The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 49% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on New Foundations Cs
New Foundations CS is a kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade charter school located in Northeast Philadelphia, serving a diverse student body drawn from across the city. The school enrolls students across a full grade span, with smaller cohorts in the early elementary and high school grades, and notably larger ninth-grade enrollment, a common pattern in charter schools where families may apply at transition points.
The student population reflects Philadelphia's broader racial and ethnic diversity. The school serves a substantial share of students from low-income households who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial composition is roughly balanced across white, Hispanic, and Black students, with Asian students and other groups also represented. Special education and English learner data are not publicly available for this school, so a parent may want to reach out directly to the school to understand its capacity and approach in those areas.
On state testing in grades three through eight, New Foundations shows mixed results. In English language arts, about half of tested students score at the proficient level or above. In mathematics, the proficiency rate sits slightly below that, with fewer than half of students meeting the standard. These outcomes place the school below where many families would hope and represent an area where student progress may warrant closer conversation with school leadership about support systems, curriculum approach, and trajectory.
The school's graduation rate is not available in the data, so families with high school students should ask the school directly about its four-year completion rate and college-going outcomes.
Programmatically, New Foundations operates under a distinctive pedagogical framework centered on a K-12 Graduate Profile built around academic understanding, civic engagement, and emotional wellbeing. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary, standards-based instruction with service-learning embedded at every grade level, giving the school a coherent academic identity across all age groups. This stands in contrast to many charter and traditional schools where elementary and secondary may feel disconnected.
For high school students, the school offers dual-enrollment partnerships with local colleges including Holy Family University, Manor College, and the Community College of Philadelphia, allowing eligible seniors to earn college credit while still enrolled. This pathway can reduce college costs and accelerate entry into postsecondary study for students who are ready.
Starting with the 2026-27 school year, admission to New Foundations will shift to a ranked-choice lottery system called Single Best Offer through Apply Philly Charter. Families will rank multiple charter schools and the system will match them to a single offer at their highest-ranked available school, with waitlists only for higher-ranked choices. This is a structural change from prior years and affects how families should approach their application strategy.
The school's location in Northeast Philadelphia places it outside the downtown core and major university districts that shape much of the city's growth conversation. Housing values in the surrounding area are modest compared to state and national benchmarks. The neighborhood is primarily residential and less affected by the downtown office-to-residential conversion activity or concentrated campus development happening in other parts of the city.
For families considering New Foundations, the school offers a full K-12 pathway with a coherent pedagogical vision and college-access opportunities at the high school level. The recent testing data and lack of graduation rate information suggest a parent should engage directly with school leadership to understand student support, remediation, and progression systems, particularly if academic proficiency is a high priority. The shift to Apply Philly Charter's ranked-choice process is a practical detail that affects how and when to apply.
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