17.8	99.6
2020	560	30.7	18.2	100
2021	750	45.0	16.6	99.6
2022	700	39.3	17.7	99.6
2023	568	41.3	13.7	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 School of the Future

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,195 (9.5%)	$11,394 (90.5%)	$12,589
2020	$2,131 (14.3%)	$12,743 (85.7%)	$14,874
2021	$3,079 (20.7%)	$11,797 (79.3%)	$14,876
2022	$9,127 (50.0%)	$9,137 (50.0%)	$18,264

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on School of the Future

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 662^nd of 693 High schools	Ranks 624^th of 674 High schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (School of the Future)	4.8	4.8
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (School of the Future)	11.1	8.5	2.6%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (School of the Future)	21.7	30.5	8.8%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	550	568	3.3%
African American	493	521	5.7%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	5	6	20%
Hispanic	20	22	10%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	7	5	28.6%
Two or More Races	23	10	56.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.6%	100%	0.4%

Schools Near School of the Future

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th 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 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
School of the Future	Public, Magnet	9-12	4021 Parkside Ave	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7790	568	41	13.7	100.0%	5 (0.9%)	521 (91.7%)	22 (3.9%)	6 (1.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	3.7	657^th of 686 public high schools	4.2%		6.3	624^th of 674 public high schools	7.4%	33	4.1	9.0	23.3									$18,264	$9,127	$9,137
Philadelphia Learning Academy - West	Public	9-12	4300 Westminster Ave	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-9080	58	12	5.0	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	52 (89.7%)	6 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	0.0											$55,977	$18,920	$37,056
Parkway West	Public, Magnet	9-12	4725 Fairmont Ave	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7710	228	17	13.2	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	210 (92.1%)	6 (2.6%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.4%)	12.2	586^th of 686 public high schools	14.6%		14.3	578^th of 674 public high schools	14.2%	8	4.5	17.5	46.5									$21,956	$11,333	$10,623
KIPP DuBois Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	5070 Parkside Avenue	Philadelphia	19131	Philadelphia County	KIPP DuBois Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 307-3465	497	35	14.2		0 (0.0%)	486 (97.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	9.8	604^th of 686 public high schools	12.0%		10.9	599^th of 674 public high schools	11.1%	5	11.1	14.0	40.0									$19,753	$2,325	$17,428
Robeson High School for Human Services	Public, Magnet	9-12	4125 Ludlow St	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7780	314	19	16.3	100.0%	4 (1.3%)	297 (94.6%)	6 (1.9%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	33.6	492^nd of 686 public high schools	28.3%		24.2	538^th of 674 public high schools	20.2%	46	23.6	25.0	66.7									$17,725	$9,852	$7,873
Mastery Charter School - Shoemaker Campus	Public, Charter	7-12	5301 Media Street	Philadelphia	19131	Philadelphia County	Mastery CS-Shoemaker Campus	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 296-7111	782	53	14.8		1 (0.1%)	693 (88.6%)	16 (2.0%)	3 (0.4%)	50 (6.4%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (2.3%)	26.8	520^th of 686 public high schools	24.2%		8.3	612^th of 674 public high schools	9.2%	92	19.0	31.4	56.0	5.5	5.5	5.6	28.1	28.1	25.3	30.7	28.0	$22,072	$4,458	$17,614
West Philadelphia High School	Public	9-12	4901 Chestnut St	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7900	543	42	13.0	100.0%	4 (0.7%)	486 (89.5%)	18 (3.3%)	7 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.8%)	2.9	666^th of 686 public high schools	2.9%		3.3	665^th of 674 public high schools	1.3%	1	2.0	3.0	24.2									$18,425	$8,606	$9,819
Strawberry Mansion High School	Public	9-12	3133 Ridge Ave	Philadelphia	19132	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7500	203	20	10.0	100.0%	1 (0.5%)	190 (93.6%)	8 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	1.8	680^th of 686 public high schools	0.9%		3.3	663^rd of 674 public high schools	1.6%	17	0.0	0.0	11.1									$26,365	$12,983	$13,382
Vaux HS: A Big Picture School	Public	9-12	2300 W Master St	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(267) 687-1172	270	21	13.1	98.9%	1 (0.4%)	248 (91.9%)	11 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)	2.7	668^th of 686 public high schools	2.6%		3.1	667^th of 674 public high schools	1.0%	1	3.3	1.7	20.7									$22,407	$9,177	$13,229
The Workshop School	Public, Magnet	9-12	221 S Hanson St	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7730	194	15	12.7	100.0%	3 (1.5%)	176 (90.7%)	5 (2.6%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.1%)	1.9	678^th of 686 public high schools	1.2%		3.8	658^th of 674 public high schools	2.4%	20	0.0	0.0	17.1									$21,221	$11,139	$10,082

Frequently Asked Questions about School of the Future

What is the racial makeup of School of the Future?

Students at School of the Future are 92% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is School of the Future a good school?

School of the Future ranks in the bottom 4.2% of Pennsylvania high schools.

How many students attend School of the Future?

In the 2022-23 school year, 568 students attended School of the Future.

What district is School of the Future in?

Philadelphia City School District

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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.