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Still aiming for smaller high school feel, District shifts efforts

Whose academy is it?

District academies: Most District high schools now have a "ninth grade academy," and students in grades 10-12 are also divided into "academies" that provide focused career training in a specific field. Citywide, there are 86 academy programs in 13 different career areas.

Philadelphia Academies Inc.: Thirty-three of the District's 86 academies are affiliated with this nonprofit, whose staff provides students with supports in getting job-related experience. Seeking to decrease high school dropout and youth unemployment rates, civic, business, and government leaders joined together to develop the academy model during the 1960s. The first academy opened at Edison High in 1969.

Talent Development academies: "Ninth Grade Success Academies" and "Tenth grade academies" at some schools are part of Talent Development High School's (TDHS) whole-school reform model, which operates at Edison, Franklin, Germantown, Gratz, Kensington, Strawberry Mansion, and South Philadelphia. TDHS academies are designed to give students added support in making the transition to rigorous high school courses. Talent Development operates through a partnership between the District and the Philadelphia Education Fund, supported by Johns Hopkins University.

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