Academic Achievement
In July 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) released a report identifying three Upper Darby School District schools as among the lowest achieving schools for the number of students who are on grade level in reading and mathematics in 2011. Bywood Elementary School, Charles Kelly Elementary School and Stonehurst Elementary School are all three listed as in the bottom 15% lowest achieving schools in the Commonwealth. Parents and students may be eligible for scholarships to transfer to another public or nonpublic school through the state's Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program passed in June 2012. The scholarships are limited to those students whose family's income is less than $60,000 annually, with another $12,000 allowed per dependent. Maximum scholarship award is $8,500, with special education students receiving up to $15,000 for a year's tuition. Parents pay any difference between the scholarship amount and the receiving school's tuition rate. Students may seek admission to neighboring public school districts. Each year the PDE publishes the tuition rate for each individual public school district. Fifty three public schools in Allegheny County are among the lowest achieving schools in 2011. According to the report, parents in 414 public schools (74 school districts) were offered access to these scholarships. For the 2012-13 school year, eight public school districts in Pennsylvania had all of their schools placed on the list including: Sto-Rox School District, Chester Upland School District, Clairton City School District, Duquesne City School District, Farrell Area School District, Wilkinsburg Borough School District, William Penn School District and Steelton-Highspire School District. Funding for the scholarships comes from donations by businesses which receive a state tax credit for donating.
- Statewide Academic Ranking
Upper Darby School District was ranked 448th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2012. The ranking was based on student academic achievement as demonstrated on the last three years of the PSSAs for: reading, writing math and science. The PSSAs are given to all children in grades 3rd through 8th and the 11th grade in high school. Adapted examinations are given to children in the special education programs. In 2012, Upper Darby School District ranked 11th out of the 15 public school districts operating in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with Radnor Township School District ranking highest in student academic achievement.
- 2011 - 449th
- 2010 - 453rd
- 2009 - 460th
- 2008 - 465th
- 2007 - 468th out of 501 school districts.
- Overachiever statewide ranking
In 2012, the Pittsburgh Business Times also reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Upper Darby School District ranked 442nd. In 2011, the district was 406th. The editor describes the ranking as: "a ranking answers the question - which school districts do better than expectations based upon economics? This rank takes the Honor Roll rank and adds the percentage of students in the district eligible for free and reduced lunch into the formula. A district finishing high on this rank is smashing expectations, and any district above the median point is exceeding expectations." Among Delaware County public schools, Upper Darby SD ranked 13th out of 15 districts with Radnor Township School District ranking first.
- District Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) history
In 2011, Upper Darby School District declined to Warning status due to lagging student academic achievement in both reading and mathematics. In 2011, 94 percent of the 500 Pennsylvania public school districts achieved the No Child Left Behind Act progress level of 72% of students reading on grade level and 67% of students demonstrating on grade level math. In 2011, 46.9 percent of Pennsylvania school districts achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) based on student performance. An additional 37.8 percent of school districts made AYP based on a calculated method called safe harbor, 8.2 percent on the growth model and 0.8 percent on a two-year average performance.
- 2010 - achieved AYP status under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
- 2009 - achieved AYP
- 2008 - Making Progress - Corrective Action 1
- 2007 - Corrective Action 1
- 2006 - Making Progress School Improvement II
- 2005 - School Improvement II
- 2004 - School Improvement I
- 2003 - Warning status
Read more about this topic: Upper Darby School District
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