Total spending on PA’s public elementary and secondary education in 2008-2009 was more than $25B. (PA Dept. of Education)
In 2009 only 55.6% of PA’s 11 graders scored proficient or higher in math and 65.2% in reading on the PSSA. (PA Dept. of Education)
In 2009 only 31.6% of Philadelphia’s 11 graders scored proficient or higher in math. (PA Dept. of Education)
In 2009 only 38% of Philadelphia’s 11 graders scored proficient or higher in reading. (PA Dept. of Education)
Only 48% of Philadelphia public school students read at grade level and only 52% are at grade level in math. (SDP 2010-2011 Budget)
Only 50% of Philadelphia high school students graduate on time and more than 40% drop out altogether. (Ruth Curran Neild of Johns Hopkins University).
More than 20% of United States adults do not have a high school education. (NGA Center for Best Practices)
Only 10% of kids who enter Philadelphia public school 9th grade will graduate from college. (OMG Knight Foundation study “College Access and Success Landscape Study (February 2010)” and “Pipeline” to College Graduation for First-time 9th Graders, 1999-2000, School District of Philadelphia Office of Accountability, Jan 2010.)
Each high school dropout costs the public sector $139K in reduced tax payments, $40,500 in increased public health costs, $26,600 in increased criminal activity and $3,000 in increased welfare costs on average over the course of a lifetime. (NGA Center for Best Practices)
Black men who drop out of high school have a greater than 50% chance of being incarcerated during their lifetime. (Northwestern University study)
Increasing high school graduation rates by 10% would prevent 75 murders and 2,030 assaults in Philadelphia each year and 150 murders and 5,900 assaults per year statewide. (The 2008 Fight Crime: Invest in Kids study)
The SDP (School District of Philadelphia) spends $17,253 per district school student and $10,176 per charter school student (SDP 2010-2011 Budget)
The SDP spends $483,084 per classroom of 28 students. (Calculations based on figures from the SDP 2010-2011 Budget)
