The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mastery Cs-gratz Campus
Mastery CS-Gratz Campus is a charter school serving grades 7 through 12 in the Hunting Park neighborhood of North Philadelphia. The school operates as part of the Mastery network, which received a five-year charter renewal with conditions in 2025, securing operational continuity through roughly 2030. This stability matters for families making multi-year enrollment decisions.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and a small representation of other groups. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhoods the school draws from. The school serves just over a thousand students across its grades.
On state math assessments for grades 3 through 8, a small share of students scored at proficient levels in the most recent school year. English language arts proficiency was higher but still well below state midpoints, with roughly one in three students meeting the standard. These results sit well below the performance typically seen across the county's other districts. A parent exploring this school may want to discuss with the school directly what academic supports exist for students entering below grade level, how the school structures intervention and tutoring, and what progress-monitoring systems are in place.
The school has implemented curriculum changes worth noting. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, new ELA programs (Amplify CKLA and Amplify ELA) rolled out across Mastery's middle grades, so Gratz middle students are working with recently adopted materials. For students entering ninth grade in August 2025, Mastery introduced new graduation requirements that blend traditional academics with career-connected learning and competency-based skill expectations covering digital literacy, self-management, communication, and critical consciousness. This represents a deliberate shift toward work-readiness and applied competency, not a traditional college-prep track, though students can still pursue four-year institutions.
Four-year graduation rates at Simon Gratz Mastery have risen over recent years, showing measurable improvement. This upward trend is an outcome change that counters the weak proficiency numbers and suggests the school retains students through completion, even when they enter with lower baseline skills.
The school is located in North Philadelphia on West Hunting Park Avenue, in a dense urban neighborhood. The immediate area is predominantly residential with small local businesses. Like all Philadelphia neighborhoods, it sits within a highly walkable city anchored by extensive SEPTA transit, abundant public libraries, and major civic and employment anchors downtown and in University City. Housing costs in the school's ZIP code are below the state median home value, and rents are modest, making the catchment area economically mixed but predominantly working-class and lower-income.
Families considering Mastery CS-Gratz should view this as a school that serves students with significant academic gaps, retains them through high school completion, and prepares many for workforce entry or post-secondary pathways outside traditional four-year college. The new graduation requirements signal the school's intentional focus on competency and career readiness. The proficiency gaps are substantial and should factor into any family's decision; this is not a school positioned primarily for advanced or accelerated learners, and the testing data shows most students are not meeting state academic standards. For a family seeking a school that prioritizes completion, workforce connection, and competency-based skills in a stable, neighborhood-embedded setting, this school may align with their values. For families prioritizing strong test performance or advanced academics, the data suggests looking elsewhere.
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