News in Brief: A National Roundup

The first-ever school-by-school report on the Philadelphia public schools has found that fewer than half of the systems 215,000 students have basic reading, mathematics, and science skills.

Only one school, Masterman Middle School, meets the standards set by the district as part of the school reform strategy that Superintendent David W. Hornbeck has spearheaded, the report says.

The report, released this month, used standardized-test scores, graduation rates, and attendance records to assign an individual score for each of the 257 schools in the district. District officials then determined a two-year target...