The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ziegler William H Sch
William H. Ziegler School serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Philadelphia's Northeast section, drawing students from a neighborhood that sits between downtown and the city's outer reaches. The school enrolls a student body that is majority Hispanic and Black, with a smaller Asian population and very limited white enrollment. Virtually all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school squarely in a low-income context. The enrollment is relatively small for an urban elementary-middle school.
On state assessments given most recently, Ziegler's students show proficiency rates that fall well below grade-level standards. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of third- through eighth-graders tested at proficient or above, while in math that figure drops to around one in six. Science data from an earlier year showed a similarly modest proficiency rate. These numbers place the school among the lower performers within Philadelphia's district schools. Parents should be aware of this directly: the school is not meeting grade-level learning targets for most of its students in core subjects.
The district itself is in flux. Philadelphia just approved a major facilities overhaul that will close schools and move programs around starting in the 2026-27 school year, so catchment boundaries and available school seats will shift. At the same time, the district has adopted new, standardized curricula in reading and math across all schools starting in 2024-25, moving to what it calls a science-of-reading approach in literacy. The math program is Illustrative Mathematics for K-12. These are system-wide changes meant to align how reading and math are taught, though early results showed one-point drops in reading proficiency after the first year, and the vast majority of students remain below proficient.
The broader Philadelphia neighborhood context shapes what school looks like. The city is highly walkable and densely built, with rowhouse neighborhoods, strong SEPTA transit access, and a large park system. Housing values in the 19149 ZIP code where Ziegler sits are well below state and national medians, and monthly rent is lower than mortgage costs. The area reflects the economic reality of the students the school serves.
Ziegler is a regular public school with no magnet or charter designation. It is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which serves the entire city and encompasses the vast majority of Philadelphia's public students. The school's grade configuration means there is no graduation rate to report; state assessments for grades K-2 are not administered, so results apply only to grades three through eight. Data on English learner counts and students with IEPs were not available. A parent wanting to understand this school's approach to language support, special education services, or school climate would benefit from speaking directly with the school.
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