The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Science. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Stearne Allen M Sch
Stearne Allen Middle School serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, on Unity Street near Aramingo Avenue. It is a regular public school in the School District of Philadelphia.
The school enrolled a small-to-moderate enrollment for its grade band, drawn from a community that is predominantly low-income. All enrolled students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is primarily Black and Hispanic, with smaller numbers of students identifying as two or more races, white, or Asian, and a single student each identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on the rate of students receiving special education services and English learners were not available.
Academic performance at Stearne Allen is significantly below proficiency benchmarks across the subjects tested. On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment for grades 3 through 8 in the most recent year, the proficiency rate in mathematics was very low, with only a handful of students meeting the proficiency threshold out of more than two hundred tested. English language arts proficiency was also quite low, with roughly one in eight students meeting proficiency standards. The school had data on science available from two years prior, which showed a higher but still modest proficiency rate. A parent may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school is providing and whether the new district-wide curriculum rollout in reading and math is being implemented with adequate professional development and resources at this school.
The broader context matters here. Philadelphia is in a period of measured growth concentrated in Center City, though outer neighborhoods like this one evolve more slowly. The city is highly walkable, and Fishtown has become increasingly mixed-use with residential rowhouses, local shops, and restaurants. Housing values in the school's ZIP code are below the state median but have moved modestly upward. The School District of Philadelphia recently adopted new standardized curricula in mathematics and English language arts, beginning with math in 2023-24 and reading in 2024-25, aimed at bringing consistent instruction across all district schools. The district also secured increased property tax support from the city. At the same time, the district announced a major facilities master plan in April 2026 that includes school closures and consolidations beginning in 2026-27; a parent should confirm whether Stearne Allen is affected and, if so, where students would be directed.
See more original research from School Decision →