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 [...]

Can chronically low-performing schools dramatically improve in a short period of time? That was the question that the Renaissance Schools Initiative – Philadelphia’s approach to the turnaround school reform model – sought to answer when it was implemented in 2009. Eighteen months into the Initiative, as the School District of Philadelphia and the School Reform [...]

Part of RFA’s dedication to the education research field entails growing and nurturing the next generation of scholars interested in using research as a tool to improve educational opportunities. RFA hosts multiple interns throughout the year at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels who work directly on evaluation and research projects. As critical members 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 [...]