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Philadelphia Area Schools and their Neighborhoods - Research Guide

This guide is designed to help students find out information about specific schools in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, demographic data about the regions surrounding a specific school, and secondary literature about important related educational and social issues.

I. Data on Schools and School Districts

A. United States - Data Collected at National level (so data for ALL schools in the nation)

1. Common Core of Data (CCD) - U.S. Department of Education. (online)

Covers public elementary and secondary schools and school districts in the U.S. Data includes total student population, student population by grade, by race, by gender, as well as FTE classroom teachers, student/teacher ratio, and free lunch and reduced-price lunch eligibility. Current school and district data shown is for 2005-2006. Data back to 1986/87 is available via the Build a Table section and in ZIP format to be used with statistical programs.

2. Private School Universe Survey. (online)

Data from private schools that participated in the NCES Private School Survey (PSS). Gives location, classroom teachers (FTE), student/teacher ratio, enrollment by grade, enrollment by race and ethnicity. The survey is conducted every two years. Current data is for 2005-2006school year.

3. School District Demographics System - NCES (online)

Includes the Census 2000 School District Tabulation (STP2) Data and similar data for 1990. For data on one district, do not select a second district. See also the 2005 American Community Survey for some areas. Developed under the sponsorship of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

4. SchoolMatters (online)

Collection of performance data at the school level. For schools, districts and states across the nation, the website will display available data required to be publicly reported under NCLB. SchoolMatters is provided by the National Education Data Partnership, a collaborative effort of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services, Achieve, Inc., and the CELT Corporation and is funded by The Broad Foundation and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

B. Pennsylvania - Data Collected at the PA State level (so data for ALL schools in PA)

1. Pennsylvania Department of Education. Academic Achievement Report: 2006-07. (online)

Pennsylvania's Academic Achievement Report is designed to summarize and display state, district, and school status on key academic indicators necessary to measure Adequate Yearly Progress. Search by school or district name.

2. Pennsylvania Department of Education. State, District, and School Report Cards (online)

Includes direct links to the State Report Cards going back to 2002, some District Report Cards from those years, and the Pennsylvania School Profiles Archives for 1995-1996 to 2000-2001. (See Philadelphia School District below for current school level data). Data includes enrollment, attendance rate, class size, dropout rates, graduation rates, graduate intentions, staffing, and assessment results. There is also a link to Average SAT Scores for Public Schools by School Building.

3.Selected Expenditure Data for Pennsylvania Public Schools. Harrisburg : Dept. of Education. (print)

Print: [Van Pelt Library: LB2826.P4 P555], 1982/83-1994/1995, 1996/1997, 2000/2001], latest in Reference. Online: 1997/98 - 2000/01. See also the K-12 Finances.

C. Philadelphia and suburbs - Regional and City School Data Sources

1. School District of Philadelphia. (online)

For school level data, search by School Name. Demographic and climate data includes race/ethnic composition, average daily attendance, suspensions, teacher attendance, and serious incidents. Includes current year and some back years. Reports also include PSSA and Terranova/SUPERA data from present back to 1995/96.

2. Report Card on the Schools 2007: A Decade of Change. Philadelphia Inquirer. (online)

For area high schools in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Camden, Chester, Gloucester, Burlington counties, provides enrollment, class size, beginning teacher salaries, number of school days, instructional and total spending per student, and percent of revenues from various sources. Has elementary school test scores. For previous year see: 2002 Report Card | 2003 Report Card | 2004 Report Card | 2005 Report Card | 2006 Report Card.

3. Report Card on the Schools: Public, Private and Diocesan: An in-depth look. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: Vertical File under Philadelphia Schools], 1997-2007.
Special section of the Philadelphia Inquirer that is published annually. Print version of the above for earlier years.

4. School Profiles. Philadelphia: School District of Philadelphia. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: LA 357 P5 S365], 1994-95.
Figures include enrollment by gender/ethnicity, percentage from low income families, number of LEP/Special education, and staffing levels. Two year summaries are provided for enrollment and pupil population characteristics, academic performance, and serious offenses. The 1994 volumes provide two year data for 1991/1992 and 1992/1993. The 1995 volumes provide two year data for 1992/1993 and 1993/1994.

5. Superintendent's Management Information Center. Philadelphia: School District of Philadelphia, Division of Administrative and Survey Research Services. Annual. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: LB1555 .S366], 1985/86, 86/87, 87/88, 88/89, 90/91.
Data on enrollment, staff, achievement, and graduate plans. All schools.

6. School-by-school statistical analysis of the Philadelphia public schools / compiled by Helen Oakes. Philadelphia : Oakes, 1976. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference: LA357.P5 S363]

7. Selected Area School and School District Websites

D. New Jersey - Data Collected at the NJ State level (so data for ALL schools in NJ)

1. New Jersey State Department of Education Data. (online)

Includes enrollment, graduates, dropouts, staff, state aid, comparative spending guide, and special subject surveys. New Jersey's Report Cards includes NCLB School, District, and State Reports for 2002 - 2007, plus Historical Report Card Data from 1994/95 - 2000/01.

2. Area School Districts Websites

II. Demographic Data around a School - Decennial Census Data

2000 Census

Advanced Geography Search. (online)

Search by street address/city or street address/zip code of your school. Find tract, block group, and block numbers for your school location. View useful maps of tract, zip code, voting district and more. View quick tables of demographic and housing characteristics, as well as detailed tables.

Summary File 1 (SF 1). (online)

Summary File 1 (SF 1) contains data on age, sex, households, families, and housing units based on answers provided on the Census 2000 Short-Form Questionnaire. Find data for the area around your school at the tract, block group, and block level.

Summary File 3 (SF 3). (online)

Summary File 3 presents detailed population and housing data (such as place of birth, education, employment status, income, value of housing unit, year structure built) collected from a 1-in-6 sample and weighted to represent the total population. Find data for the area around your school at the tract, block group, and block level.

Demographic Profiles Search. (online)

Search by County, Metropolitan Area, Place etc., four page detailed reports.

1990 Census

Summary Tape File 1A - 100% count - basic demographic variables, county, place, tract. (online)

Summary Tape File 3A - Sample count - all socioeconomic and demographic variables, county, place, tract, etc. (online)

United States. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing: 1990. Census Tracts, Philadelphia, PA-NJ. CPH-3-259A. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1993. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA 201 1990h], copies of these volumes and those for other geographic areas are located on 4th floor.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. P.L. 94-171 county block maps (1990): Philadelphia County. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of the Census, 1991. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Atlas Case: G 3824 .P5 E25 S4 U55a]
[Small areas shown are Blocks, Block groups, Census tracts, and Voting districts. Streets listed.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population and Housing Characteristics for Census Tracts and block numbering areas: maps. Series 1990 CPH-3- maps. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of the Census, 1993. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA 201 1990h maps]
Fold up maps for All metropolitan areas having component counties in Pennsylvania, and selected other Pennsylvania counties; Philadelphia, PA-NJ PMSA maps cover Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties.

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Census Tract Street Index. Philadelphia: DVRPC, 1992. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: F 157 .D4 A38 1991]
Philadelphia, PA-NJ PMSA. Table for 1980 to 1990 Census tract comparability included.

1980 Census

United States. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing: 1980. Census Tracts, Philadelphia, PA-NJ. PCH80-2-283. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1983. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA 201 1980h]
Second copies of these volumes and all volumes for other geographic areas are located on the 4th floor.
Census Tract Map - Philadelphia 1980

Census of Population and Housing, 1980. Neighborhood Statistics program. Narrative profiles. Philadelphia, Pa. (microform). Census of population and housing (1980). Neighborhood statistics program. [Washington, D.C. : Dept. of Commerce], Bureau of the Census, [1984?]. (microfiche)

Narrative Profiles - [Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: Microfiche 11, filed in 1980 Census notebook] | Data Tables - [Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: Microfiche 10, filed in 1980 Census notebook]

1980 Census Tracts and Blocks, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Philadelphia City Planning Commission, [1982]. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Atlas Cases: HA 730 .P45 N55 1982]

Census Tract Street Index. 1980 census edition with zip code tables. Philadelphia, Pa.: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, 1980. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: F 157 .D4 D38 1980]

1940-1970 Census

Printed volumes of Census data for Philadelphia county (may included surrounding countries) by tract for 1940-1970 (as well as 1980 and 1990) are located at the Van Pelt Library Reference Desk. Additional copies for Philadelphia for all decades are located on the 4th floor east end, at the call number HA 201 [decade], along with volumes for other geographic areas. Some specific volumes are listed below. Copies of Tract Maps are also located inside the printed Census volumes for tract data by region. A set of maps showing Philadelphia Census Tract geography, 1940 to the present, is also available in the Philadelphia Statistics Sources notebook located behind the Van Pelt Library Reference Desk].

1940. United States. Bureau of the Census. 16th census of the United States, 1940 : Population and housing : Statistics for census tracts, Philadelphia, Pa. / prepared under the supervision of Leon E. Truesdell. Washington : U.S. Govt. Print. Office, For sale by the Supt. of Docs., 1942.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HD7304.P5 U55 1942a], copies of this volume and other geographic areas located on 4th floor. Census tract map, northeast Philadelphia | Census tract map, northwest and north Philadelphia | Census tract map, Center City, western and southwestern Philadelphia, and south Philadelphia

1950. United States. Bureau of the Census. Census of population: 1950. Vol. 3. Census Tract Statistics. Chapter 42: Philadelphia, Pa., and adjacent area. Prepared under the supervision of Howard G. Brunsman. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1952.

Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA201 1950 .A2], copies of this volume and other geographic areas are located on 4th floor. Census Tract Map - Philadelphia 1950

1960. United States. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing: 1960. Census Tracts, Philadelphia, PA-NJ. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1962.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA 201 1960 A54], copies of this volume and other geographic areas are located on 4th floor. Census Tract Map - Philadelphia 1960

1970. United States. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing: 1970. Census Tracts, Philadelphia, PA-NJ. PCH-(1)-159. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1972.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA 201 1970 A542], copies of this volume and other geographic areas are located on 4th floor. Census Tract Map - Philadelphia 1970

1940-2000 Mapping and Comparisons

Social Explorer

Map US Census Tract level data from 1940-2000.

1790-1930 Census

Earlier volumes of the Census are located on the fourth floor of Van Pelt at HA 201 [decade]. Before mid-century, Philadelphia's decennial census geography was tied closely to its political ward geography. Consult:

Daly, John Edward. Genealogy of Philadelphia County subdivisions. [2d ed.]. Philadelphia, Dept. of Records, [1966]. [Van Pelt Library Reference: G3824.P5 1966 D3, additional copies in Van Pelt stacks]. See also: Geneology of Philadelphia County Subdivisions from the Philadelphia City Archives.

Census Schedules

The Van Pelt Library houses the Census Schedules (resident names and information) for Philadelphia from 1790 to 1920 on microfilm. A separate guide on the Federal Population Schedules is available.

III. News Sources

Philadelphia area news sources can be used to find information about schools, local businesses, organizations, and development initiatives etc. Subject searching of news sources is generally available for the last two decades. For earlier time periods, you will need to browse the microform or use known dates to research specific events.

Philadelphia Inquirer.

Available online in Newsbank Full-text Newspaper Collection from 1981 to present.
[Van Pelt Library Microfilms: News 61], 1861 to present.
[Van Pelt Library Current Periodicals: recent issues].
Other papers in the NewsBank Full-Text Newspapers collection includes eight papers from NJ including the Courier-Post from (6/19/2003-Current) and other PA papers such as the Philadelphia Daily News from (1978-Current).

Philadelphia Daily News.

Available online in Newsbank Full-text Newspaper Collection from 1978 to present.
[Van Pelt Library Microforms: News 424], 1990 to present.
[Van Pelt Library Current Periodicals], latest 3 months.

Philadelphia Tribune.

Website. Need to register.
For 1991 to present, see Ethnic NewsWatch.
For 1912 to 2001 see Philadelphia Tribune from ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Library also has microfilm from 1912 to present, [Van Pelt Library Microforms: News 487]
Latest 2 months in paper, [Van Pelt Library Current Periodicals Desk]

Philadelphia Business Journal.

Website has full-text archives back to 1996, registration required.
[Lippincott Library Microforms: Film cont. 110], Mar. 29, 1982 to Sept. 23, 1984.
[Lippincott Library Microforms: Business Collection], Nov. 19, 1984 to Aug. 18, 1995
[Lippincott Library Current Periodicals], latest 2 years.

Ethnic Newswatch

Full-text online of many ethnic newspapers from around the United States. Includes full-text coverage of two Philadelphia area papers: the Philadelphia Tribune from 1991 to the present and the Jewish Exponent from 1991 to the present.

Philadelphia Magazine. 1909-present. Monthly. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: HC 108 .P5 G7], v.35 (1948)-v.36 (1949),v.63 (1972)-.
Indexing for 1946-1971 and 1972-1991 at [Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HC 108 .P5 P56], 1948-1971.

IV. Other Sources for Local Information

A. General, County, Neighborhoods, etc.

Philadelphia NIS NeighborhoodBase (online)

From the Cartographic Modeling Laboratory at Penn. Data for Philadelphia County. From U.S. Census and local sources.

Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project (online)

Includes social, environmental and economic indicators for the nine county area. Information also from the Annual Household Survey conducted by Temple University's Institute for Survey Research. Individual sign on required.

Neighborhood Information. (online) - via Free Library website

Click on the branch library location to find additional information about area community resources including business resources, community services, cultural organizations, day care resources, as well as educational, media, medical and religious organizations.

Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Histories, Plans and Futures (online)

Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Histories, Plans and Futures is a free, searchable database of neighborhood-based reports issued by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission between 1946 and 1990. The database was created by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

ERSys.com. (online)

Ersys covers over 2600 US cities with detailed information on demographics, environmental factors, economic indicators, housing stats, media (newspaper, television, and radio), schools, transportation, local contacts.

West Philadelphia Data and Information Resources. (online)

Includes housing, health, crime, business, education, at the census tracts, zip codes, school districts and neighborhood level, as well as school district profiles, neigborhood profiles, and zip code profiles.

Research for Action. (online)

See Published works. Founded in 1992, Research for Action (RFA) is a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization engaged in education research and evaluation.

Philly Neighborhoods Online. (online)

Collection of materials about Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. Includes census data.

B. Local Government Sites

Philadelphia City Government: Board of Revision of Taxes; Philadelphia Neighborhoods; Find a Rec Center
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Camden County, New Jersey: Municipalities - Map and Websites
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission is responsible for guiding the growth and development of the City of Philadelphia. The Commission publishes comparative census data for the City, as well as various community development studies. Some reports are found on the PCPC website and others are available in print at Van Pelt.

Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Socio-economic characteristics, 1960 & 1970, Philadelphia census tracts. Philadelphia: Philadelphia City Planning Commission, 1973. (print) [Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HC 108 .P5 A53]
Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Socio-economic characteristics for Philadelphia census tracts 1980 & 1970. Philadelphia, Pa. : The Commission, 1984. (print): [Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA730.A5 P54 1984], second copy in stacks.
Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Selected tables, population and housing data, 1990 & 1980. [Philadelphia : Philadelphia City Planning Commission, 199-?]: [Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HA 730 .P45 S45 1990z]

C. Business and Demographics

Community Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics. [Vienna, VA] : ESRI, c2004 - (print and CD-ROM).: [Lippincott Library Reference Desk: HA203 .S66], latest 2004.; [Lippincott Library Snyder Computer Area: HA203 .S6623], 2002-2006 ed.; Demographic data for counties and ZIP codes. Covers many characteristics including age, race, income, and households, key business characteristics. Data for 1990 (census), 2000, and projections. Read preface material for data sources and forecast methodology.
Zip Code Business Patterns [CD-ROM].: [Lippincott Library Snyder Computer Area: HC110.D5 Z573]; Discs held: 1995-2001. Number of establishments by industry and zip code.

D. Crime

NIS Philadelphia CrimeBase (online)

Crime statistics from 1998-2006, searchable by elementary school catchment area, as well as census tract, neighborhood, zip code, police district, police sector, and City Council District. Cartographic Modeling Lab - University of Pennsylvania.

Crime Statistics - Philadelphia Police Department. (online)

See Patrol Districts for maps. Includes patrol district crime statistics from 1995 to 2006.

Statistics Report / Police Department. Philadelphia : Police Dept. (print)

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: HV7601 .A47a], 1973-1996.
Crime data by patrol district back to 1973.

Philadelphia Crime Data(online)

Links to the Philly Police Department and to CrimeBase, as well as some summaries in pdf format of crimes by City Council Districts for 1998 to 2003, as developed by the Institute for the Study of Civic Values based on CrimeBase data.

Major Crimes in Philadelphia, 1991-1999. (online)

E. Health and Vital Statistics

Philadelphia (Pa.). Department of Public Health. Philadelphia resident birth, death, disease and population data by health district, by neighborhood, and by census tract.. Philadelphia: The Dept., (print)

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: RA407.4.P4 P5542], 1991-2002, latest at Reference Desk.
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: RA407.4.P4 P55418], 1981, 1986-1988, 1990.

Philadelphia Department of Health(online)

2003-04 Vital Statistics Report is available under Vital Statistics.

Vital Statistics from the PA Department of Health(online)

See Vital Health Statistics. Includes county health profiles from 1998-2006.

AIDS surveillance quarterly update ... cases reported through ... Philadelphia: Dept. of Public Health, AIDS activities Coordinating Office, 1994? (print)

[Biomedical Library Reference: RA644.A25 A3766], 1995-present (quarterly). Summary data for cases reported for Philadelphia, PA-NJ PMSA and Philadelphia City. Also shows cumulative and year-to-date counts by ZIP code for areas with four or more cases.

Philadelphia (Pa.). Division of Health Program Analysis. Vital Statistics Report. Philadelphia : Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health, Division of Health Program Analysis, 1982. (print)

[Van Pelt Library: RA407.4 P4 P544], 1982-present, latest at Reference.

F. Elections

Committee of Seventy

Includes latest available upcoming municipal election information, past election results, and a polling place locator.

G. Religion

Searching for Religious Institutions/Schools/Organizations

Community Resources- Free Library. Click on branch library name, then on Community Resources.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia- includes Statistical Information.
IslamiCity- Search for Mosques/Schools/Organizations.
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia- includes a Synagogue Directory.

The Philadelphia Story: Preliminary Findings from the Philadelphia Census by Ram A. Cnaan, Associate Professor of Social Work, Associate Director, CRRUCS Director, Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work, University of Pennsylvania.

H. After School Programs

After School Activities Partnerships. (online)

Provides a directory of after-school programs. Search by zip code.

I. Housing and Real Estate Prices

Board of Revision of Taxes, City of Philadelphia. (online)

Search by address to find current housing value, recent sale date and price.

New Jersey Property Search. (online)

Choose lookup tax records. Gives last sales price and current property taxes.

Domania.com - Home Price Check Location. (online)

Gives sale prices ranging from 1987-2006. Register for more detailed searching, i.e. more listings, street searching, specific address searching. Enter street and city or zip code for available records.

Hillier, Amy and Denise Culhane. Closing the Gap: Housing (un)Affordability Study. Cartographic Modeling Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania. March, 2003. (online)

J. Photographs

PhillyHistory.org. (online)

"The City's photo archive contains over 2 million photo records that date from the late 1800's. This web site contains a growing collection of those photos. All archive photos may be searched by keyword and date. Archive photos which have been assigned a geographic location are also searchable by proximity to an Address, Intersection, Place Name, or Neighborhood."

K. Satellite Maps

Google Maps. (online)

Search by location, see regular maps and satellite images and a combined view, called hybrid.

L. Zoning Maps

The Philadelphia zoning maps consist of a series of 110 map plates that show all district zoning classifications throughout the city. The Fine Arts Library also has the Zoning Code.

Zoning maps of the city of Philadelphia. Revised edition. Philadelphia: s.n., 1995. (print)

[Fine Arts Library Reference: Folio HT 168 .P43 Z63 1995]

Zoning maps of the city of Philadelphia, prefaced by a review and chart summary of all zoning districts... Philadelphia: Legal Intelligencer, 1973. (print)

[Fine Arts Library: Folio HT 168 .P43 Z63]
This edition was published complementary to the 1973 amended Philadelphia Zoning Code.

M. Building Outline, Fire Insurance, and Older Atlases

The best collection of land ownership and fire insurance maps and atlases, both in terms of coverage and availablilty, is located at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Digital Sanborn Maps - Pennsylvania.

Digital version of hte Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Access to Pennsylvania. Covers the 1916 to 1951 and some later years. Building outline maps, drawn at 1:600 or 1" to 50' scale. The fire insurance atlases, prepared by Sanborn, show a building's footprint, name of the owner (sometimes), composition of the building, dimensions fo the property, house number, and some street information (water mains, transit lines, etc.), uses of the buildings, and location of fire-fighting equipment. See also: Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. 1916-1951. 8 microfilm reels. [Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 3839 (1916-1951)/ Microfilm 4333 (1964-1980)]. For additional information, see the Van Pelt Library Guide on Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.

Hexamer general surveys: 1866-1895. 29 volumes. Philadelphia: E. Hexamer & Son, 1866-1895.

[Van Pelt Microtext: Microfilm 4379]
Plans and, in some cases, birds-eye views of industrial site plans for Philadelphia industries and those of the surrounding region. Microfilmed from originals at the Free Library of Philadlephia. The table of contents f or each volume indentifies sites illustrated.

The Van Pelt Library and the Fine Arts Library own a number of mid- and late-ninteenth century and early twentieth-century atlases, most of which show building or lot outlines. Names associated with these atlases are George William Baist (1880s-1890s), G.H. Jones (1870s), Griffith Morgan Hopkins (1870s), Jacob E. Schiedt (1890s), James D. Scott (1870s), Samuel L. Smedley (1860s), Elvino V. Smith (1900s-1910s), J.L. Smith (1910s), and the Franklin Survey Company. Search these names as authors in the Franklin catalog or try the more general keyword search skey maps AND skey philadelphia to identify other maps. A number of older atlases are reproduced on microfilm reels #4388 and #4389 located in the Van Pelt Library Microtext area.

V. Check Library Catalogs for publications about local areas

A. Franklin Catalog - University of Pennsylvania

The Penn Library collections contain a considerable amount of information about the Philadelphia region. Search Franklin for works in the field of education, on related social issues, and about Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

Specific regions or neighborhoods of the city can be subject headings:

Philadelphia (Pa.)--
Center City (Philadelphia, Pa.)--
Kensington (Philadelphia, Pa.)--
North Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pa.)--
West Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pa.)--

Subject headings may be subdivided by geographic area:

Education--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--
Education, Elementary--Pennsylvania--
Education, Urban--Pennsylvania Philadelphia--
Educational change-- Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--
Public Schools--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--
Day care centers--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--

Often keyword searches using geographic terms can be fruitful:

skey philadephia and education and statistics
kensington and philadelphia

Proper names can be both author and subject:

School District of Philadelphia, Pa.

B. Other Regional Catalogs

Often local histories, regional newspapers, and area documents are housed at local public libraries. Check the local library near your school to see what unique information may be available.

Public Library Catalogs

Free Library of Philadelphia Catalog
Delaware County Library System Catalog
Montgomery County Library & Information Network Consortium Catalog
Camden County Library Catalog
Cherry Hill Public Library Catalog
Haddonfield Public Library Catalog
Moorestown Library Catalog

Academic and Archival Collections

Temple Urban Archives
Balch Institute materials at the Philadelphia Historical Society

VI. Finding Background Articles on Educational and Social Issues, as well as specific regions

For scholarly articles on various social issues etc., try the following journal article databases.

Sociological Abstracts. (online)

Abstracts of serial leterature in sociology and related disciplines. Covers 1963 to the present.

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) from CSA. (online)

Provides indexing to education-related journals, as well as research documents, curriculum guides, government publications, and other types of publications. For references to journals (EJxxxxxx) in ERIC, click on the PennText button link to see if the Penn Library subscribes to the journal. Most ERIC documents (EDxxxxxx) from 1993 to the present are available online. For the full-text, click on the full-text link. For those ERIC documents not available online, the Van Pelt Library houses the ERIC document microfiche collection from 1985 to 2004 (ED247370-last) in the microtext area on the first floor. Earlier numbers (ED010000-247369) are in High Density Storage and can be retrieved using the storage book retrieval form; be sure to indicate that the item is an ERIC Document and include the six digit number in your request.

Education Index. (online)

Indexes over five hundred journals in education comprehensively. Many of these titles have full-test for recent years. Covers 1983 to the present. The print version of Education Index is located at [Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: L11 .E384]

EBSCO Megafile. (online)

Indexes both scholarly journals and popular periodicals. Strong from 1990s forward, although many titles are indexed back further.

Social Services Abstracts. (online)

Indexing with abstracts for journal literature in social work, human services, social welfare, social policy, and community development. Covers 1890 to the present.

Social Work Abstracts. (online)

Covers social work and other related topics such as homelessness, AIDS, child and family welfare, aging, substance abuse, legislation, and community organization. Covers 1977 to the present.

PsycINFO. (online)

Indexes articles on psychology and related fields from scholarly and professional journals. Book chapters and dissertations are also included. Covers 1887 to the present.

VII. Selected General Works on Philadelphia

Below are some books on the history of Philadelphia, schools, and selected regions. Check Franklin under the subject heading Philadelphia (Pa.) history for additional titles. Also, remember to try subject searches on parts of the city" North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia. For areas outside of Philadelphia county, search Franklin by subject for counties and town names etc., i.e. Delaware County (Pa.) or Pottstown, Pa.. Also consider checking regional libraries for local resources.

Schools

Custis, John Trevor. The Public Schools of Philadelphia: Historical, Biographical, Statistical. Philadelphia: Burk & McFetridge Co., 1897.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: LA357.P55 C8]

Major Histories

Jackson, Joseph. Encyclopedia of Philadelphia. 4 volumes. Harrisburg: National Historical Association.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: F 158.3 .J15]
Brief, often one-paragraph entries, some with bibliographic references.

Scharf, J. Thomas. and Thompson Westcott. History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1884.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk, other locations: F 158.3 .S4]
Basic, older history of Philadelphia. Index, in volume III, provides subject access to all three volumes.

Weigley, Russell F. (ed.). Philadelphia: a 300 Year History. New York: W.W. Norton, 1982.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: F 158.3 .P5664 1982]
One-volume history of Philadelphia. Chronological arrangement of chapters written by subject experts. Good overview, bu difficult to find material on neighborhoods or city regions.

Communities/Regions - see Franklin for more

Toll, Jean Barth and Mildred S. Gilliam. (comp., eds.). Invisible Philadelphia: community through voluntary organizations. Philadelphia: Atwater Kent Museum, 1995.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk, and other locations: F158.18 .I58 1995]

Nolan, James Bennett. Southeastern Pennsylvania, a history of the counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill. Philadelphia, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., Inc. [1943].

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: F157.A18 N6]

An Ethnic History of West Philadelphia, 1870-1980: a research tool for demographic studies. Daniela Peirson. [Philadelphia] : Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, 1994.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: F158.68.W5 P5]

An Ethnic History of South Philadelphia, 1870-1980: a research tool for demographic studies. John R. Maneval. [Philadelphia] : Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, 1992.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: F158.68.S7 M36]

Germantown-- Community Profile. Prepared by Carolyn Hale. [Philadelphia, Pa.: Northwest Regional Library, 1988.]

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: F159.G3 H35 1988]

Please send questions and comments to Patty Lynn, Library Liaison to the Graduate School of Education, at lynn@pobox.upenn.edu.

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