Is West Philadelphia High School a good school?

West Philadelphia High School ranks in the bottom 1.3% of Pennsylvania high schools.

How many students attend West Philadelphia High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 543 students attended West Philadelphia High School.

What is the racial makeup of West Philadelphia High School?

Students at West Philadelphia High School are 90% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into West Philadelphia High School?

West Philadelphia High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Lea Henry C School Elementary : Locke Alain School Elementary : McMichael Morton School Elementary : Penn Alexander School Elementary : Powel Samuel School Elementary : Washington Martha School Middle : Science Leadership Academy Middle School

West Philadelphia High School

Summary:

West Philadelphia High School is a public high school serving 543 students in grades 9-12 in the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 494 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Philadelphia High School faces significant challenges, with a student population that is 89.5% African American, well above the state average. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Pennsylvania high schools, with proficiency rates on state exams ranging from 0-15.5% across core subjects. Graduation rates have struggled, ranging from 58.2% to 75.6% over the past 5 years, and dropout rates are high, between 5.1% and 9.3%. The school serves a very low-income student population, with 100% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

While West Philadelphia High School performs poorly compared to state averages, it is not an outlier among the nearby schools in the Philadelphia City School District. Many surrounding high schools, such as Motivation High School, Paul Robeson High School for Human Services, and Sayre William L Middle School, also rank in the bottom 10-20% of Pennsylvania high schools and have similarly low academic performance and graduation rates. Addressing the root causes of these issues, whether related to resource allocation, instructional practices, or broader socioeconomic factors, will be crucial for improving outcomes at West Philadelphia High School and similar schools in the area.

Detail:

Public 9-12

4901 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19139-4403

(215) 400-7900

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
665^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,425

Feeder schools for West Philadelphia High School:

Elementary:	Lea Henry C School
	Locke Alain School
	McMichael Morton School
	Penn Alexander School
	More...
	Powel Samuel School
	Washington Martha School
Middle:	Science Leadership Academy Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 543

Racial breakdown:

African American:

89.5%

Two or more races:

4.8%

Hispanic:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare West Philadelphia High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Philadelphia High School ranks worse than 98.7% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 49^th among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.3. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of West Philadelphia High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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 (89.5%), two or more races (4.8%), Hispanic (3.3%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Philadelphia High School is 13, which is the 19^th best among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare West Philadelphia High School employs 41.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Philadelphia High School is $18,425, which is the 25^th highest among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

West Philadelphia High School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Philadelphia High School 665^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See West Philadelphia High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

Philadelphia City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Philadelphia City School District 494^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for West Philadelphia High School.

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Your rating for West Philadelphia High School?

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Rank History for West Philadelphia High School

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Rank History for all students at West Philadelphia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	0.56	575^th	583	1.4%
2004	0.58	584^th	590	1.0%
2005	0.84	581^st	593	2.0%
2006	0.87	596^th	604	1.3%
2007	0.31	613^th	615	0.3%
2008	0.96	619^th	621	0.3%
2009	0.78	629^th	632	0.5%
2010	0.92	644^th	649	0.8%
2011	1.34	650^th	660	1.5%
2012	1.02	653^rd	664	1.7%
2013	0.71	577^th	591	2.4%
2014	0.33	572^nd	580	1.4%
2015	2.84	636^th	680	6.5%
2016	1.25	650^th	677	4.0%
2017	3.98	609^th	663	8.1%
2018	2.62	632^nd	673	6.1%
2019	1.65	661^st	693	4.6%
2022	6.95	583^rd	634	8.0%
2023	3.30	665^th	674	1.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Philadelphia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.09	645^th	652	1.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at West Philadelphia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.26	405^th	502	19.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at West Philadelphia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.80	253^rd	260	2.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for West Philadelphia High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	5	1635	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1646
1989	6	1648	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1665
1990	6	1572	4	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	1591
1991	7	1477	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1491
1992	7	1490	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1506
1993	7	1750	1	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	1771
1994	7	1881	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	1903
1995	6	1706	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	1729
1996	6	1706	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	1729
1997	7	1697	5	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	1721
1998	5	1666	9	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	1687
1999	7	1587	5	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	1606
2000	11	1545	5	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1567
2001	14	1571	4	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	1606
2002	10	1731	10	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	1763
2003	10	1731	10	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	1763
2004	6	1481	11	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	1511
2005	10	1419	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	1447
2006	5	1098	5	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1120
2007	122	1883	17	253	2	n/a	n/a	0	2277
2008	4	955	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	2	968
2009	3	875	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	3	891
2010	4	808	6	6	1	n/a	n/a	4	829
2011	6	819	4	7	0	0	3	0	839
2012	5	781	6	8	0	0	3	0	803
2013	6	789	8	6	0	0	6	0	815
2014	5	635	9	8	0	0	4	0	661
2015	4	545	8	12	2	1	3	0	575
2016	1	511	7	5	0	0	3	0	527
2017	1	460	4	7	2	0	3	0	477
2018	4	440	3	2	2	0	9	0	460
2019	4	415	2	7	2	0	15	0	445
2020	3	385	4	4	0	0	23	0	419
2021	3	339	5	3	0	0	22	0	372
2022	2	430	9	11	2	0	27	0	481
2023	4	486	7	18	2	0	26	0	543

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 West Philadelphia High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1646	84.0	19.5	n/a
1989	1665	84.0	19.8	n/a
1990	1591	83.0	19.1	0
1991	1491	83.0	17.9	n/a
1992	1506	83.0	18.1	n/a
1993	1771	88.0	20.1	n/a
1994	1903	89.0	21.4	n/a
1995	1729	83.0	20.8	n/a
1996	1729	83.0	20.8	n/a
1997	1721	84.0	20.5	n/a
1998	1687	82.0	20.6	n/a
1999	1606	81.0	19.8	n/a
2000	1567	87.5	17.9	82
2001	1606	88.0	18.3	83.6
2002	1763	87.0	20.3	83.1
2003	1763	87.0	20.3	83.1
2004	1511	71.2	21.2	99.1
2005	1447	62.3	23.2	99.8
2006	1120	60.4	18.5	78.8
2007	2277	58.3	39.1	44.4
2008	968	58.1	16.7	93.3
2009	891	60.2	14.8	93.6
2010	829	72.0	11.5	100.1
2011	839	66.3	12.6	99.6
2012	803	60.2	13.3	99.6
2013	815	55.8	14.5	99.6
2014	661	51.0	12.9	99.5
2015	575	38.0	15.1	99.5
2016	527	11.0	47.9	100
2017	477	39.0	12.2	100
2018	460	32.7	14.0	99.3
2019	445	38.0	11.7	100
2020	419	29.6	14.1	100
2021	372	32.0	11.6	99.2
2022	481	25.5	18.8	99.4
2023	543	41.5	13.0	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 West Philadelphia High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1646	84.0	19.5	n/a
1989	1665	84.0	19.8	n/a
1990	1591	83.0	19.1	0
1991	1491	83.0	17.9	n/a
1992	1506	83.0	18.1	n/a
1993	1771	88.0	20.1	n/a
1994	1903	89.0	21.4	n/a
1995	1729	83.0	20.8	n/a
1996	1729	83.0	20.8	n/a
1997	1721	84.0	20.5	n/a
1998	1687	82.0	20.6	n/a
1999	1606	81.0	19.8	n/a
2000	1567	87.5	17.9	82
2001	1606	88.0	18.3	83.6
2002	1763	87.0	20.3	83.1
2003	1763	87.0	20.3	83.1
2004	1511	71.2	21.2	99.1
2005	1447	62.3	23.2	99.8
2006	1120	60.4	18.5	78.8
2007	2277	58.3	39.1	44.4
2008	968	58.1	16.7	93.3
2009	891	60.2	14.8	93.6
2010	829	72.0	11.5	100.1
2011	839	66.3	12.6	99.6
2012	803	60.2	13.3	99.6
2013	815	55.8	14.5	99.6
2014	661	51.0	12.9	99.5
2015	575	38.0	15.1	99.5
2016	527	11.0	47.9	100
2017	477	39.0	12.2	100
2018	460	32.7	14.0	99.3
2019	445	38.0	11.7	100
2020	419	29.6	14.1	100
2021	372	32.0	11.6	99.2
2022	481	25.5	18.8	99.4
2023	543	41.5	13.0	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 West Philadelphia High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,890 (13.6%)	$11,985 (86.4%)	$13,875
2020	$2,763 (16.8%)	$13,666 (83.2%)	$16,429
2021	$3,756 (21.4%)	$13,832 (78.6%)	$17,587
2022	$8,606 (46.7%)	$9,819 (53.3%)	$18,425

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Philadelphia 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 661^st of 693 High schools	Ranks 665^th of 674 High schools	3.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (West Philadelphia High School)	10.3	0	10.3%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (West Philadelphia High School)	10.1	7.1	3%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (West Philadelphia High School)	17.2	15.5	1.7%
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	445	543	22%
African American	415	486	17.1%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	2	7	250%
Hispanic	7	18	157.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	4	4
Two or More Races	15	26	73.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near West Philadelphia High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	PSSA Math (2023)				PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (2023)				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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th 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 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
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%)	3.3	665^th of 674 public high schools	1.3%		7	583^rd of 634 public high schools	8.0%	82	0.0	7.1	15.5											$18,425	$8,606	$9,819
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%)	3.8	658^th of 674 public high schools	2.4%		1.2	634^th of 634 public high schools	0.0%	24	0.0	8.3	21.1											$21,221	$11,139	$10,082
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%)	14.3	578^th of 674 public high schools	14.2%		13.9	551^st of 634 public high schools	13.1%	27	0.0	25.6	45.9											$21,956	$11,333	$10,623
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%)	24.2	538^th of 674 public high schools	20.2%					(n/a)	17.3	24.0	53.3											$17,725	$9,852	$7,873
Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	5501 Cedar Avenue	Philadelphia	19143	Philadelphia County	Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 387-5149	774	52	14.8	99.5%	2 (0.3%)	721 (93.2%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.8%)	12.2	586^th of 674 public high schools	13.1%		9.1	571^st of 634 public high schools	9.9%	15	12.7	11.7	40.0	3.0	4.0	10.2	5.6	30.7	30.7	15.3	36.0	41.3	30.5	$19,187	$5,757	$13,430
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
Sayre William L Middle School	Public	9-12	5800 Walnut St	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7800	355	33	10.6	99.7%	1 (0.3%)	317 (89.3%)	14 (3.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.6%)	3.3	666^th of 674 public high schools	1.2%		2.5	624^th of 634 public high schools	1.6%	42	1.9	1.8	16.4											$21,800	$10,421	$11,379
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%)	8.3	612^th of 674 public high schools	9.2%		4.8	597^th of 634 public high schools	5.8%	15	8.8	9.4	33.9		7.5	3.0	5.3	22.5	22.5		23.0	35.4	29.0	$22,072	$4,458	$17,614
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%)	6.3	624^th of 674 public high schools	7.4%		5.8	589^th of 634 public high schools	7.1%	35	4.8	8.5	30.5											$18,264	$9,127	$9,137
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%)	10.9	599^th of 674 public high schools	11.1%		13.1	555^th of 634 public high schools	12.5%	44	11.7	11.7	37.7											$19,753	$2,325	$17,428

West Philadelphia High School

West Philadelphia High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Philadelphia City School District:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for West Philadelphia High School

Rank History for all students at West Philadelphia High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Philadelphia High School

Rank History for Disabled students at West Philadelphia High School

Rank History for African American students at West Philadelphia High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for West Philadelphia High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Philadelphia High School

Student/Teacher Ratio West Philadelphia High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Philadelphia High School

Impact of COVID-19 on West Philadelphia High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Philadelphia High School