The results are in, and the Penn-Alexander School has scored significantly higher than its neighboring West Philadelphia public schools in statewide standardized testing.
The school, which since its 2001 founding has been both subsidized and guided by the University, saw 77 percent of its students score "advanced" or "proficient" in math and 57 percent "advanced" or "proficient" in reading on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test for fifth graders.
However, the test results of the Penn partnership schools -- Henry C. Lea Elementary School, Alexander Wilson Elementary School and William C. Bryant Elementary School -- were lower than those of Penn-Alexander.
In 2002, the School District of Philadelphia started a program in which seven different private and public organizations were given the responsibility of operating the most underachieving schools in the school district.
Although Lea Elementary was designated as having made "adequate yearly progress" this year, both the Wilson and Bryant schools -- with which Penn has a more limited partnership -- did not score high enough to earn that designation.
"Adequate yearly progress" is defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act as having 45 percent of tested students achieve "proficient" or higher on the mathematics assessment and 54 percent on the reading assessment in every measurable subgroup.
Though Penn-Alexander's scores were nearly double those of the other three schools, the schools are very different from Penn-Alexander.
Co-Director of Penn Partnership Schools Jeanne Vissa said that whereas the Lea, Wilson and Bryant schools have histories of poor performance, the Penn-Alexander School is relatively new and, thanks to its close association with Penn, has many advantages, including smaller class sizes and a more selective faculty-hiring process. Most teachers at Philadelphia public schools are hired from a central pool, but Penn-Alexander teachers must apply specifically to that school.
In contrast, Lea and Wilson elementaries face many additional challenges.
"Penn-Alexander doesn't have close to a 90 percent poverty rate," Lea Elementary Principal Michael Silverman said, adding that his students' exact poverty rate was 88 percent.
Vissa,who is also a professor at Penn's Graduate School of Education -- said that the demographic situation at Wilson is similar to that at Lea and added that there is significantly less poverty at Penn-Alexander.
Nevertheless, Silverman cited "significant gains." Over the last three years, Lea has experienced a 20 percent increase in advanced or proficient students in math and a 7 percent increase in reading.
As for Wilson, its failure to make "adequate yearly progress" came after three straight years of failing to meet state standards.
Vissa attributes this in part to a long succession of principals in a short span of time.
The principal of Wilson declined comment for this article.
Penn-Alexander -- whose principal also declined to comment -- has been working in conjunction with Penn to help improve the Penn partnership schools.
Vissa said that Penn-Alexander, Wilson and Lea have all been participating in a middle-grade math-collaboration initiative that was funded by a grant from General Electric.
All three schools also participate three times a year in a math tournament held at the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Penn-Alexander and Lea have also recently received a grant from the School District of Philadelphia to focus on using international studies as a way to effectively present the state-mandated curriculum.
Silverman said that the school's partnership with Penn has been very successful.
Penn has helped Lea, he said, with both professional and curriculum development as well as with performance assessment for students.
"Change in schools is very incremental," Silverman said. "It's hard work."
