Penn Wood Middle School

Summary:

Penn Wood Middle School is a public middle school located in Darby, Pennsylvania, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 683 students. The school is part of the William Penn School District, which is ranked 539 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penn Wood Middle School faces significant academic challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania middle schools. The school's performance on PSSA tests is significantly below the state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels. In 2022-2023, only 7.7% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 39.3% and the district average of 14.9%. In PSSA English Language Arts, 27.6% of Penn Wood students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 53.8% and the district average of 29%. The school's performance on PSSA Science tests is also low, with only 22.6% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 65.6% and the district average of 32.6%.

Comparing Penn Wood Middle School to nearby schools, such as Richardson Middle School, Ridley Middle School, and Haverford Middle School, highlights the educational inequities in the region. These nearby schools have significantly higher academic performance and rankings, as well as more diverse student populations and lower percentages of economically disadvantaged students. The consistent low performance of Penn Wood Middle School, with little to no improvement over the years, suggests the need for targeted interventions and support to address these disparities and provide all students with the resources and opportunities they deserve.

Detail:

Public 7-8

121 Summit St
Darby, PA 19023-2298

(610) 586-1804

District: William Penn School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
743^rd of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,766

Students who attend Penn Wood Middle School usually attend:

High:

Penn Wood High School

Feeder schools for Penn Wood Middle School:

Elementary:	Aldan Elementary School
	Ardmore Avenue Elementary School
	Bell Avenue School
	Colwyn Elementary School
	More...
	East Lansdowne Elementary School
	Park Lane Elementary School
	W B Evans Elementary School
	Walnut Street Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 683

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.2%

Hispanic:

5.1%

White:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Penn Wood Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Penn Wood Middle School ranks worse than 83.2% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.9. (See more...)

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 (86.2%), Hispanic (5.1%), White (3.5%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penn Wood Middle School is 12.8. (See more...)

Compare Penn Wood Middle School employs 53 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penn Wood Middle School is $18,766.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Penn Wood Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn Wood Middle School 743^rd of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Penn Wood Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

William Penn School District:

SchoolDigger ranks William Penn School District 539^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Penn Wood Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2009	10.15	705^th	770	8.4%
2010	10.20	739^th	805	8.2%
2011	16.92	722^nd	825	12.5%
2012	19.00	703^rd	834	15.7%
2013	11.48	658^th	758	13.2%
2014	11.96	630^th	728	13.5%
2015	16.74	669^th	835	19.9%
2016	16.08	705^th	870	19.0%
2017	11.76	742^nd	877	15.4%
2018	13.66	727^th	861	15.6%
2019	10.49	780^th	891	12.5%
2021	14.62	666^th	797	16.4%
2022	13.02	748^th	883	15.3%
2023	13.90	743^rd	893	16.8%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.29	137^th	187	26.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.13	142^nd	143	0.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.67	731^st	874	16.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.09	580^th	660	12.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.97	260^th	421	38.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle 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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, July 14, 2014

Best school I ever been too :) Close Quote

Enrollment information for Penn Wood Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	41	799	11	9	6	n/a	n/a	866
2008	32	700	11	1	5	n/a	n/a	749
2009	29	752	7	1	3	n/a	n/a	792
2010	34	779	11	7	3	n/a	n/a	834
2011	36	782	13	8	3	0	0	842
2012	31	715	8	8	3	0	1	766
2013	26	723	7	8	0	0	2	766
2014	27	721	10	8	0	0	0	766
2015	29	707	8	12	3	0	3	762
2016	24	686	6	18	4	0	5	743
2017	20	665	11	21	1	0	5	723
2018	16	663	12	22	2	0	6	721
2019	15	691	11	28	3	0	12	760
2020	21	657	9	22	4	0	17	730
2021	24	623	6	22	5	0	21	701
2022	18	609	6	30	4	0	22	689
2023	24	589	9	35	4	0	22	683

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 Penn Wood Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	866	55.3	15.7	n/a
2008	749	53.3	14.1	n/a
2009	792	57.3	13.8	62.6
2010	834	56.6	14.7	73.6
2011	842	57.9	14.5	79.5
2012	766	57.6	13.2	79.6
2013	766	55.1	13.9	81.2
2014	766	53.6	14.2	81.7
2015	762	54.0	14.1	75.3
2016	743	54.0	13.7	79.3
2017	723	54.6	13.2	78.3
2018	721	53.6	13.4	99.4
2019	760	54.1	14.0	99.5
2020	730	56.6	12.8	99.9
2021	701	55.0	12.7	99.6
2022	689	48.0	14.3	99.6
2023	683	53.0	12.8	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 Penn Wood Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	866	55.3	15.7	n/a
2008	749	53.3	14.1	n/a
2009	792	57.3	13.8	62.6
2010	834	56.6	14.7	73.6
2011	842	57.9	14.5	79.5
2012	766	57.6	13.2	79.6
2013	766	55.1	13.9	81.2
2014	766	53.6	14.2	81.7
2015	762	54.0	14.1	75.3
2016	743	54.0	13.7	79.3
2017	723	54.6	13.2	78.3
2018	721	53.6	13.4	99.4
2019	760	54.1	14.0	99.5
2020	730	56.6	12.8	99.9
2021	701	55.0	12.7	99.6
2022	689	48.0	14.3	99.6
2023	683	53.0	12.8	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 Penn Wood Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$799 (4.8%)	$15,864 (95.2%)	$16,663
2020	$826 (4.8%)	$16,382 (95.2%)	$17,209
2021	$1,476 (8.3%)	$16,304 (91.7%)	$17,780
2022	$834 (4.4%)	$17,932 (95.6%)	$18,766

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Penn Wood Middle 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 780^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 743^rd of 893 Middle schools	4.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Penn Wood Middle School)	8	10.5	2.5%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Wood Middle School)	25.7	33.1	7.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Penn Wood Middle School)	5.5	4.8	0.7%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Penn Wood Middle School)	25.2	22.6	2.6%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Wood Middle School)	30.9	22.3	8.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Penn Wood Middle School)	6.7	7.7	1%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Penn Wood Middle School)	25.2	22.6	2.6%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Penn Wood Middle School)	28.2	27.6	0.6%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	760	683	10.1%
African American	691	589	14.8%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	11	9	18.2%
Hispanic	28	35	25%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	15	24	60%
Two or More Races	12	22	83.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.5%	100%	0.5%

Schools Near Penn Wood Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				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	PSSA Math 5th 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 5th Grade	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
Penn Wood Middle School	Public	7-8	121 Summit St	Darby	19023	Delaware County	William Penn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 586-1804	683	53	12.8	100.0%	24 (3.5%)	589 (86.2%)	35 (5.1%)	9 (1.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.2%)	13.9	743^rd of 893 public middle schools	16.8%		13	748^th of 883 public middle schools	15.3%	5			10.5	4.8	7.7	22.6	22.6			33.1	22.3	27.6	$18,766	$834	$17,932
Tilden William T Middle School	Public	5-8	6601 Elmwood Ave	Philadelphia	19142	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8170	332	24	13.6	99.1%	7 (2.1%)	250 (75.3%)	45 (13.6%)	23 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	6.1	872^nd of 893 public middle schools	2.4%		7.2	844^th of 883 public middle schools	4.4%	28	3.2	1.2	4.3	0.0	1.9	11.9	11.9	9.7	16.5	18.2	11.3	14.6	$19,659	$9,795	$9,864
Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School	Public, Charter	5-9	2601 S 58th St	Philadelphia	19143	Philadelphia County	Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 878-1544	414	30	13.8	96.9%	1 (0.2%)	385 (93.0%)	7 (1.7%)	13 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	10.8	784^th of 893 public middle schools	12.2%		10.8	777^th of 883 public middle schools	12.0%	7	8.2	6.2	2.7	4.5	5.0	24.5	24.5	29.5	26.6	21.3	26.8	25.6	$19,383	$5,450	$13,933
Beverly Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1400 Garrett Rd	Upper Darby	19082	Delaware County	Upper Darby School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 626-9317	1,523	96	15.8	99.9%	55 (3.6%)	778 (51.1%)	309 (20.3%)	310 (20.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (4.5%)	16.5	718^th of 893 public middle schools	19.6%		20.5	672^nd of 883 public middle schools	23.9%	46		9.4	9.2	8.2	8.9	30.7	30.7		29.4	29.9	32.0	30.5	$14,312	$2,052	$12,261
Drexel Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	3001 State Rd	Drexel Hill	19026	Delaware County	Upper Darby School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 853-4580	1,318	86	15.3	100.0%	436 (33.1%)	611 (46.4%)	116 (8.8%)	73 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	80 (6.1%)	30.1	621^st of 893 public middle schools	30.5%		28	624^th of 883 public middle schools	29.3%	3		17.2	16.2	10.1	14.5	43.4	43.4		42.3	39.5	44.2	42.1	$14,826	$1,033	$13,793
Middle Years Alternative	Public	5-8	4725 Fairmont Ave	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7720	171	12	13.9	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	144 (84.2%)	18 (10.5%)	6 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	28.8	626^th of 893 public middle schools	29.9%		29.3	610^th of 883 public middle schools	30.9%	16		8.1	13.8	17.0	13.6	42.4	42.4		21.0	37.8	48.3	37.6	$21,863	$12,538	$9,325
Universal Vare Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	2100 South 24th Street	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Universal Vare Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 952-8611	150	11	13.6	90.7%	1 (0.7%)	102 (68.0%)	15 (10.0%)	26 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)	13.8	744^th of 893 public middle schools	16.7%		19.7	679^th of 883 public middle schools	23.1%	65	0.0	6.6	7.4	6.4	6.1	27.6	27.6	8.3	32.6	21.4	28.3	26.4	$22,516	$10,558	$11,958
Science Leadership Academy Middle School	Public	5-8	3610 Warren St	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8320	359	19	18.6	100.0%	82 (22.8%)	226 (63.0%)	16 (4.5%)	21 (5.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	43.3	526^th of 893 public middle schools	41.1%		46.6	494^th of 883 public middle schools	44.1%	32	33.3	16.1	27.9	5.1	21.0	48.1	48.1	62.1	55.6	55.8	50.1	56.0	$15,922	$8,876	$7,046
Richardson Middle School	Public	6-8	20 W Woodland Ave	Springfield	19064	Delaware County	Springfield School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 938-6300	1,072	71	15.0	24.3%	818 (76.3%)	80 (7.5%)	38 (3.5%)	97 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (3.5%)	92.7	39^th of 893 public middle schools	95.6%		92.4	42^nd of 883 public middle schools	95.2%	3		72.1	62.8	40.3	59.0	78.1	78.1		85.5	81.3	74.0	80.4	$16,341	$362	$15,978
Ridley Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Free St.	Ridley Park	19078	Delaware County	Ridley School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 534-1900	1,286	93	13.7	55.8%	863 (67.1%)	231 (18.0%)	74 (5.8%)	28 (2.2%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	85 (6.6%)	48.3	491^st of 893 public middle schools	45.0%		44.2	519^th of 883 public middle schools	41.2%	28		32.2	32.0	18.5	27.5	47.6	47.6		51.0	50.4	48.0	49.9	$20,901	$497	$20,404

Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Wood Middle School

What district is Penn Wood Middle School in?

William Penn School District

Is Penn Wood Middle School a good school?

Penn Wood Middle School ranks in the bottom 16.8% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Penn Wood Middle School?

Students at Penn Wood Middle School are 86% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Penn Wood Middle School attend?

Students who attend Penn Wood Middle School usually go on to attend Penn Wood High School

How many students attend Penn Wood Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 683 students attended Penn Wood Middle 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.