District Sees PSSA Score Gains, Especially in Promise Academies

The School District of Philadelphia has seen its PSSA test scores rise consistently over the past nine years.

But it's especially seen them go up over the past year in its Promise Academies, which are schools that have taken on a different model after being deemed to be in need of a change because of, in part, low test scores.

Deputy Superintendent Leroy Nunery said at a news conference Wednesday at district headquarters that proficiency has gone up by over 10 percent on math tests in Promise Academies, while it's gone up by about six percent on reading tests in those schools.

"The reform works," Nunery said.

will become a Promise Academy next year in the second year of the program.

The model involves letting go some of the school's teachers and hiring new ones. Current Germantown High principal , but district spokesman Fernando Gallard said decisions are being made right now about which teachers will let go and which will be kept.

The district runs Promise Academies on its own.

Math proficiency throughout the entire district has increased by 2.7 percent, while reading proficiency has gone up by 2.3 percent.