The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Science. The lowest is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Tenth & Penn El Sch
Tenth & Penn Elementary serves prekindergarten through fourth grade in Reading, a densely populated urban city in Berks County. The school sits at the center of Reading's demographic reality: nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is overwhelmingly Latino, reflecting the city's majority-Latino composition and the economic pressures that shape urban Reading.
The school serves a small enrollment for its grade band, with students spread across six grades from pre-K through fourth. Reading is a walkable city with downtown anchors and ongoing revitalization efforts, including a new CRIZ designation aimed at economic development, so families may encounter either neighborhood stability or neighborhood transition depending on their block.
Academically, Tenth & Penn's performance on state assessments tells a straightforward story: proficiency rates are low across the board. In the most recent mathematics assessment data available, roughly one in ten students in grades three and four scored at proficiency or above. English language arts proficiency was similarly low, with about one in seven students at that level. Science data from a prior year showed higher proficiency, around two in five students, though that is still well below typical state performance. The overall proficiency index places the school in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Berks County.
This low performance reflects both the concentrated poverty of Tenth & Penn's student population and, likely, challenges embedded in the broader district context. Reading School District itself serves a high-poverty urban population with large adequacy gaps in state funding, though recent state aid supplements and a frozen property tax rate for 2025-26 offer some relief. The Reading School District also stands at the threshold of significant change: a new Innovation Academy is opening for the 2026-27 school year to expand STEM pathways and ease crowding at the high school, though Tenth & Penn will not directly feed those opportunities until students reach upper grades.
For families choosing this school, the reality is clear. This is a high-need environment where nearly every student faces economic hardship, and where the school's test results indicate that academic struggle is widespread. A parent weighing Tenth & Penn may want to look into the school's specific instructional approaches, staffing, and supports for students reading and learning below grade level, as well as any specialized programs the school or district offers to address the stark proficiency gaps. Families should also ask about the school's enrollment stability and any community partnerships that support student learning beyond the classroom. The school exists in a city actively working to revitalize itself, but the academic starting point for young learners here is significantly behind state norms.
See more original research from School Decision →