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GreatSchools Rating

Girls High School

Public | PK, 9-12 | 1124 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
Based on 2 ratings
2012:
Based on 3 ratings
2011:
Based on 6 ratings
2010:
Based on 4 ratings

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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48 reviews of this school


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Posted March 17, 2013

Girls High is still a great institution for young women who plan to go to college post high school. Yes it has had some episodes of violence,but the administration handled it very diplomatically and followed proper procedures. The school is 65% African American 15% Latina,15% Asian and 5% and for an inner city public magnet school, I would say based on the population of the city this is quite diverse. Why do people feel that having a high percentage of African American young people striving for success is such a bad thing? Karen S. Dawson-Haines Concerned and Proactive Parent
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 7, 2013

Girls High has going down dramatically, they now accept any and everyone. The violence is out of control. most of the kids are black, so it is not diverse. and a lot of the teachers stoop down to the kids level, and are unorganized.


Posted October 8, 2012

If anyone wants to come to this school please don't it is not as good as it sounds the teachers teach way too fast and then they give you tests the very next day and if you fail that test your grades go down in Spanish class I got an F and I already know Spanish they do nothing but mess your good records up and also the school is not as diverse because they are all mostly African american. Anyway please don't come here I wish I've never came here.
—Submitted by a student


Posted July 12, 2012

Girls High has given me such pride and joy:) I love the sisterhood and also the challange that Girls High has given me:) I have had the opportunity to be taught by wonderful and highly experienced teachers, including the awesome art teacher:) It has been a pleasure being his student:) From him I learned discipline, hard work, determination, and accepting strict crisicism:) I would like to say thanks to all of my girls high sisters and teachers for making the four years of high school a blast for me:) I will always be a girls high girl and will definently visit for many of the fun events that Girls High provide, such as Songs of the Season, Country Fair, Career Day, Contest, and Move Up Day:)
—Submitted by a student


Posted July 12, 2012

Choosing Girls' High was the first major life decision I ever made. I have yet to make a better one. There are so many different programs, for whatever your interest may be. Your success is only limited by your desire; when you graduate, you will be well-prepared to further your education. I would recommend this school to any young lady who aspires to lead.
—Submitted by a student


Posted August 10, 2011

Girls High is a great school becasue it is a college prep school. Don't go if you aren't prepared to work. Someone complained about test and quizes being 70% of your grade. If you do your work and study then you will pass. This concept really prepares you for college because that is how college works (the purpose of this school). In college it can be worse than 70%. Some times you only have 3 test and that average plus attendance is your grade. I personally challenged myself and took AP classes. Not only did I take harder classes but I also played multiple instruments and a sport in every season and graduated with a 3.97 GPA. You just have to actually do your work. This isn't a school where u can just ease through. On top of preparing you for college it has many tradtions and activities that other schools do not have. This allows Girls High to be a wonderful and memorable experience. Almost every woman in my family has graduated from Girls High and I plan on passing on this tradition to my own kids one day. - a graduate of GHS
—Submitted by a student


Posted June 23, 2011

Going Girls high was the greatest experience of my life...coming from a low income African American community I was amazed at all the different races and cultures I was introduced to...the school gave me a great education as well as a place to call home...the teachers were amazing and the girls were as well....anyone lucky enough to be accepted should be grateful!!
—Submitted by a student


Posted May 19, 2011

I hope to send my grand daughters there one day. As a graduate of Girls' High School, I can only brag of it's great concepts and concerns for educating young women.


Posted May 18, 2011

I have a bittersweet opinion on GHS. If you're a slacker, I wouldn't recommended this school at all. Most of the teachers cannot teach clearly, or are very unorganized. The grading system SUCKS. Tests and quizzes count as 70% percent of your grade. If you fail one tiny little quiz, it'll bring your grade down traumatically. It's very hard not to be stressed out at GHS. When I first got to orientation they made it seem like a good school, but it's not as good as it sounds. It's an "okay" school.. The only thing keeping me at GHS are my parents and friends.. If I had a choice to transfer I would.
—Submitted by a student


Posted January 29, 2011

school's difficulty is ok unless you join the IB program or take AP classes, it is not a bad school but diversity would help a bit. Girls high is not as diverse as it sounds but other than that it is an ok school.


Posted January 12, 2011

I am only a Freshman at Girls High, and at first i had my doubts about coming here. When I arrived and saw how warm the teachers are, and how willingly they are to help you when you need help; i knew that this was the school for me. The principal ,and I don't affiliate as much as i would like to; however, i am not complaning since I see her through the halls, cafeteria, and classrooms; i think our face to face contact has been fulfilled. The teachers at Girls high as so open to conversation; my African American History teacher welcomes us into her class everyday saying " thank you for coming to school today, thank you for coming to class today; and as always my pleasure. The teachers always tell you that they are hear if you ever need t o talk; i think that is something that should be in every school. I have always been a student who loves to strive for good grades; and attending Girls High allows me to acheive this striving goal. The academics at girls high are very rigorous, even though we don't have many AP classes; they do provide us with IB classes, which are much harder ( so i've heard). The academics, teachers, school is all wonderful; and i am proud to be aprt of it
—Submitted by a student


Posted November 15, 2010

Please dont listen to all the rumors if I did my daughter would not be at Girls high today, this is a great schoool, it reminds me of a private school that is free, so much extra activities,. Girls high has great teachers it is up to the kids to make use of this and more parent involvement is needed. My daughter did not want to go here because of all the rumors but now she loves it her grades are very good and all she talks about is college, it is really a college prep school as they focus on colleges as early as freshman year, the new principal is great and as always there is always going to be kids out of controll but with help from parents they should be good. My daughter is so focused and i am so happy i choose Girls high..
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 27, 2010

the school is not what it once was. the teaching staff is excellent for the most part. There is a lot of extra activities. Safety is excellent. Discipline is unevenly dealth with. The Principal Leadership is terrible. She has taken away Traditions and her demeanor to parents and also students is terrible for a Principal, She is rude and talks down to many of them.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 3, 2010

It's a good school but some of the students in there have bad attitudes and constantly bully underclassmen,
—Submitted by a student


Posted October 5, 2009

I love that Girls' High has maintained all of their traditions, and still has excellent academics.
—Submitted by a student


Posted September 21, 2009

This is one of the best schools a girl can hope to attend. An excellent, supportive staff is there for every girl's needs and the educational opportunities are endless. I am so proud that my child attends this school and would recommend every parent consider Girl's High as the place to send their daughter. Gwendolyn M. Goldwire
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 19, 2009

Best experience! So much school spirit, support, and love. Staff truly cared and helped out when needed. School events were fun. Felt very prepared for colege when I ggraduated.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 19, 2009

There really is an intangible spirit. Great faculty and staff and great girls. It's a place where a girl can happily and comfortably blossom into a young woman, while getting a great education. I was super prepared for college and for life. Thanks GHS!
—Submitted by a student


Posted September 18, 2009

Girls High, is an institution that provides young women with the opportunity to gain a great H.S. education without having to worry about the pressures of boys. It cultivates young women to be leaders and to have a voice. Women are encouraged to excel in all aspects of their lives, from education to extra- curricular activities.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 17, 2009

I loved my whole school experience at Girls' High. Graduating from there gave me a sense of pride like no other. Girls' High gave me an opportunity to meet a diverse group of people from all over the city. I also left with great memories from all of the events. I wouldn't change it for the world.
—Submitted by a parent


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.

Grade level

Math

The state average for Math was 60% in 2012.

254 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
82%

2010

 
 
77%

2009

 
 
76%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 68% in 2012.

252 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
89%

2010

 
 
91%

2009

 
 
88%
Science

The state average for Science was 42% in 2012.

245 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
20%

2011

 
 
27%

2010

 
 
31%

2009

 
 
29%
Writing

The state average for Writing was 83% in 2012.

250 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
98%

2011

 
 
100%

2010

 
 
95%

2009

 
 
100%
Scale: % at or above proficient

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Pennsylvania used the Pennsylvania System of State Assessments (PSSA) to test students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 in math and reading, in grades 5, 8 and 11 in writing, and in grades 4, 8 and 11 in science. The results for reading, writing, science and math are displayed on GreatSchools profiles. The PSSA is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Pennsylvania. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the test.

See Pennsylvania's state standards

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Math

All Students68%
Female68%
Malen/a
Black65%
Asian89%
Hispanic50%
Multi-ethnicn/a
White70%
Economically disadvantaged68%
Students with disabilities (IEP)n/a
English language learnersn/a

Reading

All Students77%
Female77%
Malen/a
Black77%
Asian79%
Hispanic63%
Multi-ethnicn/a
White83%
Economically disadvantaged80%
Students with disabilities (IEP)n/a
English language learnersn/a

Science

All Students20%
Female20%
Malen/a
Black20%
Asian27%
Hispanic20%
Multi-ethnicn/a
White9%
Economically disadvantaged22%
Students with disabilities (IEP)n/a
English language learnersn/a

Writing

All Students98%
Female98%
Malen/a
Black98%
Asian100%
Hispanic100%
Multi-ethnicn/a
White96%
Economically disadvantaged97%
Students with disabilities (IEP)n/a
English language learnersn/a
Scale: % at or above proficient

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Pennsylvania used the Pennsylvania System of State Assessments (PSSA) to test students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 in math and reading, in grades 5, 8 and 11 in writing, and in grades 4, 8 and 11 in science. The results for reading, writing, science and math are displayed on GreatSchools profiles. The PSSA is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Pennsylvania. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the test.

The different student groups are identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Pennsylvania's state standards

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Breaking down the GreatSchools Rating

GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools. Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school. Learn more »


Student ethnicity

Ethnicity This school State average
Black 63% 16%
Asian/Pacific Islander 16% 3%
White 12% 73%
Hispanic 8% 7%
American Indian/Alaska Native 0% 0%
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per FTE teacher 18N/A15
Source: NCES, 2008-2009
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

1400 West Olney Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19141
Phone: (215) 276-5258

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