Summary:
The 18505 zip code area of Scranton, Pennsylvania is home to 5 schools, including 4 elementary schools and 1 middle school, all part of the Scranton School District except for one charter school. The standout school in this area is the Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School, which consistently outperforms the other schools and state averages across a variety of metrics, including higher proficiency rates in Math, Science, and English Language Arts.
The traditional public schools in this area struggle with low proficiency rates, especially in Math, with most scoring well below the state average. Science proficiency is more mixed, with the charter school excelling while the public schools range from below average to slightly above. English Language Arts proficiency is stronger, but the charter school still leads the way at 61.7% proficient or better compared to the public schools which range from 29.5% to 36.7% proficient.
The charter school's strong performance and more favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.3, compared to the public schools which range from 11.9 to 15.5, suggest it may be providing a higher quality educational experience for its students. However, spending per student does not appear to be the primary driver of performance, as the highest spending school is not the top performer. Addressing the challenges faced by the high-poverty public schools in this area will likely require a multi-faceted approach beyond just increased funding.
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