Is Sylvan Heights Science Charter School a good school?

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School ranks in the bottom 17.5% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

How many students attend Sylvan Heights Science Charter School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 209 students attended Sylvan Heights Science Charter School.

What is the racial makeup of Sylvan Heights Science Charter School?

Students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School are 65% African American, 29% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Summary:

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School is an elementary school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving 216 students from kindergarten to 4th grade. The school is part of the Sylvan Heights Science Charter School District, which is ranked 528 out of 610 districts in the state and has a rating of 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School consistently performs below the state average in PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) test scores across all grades and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Math (19.3%) and English Language Arts (31.6%) were significantly lower than the state averages of 40.4% and 53%, respectively. The school has been ranked in the bottom 20% of Pennsylvania elementary schools for the past several years, with its ranking ranging from 1259 out of 1526 schools in 2023-2024 to 1268 out of 1474 schools in 2014-2015. While African American students perform relatively better, ranking in the top 33% of Pennsylvania elementary schools for their subgroup, Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds rank in the bottom 25% and bottom 12% of their respective subgroups, respectively.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools, such as Paxtang Elementary School in the Central Dauphin School District, Sylvan Heights Science Charter School generally performs worse academically. The school's high concentration of students from low-income families, with 98.6% to 100% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch over the past three school years, suggests that the school may be facing significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students. However, the school's relatively high spending per student, ranging from $12,240 to $14,987 over the past four school years, could indicate opportunities for improvement through a closer examination of its instructional practices and resource allocation.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-4

915 S 13th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104

(717) 232-9220

District: Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
1259^th of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,987

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 209

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.1%

Hispanic:

28.7%

Two or more races:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Compare Sylvan Heights Science Charter School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sylvan Heights Science Charter School ranks worse than 82.5% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.88. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (65.1%), Hispanic (28.7%), two or more races (4.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School is 15.7. (See more...)

Compare Sylvan Heights Science Charter School employs 13.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School is $14,987.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sylvan Heights Science Charter School 1259^th of 1526 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Sylvan Heights Science Charter School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sylvan Heights Science Charter School 528^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

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Rank History for all students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2006	37.01	1186^th	1545	23.2%
2007	22.95	1327^th	1555	14.7%
2008	18.54	1361^st	1551	12.3%
2009	17.15	1377^th	1549	11.1%
2010	25.85	1336^th	1579	15.4%
2011	33.24	1275^th	1597	20.2%
2012	28.27	1303^rd	1599	18.5%
2015	12.89	1268^th	1474	14.0%
2016	11.64	1344^th	1554	13.5%
2017	6.48	1419^th	1547	8.3%
2018	7.14	1399^th	1530	8.6%
2019	14.53	1301^st	1544	15.7%
2021	5.79	1341^st	1433	6.4%
2022	8.37	1386^th	1534	9.6%
2023	10.43	1353^rd	1534	11.8%
2024	16.88	1259^th	1526	17.5%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	12.76	1264^th	1414	10.6%
2024	14.89	1262^nd	1432	11.9%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	20.74	1184^th	1488	20.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	12.53	1302^nd	1495	12.9%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	44.87	207^th	437	52.6%
2024	58.22	145^th	437	66.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	26.28	355^th	454	21.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	11	68	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	84
2000	14	112	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	131
2001	19	148	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	176
2002	8	177	2	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	214
2003	8	177	2	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	214
2004	7	180	0	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	217
2005	7	183	3	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	220
2006	7	168	6	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	216
2007	13	182	3	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	219
2008	7	175	1	19	0	n/a	n/a	12	214
2009	5	185	3	16	0	n/a	n/a	7	216
2010	5	170	4	15	0	n/a	n/a	23	217
2011	2	165	3	39	0	0	10	0	219
2012	1	169	3	35	0	0	11	0	219
2013	2	163	1	40	0	0	12	0	218
2014	1	155	1	44	0	0	15	0	216
2015	2	164	0	38	0	0	13	0	217
2016	3	160	0	41	0	0	12	0	216
2017	6	145	3	45	0	0	15	0	214
2018	6	143	3	49	0	0	14	0	215
2019	6	152	3	42	0	0	10	0	213
2020	6	145	2	46	0	0	11	0	210
2021	6	147	2	48	0	0	11	0	214
2022	2	156	1	45	0	0	9	0	213
2023	2	154	0	53	0	0	7	0	216
2024	4	136	0	60	0	0	9	0	209

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	84	4.0	21.0	n/a
2000	131	7.0	18.7	0
2001	176	9.0	19.6	0
2002	214	15.0	14.3	81.3
2003	214	15.0	14.3	81.3
2004	217	13.6	16.0	0
2005	220	14.0	15.7	79.1
2006	216	15.0	14.4	76.9
2007	219	15.0	14.6	78.5
2008	214	14.6	14.7	81.7
2009	216	16.5	13.1	83.3
2010	217	13.4	16.1	92.8
2011	219	14.0	15.6	74.9
2012	219	14.0	15.6	81.7
2013	218	14.0	15.5	82.1
2014	216	15.0	14.4	84.3
2015	217	14.0	15.5	98.6
2016	216	14.0	15.4	100
2017	214	14.5	14.7	100
2018	215	13.6	15.8	100
2019	213	14.0	15.2	100
2020	210	15.0	14.0	99.5
2021	214	13.0	16.4	98.6
2022	213	14.0	15.2	98.6
2023	216	15.0	14.4	100
2024	209	13.3	15.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	84	4.0	21.0	n/a
2000	131	7.0	18.7	0
2001	176	9.0	19.6	0
2002	214	15.0	14.3	81.3
2003	214	15.0	14.3	81.3
2004	217	13.6	16.0	0
2005	220	14.0	15.7	79.1
2006	216	15.0	14.4	76.9
2007	219	15.0	14.6	78.5
2008	214	14.6	14.7	81.7
2009	216	16.5	13.1	83.3
2010	217	13.4	16.1	92.8
2011	219	14.0	15.6	74.9
2012	219	14.0	15.6	81.7
2013	218	14.0	15.5	82.1
2014	216	15.0	14.4	84.3
2015	217	14.0	15.5	98.6
2016	216	14.0	15.4	100
2017	214	14.5	14.7	100
2018	215	13.6	15.8	100
2019	213	14.0	15.2	100
2020	210	15.0	14.0	99.5
2021	214	13.0	16.4	98.6
2022	213	14.0	15.2	98.6
2023	216	15.0	14.4	100
2024	209	13.3	15.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$758 (5.5%)	$13,055 (94.5%)	$13,813
2020	$985 (7.6%)	$11,952 (92.4%)	$12,936
2021	$1,401 (11.4%)	$10,839 (88.6%)	$12,240
2022	$2,923 (19.5%)	$12,064 (80.5%)	$14,987

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1301^st of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 1353^rd of 1534 Elementary schools	3.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	33.3	23.8	9.5%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	46.2	40.5	5.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	2.6	5.6	3%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	55.3	25	30.3%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	44.7	8.3	36.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
All Grades Math (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	18.2	15.4	2.8%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	55.3	25	30.3%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Sylvan Heights Science Charter School)	45.5	25.7	19.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	213	216	1.4%
African American	152	154	1.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	0	100%
Hispanic	42	53	26.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	6	2	66.7%
Two or More Races	10	7	30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSSA Math (2024)					PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sylvan Heights Science Charter School	Public, Charter	K-4	915 S 13th Street	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Sylvan Heights Science Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 232-9220	209	13	15.7	100.0%	4 (1.9%)	136 (65.1%)	60 (28.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.3%)	16.9	1259^th of 1526 public elementary schools	17.5%		10.4	1353^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	11.8%	94	24.3	14.6			19.3	65.9	65.9	34.2	29.3			31.6	$14,987	$2,923	$12,064
Foose School	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 Sycamore St	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1280	511	48	10.6	100.0%	8 (1.6%)	207 (40.5%)	273 (53.4%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	3.4	1510^th of 1526 public elementary schools	1.0%		2.9	1529^th of 1534 public elementary schools	0.3%	19	10.7	9.1	3.1		7.8	32.5	32.5	17.6	7.8	3.1		9.8	$23,694	$615	$23,078
Scott School	Public	K-5	1900 Derry Street	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4560	489	30	16.5	100.0%	9 (1.8%)	192 (39.3%)	254 (51.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.7%)	3	1519^th of 1526 public elementary schools	0.5%		2.9	1528^th of 1534 public elementary schools	0.4%	9	8.5	4.5	2.9		5.1	22.4	22.4	10.7	8.5	9.9		9.7	$27,242	$707	$26,534
Melrose School	Public	K-5	2041 Berryhill St	Harrisburg	17104	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1440	605	36	17.0	100.0%	15 (2.5%)	276 (45.6%)	252 (41.7%)	27 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.8%)	5.3	1460^th of 1526 public elementary schools	4.3%		4.6	1490^th of 1534 public elementary schools	2.9%	30	18.5	4.2	7.6		10.2	45.3	45.3	18.7	10.5	14.7		14.6	$23,011	$598	$22,413
Premier Arts and Science Charter School	Public, Charter	K-3	500 North 17th Street	Harrisburg	17103	Dauphin County	Premier Arts and Science Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 234-3200	163	13	12.5	100.0%	5 (3.1%)	104 (63.8%)	46 (28.2%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.7%)								(n/a)	10.7				10.7			21.4				21.4	$2,554	$2,554	$00
Benjamin Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-5	1205 N 6th Street	Harrisburg	17102	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1200	740	45	16.3	100.0%	29 (3.9%)	385 (52.0%)	273 (36.9%)	16 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.0%)	3.7	1502^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	1.6%		3.2	1523^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	0.7%	21	8.2	9.0	2.0		6.4	39.2	39.2	11.8	12.0	9.8		11.2	$25,282	$657	$24,626
Downey School	Public	PK, KG-5	1313 Monroe St	Harrisburg	17103	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1240	406	33	12.2	100.5%	4 (1.0%)	190 (46.8%)	184 (45.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.7%)	2.2	1525^th of 1526 public elementary schools	0.1%		2.3	1533^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	0.1%	8	2.3	1.7	1.9		1.9	15.0	15.0	9.5	3.2	7.4		6.3	$24,370	$633	$23,737
Paxtang Elementary School	Public	K-5	3530 Rutherford St	Harrisburg	17111	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 561-1781	280	17	16.4	100.0%	66 (23.6%)	77 (27.5%)	58 (20.7%)	46 (16.4%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.7%)	38.9	1020^th of 1526 public elementary schools	33.2%		42.5	983^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	35.9%	37	30.8	36.3	42.0		36.7	77.2	77.2	46.1	31.8	51.7		44.3	$16,635	$3,064	$13,571
Steelton-Highspire Elementary School	Public	K-6	250 Reynders Avenue	Steelton	17113	Dauphin County	Steelton-Highspire School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 704-3826	759	55	13.7		66 (8.7%)	385 (50.7%)	201 (26.5%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (13.4%)	7.4	1404^th of 1526 public elementary schools	8.0%		5.3	1464^th of 1534 public elementary schools	4.6%	60	14.7	9.6	9.4	1.1	9.0	45.8	45.8	16.7	12.9	30.2	21.0	20.2	$11,362	$4,472	$6,890
Hillside Elementary School	Public	K-5	516 7th St	New Cumberland	17070	York County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 774-1321	504	35	14.3	54.0%	318 (63.1%)	53 (10.5%)	90 (17.9%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (7.3%)	49.8	866^th of 1526 public elementary schools	43.3%		55	781^st of 1534 public elementary schools	49.1%	85	46.3	44.7	50.0		47.1	73.3	73.3	48.8	43.0	60.6		51.1	$18,484	$1,518	$16,966

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Sylvan Heights Science Charter School:

What do you think?

Rank History for Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rank History for all students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rank History for Female students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rank History for Male students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rank History for African American students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Enrollment information for Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Student/Teacher Ratio Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Impact of COVID-19 on Sylvan Heights Science Charter School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sylvan Heights Science Charter School