The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mastery Cs-clymer Elementary
Mastery Charter School Clymer Elementary is a small public charter school in Philadelphia's North Philadelphia neighborhood serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school's recent academic performance on Pennsylvania state tests shows low proficiency rates across tested subjects. In mathematics, reading, and science, the share of students scoring at proficient or above represents a small fraction of the tested cohort. These results sit well below what most families would expect from a school, and a parent considering enrollment may want to explore with the school directly what instructional changes are underway to address this performance gap.
The enrollment is intentionally small and heavily concentrated in one demographic group. Nearly all students enrolled qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling a student body from low-income households. The racial composition is predominantly Black, with smaller populations of Hispanic students and very small numbers of other racial groups. No data was available on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner supports.
The school sits in a neighborhood where residential housing prices are modest relative to Philadelphia's broader market and the state. The area experiences modest annual price growth but remains well below what families would find in Center City or University City. The neighborhood itself is part of Philadelphia's dense rowhouse fabric, with commercial corridors and long-standing resident communities, though the specific blocks around the school are among the city's lower-income areas.
In January, Philadelphia school district officials recommended a five-year charter renewal with conditions for the school, meaning it will continue to operate but under added oversight tied to academic performance, organizational compliance, and financial stability. This conditional renewal is a significant development for families evaluating whether to stay with or enroll in the school; it reflects district-level concerns about the school's trajectory and implies that improvement benchmarks are now formally attached to the school's license.
Separately, Mastery's charter network launched a redesigned leadership competency framework and Human Capital Management System in 2023-24, the first refresh of its teacher evaluation system in a decade. This systemwide initiative affects instruction and teacher evaluation across all Mastery Philadelphia schools, including Clymer, and signals an effort to reshape pedagogical practice. Whether this redesign yields measurable gains in classroom instruction and student learning will be important to monitor.
The school's data do not include trend information showing whether performance has been moving, a graduation rate (because the school does not serve high school grades), or detailed information on attendance, discipline, or staffing. For families considering the school, direct conversations with leadership about the school's specific improvement plan tied to its conditional renewal, current teaching and learning practices, and recent hires or staff changes would be essential steps before deciding.
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