The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is considering three new applications for cyber charter schools. With the release earlier this month of the state’s new School Performance Profile (SPP) scores, RFA has updated our November 2013 analysis of the performance and oversight of the cyber charter sector. With regard to performance, much remains the same. […]

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.

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. Of the 18 Philadelphia organizations awarded 21st CCLC grants in 2011-12, six organizations representing seven providers selected Research for Action (RFA) as their local evaluator. RFA conducted a mixed-methods evaluation that examined student demographics, elements of program quality, and important student outcomes.

An innovative partnership designed to provide research and analyses on some of the city’s most pressing education issues has been forged among the School District of Philadelphia, the city’s charter school sector, and a Philadelphia-based, nationally-respected education research organization. Research for Action (RFA) received a three-year grant from the William Penn Foundation to establish this partnership–designated […]