Move Schools Forward Report
Philadelphia families want schools to prioritize curriculum and instruction, student safety, and teacher quality.
As Philadelphia emerges from the pandemic, we believe we have both a moral imperative and a unique opportunity to prepare students for the world of tomorrow by modernizing the learning experience in schools today. However, we are all living in a new education reality that requires us to think differently about how we support and educate students. With this in mind, we gathered information about the education landscape coming out of the pandemic, and commissioned Embold Research, a leading nonpartisan research organization, to conduct a citywide survey of Philadelphia families.
In our research, we found the degree of consensus about what parents want for their children surprising. Regardless of where their children attend school, parents are united in seeking a modern educational experience that prepares their children to thrive in the classroom and in life. These findings led us to develop a report that proposes six action steps as part of a comprehensive education strategy for the next mayor to move schools forward.
You will find below links to a copy of the report and the press release, and report and survey resources.
The challenges of the last few years have created an urgency for elevating what works and focusing on what connects us rather than what divides us. With a new governor, superintendent and a crowded field of mayoral candidates in Philadelphia vying for the Democratic nomination in May, we can chart a new course for our students if we choose it.
Elevate 215 is committed to amplifying the voices of Philadelphia families, students, educators and community members about their education priorities, examining local proof points and research, and working with civic and school leaders to lift up practices and programs that work for students.
We invite you to join us in our mission to make sure that every child in Philadelphia has access to a great school.
Link to Move Schools Forward Report.
Report and Survey Resources
Survey Data:
Survey Methodology:
- Embold Research conducted the survey shortly after the beginning of the school year, from September 22 – October 5, 2022.
- 404 surveys completed by parents living in Philadelphia, PA.
- The modeled margin of error was +/- 5.1%.
- Survey fielded online using a combination of
- Targeted advertisements on Facebook and Instagram
- Text messages sent, via the Switchboard platform, to cell phone numbers listed on the voter file for individuals who qualified for the survey’s sample universe, based on their voter file data.
- the Lucid sample aggregator, which recruits respondents from dozens of different online panels. All members of these panels are admitted to our survey based on qualification in a pre-screening survey administered by Lucid.
- Data weighted to accurately depict the gender and race/ethnicity of adults in Philadelphia, PA.
Some basic demographic facts about survey participants include:
D1. Are you:
47% Male
53 Female
0 Other
D2. In what year were you born? [recoded to the following age buckets]
20% 18 to 34
55 35 to 49
20 50 to 64
5 65+
D3. What is your race?
39% Black or African American
34 White / Caucasian
20 Hispanic or Latino/a
4 Asian / Pacific Islander
1 American Indian or Alaska Native
2 Other
D4. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
23% High school diploma or less
22 Some college, but no degree
15 Associate’s degree, or two-year college degree
19 Bachelor’s degree, or four-year college degree
21 Graduate degree
Q2. What kind of K-12 school does your child or do your children attend? Please select all that apply.
42% Public District school
29 Public Charter school
17 Private school
13 Parochial or faith-based schools
6 Homeschool
3 Other (please specify)
Q3. What grade level is your child or children currently enrolled in? Please select all that apply.
15% Pre-K
55 K – 5
31 6 – 8
33 9 – 12
Background Information:
-
- All student enrollment and demographic data shared in the report were created using data based on the School District of Philadelphia’s Research Brief: Enrollment Report and the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Non-Public Private Enrollment Report.
- All funding data comes from recent public reporting on the State lawsuit, and resources below:
- PA ranks 45th in State Funding according to: PA Schools Work fact sheet
- PA ranks 10th in spending, according to: Hanson, Melanie, “U.S. Public Education Spending Statistics” EducationData.org, June 15, 2022.