The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Science. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mastery Cs-harrity Campus
Mastery Charter School-Harrity Campus is an independent charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Philadelphia's Christian Street area (ZIP 19143), a densely populated residential neighborhood in South Philadelphia. The school is autonomous from the School District of Philadelphia, operating under a five-year charter renewal approved in June 2025 that secures its continued operation through roughly 2030, a foundational stability fact for families weighing enrollment.
The school serves a population that is substantially all low-income and almost entirely Black. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the immediate neighborhood. The school's enrollment is stable, distributed evenly across the nine grade levels.
Academic performance in recent years shows mixed results. In English language arts on Pennsylvania's state assessment for grades three through eight, proficiency in the most recent year was below state standards, with fewer than half of tested students reaching proficiency. Mathematics performance was even lower, with only about one in five students tested meeting proficiency. Science proficiency, reported from the prior year, was closer to approaching the midpoint. These patterns suggest the school is working with students who enter significantly below grade level and that closing achievement gaps is an active challenge. A parent considering Mastery-Harrity should review the school's strategy for reading and math instruction closely. The school is implementing a curriculum change starting in the 2025-2026 school year: all elementary and middle schools in the Mastery network, including Harrity, are adopting Amplify CKLA and Amplify ELA, programs aligned with Science of Reading approaches. This is a direct pedagogical shift in how phonics, fluency, and comprehension are taught daily.
One significant enrollment pathway advantage is that Mastery-Harrity students have a defined K-12 route into Hardy Williams High School, another Mastery school. More specifically, Hardy opened the Health Institute at Hardy (HIH) in August 2025 as a partnership with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Bloomberg Philanthropies, creating a new healthcare career pathway for Harrity students who advance. This represents a lasting expansion of high school options and career preparation beyond what a standalone elementary school alone offers.
The school itself is located in a dense urban neighborhood. Philadelphia as a whole is among the most walkable large cities in the U.S., with extensive SEPTA public transit serving buses, trolleys, and regional rail across five counties. Center City contains the main commercial hub and cultural attractions; Harrity's neighborhood is residential and rowhouse-dense, typical of South Philadelphia's character. The broader city is in a period of moderate growth concentrated in Center City, while outer neighborhoods like the one where Harrity sits have more stable demographics. Housing in the ZIP code is substantially less expensive than the state and national benchmarks, reflecting South Philadelphia's affordability relative to Center City and other neighborhoods.
Special education and English learner enrollment data were not available in the school's reporting, so a parent seeking to understand the school's capacity and track record in serving students with IEPs or multilingual learners should ask the school directly. No graduation rate is applicable since the school ends at eighth grade. State testing data for eighth grade was not separately disaggregated, so a reader interested in how the oldest cohort performs specifically would need to follow up with the school's enrollment team.
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