The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Taggart John H Sch
Taggart John H School serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the Lower Moyamensing neighborhood of South Philadelphia. The school enrolled a small student population, distributed roughly evenly across its grade span with slightly higher numbers in the upper grades.
The student body is diverse by race and ethnicity, with roughly equal shares of Asian and Hispanic students, a smaller proportion of Black students, and smaller numbers of white and multiracial students. Every student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a low-income community.
On the most recent state assessments available, Taggart's proficiency rates fell below the midpoint for the district. In English language arts, a bit more than one-third of students in grades three through eight scored at proficient or above on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. In mathematics, proficiency was lower, with roughly one-third of students scoring at that level. Science proficiency data was from an earlier year and showed a similar rate. These results suggest that students are facing academic challenges across the core subjects, and a parent may want to look into what reading and math supports the school offers to understand how it is addressing these gaps.
The school is located in a neighborhood with modest housing values that have remained relatively flat year-over-year. Rents in the area are stable and affordable relative to other Philadelphia neighborhoods. The broader South Philadelphia area has walkable commercial corridors and a strong neighborhood character defined by historic rowhouses.
Philadelphia's school district is undergoing significant instructional change. Beginning in 2024-25, all schools are implementing a new science-of-reading English language arts curriculum, with EL Education in use at Taggart's grade band. The district also rolled out a new mathematics curriculum the year before. These changes standardize teaching methods across the district but had an uneven reception during the rollout, with early reading scores showing a dip. The district committed substantial resources to these adoptions, signaling investment in foundational literacy and numeracy instruction, though implementation effects continue to unfold across schools.
The district is also executing a major facilities modernization plan that began in 2026-27, involving school closures and co-locations citywide. A parent should check the district's website to confirm whether Taggart is affected and what any boundary or program changes might mean for their child's future enrollment or school assignment.
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