Only 1 in 10 students who entered a Philadelphia public high school in 1999 earned a 2- or 4-year degree by 2009, according to School District of Philadelphia data reported in the Philadelphia Public School Notebook.
Of the students tracked in the survey, 48% graduated high school in 4 years and another 10% obtained diplomas in 5 or 6 years. Fewer than half who completed high school enrolled in a college within a year of graduation. The figures do not include students in charter or nonpublic schools. According to the report, Philadelphia’s college graduation data is similar to that of other big-city school districts.
"The city’s never before had a pipeline and known how many kids make it through each phase of their education,” Lori Shorr, the head of Mayor Michael Nutter’s education office told the Notebook. “We all no where we’re starting. Unfortunately, we’re not starting in a great place.”
Statewide, 28% of 9th graders complete high school on time and earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years or a two-year degree within 3 years of graduation.
