Research for Action researchers are well-informed about urban school reform and public education issues and are available to share their knowledge with members of the news media.  Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to: strategies for improving schools; teacher quality, effectiveness, and capacity; college access and success; youth development; civic engagement; building literacies in and outside of schools; and district, state, and federal policy contexts.

For information, contact:
Alison Murawski
Director of Communications
amurawski@researchforaction.org
215-823-2500, X 514

Press Releases

February 1, 2010 - NEW STUDY SHOWS PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS ADDS BURDEN TO STRUGGLING SCHOOLS

September 14, 2009 — DR. KATHLEEN SHAW NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH FOR ACTION

August 24, 2009 — NEW STUDY SHOWS SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS CAN HELP STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SUCCEED,  BUT NOT WITHOUT SUPPORT

July 6, 2009 — AMID CONTROVERSY, NEW STUDY SHOWS INTERIM ASSESSMENTS HAVE THEIR PLACE


Recent Media Coverage of Research for Action

RFA Senior Research Assistant Kimberly Edmunds was profiled on School Victories’ Morning Announcements blog. Her profile is the first in a new series School Victories will be running titled “Five Questions,” which spotlights individual advocates, researchers, or organizers involved in education reform.

RFA’s research on small schools continues to make waves. In addition to the recent Daily News and Inquirer articles, our research has been highlighted in a number of online sources, including blogs from Philadelphia Neighborhoods (Jessica Arnold, 6/20), Ponte al Día (Esp.; 7/01), and the UK Prestige Blog Arena (6/26).

Writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kristen Graham has a two-part series on small schools in Philadelphia which draws attention to RFA research. Small schools still in flux (July 1) references recent RFA reports The Transition to High School: School “Choice” and Freshman Year in Philadelphia and Going Small: Progress and Challenges of Philadelphia’s Small Schools. See also Small Philly schools with big hopes (June 30).

After 4 years, Philly's small high schools earn passing grades. Valerie Russ of the Philadelphia Daily News reports on the apparent successes and challenges of the School District of Philadelphia's small high schools (June 25). Russ' article draws heavily from an interview with RFA Senior Research Associates Rebecca Reumann-Moore and Tracey Hartmann, who studied Philadelphia's small schools from 2006 - 2008 and co-authored Going Small: Progress and Challenges of Philadelphia's Small High Schools, published by RFA in 2009.

The April edition of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook draws attention to RFA's work on the Philadelphia high school selection process with Reports urge changes in high school admissions, by Dale Mezzacappa, which lays out the recommendations put forward in RFA's recent reports, and features an interview with RFA Executive Director Kate Shaw. The edition also includes a letter to the editor that draws on this research (The reality of high school choice, by Sydelle Zove). The April Notebook also spotlights the Effective Teaching Campaign, which is "encourag[ing] the District to work with Research for Action to do 'a real evaluation around teacher effectiveness'" (Effective Teaching Campaign keeps focus on union contract, Dale Mezzacappa).

RFA's is collaborating with Youth United for Change in an action research project focusing on out-of-school youth. This work is highlighted in an article by Wendy Harris in the April edition of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook,
Dropped out? No, pushed out. The article also features quotes from RFA Senior Research Associate Rebecca Reumann-Moore.

Education Week's Debbie Viadero considers some of the most important conclusions from RFA's recent work on the Transition to High School in Study: High School Choices Elude Phila. Students (March 30).

Fixing City's Magnet System, by Kate Shaw and Eva Gold (March 29): amidst the Philadelphia Inquirer's coverage of the controversy surrounding purported changes to the magnet school admissions process, RFA's Executive Director (Shaw) and its co-founder and Senior Research Fellow (Gold) published an op-ed to fully explain and advocate key findings and recommendations from RFA's recent work on high school choice. This research has played a key role in the Inquirer's reporting, including Should schools chief have known?, by Susan Snyder (March 29).

School Victories highlights Research for Action's research on the Transition to High School in its Morning Announcements Blog (Spotlight on: Research for School Improvements), and links to RFA's new School Victories page (check it out!).

Dale Mezzacappa discusses some of the major findings from RFA's research on school choice in an article about the district's reversal on proposed changes to its admissions policy (Ackerman -- no changes coming to selective admissions, Philadelphia Public School Notebook BLOG, March 18).

Susan Snyder interviewed RFA Senior Research Fellow Eva Gold on reports that the School District of Philadelphia was considering changes to its special admission school selection policies (Top city schools' criteria in flux? Philadelphia Inquirer, March 18). The following day, the Inquirer cited RFA's policy brief Context, Conditions, and Consequences while reporting on statements from Superintendent Arlene Ackerman refuting the previous reports and stating that the reported changes were not under consideration (Ackerman: Magnet proposal now dead, was a surprise, Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer, March 19).

Dale Mezzacappa discusses reactions to RFA's policy brief Context, Conditions, and Consequences, considers the possibility for reform in Changes in store for high school choice? (Philadelphia Public School Notebook, Dale Mezzacappa's Blog, February 12).

Public Education Network's Weekly News Blast (February 12th) spotlights RFA's latest policy brief, Context, Conditions, and Consequences: Freshman Year Transition in Philadelphia.

RFA's new policy brief, Context, Conditions, and Consequences: Freshman Year Transition in Philadelphia, was highlighted in the ASCD Smartbrief for February 5th.

School Victories spotlighted RFA's policy brief, Context, Conditions, and Consequences: Freshman Year Transition in Philadelphia in its Morning Announcements blog (February 8th).

Study finds high school choice 'an illusion': Kristen Graham of the Philadelphia Inquirer interviews Pamela Brown, the Philadelphia School District's interim chief academic officer, to discuss the district response to the recommendations in the new RFA policy brief, Context, Conditions, and Consequences: Freshman Year Transition in Philadelphia.

Paul Socolar reports on RFA's new policy brief with Report: High school choice an illusion. The article draws on the challenges and recommendations presented in Context, Conditions, and Consequences: Freshman Year Transition in Philadelphia from Research for Action. Philadelphia Public School Notebook, Paul Socolar's Blog, February 3, 2010.

Eva Gold discusses lessons from the history of community engagement on education issues in Philadelphia in an article about the School District's community engagement strategy, District: This time, community will have real voice in turnarounds (February, 2010), by Philadelphia Public School Notebook reporter Sarah Peterson.

Dale Mezzacappa discusses concerns over Philadelphia's ability to recruit, retain, and support effective teachers (Despite progress, problems keeping enough qualified teachers: Philadelphia Public School Notebook NEWSFLASH, December 2009). The article references the Effective Teaching Campaign, of which RFA is an endorser, and quotes Ruth Curran Neild on the problems of relying on emergency-certified teachers.

RFA's The Five School Study: Restructuring Philadelphia's Comprehensive High Schools will serve as the basis for some professional development at West High School, writes Dale Mezzacappa in "Activists seek more than a new building for West Philly High"; (Philadelphia Public School Notebook NEWSFLASH, November 2009). RFA principal Jolley Bruce Christman is quoted explaining the importance of studying the history and evolution of Philadelphia high schools.

Community Groups Turn Up Heat on Philadelphia Contract Talks, write Education Week authors Lesli A. Maxwell and Dakarai I. Aarons on their blog, District Dossier (November 3, 2009). The article links to RFA’s recent publication, Philadelphia’s Teacher Appraisal System: Needs Improvement, and features Betsey Useem discussing the work of the Effective Teaching Campaign, of which RFA is an endorser.

Eva Gold discusses the difficulties District eighth graders face in gaining admission to their preferred high schools in "Dash for the right high school: As Oct. 30 nears, 8th-graders weigh choices for next year,” by Dafney Tales (Philadelphia Daily News, October 14, 2009).

"Math proficiency is ahead of the curve,”  by Connie Langland (Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 2009), quotes RFA Senior Research Consultant Suzanne Blanc on the role of staff professional development in improving student outcomes.

In "Teacher campaign takes platform to the mayor" (Philadelphia Public School Notebook BLOG, October 9, 2009), Dale Mezzacappa discusses RFA’s recent report, Philadelphia's Teacher Appraisal System: Needs Improvement, as well as the Effective Teaching Campaign, of which RFA is an endorser.

"Selecting a high school: Not a level playing field," by RFA’s Shani Adia Evans and Dale Mezzacappa (Philadelphia Public School Notebook, Fall Guide 2009), discusses the School District of Philadelphia’s high school selection system, and the elements of that system which inhibit many students from attending the schools of their choice. (Look for Transition to High School: School "Choice" & Freshman Year in Philadelphia -- an upcoming report from RFA that builds on and expands these themes.)

"How to get the best teachers possible" by Jolley Bruce Christman and Betsey Useem (Op ed - Philadelphia Inquirer, September 8, 2009). Three steps would be a powerful beginning, and what's more, they are doable. There is abundant research to support all of these actions...

Elizabeth Useem was quoted in "Group urges improved teacher quality in Philadelphia" by Martha Woodall (Philadelphia Inquirer, March 31, 2009). Dr. Useem drew from Research for Action's teaching quality research to comment on the issue of teacher retention in Philadelphia.

"Quality Vs. Quantity" by Morgan Zalot (City Paper, March 31, 2009) refers to Research for Action's most recent report on teacher quality, Closing the Teacher Quality Gap in Philadelphia: New Hope and Old Hurdles.