Powel Samuel School

Summary:

Powel Samuel School is an elementary school located in Philadelphia, PA, serving 290 students in grades KG-4. It is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 494 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating. However, Powel Samuel School stands out as a high-performing institution, consistently outperforming the district and the state in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels.

In 2023-2024, 60.9% of Powel Samuel students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to just 21.8% for the district and 40.4% for the state. Similarly, 63.1% of Powel Samuel students were proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts, compared to 34.2% for the district and 53% for the state. The school's performance is particularly impressive for its African American and low-income students, ranking 31 out of 437 Pennsylvania elementary schools and 310 out of 1,432, respectively, in these subgroups.

Powel Samuel School's success is even more remarkable when compared to nearby schools in the Philadelphia City School District. For example, McMichael Morton School, located just 0.58 miles away, has significantly lower proficiency rates in Math (4.7% vs. 60.9%) and English Language Arts (14.5% vs. 63.1%) for the 2023-2024 school year. This suggests that Powel Samuel School has been able to implement effective strategies to support student learning and achievement, even in a predominantly low-income community.


Detail:

Public K-4

 3610 Warren St
       Philadelphia, PA  19104-5638


(215) 400-7740

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
558th of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $22,143 Help


Students who attend Powel Samuel School usually attend:

Middle:    Science Leadership Academy Middle School
High:    West Philadelphia High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.1 Help
Number of students:  306

Racial breakdown:

African American:
60.1%
White:
25.8%
Hispanic:
4.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100.7% Help


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 Compare Powel Samuel School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Powel Samuel School ranks better than 63.4% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 10th among 147 ranked elementary schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.7. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (60.1%), White (25.8%), Hispanic (4.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Powel Samuel School is 14.1. 112 elementary schools in the Philadelphia City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Powel Samuel School employs 21.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Powel Samuel School is $22,143, which is the 35th highest among 147 elementary schools in the Philadelphia City School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Powel Samuel School:

SchoolDigger ranks Powel Samuel School 558th of 1526 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Powel Samuel School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Philadelphia City School District:

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


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Your rating for Powel Samuel School?

Rank History for Powel Samuel School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Powel Samuel School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 24.88 1305th 1545 15.5%
2007 36.15 1192nd 1555 23.3%
2008 23.40 1316th 1551 15.2%
2009 25.04 1319th 1549 14.8%
2010 4.85 1524th 1579 3.5%
2011 26.76 1338th 1597 16.2%
2012 40.68 1179th 1599 26.3%
2013 40.77 1105th 1519 27.3%
2014 56.03 825th 1467 43.8%
2015 39.24 1012th 1474 31.3%
2016 30.48 1176th 1554 24.3%
2017 21.82 1232nd 1547 20.4%
2018 39.31 1067th 1530 30.3%
2019 50.45 919th 1544 40.5%
2022 48.10 921st 1534 40.0%
2023 51.55 849th 1534 44.7%
2024 66.70 558th 1526 63.4%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Powel Samuel School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 62.32 531st 1414 62.4%
2024 74.06 310th 1432 78.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Powel Samuel School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 62.36 625th 1488 58.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Powel Samuel School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 68.31 489th 1495 67.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Powel Samuel School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 86.58 39th 437 91.1%
2024 87.35 31st 437 92.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for African American 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.

Powel Samuel School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Open Quote I graduated from here, and after 12 years of Philadelphia public school, and 4 years of Penn, this was what really prepared me for the world. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Powel Samuel School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 123 155 3 0 2 n/a n/a 0 283
1989 121 174 11 2 2 n/a n/a 0 310
1990 99 148 11 2 1 n/a n/a 0 261
1991 96 177 15 2 1 n/a n/a 0 291
1992 91 173 18 3 1 n/a n/a 0 286
1993 73 174 17 5 1 n/a n/a 0 270
1994 73 181 22 3 1 n/a n/a 0 280
1995 77 171 27 10 1 n/a n/a 0 286
1996 77 171 27 10 1 n/a n/a 0 286
1997 65 179 20 11 1 n/a n/a 0 276
1998 65 172 26 11 0 n/a n/a 0 274
1999 64 176 23 11 0 n/a n/a 0 274
2000 66 162 20 9 0 n/a n/a 0 257
2001 51 161 15 9 1 n/a n/a 0 237
2002 47 188 3 7 3 n/a n/a 0 248
2003 47 188 3 7 3 n/a n/a 0 248
2004 31 200 4 6 3 n/a n/a 0 244
2005 21 251 7 3 3 n/a n/a 0 285
2006 23 222 4 3 4 n/a n/a 0 256
2007 24 218 7 2 3 n/a n/a 0 254
2008 19 195 7 4 2 n/a n/a 9 236
2009 20 189 4 3 1 n/a n/a 11 228
2010 32 182 8 3 1 n/a n/a 12 238
2011 39 175 10 4 1 0 8 0 237
2012 32 161 13 2 0 0 13 0 221
2013 39 175 12 5 2 0 19 0 252
2014 34 203 12 4 3 0 22 0 278
2015 26 181 14 6 1 0 30 0 258
2016 27 212 12 1 1 0 33 0 286
2017 27 217 8 1 1 0 30 0 284
2018 58 172 9 4 1 0 20 0 264
2019 21 188 12 5 0 0 18 0 244
2020 23 176 18 13 0 0 13 0 243
2021 37 163 18 9 0 0 2 0 229
2022 53 160 14 11 0 0 4 0 242
2023 74 178 14 13 1 0 10 0 290
2024 79 184 14 15 2 0 12 0 306

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 Powel Samuel School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 283 17.0 16.6 n/a
1989 310 20.0 15.5 n/a
1990 261 19.0 13.7 0
1991 291 17.0 17.1 n/a
1992 286 19.0 15.0 n/a
1993 270 17.8 15.2 n/a
1994 280 20.0 14.0 n/a
1995 286 18.0 15.9 n/a
1996 286 18.0 15.9 n/a
1997 276 20.0 13.8 n/a
1998 274 19.0 14.4 n/a
1999 274 17.0 16.1 n/a
2000 257 17.5 14.7 33.1
2001 237 18.0 13.2 0
2002 248 13.0 19.1 34.3
2003 248 13.0 19.1 34.3
2004 244 15.5 15.7 41.4
2005 285 14.5 19.7 29.8
2006 256 16.5 15.5 43.4
2007 254 16.5 15.4 51.2
2008 236 16.5 14.3 57.3
2009 228 15.5 14.7 45.6
2010 238 16.1 14.7 52.2
2011 237 18.4 12.8 59.1
2012 221 16.0 13.8 54.8
2013 252 15.0 16.8 69
2014 278 15.0 18.5 64.4
2015 258 15.0 17.2 66.7
2016 286 13.0 22.0 100
2017 284 16.0 17.7 100
2018 264 18.4 14.3 100
2019 244 18.4 13.2 100
2020 243 18.6 13.0 100
2021 229 16.8 13.6 98.7
2022 242 18.8 12.8 98.8
2023 290 19.3 15.0 100
2024 306 21.6 14.1 100.7

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 Powel Samuel School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 283 17.0 16.6 n/a
1989 310 20.0 15.5 n/a
1990 261 19.0 13.7 0
1991 291 17.0 17.1 n/a
1992 286 19.0 15.0 n/a
1993 270 17.8 15.2 n/a
1994 280 20.0 14.0 n/a
1995 286 18.0 15.9 n/a
1996 286 18.0 15.9 n/a
1997 276 20.0 13.8 n/a
1998 274 19.0 14.4 n/a
1999 274 17.0 16.1 n/a
2000 257 17.5 14.7 33.1
2001 237 18.0 13.2 0
2002 248 13.0 19.1 34.3
2003 248 13.0 19.1 34.3
2004 244 15.5 15.7 41.4
2005 285 14.5 19.7 29.8
2006 256 16.5 15.5 43.4
2007 254 16.5 15.4 51.2
2008 236 16.5 14.3 57.3
2009 228 15.5 14.7 45.6
2010 238 16.1 14.7 52.2
2011 237 18.4 12.8 59.1
2012 221 16.0 13.8 54.8
2013 252 15.0 16.8 69
2014 278 15.0 18.5 64.4
2015 258 15.0 17.2 66.7
2016 286 13.0 22.0 100
2017 284 16.0 17.7 100
2018 264 18.4 14.3 100
2019 244 18.4 13.2 100
2020 243 18.6 13.0 100
2021 229 16.8 13.6 98.7
2022 242 18.8 12.8 98.8
2023 290 19.3 15.0 100
2024 306 21.6 14.1 100.7

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 Powel Samuel School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,343 (15.3%) $12,942 (84.7%) $15,284
2020 $2,233 (13.4%) $14,461 (86.6%) $16,694
2021 $4,452 (25.5%) $12,996 (74.5%) $17,448
2022 $10,066 (45.5%) $12,077 (54.5%) $22,143

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Powel Samuel School

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 919th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 849th of 1534 Elementary schools
 4.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Powel Samuel School)59.255.3
 3.9%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Powel Samuel School)65.366
 0.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Powel Samuel School)40.447.1
 6.7%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Powel Samuel School)70.262.8
 7.4%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Powel Samuel School)70.247.1
 23.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
All Grades Math (Powel Samuel School)5051.1
 1.1%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Powel Samuel School)70.262.8
 7.4%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Powel Samuel School)67.756.1
 11.6%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students244290
 18.9%
African American188178
 5.3%
American Indian01
Asian1214
 16.7%
Hispanic513
 160%
Pacific Islander00
White2174
 252.4%
Two or More Races1810
 44.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Powel Samuel School

Students at Powel Samuel School are 60% African American, 26% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

Powel Samuel School ranks 558th of 1526 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 306 students attended Powel Samuel School.


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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.





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