Outcomes Overview

“Outcomes” is a hot word these days—and rightfully so. We at Gesu School must be accountable to all our constituencies. They include our children and families to whom we must report that the quality education we tout is really a quality education; our generous donors that their gifts are leveling the playing field for our inner-city children; and the Jesuits and IHM Sisters who have committed their ongoing sponsorship in confidence that we are fulfilling our mission here in North Philadelphia. We also need to report accurately that Gesu as a non-profit institution is well-managed, conservative in spending and fiscally responsible.

Visitors see the evidence of Gesu’s culture in the faces of the happy, respected and respectful children whose hands shoot up in the air to ask and answer questions in every class.

However, the real proof is in the test scores. In spite of a documented cultural bias in standardized testing, our children do well and, most importantly, they improve dramatically. In October 2004 our 8th graders took the Terra Nova tests, and the average total composite score in reading and math is in the 55th national percentile — and this figure includes those 8th graders who receive regular remedial help due to learning disabilities and/or very low reading levels.

With no admission selectivity, our children have a wide range of ability. Thus, it’s interesting to compare these 8th grade scores to the scores of the same children when they were in 4th grade. Among all our current 8th graders, individual scores increased over their 4th grade scores by an average of 69%. As more “proof,” the average of the ten 8th graders who had the highest test scores is in the 73rd national percentile, with an average increase of 42% over their 4th grade scores. The ten 8th graders who had the lowest test scores averaged in the 33rd national percentile with a 109% increase over their 4th grade scores!

If only there were standardized tests to measure inward qualities of character, values, self-confidence and caring for others, our children would indeed score very high. Of course, to become productive adults in this rapidly changing world, children need both sets of tools—strong academic skills as well as grounded personal qualities.

Looking forward, we want to ensure that Gesu School continues to serve many generations by providing quality education in this neighborhood. We plan to solve our space needs, build our endowment, add enrichment opportunities, and spread the word of this little miracle school’s success.

Christine S. Beck
President/CEO, Gesu School

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Success Stories

Click here for success stories from trustees, students, and alumni

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Gesu Book: A Model School

Inspired by the vision, the values and the success of Gesu School, author Jerrold Footlick tells the Gesu story for other schools to use as their own inspiration. Author and former senior editor at Newsweek Magazine, Jerrold Footlick spent more than two years conducting interviews and meticulously researching Gesu’s rich past to produce “A Model School: How Philadelphia’s Gesu School is Remaking Inner-City Education.”

The book is available through Gesu School. To obtain your copy, please contact the Development Office at 215-763-9077.

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