Philly’s charter and Catholic schools are seeing higher student participation in remote learning than district schools, survey finds

Many Philadelphia charter and private schools are reporting higher overall student participation than the city’s traditional public schools since the start of remote learning, possibly because they are smaller and can more nimbly make the transition, the nonprofit Philadelphia School Partnership says.

In a survey that drew responses from 117 charter and private — primarily Catholic — schools that received Chromebooks donated by the nonprofit, it found that most launched online learning by the end of March, about two weeks after Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all commonwealth schools to close.

Student participation rates for those 117 schools in either the last week of April or first week of May were 78% for K-3 students, 80% for students in grades 4-8, and 69% of high schoolers, according to results of the survey released this week.

The Philadelphia School District, which officially began teacher-led instruction May 4, reported 57% of its students participated that week — including 48% of students in K-8 schools, and 73% in middle and high schools. It said participation had increased to 61% for the week of May 11.

» READ MORE: Who’s showing up for school during the pandemic? In Philly, it’s just over half of students.

The Philadelphia School Partnership is an influential nonprofit that donates millions to charter, private, and other city schools. Its executive director, Mark Gleason, attributed the participation rates among private schools and charters — which are publicly funded but independently run and educate about 70,000 Philadelphia students — in part to their smaller size.

"Scale matters in a crisis,” Gleason said, comparing that population to the 130,000 students who attend the city’s traditional public schools. “The larger the system, the harder it is to introduce dramatic change.”

Families paying tuition also expect private schools to deliver, Gleason said.

Philadelphia School Partnership said 70 charter campuses, 41 Catholic schools, and six other private schools completed its survey. The schools indicated at least 80% of students had broadband internet access at home. And the schools often serve a different demographic: A report last year by the Education Law Center found that new Philadelphia charters enrolled fewer economically disadvantaged students, students with severe disabilities and English language learners than the traditional public schools.

But thousands still lack access, Gleason said.

Schools “have to accept that as a cost of being a school in the COVID era, internet service for students at home is essential,” he said.

Half of charters in the survey said they are paying for internet service or mobile hotspots for families. Philadelphia School Partnership has distributed 15,000 Chromebooks to charter and private schools.

Monica Lewis, a Philadelphia School District spokesperson, said the district has been committed to educating Philadelphia public school students throughout the pandemic, including by working to secure funding for Chromebooks.

Still, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. has acknowledged the technology challenges. He told City Council this week that internet access should be free for all students, and that the district had unsuccessfully appealed to Comcast and other internet providers to open their WiFi networks.

» READ MORE: Philly schools chief says internet providers refuse to open their networks so students can access education

School leaders said communicating with families is also key to ensure participation. The Universal charter network, which launched virtual school for its seven charters and 4,300 students on April 13, directed its principals to make daily phone calls to parents.

“By no means am I going to sit here and tell you this was an easy process," Superintendent Penny Nixon said. But “we set the bar really high for kids and families.” Participation in the virtual program — which includes live lessons, as well as assignments for students to work at their own pace — has ranged from 73% of elementary students, to 85% of middle and 83% of high school students, Nixon said.

At Ad Prima Charter School, which has campuses in Mount Airy and Overbrook, students are expected to be online from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — “same as a regular school day,” said CEO Niya Blackwell. If they don’t log on by 8:30 a.m., “we’re calling the home." Blackwell said "it was hard for parents in the beginning,” but families have adjusted. Attendance at the charter, which has 650 students, has climbed from the 80% range to 90%.

The city’s largest charter network, Mastery, said about 75% of elementary students and between 50% to 75% of high school students across its 24 schools in Philadelphia and Camden participated in online learning last week. When it launched in late April, participation was in the 50-60% range, said CEO Scott Gordon.

The network has focused on connecting with families, Gordon said, and some teachers have taken creative approaches to boost engagement — like a Mastery Pastorius elementary teacher who delivered cheesesteaks to reward students for completing assignments.

“Our goal is that every single student is engaged in learning regularly," Gordon said. "Every child who’s not is a crisis.”