The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is currently considering applications that could expand the number of cyber charter schools statewide by 40 percent. In the General Assembly, at least 12 proposals are pending on cyber charter authorization, funding or oversight. To inform these discussions, RFA used the state’s recently-issued School Performance Profile (SPP) scores to […]

For 20 years, Research for Action has existed as an independent research organization. We are free of influence from special interest groups or funders. We are committed to the principle that our work should only communicate what the research says, not what outside groups or special interests want us to say. We are working through […]

RFA’s Evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Centers in Philadelphia: 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grants are designed to support out-of-school time (OST) programs to provide academic support for youth attending high-poverty, under-performing schools. Pennsylvania has funded 21st CCLC programs since 1998, and the 2011-12 awards are Pennsylvania’s sixth cohort of grantees. Of […]

Research for Action (RFA) seeks to use research as the basis for the improvement of educational opportunities and outcomes for traditionally underserved students. Our work is designed to strengthen public schools and postsecondary institutions; provide research-based recommendations to policymakers, practitioners and the public at the local, state and national levels; and enrich the civic and […]

For nearly 20 years, RFA has studied a wide range of educational reforms in Philadelphia and across the nation.  Our experience with program evaluation and policy research, the combined expertise of our research staff,  our methodological strengths – including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method studies – and our close attention to the complexities of reform initiatives […]