The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in Science. The lowest is 57% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Adaire Alexander Sch
Adaire Alexander is a small elementary and middle school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the Kensington area of Philadelphia, along the border between the Fishtown and Port Richmond neighborhoods. The school enrolls a modest population of students across its grade span, with kindergarten and first grade carrying the largest cohorts.
The student body is predominantly white, with a much smaller share of Hispanic, Asian, Black, and multiracial students. All students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhood. Data on the percentage of students receiving special education services or identified as English learners was not available.
On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, Adaire Alexander's students in grades three through eight showed proficiency in English language arts in the most recent year, with a solid majority meeting or exceeding the state standard. In mathematics, proficiency was lower, with roughly half the tested students reaching proficient levels. Science assessment results from an earlier year showed strong performance. The school's ELA results are notably higher than its math outcomes, a pattern worth exploring directly with the school to understand whether there are specific supports or curriculum choices driving that gap.
Adaire Alexander follows the new science of reading English curriculum that the Philadelphia School District adopted citywide in 2024-25. The district also introduced Illustrative Mathematics for kindergarten through twelfth grade starting in 2023-24. These curriculum shifts represent the first standardized, district-wide instructional materials in years, changing day-to-day classroom practice for every student. Early data from the reading curriculum's first year showed a one-point dip in reading proficiency, though Adaire's results suggest the school may be tracking above the district pattern.
The Fishtown-Port Richmond area where the school sits is part of Philadelphia's northeast neighborhoods, marked by historic rowhouse blocks, walkable commercial corridors along Frankford Avenue and other main streets, and strong local identity. The neighborhood has seen growth and investment over the past decade as younger households have moved in, though it remains mixed-income. Housing values in the school's ZIP code are moderate by Philadelphia standards, and rents are similarly affordable relative to the city's Center City or University City areas.
The school feeds into the Philadelphia school system's ongoing facilities transformation. The district recently approved a major modernization plan that will close seventeen schools beginning in the 2026-27 school year, co-locate six others, and update building conditions across a decade-long program. Adaire Alexander is not among the schools slated for closure; this plan will reshape catchment boundaries and program placements across the city, and families should confirm with the district how any future boundary changes might affect this school's enrollment and feeder patterns.
The broader district context includes a commitment to overhauling core instruction. Beyond the reading and math curriculum shifts already underway, the city has also increased property tax allocation to schools substantially in recent years, and a 2024 property reassessment is generating additional school funding. These investments shape the resources available to schools like Adaire Alexander over the coming years.
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