The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Science. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mitchell El Sch
Mitchell Elementary is a small K-8 public school in the Kingsessing area of South Philadelphia. The school serves a student body that is overwhelmingly African American, with all enrolled students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Grade distribution is fairly even across the elementary and middle years, with slightly smaller cohorts in the upper grades.
State assessment data from the 2024-25 school year shows proficiency rates well below district and state benchmarks. In mathematics, about one in twenty students tested at proficient or above on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. In English language arts, about one in nine met the proficiency threshold. Science data from 2022-23, the most recent available for the school, showed roughly one in four students meeting proficiency. These are consequential gaps. State testing data was the primary academic measure available; trend information and scale scores were not provided for the recent math and ELA assessments, so it is not possible to determine whether performance is stable, improving, or declining. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its literacy instruction given the district's rollout of a new science-of-reading ELA curriculum starting in 2024-25, how the school supports students working below grade level, and what interventions or supports are in place in math.
The school sits within the Philadelphia City School District, which in recent years has overhauled its instructional materials across reading, mathematics, and science. The district adopted Illustrative Mathematics K-12 starting in 2023-24 and a science-of-reading ELA curriculum (EL Education for K-8) in 2024-25. This standardization is meant to raise baseline instruction across all schools, though the transition has been uneven and early results mixed. Housing in the school's ZIP code is modestly priced relative to national benchmarks and stable year over year. The neighborhood has the character of an established South Philadelphia residential area.
The district has also approved a substantial long-term facilities modernization plan that will close schools, co-locate programs, and renovate buildings over the coming decade. Families attending Mitchell should confirm that the school is not affected by any proposed closures or relocations in the initial phase of the plan, which begins in 2026-27.
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