Blog Entries
RFA Commentary Published in Ed Week
The current edition of Education Week features commentary authored by RFA’s executive director, Kate Shaw, and senior policy analyst, Adam Schott, on the national debate over school closings. Click here to read the commentary, and visit our page dedicated to our work on school closings here.
Read MoreRFA releases PACER brief on school closures
This week, Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission will consider closing as many as 29 buildings district-wide — a downsizing that is unprecedented in the city’s experience.
This PACER brief looks at the experience of major districts — including Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. — and examines rigorous research on large-scale closings. A key finding is that students who transfer to similarly- or lower-performing schools do not appear to fare well academically, at least in the short term. This is a particular issue in Philadelphia where capacity is most limited in high-performing schools.
Increasing numbers of charter schools, flat or declining enrollments in some urban districts, and financial strain mean that increasing numbers of districts statewide will confront the questions before Philadelphia today. RFA remains committed to providing research and understanding for the challenging conversations ahead.
Click here to read this brief.
Read MoreUpdated School Closing Analyses
RFA has updated its analyses of school closings in the School District of Philadelphia to include 26 schools slated for closure and three that will be consolidated. It is intended to inform the current conversation by providing a comparison of closing and receiving schools using:
- One year of PSSA data (school year 2011-12), and
- Each school’s current Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status.
RFA found that the majority of proposed closing and receiving schools posted similar scores in reading and math. In examining performance based on current AYP status, RFA found that 40 percent of receiving schools are better-performing; 25 percent are worse; and 35 percent are similar.
Read MoreRFA Releases New School Closing Analysis
Research for Action’s analysis of the School District of Philadelphia’s revised school closing plan is intended to inform the current conversation by providing a comparison of closing and receiving schools using:
- One year of PSSA data (school year 2011-12), and
- Each school’s current Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status.
RFA found that the majority of proposed closing and receiving schools posted similar scores in reading and math. In examining performance based on current AYP status, RFA found that 40 percent of receiving schools are better-performing; 25 percent are worse; and 35 percent are similar.
Read MoreRFA’s Kate Shaw Testifying before Phila. City Council
RFA’s executive director, Kate Shaw, will deliver testimony to Philadelphia City Council today. The City Council hearing focuses on the School District of Philadelphia’s proposed plan to close 37 schools throughout the city. RFA will provide Council with a critically important perspective — what rigorous, objective research on school closings nationally can teach us as District and city officials consider the plan to close schools locally.
You can read RFA’s testimony here, and read our school closing analysis here.
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