The Top Public High Schools in the Philadelphia Region, Ranked for 2024

Some four years since the onset of of the COVID pandemic, Philadelphia-area schools remain busy addressing the learning loss that followed from lockdowns and virtual learning. For many districts, testing and results are returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Many administrators report a sense of renewed vigor as talented educators and students hungry for knowledge have settled back into routines. “We are so proud of the performance of our students and the hard work that our staff have put into their educational experience,” Unionville-Chadds Ford School District superintendent John Sanville tells us. “To some degree, this is COVID bounce-back.”

Lots of schools have used this period to reassess everything from curriculum and methods to how they structure their days. Several schools that saw big improvements credit implementing “lunch-and-learn” hours that allow students to seek out teachers and counselors for extra help and guidance. At New Hope-Solebury, principal Patrick Sasse touts a switch from 42-minute periods to 80-minute blocks: “Reformatting our day allows teachers more depth and time to work with students in the moment.”

Several administrators caution against complacency. “We recognize that academic performance classifications are a snapshot in time,” says Clearview Regional High School district superintendent John Horchak III, “requiring ongoing attention to ensure that the progress becomes systemic once again.”

With that in mind, we offer our annual look at top-performing schools in the city and suburbs, which we’ve supplemented with information on what drove year-to-year improvements in some schools’ results.

— Data analysis by George Recck of Babson College. Reporting by Hillary O’Connor.

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Top Public High Schools in Philadelphia, Ranked for 2024

Analysis

1. Science Leadership Academy

Focus: Stronger college percentage

“Our four-year advisory program is a thoughtful foundational model that puts students into position to feel seen and cared for,” says principal Chris Lehmann. “This manifests in students and families getting the help they need in the college process.”

2. Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School

Focus: Improved student-teacher ratio

“We moved, two years ago, to a career technical education (CTE) model in which college-bound students can study agriculture, food, and natural resources, further allowing students who continue into higher education to focus on the environment,” says principal Jessica McAtamney.

3. Girls’ High

Focus: Strong college percentage

“We have clear and concise communication for expectations for the year,” says principal KaTiedra Argro. “We have one-to-one conferences to customize the students’ paths, and build four-year relationships with a counselor to promote continuity. We identify students for opportunities aligned with dual-credit programs. Our counselors debrief with one another to assure that they present as a community village. And we value the unique voice and skills that Gazelles bring to the table in order to shine through self-advocacy.”

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Top Public High Schools in the Pennsylvania Suburbs, Ranked for 2024

Analysis

1. New Hope-Solebury

Focus: Improved scores across the board

“Our high school took a really big leap in changing our daily bell schedule to a block schedule,” says principal Patrick Sasse. “We’ve gone from the traditional 42-minute class periods to 80-minute blocks. We added a lunch-and-learn hour that allows students freedom to meet with teachers, have time to catch up with friends, or explore different college and career pathways. Reformatting our day allows teachers more depth and time to work with students in the moment.”

2. Council Rock North

Focus: Consistent or better scores across the board

“Two years ago the staff made a commitment to the betterment of students,” says principal Jason Traczykiewicz. “We identified students who did not have a connection with a teacher or staff member and made sure those students made at least one connection, that all students felt supported by adults in the school, that they would want to come to school every day and find their passions. Teachers also worked in their PLC groups to improve practices. AP scores went up, and the number of tests taken increased.”

3. Penncrest

Focus: Improved literature scores

Penncrest’s improvement year over year in lit scores is the result of the “English department of experienced teachers getting back to what they are good at after the pandemic,” says principal Ed Roth. “They spent a lot of time in PLCs [professional learning communities] refining and modifying curriculum. The 9th- and 10th-grade teachers use data from the middle school and assessments throughout the year to highlight strengths and areas for growth.”

4. Unionville

Focus: Improved biology scores

“Through UHS’s lunch-and-learn period, all teachers have dedicated time for collaboration built into their schedule at least one out of every six days,” says principal Amy Jenkins. “In particular, our biology classrooms are also located next to each other. This allows our biology teachers to further cooperate as a team in support of their students’ success.”

5. Renaissance Academy Charter

Focus: Improved algebra and biology

“After analyzing the impact of learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we committed to meeting students where they were in their learning journey,” says principal Michelle Boyd. “Many fundamental skills were missed depending on when the pandemic disrupted their schooling. To address these gaps, we focused on slowing down and intentionally filling in the missing pieces. My advice to other administrators would be to prioritize identifying and addressing these gaps, ensuring that each student receives the support they need to succeed.”

6. Springfield Township

Focus: Improved biology scores

“We had already looked at Next Generation Science Standards for both middle and high school. We really dug into our data available in LinkIt, a system we utilize for analytics, and made adjustments to instruction based on that information,” says superintendent Mary Jo Yannacone. “We saw growth in all three Keystone exams this year, but biology was the most significant. While we want to pay attention to standards, we also want to meet all of our expected outcomes.”

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Top Public High Schools in South Jersey, Ranked for 2024

Analysis

1. Clearview Regional

Focus: Improved math scores

“In an effort to remedy learning loss that occurred during the pandemic,” says superintendent John Horchak III, “there was a renewed focus on addressing the needs of all learners, especially those on the ‘academic proficiency bubble,’ who required some additional supports. Those efforts included implementing academic enrichment classes and utilizing supplemental instructional software.”

2. Eastern Regional

Focus: Improved student-teacher ratio

“The pandemic highlighted the need for increased and innovative student engagement,” says superintendent Robert Cloutier. “In addition to new clubs and activities, we introduced electives like Drones & Aviation, Social Media, and Sports Media, and expanded dual-credit courses. Despite a nationwide teacher shortage, we’ve retained staff by aligning our resources with grants and budgetary needs.”

3. Delran

Focus: Increased college percentage

“We’ve transitioned into the 21st century by working with local businesses such as Lockheed Martin to work collaboratively in our K-12 Innovation and Fabrication Lab,” says principal Brian Stolarick. “We transitioned from a focus on traditional trades to focus on tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, a molding and casting station, etc. Our College Acceleration Program with Rowan College at Burlington County and Stockton College offers students taking selected courses an opportunity to earn both high school and college credit.”

Methodology

These schools performed best in our separate rankings of Philadelphia district and charter schools (46 district schools and 29 charter schools); suburban public schools in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania (70 district schools and five charters); and suburban public schools in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties in New Jersey (51 district schools and one charter). For our calculations, we used the latest publicly available data from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of education and the National Center for Education Statistics; numbers above have been rounded to the nearest whole.