Philadelphia Public Schools is the eighth largest school district in the country with over 160,000 students. Their steepest obstacle: an incredibly high dropout rate.

In a 2006 study conducted by Johns Hopkins University, it was found that only about half of Philadelphia Public High School students graduate in four years. Philadelphia has since been trying to combat this issue with their Alternative Schools programs, which provide assistance to High School dropouts, or those with low High School credit who return to school or earn their GED. Philadelphia has 95 Empowerment Schools, which are all designated as "low-performing" and targeted for intensive interventions. To address all these issues, Arlene Ackerman, The Philadelphia Public Schools Superintendent has proposed Imagine 2014, a 5 year strategic plan to reform Philadelphia Schools.