The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Science. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Deep Roots Cs
Deep Roots Charter School is a small, elementary-through-middle-grades school in Philadelphia serving students from kindergarten through grade seven. It sits in the Kensington neighborhood on Frankford Avenue, a working residential area with rowhouse character typical of northeast Philadelphia. The school serves essentially all low-income students; nearly all families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority Latino with a substantial Black population and a small representation of white and multiracial students.
The school's academic performance on state assessments is weak across core subjects. In math, the latest results show very low proficiency among students in grades three through eight who were tested. Reading proficiency is similarly low. Science performance is stronger—roughly halfway toward full proficiency—though the test population in science is much smaller. These results sit well below typical Pennsylvania benchmarks. A parent considering Deep Roots should understand that the school's students are not meeting grade-level standards in reading and mathematics at meaningful rates, and this pattern is what triggered an academic renewal evaluation by the Philadelphia charter office.
In June 2025, the Philadelphia Board of Education approved Deep Roots to continue operating under a five-year renewal, but with conditions tied to improving academic outcomes in math and literacy. The renewal was approved despite the school not meeting the district's academic standards, which underscores the weakness of the current results. The practical meaning for families is that the school's operation through roughly 2030 is secured, but the charter authority is watching for improvement. A parent may want to look into this further with the school—specifically what instructional changes or supports are in place to address the proficiency gaps.
Deep Roots is in the middle of a planned expansion from kindergarten through eighth grade, adding one grade each year. The school previously served through grade five and now includes grades six and seven, with enrollment open for the 2026-2027 school year. For families in the Kensington area, this means a neighborhood K-8 pipeline is consolidating locally rather than requiring a separate middle school transition.
The school's enrollment is small for a charter—roughly two to three hundred students. Kindergarten through fifth grade each have a cohort of about forty to fifty students, with slightly smaller groups in the upper grades as the school expands. The neighborhood location and charter status make Deep Roots an alternative to the assigned district school; families choose it rather than attending by assignment.
Housing in the zip code where the school sits is affordable relative to Philadelphia and the state, with home values modest and rents in the lower end of the city's range. The neighborhood itself is solidly working-class, with a strong immigrant population and family-oriented street life, though it has experienced economic strain common to parts of northeast Philadelphia.
No data on program specifics, electives, support services, or school culture was available, so a parent visiting the school or speaking with current families would fill important gaps about pedagogy, daily operations, and what happens beyond the test numbers. The proficiency results are the dominant signal in the available data, and they warrant direct conversation with school leadership about instructional priorities and evidence of progress toward the renewal conditions.
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