Summer 2024: Barriers Broken
Breaking Barriers Campaign Newsletter
Now that this year’s state budget has passed, we anticipate receiving notice of CSFP’s tax credit availability in the coming weeks. Watch for email updates from Kurt Fedde, Development Operations Manager, with timely updates for Year 2 givers. Ready to make a new tax credit scholarship gift? Avoid the end-of-year rush and contact Meghan McCormick to get started on your membership agreement today.
CSFP Student and School Outcomes Report
CSFP recently reported that students who receive CSFP scholarships outperform their public school peers on standardized tests in both math and reading. These results are significant when considering the challenges that our families face, including lower median household incomes compared to the City of Philadelphia as a whole and residing in some of the lowest-achieving public school catchment zones in the school district. Without a scholarship, two out of three CSFP scholars would attend state-designated “low-achieving” neighborhood public schools.
Overall, CSFP students are more successful at their CSFP partner school compared to students attending a school in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). For example, 47% of CSFP 4th grade students score at or above proficiency in Math compared to 23% of SDP students and 17% of low-income SDP students. The same is true for 7th graders, where 54% of 7th grade CSFP students score at or above proficiency in Math, while only 19% of all SDP and 14% of lower-income SDP students score at or above proficiency, a decrease when compared to already low 4th grade scores.
Key datapoints highlighted in the report include:
- CSFP students are outperforming their peers in math and reading, based on standardized tests. This demonstrates the curriculum quality provided by CSFP partner schools.
- CSFP partner schools reach higher proficiency rates in math and reading than Philadelphia School District or Philadelphia Charter Schools. Figure 2, shown above, represents the comparison between CSFP partner schools, the School District of Philadelphia, and students in the School District who would qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch (130% and 185% of federal poverty guidelines) in Math and English Language Arts (ELA). Approximately 68% of CSFP students are eligible for Free and Reduced lunch, yet they outperform their peers.
- The longer a student remains in their CSFP partner school, they more likely they are to be proficient in math and reading.
This report illustrates the impact of stable and continuous academic environments, demonstrating the effectiveness of CSFP’s Breaking Barriers Campaign. As part of our campaign goals, CSFP removed its four-year scholarship limit allowing qualified students to receive a scholarship through 8th grade without disruption.
This report clearly shows why that decision was important and points to the fact that supporting students through 8th grade sets them up for long-term success. CSFP has 150 partner schools; their median annual tuition is $4,950, so a CSFP scholarship truly makes tuition-based education possible. These schools meet the diverse needs of CSFP families, offering varying environments including faith-based, Montessori, and independent to create new educational opportunities for CSFP students and their families.
CSFP Scholar Highlights
In June, CSFP celebrated our 8th grade graduates by hosting 500 scholars and their families at a Phillies game. Before the game, CSFP families met at Xfinity Live! to enjoy food, refreshments, and participate in games and activities. Two lucky families were awarded VIP tickets for a behind the scenes tour of Citizens Bank Park and premium seating.
Click on the arrows below to scroll through photos from our 8th grade graduation event.
Hear firsthand how impactful a CSFP scholarship was for a family:
Community organizations provide critical support that enables CSFP to bring together our families for fellowship, fun, and enriching opportunities. Special thanks to OceanFirst Bank and Exude for their generous support and sponsorship of our celebration at Citizens Bank Park.
Donor Highlight
Welcome Bimbo Bakeries USA to the CSFP donor family! Bimbo Bakeries USA, with US headquarters nearby in Delaware, works to nourish a better world and lives out that purpose every day with its philanthropic support of its communities. With a generous gift through the Pennsylvania Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program, Bimbo will fund approximately 20 CSFP scholarships during the 2024-25 school year.
“We value the person. We want to improve the lives of everyone we reach including our associates, consumers, customers, and the communities where we live and work.” – Bimbo Bakeries USA Community Investment Team
Bimbo Bakeries USA’s commitment to education goes beyond the early years, supporting higher education for students with their own scholarship program and awarding scholarships to children and grandchildren of its associates for first semester college expenses.
Thank you, Bimbo Bakeries USA for your first-time support of CSFP’s mission through tax credit giving.
Campaign Updates
- 559 Campaign donors as of 8/5/2024
- $34,451,949 raised to date as of 8/5/2024
- Strengthening support programs for CSFP families – Camp Connections
Between April and June, CSFP offers families the opportunity to receive academic summer camp scholarships through CSFP’s Camp Connections program. Each year, the program garners increased interest and this year, we received more than 500 applications! We have steadily increased the number of camp scholarships available to 84 students in 2024. The average cost of tuition per weekly camper is $300 and this year, CSFP scholarships funded more than $42,000 in camp tuition between late June and August.
Turn your Pennsylvania tax liability into scholarships for Philadelphia’s youngest learners. Fill out the form below to get in touch with our team.