Through Listening and Learning sessions held from February to May 2023, we sought to better understand the challenges and barriers that prevent students from attending school on time every day. This slide deck presents the findings from sessions with school leaders and students.
Attendance is important for positive educational outcomes. Research has found that high attendance is associated with reading at or above a student’s grade level, scoring at or above grade level in math, and being prepared for college and career. This brief uses attendance data across all students enrolled in District schools, including alternative programs, to identify trends in student attendance from 2017-18 to 2021-22.
Each year, SDP and its partner organizations offer a variety of summer programs to ensure that students, especially those most vulnerable to experiencing summer learning loss, have the opportunity to continue learning during the summer months. This report provides a summary of the summer programs, including information about enrollment and attendance, and findings from surveys and observations.
In summer 2021, the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) offered a series of virtual and in person summer programs for students who had completed grades PreK-12. In response to students experiencing digital and hybrid learning from March 2020 – June 2021, summer 2021 programming offerings were expanded from previous summers. Nearly 16,000 students enrolled in summer programming, over 12,000 students attended a program for at least one day, and nearly 6,000 students attended at least one program for 75% or more of days.
This report examines student attendance during in-person learning (September 2019 through February 2020) and compares it to student attendance during digital learning (September 2020 through February 2021).
An overview of five factors identified by parents and school staff as major barriers to on-time kindergarten registration.
Results from a December 2018 survey of SDP school secretaries about the kindergarten registration process.
A snapshot of survey responses from District and partner Pre-K parents.
The more days a child comes to kindergarten, the more likely they are to read on grade level at the end of the year and in first grade.
