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I left in the rankings from 2011 to show that changes as much as 60 positions were possible in one year. I wouldn't take these rankings too seriously, but people are always interested in school rankings.
As this issue was dated Apr 9, 2012 it will be interesting to compare with the new one if it comes out in the next two weeks.
Statewide rank
2012 2011 District County
64 84 Saucon Valley School District -Northampton
114 125 Nazareth Area School District -Northampton
128 172 Wilson Area School District -Northampton
207 193 Pen Argyl Area School District -Northampton
230 253 Northampton Area School District -Northampton
306 338 Easton Area School District -Northampton
311 371 Bangor Area School District -Northampton
370 356 Bethlehem Area School District -Northampton
39 33 Parkland School District -Lehigh
60 57 Southern Lehigh School District -Lehigh
87 73 Salisbury Township School District -Lehigh
94 82 East Penn School District -Lehigh
105 120 Northwestern Lehigh School District -Lehigh
225 221 Whitehall-Coplay School District -Lehigh
299 344 Northern Lehigh School District -Lehigh
325 360 Catasauqua Area School District -Lehigh
485 483 Allentown City School District -Lehigh
9 8 Central Bucks School District -Bucks
22 19 New Hope-Solebury School District -Bucks
32 30 Council Rock School District -Bucks
66 79 Palisades School District -Bucks
73 74 Quakertown Community School District -Bucks
85 94 Pennridge School District -Bucks
110 110 Pennsbury School District -Bucks
189 148 Centennial School District -Bucks
211 184 Neshaminy School District -Bucks
407 405 Bensalem Township School District -Bucks
423 431 Morrisville Borough School District -Bucks
451 455 Bristol Township School District -Bucks
462 460 Bristol Borough School District -Bucks
2012 2011 District County
1 1 Upper St. Clair School District -Allegheny
2 3 Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Chester
3 2 Tredyffrin-Easttown School District Chester
4 4 Radnor Township School District Delaware
5 6 Mt. Lebanon School District -Allegheny
6 5 North Allegheny School District -Allegheny
7 9 Hampton Township School District -Allegheny
8 7 Lower Merion School District Montgomery
9 8 Central Bucks School District Bucks
10 12 South Fayette Township School District -Allegheny
11 10 Peters Township School District -Washington
12 11 Fox Chapel Area School District -Allegheny
13 15 Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Delaware
14 13 Great Valley School District Chester
15 14 Lower Moreland Township Montgomery
16 17 Lewisburg Area School District -Union
17 16 Upper Dublin School District Montgomery
18 18 Jenkintown School District Montgomery
19 21 Rose Tree Media School District Delaware
20 25 Colonial School District Montgomery
21 27 Garnet Valley School District Delaware
22 19 New Hope-Solebury School District Bucks
23 22 Methacton School District Montgomery
24 24 Quaker Valley School District -Allegheny
25 28 Downingtown Area School District Chester
Last edited by PacoMartin; 03-30-2013 at 07:48 PM..
The urban school districts do not come out well in the rating (see previous post).
2012 2011 School District - County
451 455 Bristol Township School District -Bucks
452 445 Southern Huntingdon County School District -Huntingdon
453 463 Chichester School District -Delaware
454 468 Southeastern Greene School District -Greene
455 457 Oil City Area School District -Venango
456 464 Antietam School District -Berks
457 469 West Greene School District -Greene
458 456 Connellsville Area School District -Fayette
459 461 Pottstown School District -Montgomery
460 452 Union City Area School District -Erie
461 439 Shenandoah Valley School District -Schuylkill
462 460 Bristol Borough School District -Bucks
463 462 Sharon City School District -Mercer
464 454 Albert Gallatin School District -Fayette
465 453 Erie City School District -Erie
466 466 Jefferson-Morgan School District -Greene
467 472 Panther Valley School District -Carbon
468 474 Williams Valley School District -Schuylkill
469 438 Austin Area School District -Potter
470 467 Brownsville Area School District -Fayette, Washington
471 470 Fannett-Metal School District -Franklin
472 465 Valley Grove School District -Venango
473 471 Penn Hills School District -Allegheny
474 476 Pittsburgh School District -Allegheny
475 475 Norristown School District -Montgomery
476 473 Columbia Borough School District -Lancaster
477 477 Greater Johnstown School District -Cambria
478 482 Turkeyfoot Valley Area -Somerset
479 481 Southeast Delco School District -Delaware
480 478 Woodland Hills School District -Allegheny
481 480 McKeesport Area School District -Allegheny
482 479 Lebanon School District -Lebanon
483 484 Philadelphia City School District -Philadelphia
484 485 Reading School District -Berks
485 483 Allentown City School District -Lehigh
486 487 Lancaster School District -Lancaster
487 490 Steelton-Highspire School District -Dauphin
488 488 William Penn School District -Delaware
489 486 Sto-Rox School District -Allegheny
490 489 Farrell Area School District -Mercer
491 493 Aliquippa School District -Beaver
492 492 York City School District -York
493 491 Clairton City School District -Allegheny
494 494 Harrisburg City School District -Dauphin
495 495 Wilkinsburg Borough School District -Allegheny
496 496 Chester-Upland School District -Delaware
497 497 Duquesne City School District -Allegheny
Does it say what info they use to rate the schools?
What's interesting about Philly schools is that they have some of the best in the state, but the schools that are in the poorest neighborhoods and have the most challenges tend to bring down the district's overall ratings. Of course, that brings up a conversation about disparity in education, which most people think is easier to solve than it really is.
The urban school districts do not come out well in the rating (see previous post).
2012 2011 School District - County
451 455 Bristol Township School District -Bucks
452 445 Southern Huntingdon County School District -Huntingdon
453 463 Chichester School District -Delaware
454 468 Southeastern Greene School District -Greene
455 457 Oil City Area School District -Venango
456 464 Antietam School District -Berks
457 469 West Greene School District -Greene
458 456 Connellsville Area School District -Fayette
459 461 Pottstown School District -Montgomery
460 452 Union City Area School District -Erie
461 439 Shenandoah Valley School District -Schuylkill
462 460 Bristol Borough School District -Bucks
463 462 Sharon City School District -Mercer
464 454 Albert Gallatin School District -Fayette
465 453 Erie City School District -Erie
466 466 Jefferson-Morgan School District -Greene
467 472 Panther Valley School District -Carbon
468 474 Williams Valley School District -Schuylkill
469 438 Austin Area School District -Potter
470 467 Brownsville Area School District -Fayette, Washington
471 470 Fannett-Metal School District -Franklin
472 465 Valley Grove School District -Venango
473 471 Penn Hills School District -Allegheny
474 476 Pittsburgh School District -Allegheny
475 475 Norristown School District -Montgomery
476 473 Columbia Borough School District -Lancaster
477 477 Greater Johnstown School District -Cambria
478 482 Turkeyfoot Valley Area -Somerset
479 481 Southeast Delco School District -Delaware
480 478 Woodland Hills School District -Allegheny
481 480 McKeesport Area School District -Allegheny
482 479 Lebanon School District -Lebanon
483 484 Philadelphia City School District -Philadelphia
484 485 Reading School District -Berks
485 483 Allentown City School District -Lehigh
486 487 Lancaster School District -Lancaster
487 490 Steelton-Highspire School District -Dauphin
488 488 William Penn School District -Delaware
489 486 Sto-Rox School District -Allegheny
490 489 Farrell Area School District -Mercer
491 493 Aliquippa School District -Beaver
492 492 York City School District -York
493 491 Clairton City School District -Allegheny
494 494 Harrisburg City School District -Dauphin
495 495 Wilkinsburg Borough School District -Allegheny
496 496 Chester-Upland School District -Delaware
497 497 Duquesne City School District -Allegheny
I'm waiting for all of the Urban pumpers on here to chime in and tell how this list is very misleading and SDs like the Pittsburgh Public Schools really aren't that bad.
I'm waiting for all of the Urban pumpers on here to chime in and tell how this list is very misleading and SDs like the Pittsburgh Public Schools really aren't that bad.
Besides the big cities like Pittsburgh, what about Bucks County? Bucks has a very small percentage of people under the poverty line, and the largest township (Bensalem) has only 60K people. Perhaps the collection of boroughs and townships is as dense as Pittsburgh City.
But of the 13 school districts, in particular 4 of the southern ones have ratings in the bottom 20%, while Central Bucks (around Doylestown) is one of the top 10 in the state.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Buck...ng%3B444%3B353
9 8 Central Bucks School District -Bucks
22 19 New Hope-Solebury School District -Bucks
32 30 Council Rock School District -Bucks
66 79 Palisades School District -Bucks
73 74 Quakertown Community School District -Bucks
85 94 Pennridge School District -Bucks
110 110 Pennsbury School District -Bucks
189 148 Centennial School District -Bucks
211 184 Neshaminy School District -Bucks
------
407 405 Bensalem Township School District -Bucks
423 431 Morrisville Borough School District -Bucks
451 455 Bristol Township School District -Bucks
462 460 Bristol Borough School District -Bucks
Last edited by toobusytoday; 03-31-2013 at 06:01 PM..
My problem/ rant about school district rankings are that they are meaningless for people looking for more than being "proficient" in Math & Reading or just graduating High School. In theory, larger school districts can offer more AP classes and more specialized classes/ topics. They also get penalized for having too many students below certain proficiency levels, even though their top kids may be going to more prestigious schools than the higher ranked school districts.
My ideal ranking would be if a kid applies him/herself, takes AP classes, volunteers, and finishes in the Top 5% of the class, will he/she go to an Ivy League school (maybe a Top 25 school)? There are public schools where this is the case. Finish in the Top x% of your class and choose from Harvard/ Yale/ Princeton. Are the school districts like this or does the valedictorian go to a local university (like Moravian)? Is that by choice?
It's just sad that rankings are only based on averages and not on what happens to smart students who apply themselves? Do they get better chances at school district A or B?
I'm waiting for all of the Urban pumpers on here to chime in and tell how this list is very misleading and SDs like the Pittsburgh Public Schools really aren't that bad.
Bristol Township is urban? That's news to me, especially if you don't consider Chester-Upland, Lancaster, Norristown, Wilkinsburg, etc. etc. etc. to be.
Bristol Township is urban? That's news to me, especially if you don't consider Chester-Upland, Lancaster, Norristown, Wilkinsburg, etc. etc. etc. to be.
The census bureau does calculate what percentage of the population, and percentage of the land in a county they consider "urban". The urban land is a oddly shaped piece that completely ignore municipal boundaries (boroughs, townships, or city).
Bucks county is relatively high on both measures. Only four counties in PA have more than 50% of their land area considered "urban",
So by this fair and balanced definition of urban, southern Bucks county is all urban.
Pop Urban % ----- Land Urban %
100.00% Philadelphia County 100.00%
99.54% Delaware County 91.74%
97.07% Montgomery County 77.51%
92.07% Lehigh County 46.43%
91.17% Bucks County 47.44%
87.23% Northampton County 37.58%
86.72% Chester County 46.66%
78.74% Lancaster County 27.20%
76.26% Berks County 16.14%
75.28% York County 22.50%
73.44% Lebanon County 15.46%
63.54% Schuylkill County 6.74%
61.65% Monroe County 17.34%
52.84% Carbon County 5.60%
Land Urban % ----- Pop Urban %
100.00% Philadelphia County 100.00%
91.74% Delaware County 99.54%
77.51% Montgomery County 97.07%
47.44% Bucks County 91.17%
46.66% Chester County 86.72%
46.43% Lehigh County 92.07%
37.58% Northampton County 87.23%
27.20% Lancaster County 78.74%
22.50% York County 75.28%
17.34% Monroe County 61.65%
16.14% Berks County 76.26%
15.46% Lebanon County 73.44%
6.74% Schuylkill County 63.54%
5.60% Carbon County 52.84%
Allegheny County is the only other county with 72.03% of it's land considered urban (and 97.51% of it's population).
The census bureau does calculate what percentage of the population, and percentage of the land in a county they consider "urban". The urban land is a oddly shaped piece that completely ignore municipal boundaries (boroughs, townships, or city).
Bucks county is relatively high on both measures. Only four counties in PA have more than 50% of their land area considered "urban",
So by this fair and balanced definition of urban, southern Bucks county is all urban.
Pop Urban % ----- Land Urban %
100.00% Philadelphia County 100.00%
99.54% Delaware County 91.74%
97.07% Montgomery County 77.51%
92.07% Lehigh County 46.43%
91.17% Bucks County 47.44%
87.23% Northampton County 37.58%
86.72% Chester County 46.66%
78.74% Lancaster County 27.20%
76.26% Berks County 16.14%
75.28% York County 22.50%
73.44% Lebanon County 15.46%
63.54% Schuylkill County 6.74%
61.65% Monroe County 17.34%
52.84% Carbon County 5.60%
Land Urban % ----- Pop Urban %
100.00% Philadelphia County 100.00%
91.74% Delaware County 99.54%
77.51% Montgomery County 97.07%
47.44% Bucks County 91.17%
46.66% Chester County 86.72%
46.43% Lehigh County 92.07%
37.58% Northampton County 87.23%
27.20% Lancaster County 78.74%
22.50% York County 75.28%
17.34% Monroe County 61.65%
16.14% Berks County 76.26%
15.46% Lebanon County 73.44%
6.74% Schuylkill County 63.54%
5.60% Carbon County 52.84%
Allegheny County is the only other county with 72.03% of it's land considered urban (and 97.51% of it's population).
His very spotty inclusion of "urban" districts means he definitely wasn't referring to urban in the technical sense of the word. By that standard, almost every district on that list is "urban."
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Lowest Rated School District in PA
Census definition of "urban"
