STEPPING HIGH: S.W. Phila. Gets New School

DIAMOND M Step Team electrified Kingsessing community members as they performed at celebration of new Hardy Williams High Mastery Charter School Saturday. School, which was founded in memory of late State Sen. Hardy Williams, has just expanded from its middle-school mission.

High school is housed in former Shaw Middle School building, 5400 Warrington Avenue.

In 2011 Hardy Williams Academy was taken over by Mastery Charter Schools, which Mastery Charter Schools, a nonprofit charter-school network currently operating 15 schools in Philadelphia serving over 9,500 students in grades K-12.

Ten of the schools are turnarounds of formerly low-performing district schools. Mastery test scores have increased, on average, more than 40 percentage points per grade and subject after three years, violence decreased by 80% and student turnover dropped by one-third.

West Philadelphians like State Rep. Ron Waters, right, and Mike Nixon flocked to congratulate school Principal Lisa Bellamy.

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