Research for Action (RFA), an independent research firm, is currently leading a program of study called Learning from Philadelphia Public Schools Reform. This is a comprehensive, multi-year study of Philadelphia Schools and their complex and radical reform effort. The schools system has been taken over by the state, in the hopes of drastically improving the services and learning students receive. RFA is examining the impact of the state takeover, with specific areas of focus, such as:
Data Use: This research is an in-depth study of data use in low-performing Philadelphia Schools. And asks how schools and communities within those schools are using the data to inform instructional decision-making. The ways in which external entities (including the district and providers) are influencing those practices is also taken into consideration.
Teacher Quality: Over the past four years significant strides have been made in improving teacher quality, recruitment and retention for all Philadelphia Schools. In fact, since 2002, Philadelphia Schools have drastically cut the number of teachers with emergency certifications, have reduced classroom vacancies, and raised the...