Parents, community members and neighborhood groups have all been important participants in the development of the new university-assisted public elementary school, which opened with kindergarten and first grade in September 2001. The Penn Alexander School’s new building opened in September 2002, with classrooms for grades Pre K-8, and state-of-the-art specialized learning spaces. The school is located in a park-like setting featuring a playground, a playing field with a grass amphitheater seating area, a rain garden and a science garden.

Located on a five-acre campus site between 42nd and 43rd streets from Locust to Spruce Streets, this unique public school has already been hailed as a “gold standard” by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities for bringing the most effective, research-proven educational practices into the classroom. The Penn Alexander School opened its new building to children in grades K, 1, 2, 5 and 6 in September 2002, as well as a Head Start classroom, and should eventually house 700 students in grades PreK-8 by 2004. Already serving a diverse student body from the local community, the school will be a centrally located hub of neighborhood life and an active educational partner for other schools in West Philadelphia.

There are a number of distinctive elements that make the new Penn Alexander School a model approach to public education:

• Challenging, Research-Based Academic Program
• Neighborhood School Celebrating the Diversity of its Community
• State-of-the-art Building and Site Design
• Penn’s Academic and Financial Support.
• Leadership from an Accomplished Principal and Staff.

Proven, Challenging Academic Program
The Penn Alexander School incorporates the best teaching strategies, encouraging high academic achievement and an enthusiasm for life-long learning. Classes are small, with a student-teacher ratio of 17:1 in kindergarten and 23:1 in grades 1-8. The innovative curriculum, developed in cooperation with Penn Graduate School of Education, features strong literacy, math, and science. There is a technology-rich environment, with a unique emphasis on using community resources as an extension of the classroom.

True Neighborhood School with a Culturally Diverse Student Body
As a neighborhood school, the Penn Alexander School is open to all children living in the defined attendance area of University City. The current student body reflects West Philadelphia’s historic cultural diversity, including representation from over 17 countries and nearly as many languages. The school will also serve as a center for community social and adult education activities, often in partnership with neighborhood organizations. Community-wide recreational, social, artistic, civic and educational programs will have access to the school facilities.

State-of-the-art Building and Site Design
The Penn Alexander School is located on a five-acre block between 42nd and 43rd, Locust and Spruce Streets in West Philadelphia. Construction on a new, state-of-the-art building began in March 2000 and was completed in time for school to open in September 2002. The library of the landmark Philadelphia Divinity School is the future site of a Penn GSE professional development center.

Faculty and staff from the Penn Graduate School of Education, local teachers, parents and members of the community have all contributed to the Penn Alexander School’s design, which was developed to meet the age-appropriate educational and developmental needs of children. There are a variety of innovative teaching and study spaces, both indoors and outside. The gymnasium, cafeteria and library are designed to be accessible for community use.

Penn’s Academic and Financial Support
Penn’s support to the neighborhood partnership school is both academic and financial. The University’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) provides critical research and expertise in effective educational approaches, new teacher training, curriculum and professional development. For many years Penn faculty, staff and students have worked in West Philadelphia schools, as student teachers, mentors and tutors. In fact, thousands of Philadelphia school district teachers already have participated in a wide array of Penn's professional and curriculum development opportunities and practice laboratories.

The University leases the land to the School District of Philadelphia for a $1 per year and is providing up to $700,000 in annual operating support for a 10-year renewable term, based on an allocation of $1,000 per student. This allows the new Penn Alexander School to have smaller classes and provide other, research-driven “best practices” in the curriculum.

Strong Leadership from an Accomplished Principal and Staff
Sheila Sydnor, a veteran School District of Philadelphia teacher and administrator and West Philadelphia native, is the first principal of the Penn Alexander School. A committee composed of parents and Penn and school district representatives chose Sydnor from a national pool of 60 candidates because of her demonstrated abilities as a school leader, her commitment to building learning communities and her 25 years of experience in creating conditions for high student achievement.