School Demographics
I am a dual-certified Secondary (7-12) Social Studies and English teacher at Hill-Freedman World Academy (HFWA), an International Baccalaureate Title I public magnet high school tucked away deep within the urban backdrop of Northwest Philadelphia. HFWA is a very small, but expanding school. The genesis of the high school model began only three years ago, as an answer to the a call from the already existing middle school parents for a rigorous public-school option for their children to continue their secondary education in the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia. Student enrollment will reach 400 at the outset of the 2015-2016 school year. The school currently serves freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The rising juniors will be the inaugural graduating class from HFWA. The students of HFWA generally read at a post-high school level upon entering 9th grade and have scores of proficient or advanced on state standardized tests. Students must also have excellent behavior and attendance records to gain admittance. The school is a niche academic powerhouse that is quickly garnering a reputation on the public stage.
The school demographic consists of 98% African American as is typical of most Philadelphia pubic schools, and over 75% of these students are economically disadvantaged. HFWA also has the unique distinction of having of over half of the student population identified as Students with Exceptional Needs. While most of these students have Individualized Educational Plans (IEP) in a self-contained learning environment, the administration requires and stresses collaboration and cooperation with the general education population, with the requirement that each general education teacher work a minimum of two times throughout the school year in a joint unit where students are meant to intermingle and learn together.
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