The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Summary:

The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy is an alternative public magnet school serving grades KG-12 with 904 students, located in Philadelphia, PA. The school is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 494 out of 610 school districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating.

The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy is significantly underperforming compared to the district and state averages. In 2023-2024, only 7.6% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 21.8% for the Philadelphia district and 40.4% for the state. The school has also seen a decline in its 4-year graduation rate, from 87.5% in 2022-2023 to 58.3% in 2022-2023, and an increase in its dropout rate, from 1.6% in 2021-2022 to 9.5% in 2022-2023. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at over 99% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy to nearby charter schools, such as Mastery Cs-Hardy Williams, Esperanza Academy Charter School, and Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, it becomes clear that the virtual academy is significantly underperforming in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and dropout rates. The school's declining performance, high poverty levels, and resource challenges suggest that it is struggling to provide a high-quality education to its students, and further investigation and targeted interventions may be necessary to improve outcomes.


Detail:

Public, Magnet, Alternative K-12

 440 North Broad St
       Philadelphia, PA  19130


(215) 400-3110

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
783rd of 891 Pennsylvania Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,975 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  56.5 Help
Number of students:  904

Racial breakdown:

African American:
63.2%
Hispanic:
19.1%
White:
8.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.44. (See more...)
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Compare Details The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy ranks worse than 87.9% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.74. (See more...)
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Compare Details The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy ranks worse than 89.7% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.17. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy 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 (63.2%), Hispanic (19.1%), White (8.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy is 56.5. (See more...)
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Compare The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy employs 16 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy is $9,975.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy 783rd of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy in the ranking list.)
SchoolDigger ranks The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy 615th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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 The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 8.44 1388th 1534 9.5%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 4.68 811th 835 2.9%
2016 16.86 697th 870 19.9%
2017 5.61 824th 877 6.0%
2018 5.48 820th 861 4.8%
2019 14.06 733rd 891 17.7%
2022 6.37 858th 883 2.8%
2023 7.70 836th 893 6.4%
2024 10.74 783rd 891 12.1%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 13.97 733rd 860 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 17.09 380th 408 6.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 3.96 625th 680 8.1%
2016 2.90 625th 677 7.7%
2017 0.64 656th 663 1.1%
2018 2.58 633rd 673 5.9%
2019 6.11 621st 693 10.4%
2021 6.93 506th 537 5.8%
2022 6.92 584th 634 7.9%
2023 18.21 562nd 674 16.6%
2024 8.17 615th 686 10.3%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Female students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 11.18 578th 665 13.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 3.85 629th 662 5.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.37 207th 260 20.4%
2024 17.44 242nd 284 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 42.14 142nd 252 43.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 17.99 517th 595 13.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Alternative Schools for White 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.

The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy 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 student
Saturday, April 6, 2019

Open Quote it’s a good school Close Quote



Enrollment information for The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2014 16 119 4 16 0 0 2 0 157
2015 30 259 5 51 0 0 5 0 350
2016 37 208 8 41 0 0 8 0 302
2017 70 291 9 72 2 0 22 0 466
2018 54 288 9 55 2 0 26 0 434
2019 74 350 9 76 3 0 25 0 537
2020 67 338 16 78 3 1 22 0 525
2021 74 413 24 90 3 1 25 0 630
2022 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023 73 571 42 173 2 0 43 0 904

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 The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 157 n/a n/a 62.4
2015 350 n/a n/a 67.4
2016 302 1.0 302.0 100
2017 466 1.0 466.0 97.4
2018 434 1.0 434.0 n/a
2019 537 1.0 537.0 99.4
2020 525 5.0 105.0 n/a
2021 630 4.0 157.5 99.5
2022 0 9.0 0.0 n/a
2023 904 16.0 56.5 99.7

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 The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2014 157 n/a n/a 62.4
2015 350 n/a n/a 67.4
2016 302 1.0 302.0 100
2017 466 1.0 466.0 97.4
2018 434 1.0 434.0 n/a
2019 537 1.0 537.0 99.4
2020 525 5.0 105.0 n/a
2021 630 4.0 157.5 99.5
2022 0 9.0 0.0 n/a
2023 904 16.0 56.5 99.7

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 The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,309 (11.2%) $10,354 (88.8%) $11,662
2020 $2,076 (16.3%) $10,641 (83.7%) $12,717
2021 $3,155 (30.7%) $7,121 (69.3%) $10,276
2022 $4,474 (44.9%) $5,502 (55.2%) $9,975

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

Impact of COVID-19 on The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

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 733rd of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 836th of 893 Middle schools
 11.3%
Ranks 621st of 693 High schoolsRanks 562nd of 674 High schools
 6.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
8th Grade Math (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)00
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.222.5
 9.7%
8th Grade Science (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)35.713.3
 22.4%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.251.1
 7.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)30.813.4
 17.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.955.7
 2.2%
11th Grade Algebra I (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)2411.7
 12.3%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)13.625
 11.4%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)38.946.8
 7.9%
   11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)71.565.3
 6.2%
All Grades Math (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)05.6
 5.6%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)35.721.4
 14.3%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy)27.318.7
 8.6%
   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 Students537904
 68.3%
African American350571
 63.1%
American Indian32
 33.3%
Asian942
 366.7%
Hispanic76173
 127.6%
Pacific Islander00
White7473
 1.4%
Two or More Races2543
 72%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.4%99.7%
 0.2%


Schools Near The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy

Students at The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy are 63% African American, 19% Hispanic, 8% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy ranks in the bottom 12.1% of Pennsylvania alternative schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 904 students attended The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy.


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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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