The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 63% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Powel Samuel Sch
Powel Samuel is a small elementary school in West Philadelphia serving kindergarten through fourth grade. The school sits in a neighborhood of rowhouses, close to the University of Pennsylvania campus and within the broader University City education and healthcare hub. The school's enrollment is small and stable, with the majority of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of white students and smaller groups of Asian and Hispanic students.
On state assessments, the school's proficiency rates in math and English language arts both sit in the high mid-range. In math, about two-thirds of students tested scored at the proficient level or above. In reading, the rate was similar. These results are consistent with how Philadelphia schools have performed overall in the first full year of the district's new science-of-reading ELA curriculum, which launched in 2024-25. Science proficiency, measured most recently in 2022-23, was a bit lower than reading and math, though data from more recent years was not available for this grade band.
Powel Samuel's small size means it serves a close-knit community of families within its walkable neighborhood. The school has no magnet or charter designation, making it a traditional neighborhood school. Parents should know that the school follows the curriculum choices the district made system-wide, including the Illustrative Mathematics program for K-12 math (launched in 2023-24) and the EL Education reading curriculum for elementary grades. These are standardized across all Philadelphia schools and represent the first major curriculum overhaul the district has mandated in years.
The Philadelphia district is in the midst of significant change. In April 2026, the Board approved a major facilities plan that will close schools, co-locate programs, and modernize buildings over the next decade. While Powel Samuel was not named in the initial closure list, parents should confirm the school's status with the district directly, as catchment areas and program assignments are being reshaped.
Housing in the 19104 ZIP code, where the school is located, remains well below the state and national averages, with home values modest and rents modest as well. Ownership is affordable relative to income, though rent as a share of household income is in the mid-range nationally. The neighborhood is walkable and embedded in a larger dense urban fabric, with access to Fairmount Park, SEPTA transit, and the institutional anchors of University City. The city as a whole is in a period of moderate growth, concentrated mainly in Center City, though the broader Philadelphia economy anchors on healthcare, higher education, life sciences, and major institutions.
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