Educational Philosophy

Data Driven Instruction:

Assessment and data driven instruction is at the center of the ASPIRA’s instructional framework.  ASPIRA schools employ the use of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing through the Northwest Education Association module. The MAP assessment is nationally normed and provides specific student level data that are real time indicators of their reading and math levels as compared to a sample of their peers across the country. The administration of this assessment across all grades K-12 will help to inform not only our primary instructional decision-making and professional development opportunities but will help to identify the needs of our students that require support and additional resources.

 

Curriculum:

Our curriculum is designed to prepare students for secondary and postsecondary success, and our goal is to create a college-bound culture and a teaching and learning environment that will enable our students to reach their full potential. Our model is also based on a continuous improvement process that relies on the extensive use of data to track and measure student progress, through both MAP and curricular-based measurements, and to inform instructional plans and strategies such as differentiated instruction and flexible grouping.

  • Pantoja was recognized by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education at the 2017 Title I Improving Schools' Performance Conference as a 2016-2017 Distinguished Title I School for being a "Highest 5% Title I School in Aggregate Math & Reading"
 
  • Pantoja opened with full enrollment in all 9 grades, with little advertisement other than word of mouth.
 
  • Pantoja regularly achieves Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), boasting some of the largest 5th grade math increases in the city of Philadelphia.