A Statistical Look at Poverty, Academic Performance and College Readiness at Pottstown HS

U.S. News recently released their yearly high school rankings, and though Pottstown High School did not perform well enough to be ranked, the accompanying data gives a detailed look at academic performances, the makeup of the student body, and those students deemed economically disadvantaged.

The total enrollment for the high school is 826 students, and the school has a staff of 60 teachers, which breaks down to a 14:1 teacher/student ratio. By grade, the student body looks like this:

• 9th Grade - 241 students
• 10th Grade - 230 students
• 11th Grade - 182 students
• 12th Grade - 173 students

The student body is comprised of 51-percent male students to 49-percent female students, and half of the entire student body is listed as minority students, with the largest percentage being African American students at 40-percent of total enrollment.

Economically Disadvantaged Students

The report states that economically disadvantaged students make up 56-percent of the total student body, with 45-percent qualifying for the free lunch program and 11-percent qualifying for the reduced-price lunch program.

Test Scores

Out of 174 students tested for reading proficiency on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test (PSSA), 47-percent of students tested at basic proficiency or below. Nearly 20-percent of the students tested at advanced levels, and the rested tested right at proficient.

The numbers were slightly worse for math, as 54-percent of the 174 students tested had a basic or below proficiency. 14-percent tested advanced, with the remaining students testing right at proficient.

On a scale of 1 to 100, the school scored 11.8 on the College Readiness Index. 

Economically Disadvantaged Student Performance

Described by U.S. News as a "typically underperforming subgroup," the report breaks down the overall proficiency into those students who are economically disadvantaged and those who are not.

The number of disadvantaged students described as proficient came to 39-percent, while those who were not disadvantaged made up the remainder at 61-percent. That shows a 22-percent difference in proficiency based upon economic inequality.

Additionally, the 22-percent gap between the two student groups is nearly 6-percent higher than the state average.

Advanced Placement

One in five students will participate in advanced placement testing, which usually grants collegiate credit when successfully passed. The report states that each AP student takes approximately 2.5 tests, with an overall passing rate of 47-percent.

For more detailed information on the U.S. News reports, click here.

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See also:

• How Safe Are You? A Look at Crime Rates in Pottstown by Neighborhood
• Psst!Your Neighbors May Be Paying Less Rent
• How the 'Other Half' Lives: Pottstown's Most Expensive Listing