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Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Public Grades 6-8

692^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 21% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy is a public middle school located in Swissvale, PA, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 616 students. The school is part of the Woodland Hills School District, which is ranked 524 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania middle schools, with its performance on PSSA tests significantly below the state and district averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in 2024-2025, only 8.9% of Dickson Prep students were proficient or better in Math, compared to 16.8% for the Woodland Hills School District and 41.7% statewide. The school also struggles to serve its diverse student population effectively, with its rankings for African American, Hispanic, and low-socioeconomic status students all in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania middle schools. Additionally, Dickson Prep STEAM Academy has experienced high dropout rates, ranging from 1.4% to 5.5% over the past few years, which are significantly above the state average.

When compared to other middle schools in the surrounding area, such as Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8, Brentwood Middle School, and West Mifflin Area Middle School, Dickson Prep STEAM Academy consistently underperforms. Despite relatively high per-student spending and a low student-teacher ratio, the school has not been able to translate these resources into improved outcomes for its students. Addressing the root causes of the school's underperformance will be crucial for improving the educational experience and outcomes for the Dickson Prep STEAM Academy community.

579

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$38,934

Per pupil spending ?

80.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7301 Schoyer Avenue
Swissvale, PA 15218

(412) 731-5816

District: Woodland Hills School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

63.0%

White:

19.0%

Hispanic:

8.6%

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Compare Dickson Prep STEAM Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 17th percentile in 2021 → 21st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (19% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Math scores 33 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg22%

Pennsylvania avg45%

692^nd of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 21%▲ up 3 pts since 2021

From bottom 17% (2021) to bottom 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

524^th of 606Woodland Hills School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	18.1	692 of 873	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	720 of 891	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	717 of 893	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.8	688 of 883	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	658 of 797	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	26.3	297 of 393	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	324 of 408	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.0	328 of 421	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	30.4	450 of 643	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.3	530 of 672	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	559 of 660	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	663 of 835	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	731 of 860	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	20.3	292 of 348	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	747 of 843	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	795 of 877	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.6	771 of 874	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	17.3	685 of 839	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	675 of 870	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	30.5	122 of 174	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.0	144 of 199	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	154 of 187	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	388 of 649	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.6	465 of 673	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	413 of 681	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2025)40th percentile+19 vs school

Disabled (2025)30th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)30th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2025)24th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)21st percentile~ school

Male (2025)18th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)16th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts29%-20 vs state

Math9%-33 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dickson Prep STEAM Academy	Public	6-8	7301 Schoyer Avenue	Swissvale	15218	Allegheny County	Woodland Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 731-5816	579	49	11.8	80.3%	110 (19.0%)	365 (63.0%)	50 (8.6%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.8%)	18.1	692^nd of 873 public middle schools	20.7%		17.2	720^th of 891 public middle schools	19.2%	28				10.1	11.3	4.3	8.9				36.8	25.7	22.6	28.9	$38,934	$3,442	$35,493
Pittsburgh Sterrett 6-8	Public, Magnet	6-8	7100 Reynolds St	Pittsburgh	15208	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(412) 529-7870	183	17	10.5	101.1%	26 (14.2%)	139 (76.0%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	13 (7.1%)	27.4	618^th of 873 public middle schools	29.2%		26.6	640^th of 891 public middle schools	28.2%	22				13.8	21.4	7.0	14.0				31.7	47.2	27.6	35.3	$20,028	$3,430	$16,598
Steel Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	3114 Main St	Munhall	15120	Allegheny County	Steel Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 464-3600	429	37	11.5	98.8%	194 (45.2%)	172 (40.1%)	21 (4.9%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.2%)	26.3	627^th of 873 public middle schools	28.2%		36.1	585^th of 891 public middle schools	34.3%	42			18.4	8.5	24.2	16.5	16.9			36.8	23.4	40.4	27.8	32.1
West Mifflin Area Middle School	Public	4-8	81 Commonwealth Ave	West Mifflin	15122	Allegheny County	West Mifflin Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 466-9131	776	54	14.3	101.3%	450 (58.0%)	169 (21.8%)	45 (5.8%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (12.6%)	45	491^st of 873 public middle schools	43.8%		45.9	502^nd of 891 public middle schools	43.7%	11		32.1	21.9	29.6	32.6	25.3	28.1		32.1	23.3	35.8	45.7	37.9	34.8	$13,888	$729	$13,159
Life Male STEAM Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	6-10	Penn Center East	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Life Male STEAM Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(412) 867-6209	101	15	6.7	43.6%	1 (1.0%)	84 (83.2%)	3 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (9.9%)	6.1	859^th of 873 public middle schools	1.6%		7.9	830^th of 891 public middle schools	6.8%	29				0.0	4.0	0.0	1.3				0.0	12.5	10.8	9.3	$40,847	$8,439	$32,408
Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8	Public	6-8	220 40th Street	Pittsburgh	15201	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 529-5740	148	16	9.0	109.5%	18 (12.2%)	75 (50.7%)	33 (22.3%)	18 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.7%)	17.5	700^th of 873 public middle schools	19.8%		23.7	662^nd of 891 public middle schools	25.7%	38				5.6	8.3	11.1	8.7				12.5	20.0	36.5	25.2	$32,006	$5,482	$26,525
Brentwood Middle School	Public	6-8	3601 Brownsville Rd	Pittsburgh	15227	Allegheny County	Brentwood Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 881-4940	269	23	11.6	56.5%	172 (63.9%)	36 (13.4%)	23 (8.6%)	18 (6.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.1%)	47	474^th of 873 public middle schools	45.7%		67	287^th of 891 public middle schools	67.8%	187				22.1	44.5	13.5	25.5				40.5	66.2	37.9	47.1	$20,785	$652	$20,133
Provident Charter School	Public, Charter	2-8	1400 Troy Hill Road	Pittsburgh	15212	Allegheny County	Provident Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(412) 709-5160	306	62	4.9	52.6%	197 (64.4%)	75 (24.5%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.5%)	12.5	756^th of 873 public middle schools	13.4%		23.2	666^th of 891 public middle schools	25.3%	90	16.3	13.8	8.8	7.3	14.7	8.3	11.6	16.3	5.2	7.0	17.0	20.5	12.5	12.1	$29,456	$2,495	$26,961
Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8	Public, Magnet	6-8	1018 Peralta St	Pittsburgh	15212	Allegheny County	Pittsburgh School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(412) 529-4190	260	21	12.3	100.0%	94 (36.2%)	108 (41.5%)	32 (12.3%)	5 (1.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.7%)	48.3	455^th of 873 public middle schools	47.9%		42.7	534^th of 891 public middle schools	40.1%	79				29.4	35.6	18.2	28.1				46.7	44.4	42.9	44.6	$29,923	$5,125	$24,798
Linton Middle School	Public	6-8	250 Aster St	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 795-3000	626	51	12.3	103.0%	120 (19.2%)	410 (65.5%)	35 (5.6%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (8.8%)	15.9	712^th of 873 public middle schools	18.4%		17.6	711^th of 891 public middle schools	20.2%	1				8.9	7.4	9.2	8.4				30.4	27.3	20.8	26.2	$14,668	$00	$14,668

Frequently Asked Questions about Dickson Prep STEAM Academy

How many students attend Dickson Prep STEAM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 579 students attended Dickson Prep STEAM Academy.

What district is Dickson Prep STEAM Academy in?

Woodland Hills School District

Is Dickson Prep STEAM Academy a good school?

Dickson Prep STEAM Academy ranks in the bottom 20.7% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Dickson Prep STEAM Academy?

Students at Dickson Prep STEAM Academy are 63% African American, 19% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Rate Dickson Prep STEAM Academy!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.