Why a puzzling wait for state test scores is especially hard on Philadelphia middle schoolers
Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. The high school application season is a perennial source of stress for Philadelphia eighth graders. But this year, some students and families say the process is even more frustrating. That’s because…
Philadelphia middle school students are facing an especially puzzling wait for state test scores, which is causing increased stress during the high school application season. The key criterion for admissions into several magnet schools - state test scores - have not been released yet. This has left roughly 8,500 district eighth graders without crucial information for their applications.
Superintendent Tony Watlington delayed the school selection process by several weeks, opening the application window from Oct. 5 to Nov. 24. He has also announced that applicants will submit both 2025 and 2026 assessment data. However, the release of official results for district elementary and middle school students is still expected sometime in November, despite being said "on hold" by the state.
Students and parents are finding the application process more confusing without the state test scores, which are usually shared with teachers and families before the school year begins. Several charter schools and other districts in the state have already released PSSA scores, but Philadelphia school officials have not yet done so.
Parents and students have expressed appreciation for the delay, which gives them more time to tour schools and consider options, but the process has become increasingly confusing due to the lack of state test scores.
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