First cohort graduates with both an associate’s degree and high school diploma

Parkway Center City Middle College will soon graduate it’s first class. Through our partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), Parkway students will graduate earning both their high school diploma and associate’s degree in liberal arts. This is the first program of its kind in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s only high school completely devoted to a middle college.

Parkway Center City accepts students from across Philadelphia and sits close to CCP. A total of 2,100 students applied this year for 120 seats. To qualify, students must have mostly As and Bs in major subjects and strong attendance. Half of Parkway Center City’s seats are reserved for students who would be the first in their family to go to college.

The program has been largely successful. In an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, district officials said in total, 73% of the original Parkway Center City Class of 2017 cohort and 96% of the graduating class are earning diplomas and associate’s degrees — 90 of 121 students who began in 2017 with a summer course at CCP. Four additional Parkway Center City students are earning diplomas and at least 48 college credits; 27 students left the program, district officials said. The graduating students earned these accomplishments during an academic year of entirely remote learning.

Parkway Center City Principal Anh Nguyen says in the article that the scholars exceeded the expectations of professors at CCP, and in some cases even surpassed what the adult college students were doing.