Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Summary:

Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is a public high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 896 students. 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.

Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Pennsylvania high schools over the past decade, with rankings ranging from 552 out of 591 in 2012-2013 to 673 out of 686 in the current 2023-2024 school year. The school's academic performance is significantly below state and district averages across various standardized tests, including Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature. For example, in 2023-2024, only 0.6% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 41.6% statewide and 25.7% in the Philadelphia City School District. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with over 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

When comparing Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School to nearby schools, such as High School of Engineering & Science, Philadelphia Military Academy at Elverson, and Strawberry Mansion High School, the performance gap is quite significant. These nearby schools, while still part of the Philadelphia City School District, generally have higher academic achievement, better graduation rates, and lower dropout rates. The combination of low academic performance, high poverty rates, and concerning graduation and dropout statistics suggests that Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School may be facing significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 2150 West Lehigh Avenue
       Philadelphia, PA  19132-2648


(215) 400-7050

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
673rd of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,688 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  17.5 Help
Number of students:  896

Racial breakdown:

African American:
89.3%
Hispanic:
6.9%
Two or more races:
2.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.9% Help


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 Compare Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School ranks worse than 98.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 50th among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.28. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (89.3%), Hispanic (6.9%), two or more races (2.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is 17.5. 39 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School employs 51.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is $9,688. 51 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School 673rd of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School 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:
Hispanic 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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Rank History for Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 0.85 571st 583 2.1%
2004 0.64 583rd 590 1.2%
2005 2.00 567th 593 4.4%
2006 2.53 584th 604 3.3%
2007 7.45 576th 615 6.3%
2008 6.13 585th 621 5.8%
2009 10.30 582nd 632 7.9%
2010 19.46 573rd 649 11.7%
2011 16.70 583rd 660 11.7%
2012 9.25 604th 664 9.0%
2013 3.12 552nd 591 6.6%
2014 1.00 557th 580 4.0%
2015 1.75 648th 680 4.7%
2016 1.16 653rd 677 3.5%
2017 0.99 649th 663 2.1%
2018 1.18 655th 673 2.7%
2019 1.09 677th 693 2.3%
2022 4.79 598th 634 5.7%
2023 3.43 662nd 674 1.8%
2024 2.28 673rd 686 1.9%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 4.36 641st 652 1.7%
2024 2.97 655th 664 1.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 2.09 656th 665 1.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 15.32 471st 502 6.2%
2024 13.31 496th 513 3.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 2.57 649th 662 2.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 11.35 248th 260 4.6%
2024 9.69 272nd 284 4.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 13.03 227th 252 9.9%
2024 23.96 209th 274 23.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic 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.

Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

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Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Open Quote I had a lot of family that went to dobbins and got some positive reports about dobbins from different friends and family. my daughter is going there and they have a alsome success rate. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 4 1933 4 10 2 n/a n/a 0 1953
1989 3 1794 2 12 1 n/a n/a 0 1812
1990 3 1767 1 12 0 n/a n/a 0 1783
1991 2 1699 1 8 1 n/a n/a 0 1711
1992 3 1675 1 11 1 n/a n/a 0 1691
1993 4 1701 1 18 1 n/a n/a 0 1725
1994 3 1841 2 24 1 n/a n/a 0 1871
1995 5 1962 1 21 1 n/a n/a 0 1990
1996 5 1962 1 21 1 n/a n/a 0 1990
1997 9 1991 1 18 0 n/a n/a 0 2019
1998 14 1735 1 19 0 n/a n/a 0 1769
1999 25 1518 2 14 0 n/a n/a 0 1559
2000 16 1490 1 10 0 n/a n/a 0 1517
2001 7 1553 1 20 0 n/a n/a 0 1581
2002 3 1648 1 19 0 n/a n/a 0 1671
2003 3 1648 1 19 0 n/a n/a 0 1671
2004 9 1784 1 22 0 n/a n/a 0 1816
2005 5 1302 1 15 0 n/a n/a 0 1323
2006 3 1234 3 13 1 n/a n/a 0 1254
2007 3 1091 1 15 1 n/a n/a 0 1111
2008 2 947 3 21 2 n/a n/a 2 977
2009 0 813 5 15 3 n/a n/a 0 836
2010 1 764 6 32 2 n/a n/a 0 805
2011 2 745 5 40 2 0 0 0 794
2012 5 709 3 41 1 0 0 0 759
2013 6 664 1 47 1 0 0 0 719
2014 4 575 1 34 1 0 0 0 615
2015 5 455 2 30 0 0 0 0 492
2016 2 541 3 43 0 0 4 0 593
2017 3 545 4 50 0 0 8 0 610
2018 7 536 2 43 0 0 9 0 597
2019 7 616 3 67 0 0 20 0 713
2020 5 692 2 77 1 0 27 0 804
2021 10 848 2 93 1 1 31 0 986
2022 9 913 3 92 1 1 30 0 1049
2023 6 800 3 62 1 0 24 0 896

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 Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1953 116.0 16.8 n/a
1989 1812 108.0 16.7 n/a
1990 1783 100.0 17.8 0
1991 1711 101.0 16.9 n/a
1992 1691 99.0 17.0 n/a
1993 1725 106.0 16.3 n/a
1994 1871 103.5 18.1 n/a
1995 1990 80.0 24.9 n/a
1996 1990 80.0 24.9 n/a
1997 2019 80.0 25.2 n/a
1998 1769 107.0 16.5 n/a
1999 1559 97.0 16.1 n/a
2000 1517 89.0 17.0 84.6
2001 1581 88.5 17.9 57.9
2002 1671 63.5 26.3 60
2003 1671 63.5 26.3 60
2004 1816 89.0 20.4 54.4
2005 1323 62.0 21.3 75.8
2006 1254 63.0 19.9 80.7
2007 1111 65.0 17.1 81.5
2008 977 58.1 16.8 85.3
2009 836 58.5 14.3 86.2
2010 805 63.0 12.7 99.6
2011 794 62.1 12.7 99.6
2012 759 48.8 15.5 99.6
2013 719 46.5 15.4 99.6
2014 615 41.8 14.6 99.5
2015 492 35.0 14.0 99.4
2016 593 36.0 16.4 100
2017 610 40.2 15.1 99.5
2018 597 29.4 20.3 99.8
2019 713 41.7 17.0 100
2020 804 32.2 24.9 100
2021 986 61.2 16.1 99.7
2022 1049 65.9 15.9 99.7
2023 896 51.2 17.5 99.9

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 Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1953 116.0 16.8 n/a
1989 1812 108.0 16.7 n/a
1990 1783 100.0 17.8 0
1991 1711 101.0 16.9 n/a
1992 1691 99.0 17.0 n/a
1993 1725 106.0 16.3 n/a
1994 1871 103.5 18.1 n/a
1995 1990 80.0 24.9 n/a
1996 1990 80.0 24.9 n/a
1997 2019 80.0 25.2 n/a
1998 1769 107.0 16.5 n/a
1999 1559 97.0 16.1 n/a
2000 1517 89.0 17.0 84.6
2001 1581 88.5 17.9 57.9
2002 1671 63.5 26.3 60
2003 1671 63.5 26.3 60
2004 1816 89.0 20.4 54.4
2005 1323 62.0 21.3 75.8
2006 1254 63.0 19.9 80.7
2007 1111 65.0 17.1 81.5
2008 977 58.1 16.8 85.3
2009 836 58.5 14.3 86.2
2010 805 63.0 12.7 99.6
2011 794 62.1 12.7 99.6
2012 759 48.8 15.5 99.6
2013 719 46.5 15.4 99.6
2014 615 41.8 14.6 99.5
2015 492 35.0 14.0 99.4
2016 593 36.0 16.4 100
2017 610 40.2 15.1 99.5
2018 597 29.4 20.3 99.8
2019 713 41.7 17.0 100
2020 804 32.2 24.9 100
2021 986 61.2 16.1 99.7
2022 1049 65.9 15.9 99.7
2023 896 51.2 17.5 99.9

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 Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,604 (31.3%) $3,520 (68.7%) $5,123
2020 $2,247 (29.6%) $5,347 (70.4%) $7,594
2021 $3,475 (42.1%) $4,774 (57.9%) $8,249
2022 $4,579 (47.3%) $5,110 (52.7%) $9,688

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High 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 677th of 693 High schoolsRanks 662nd of 674 High schools
 0.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School)2.21.8
 0.4%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School)7.52.6
 4.9%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School)18.116.7
 1.4%
   11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)71.565.3
 6.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students713896
 25.7%
African American616800
 29.9%
American Indian01
Asian33
Hispanic6762
 7.5%
Pacific Islander00
White76
 14.3%
Two or More Races2024
 20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%99.9%
 0.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School

Students at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School are 89% African American, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 896 students attended Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School.

Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School ranks in the bottom 1.9% of Pennsylvania high schools.


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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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