January 2007

Volume 1 Number 2

Equity and Democratic Participation Essential RFA Issues

Research is the core business of Research for Action and research activity frames the daily work, discussions, and direction of the organization. Researchers at RFA believe that underlying their research are two essential issues that must be considered in all studies: equity and democratic participation. We always ask the questions, "Are diverse viewpoints included in developing reform agendas?" and "Do these agendas meaningfully address the needs of youth who have been traditionally disenfranchised in our educational systems?" In all of our work, we seek to illuminate relationships between public schools and the larger economic, political, social, and historical context in which they operate. Our recent work with youth researchers, highlighted below, illustrates these commitments: to develop the social science research skills of youth from three neighborhood high schools in order to help bring their voices to bear on the district's plans for high school reform.

Jolley Bruce Christman, Ph. D. and Eva Gold, Ph. D. - Founders and Principals

Youth Researchers Publish Findings

Over the past two years, Eva Gold and Gretchen Suess, along with other RFA staff and in collaboration with a Philadelphia Writing Project consultant, worked with student members of Youth United for Change and the Philadelphia Student Union. These organizations are dedicated to developing young leaders in Philadelphia and providing them with training and tools to help them improve their schools and communities. This work has culminated in three compelling reports titled, Writing to be Heard, written by the students about their research on three Philadelphia high schools. The reports show the powerful contributions students can make to their high school communities. The Kensington report, Building Respectful Communities, examines adult-student relationships. The Olney report, What Olney Teachers Say About Their S chools, focuses on teacher perceptions of the school and students. Finally, the West Philadelphia report focuses on parent involvement. It is titled, Parents Speak Up and Out about Parents' Participation in Urban Public High Schools. Copies of the reports are available from RFA and are posted on our website.

RFA in the News

Philadelphia Inquirer Commentary Examines AYP
RFA researchers, Eva Travers and Suzanne Blanc address equity issues in their analysis of school characteristics that affect a school's likelihood of making AYP in a recent Op Ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer titled School Yardstick Fails to Measure Up. In it they conclude that, "Because the AYP playing field is not level for Philadelphia (and similar districts), it should not be the primary measure of a school's success or used as a comparison tool. Instead, it should be one of several criteria that district officials and the public use to evaluate a school." Visit our website to see other publications about AYP.

District Leadership in Radical Reform-TC Record On-Line Commentary
Teachers College Record On line is featuring a commentary by RFA researchers Jolley Bruce Christman and Elizabeth Useem and Penn State Professor William Boyd. The commentary titled, District Leadership in Radical Reform, is drawn from their report of the same title and highlights their findings about the current leadership in Philadelphia since state takeover in 2001. Visit our website for the full report.

Mark Your Calendars!

RFA and the Urban Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania are co-sponsoring a forum titled, "School Reform and Equitable Development". The forum is Monday, February 5, 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street. RFA's Eva Gold will kick off the event with a review of the current reform in Philadelphia, posing questions about the role of the city in supporting public education. The event will include leading education reform scholars Ruth Curran Neild, from Johns Hopkins University who will discuss her research on high school dropouts and Clarence Stone, from George Washington University who will discuss issues of civic capacity. The panel will also include a representative from Youth United for Change in Philadelphia. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

Inside RFA

Research for Action is fortunate to have an active and committed Board of Directors. Last year, RFA welcomed four new board members. Decoteau Irby is a graduate student at Temple University and adjunct professor at Arcadia University. Lisa Nutter is the executive director of High School Academies. Sharon Ravitch is a senior lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. Joel Steiker is a partner at Murex Investments.

Editors' Note

RFA eNews is a publication of Research for Action. Please email us your thoughts and comments at info@researchforaction.org. We respect your privacy and will not share your contact information.

Editors - Gail E. Danckert and Morgan Riffer