The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in English language arts. The lowest is 2% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Tilden William T Ms
Tilden William T is a middle school serving grades five through eight in South Philadelphia, located in the Elmwood Avenue area of the 19142 zip code. It is a public school within the Philadelphia City School District.
The school's enrollment is small, comprising students across all four middle grades with the largest cohort in grade eight. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhood. The student body is predominantly Black, with a meaningful Asian population and smaller representation of Hispanic and white students. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations were not available.
On the most recent state assessments, Tilden's proficiency rates are very low. In English language arts, a small proportion of tested students scored proficient or above. In mathematics, proficiency was still lower. Science assessment data from an earlier year showed similarly limited proficiency. These results place the school well below where students need to be for grade-level literacy and numeracy. A parent considering this school should look into what supports the building offers for students working below grade level and what reading and math interventions are in place, particularly given the district's recent adoption of a new science-of-reading curriculum and Illustrative Mathematics program across all schools starting in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The neighborhood surrounding the school, in South Philadelphia near Southwest Center City, is a dense urban area. Housing values in the 19142 zip code are modest and have risen slightly year over year. The area is part of Philadelphia's rowhouse-dominated residential fabric, and SEPTA transit service connects the neighborhood to the city's broader transit network.
The Philadelphia City School District is undergoing significant change. In April 2026, the Board of Education approved a multi-billion-dollar facilities master plan that will close schools beginning in the 2026-27 school year and modernize others over the next decade. Parents should confirm whether Tilden is affected by these facility changes and what that means for the school's immediate future. The district has also made major curriculum shifts: the new ELA curriculum, rolled out in 2024-25, focuses on structured literacy approaches, and the new math curriculum went live in 2023-24. Early reading results showed a one-point decline in the first year of implementation, with about two-thirds of students still not proficient in reading across the district.
For a student at Tilden, the day-to-day experience will depend heavily on classroom execution of these new materials and the quality of intervention supports in place. The school's current proficiency data suggest substantial academic need. A parent evaluating this school should meet with the principal and staff to understand how the building is supporting students working significantly below grade level and what the transition plan is if Tilden is among the schools affected by the district's 2026-27 closure and consolidation wave.
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