Philadelphia School Districts - Offering a No Child is Left Behind Program

The School District of Philadelphia is dedicated towere about 184,560. Now, more students rely upon the
creating a positive and safe environment to all thegood governance and success of its plans for the
students, parents, staff, teachers and communitynear future.
partners. Their core beliefs gave a strong foundationThe District offers three main options for the
to the continued success of the district.improvement of student achievement. First is to
They prioritize the children first of all, along with parentsimplement a system-wide academic initiative within the
as their partners. They also believe that the successprograms. Second is to select a number of schools for
of a classroom relies on a teacher with strongimmediate intervention. Third is the implementation of
leadership and accountability.academic initiatives throughout the schools in the
The No Child Left Behind Program is one of their maindistrict.
thrusts in achieving high levels of improvement andThe district is governed by the five-member School
progress in all students. This program honors public andReform Commissions. The success and failure of the
private elementary, middle and high schools that candistrict governance has not been driven that much by
demonstrate superior academic achievement.what the last governing body did. The new structure
A few educational institutions in Philadelphia alreadyof Philadelphia School Districts refocuses on making
received the 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbonpolicies and monitoring performance, as well as
Schools. Among the selected schools are Georgebalancing the academic and financial goals. It also
Washington Carver High School of Engineering,listens to the concerns of parents. This situation
Philadelphia's Russell Conwell Middle School andcreates a governing support for improvement.
Science High School. The continuing support of theThe School District provides free school bus service
governing body of Philadelphia's School District gave aand free student tokens to their students to meet
new face on good reforms on the overall situation ofeligibility requirements. There are reduced fair tokens to
the schools.students who do not meet the requirements.
The school board of Philadelphia was created in 1850The district serves about 117,000 lunches and 52,000
to supervise schools in the vicinity. During 1867 the Actbreakfasts, 4,200 for snacks and 5 to 10 thousand for
of Assembly appointed the judges as controllers ofdinner meals. About 76 percent of the students are
the public schools to eliminate politics from theeligible for free and reduced-price meals. High school
management. The state took over the district and thestudents are given job opportunities in the federal
governor appointed five members for the new schoolgovernment.
reform commission. In spite of the funding problemsThe district plans to give every student a kind of
and the threat to shut down the schools, theworld-class education, equitable resource allocation for
government of Philadelphia still managed to have athe students' needs and accountability for all adults in
new management structure.the District base.
In the end, district-managed schools are given additionalThe 45-Day action plan is the first initiative in support
resources and restructured interventions to gain largerof empowering different schools. Schools will receive
achievements for the children's future.professional development, quarterly assessment in
The School District of Philadelphia has 8 school typesmath and reading, assistance to response team and
namely; the preschool, elementary school, middlemonthly walk-through. Other supports include
school, high school, technical/vocational school,instructional specialists, full-time and substitute teachers,
programs, special school and charter school.increased nursing services and social service liaisons.
The African-American was among the mostThe success of the new structures and services
student-enrolled sector by ethnicity for public andmade a confident move in making the School District
charter schools. Second is the Hispanic, and third areof Philadelphia gain awards in their No Child Left Behind
the white Americans. Among the fourth and fifth onProgram. Today, more and more nomination to
standing are Asian and Native American.Pennsylvania schools is being submitted for possible
There are 291 public schools and 55 charter schools inrecognition of the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon
Philadelphia. Students enrolled as of mid-October 2005Schools.