Research for Action

Learning from Philadelphia's School Reform 2002 - 2010
Description:	RFA recently concluded Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform, a comprehensive, multi-year study of Philadelphia's complex and radical school reform effort following the Pennsylvania state takeover of the School District of Philadelphia. RFA researchers worked with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, Montclair State University, Swarthmore College, and the Consortium on Chicago School Research to examine the impact of state takeover, the efficacy of a diverse provider model, the success of district-level leadership in managing a complex set of reforms, the engagement of civic and community groups with district policy and school improvement, and the key factors influencing student outcomes under various school conditions and school management models. Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform included a multi-faceted, vigorous public awareness component that engages leaders and citizens in the process of educational change, and informed and guided the national debate on school reform. RFA continues to disseminate information broadly through public speaking and the RFA website.
Team Leaders:	Suzanne Blanc Jolley Bruce Christman Eva Gold Ruth Curran Neild Elizabeth Useem
Team Members:	Judith A. Adamson Ed Brockenbrough Katrina E. Bulkley Sarah Costelloe Maia Cucchiara Gail Danckert Shani Adia Evans Elizabeth Farley Tracey A. Hartmann Cheryl Jones-Walker Kristine S. Lewis Holly Plastaras Maluk Cecily A. Mitchell Leah M. Mundell Rebecca J. Reumann-Moore Morgan Riffer Sonia Rosen Elaine Simon Gretchen E. L. Suess Eva Travers
Funder(s):	William Penn Foundation The Pew Charitable Trusts Surdna Foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York Samuel S. Fels Fund Edward W. Hazen Foundation Charles Stewart Mott Foundation The Philadelphia Foundation
Publications:	The Prospects for Public Engagement in a Privatizing System: A Case Study of Philadelphia, 2001-2007 Philadelphia's Teacher Appraisal System: Needs Improvement The Ascent of Privatization Policy in Public Education: The Case of Philadelphia Evaluating the Performance of Philadelphia's Charter Schools Radical Privatization: The Role of School District Leaders as Policy Entrepreneurs Philadelphia Story: Building Civic Capacity for School Reform in a Privatizing System Philadelphia Story: Building Civic Capacity for School Reform in a Privatizing System - Executive Summary Letter to the Editor: Are Privately Run Public Schools Worth the Effort and Money? Closing the Teacher Quality Gap in Philadelphia: New Hope and Old Hurdles Closing the Teacher Quality Gap in Philadelphia: New Hope and Old Hurdles - Executive Summary Letter to the Editor: Good School News Letter to the Editor: Public Schools, Private Operators Public Education in Philadelphia: The Crucial Need for Civic Capacity in a Privatized Environment Commentary: Straight Talk about a Report on Achievement at City Schools Blurring the Boundaries: A Case Study of Private Sector Involvement in Philadelphia Public Schools Bringing the Private into the Public: Changing the Rules of the Game and New Regime Politics in Philadelphia Public Education Learning from Philadelphia's School Reform: The Impact of NCLB and State Related Legislation State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Student Achievement in Philadelphia Student Achievement in Privately Managed and District-Managed Schools in Philadelphia Since the State Takeover What's the 'Diverse Provider Model?' How Did We Get It? Is It Here for Good? The Role of District Leadership in Radical Reform: Philadelphia's Experience under the State Takeover, 2001-2006 Privatization 'Philly Style': What Can Be Learned from Philadelphia's Diverse Provider Model of School Management (Updated edition with important new information and findings) Adequate Yearly Progress: Where Philadelphia Public Schools Stand 2005 Achieving 'Proficiency': The Devil Is in the Details of State Plans Time to Engage? Civic Participation in Philadelphia's School Reform Learning from Philadelphia's School Reform: What Do the Research Findings Show So Far? Teacher Quality Inequitable in Philadelphia's Schools Supporting New Teachers in the City Blurring the Boundaries: Private Sector Involvement in Philadelphia Public Schools Commentary: For Better Schools, Think Small The Quest for Quality: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Philadelphia Adequate Yearly Progress: Where Philadelphia Public Schools Stand 2004 The 'Original 86:' Tracking Changes to ''Original 86' Philadelphia Public Schools Initially Targeted for Intervention Following the 2001 State Takeover The Quest for Quality: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Philadelphia - Executive Summary Making AYP: The Game (New! 2005 Pennsylvania Edition) Private Sector Involvement in Urban School Reform: Emerging Themes Reading a No Child Left Behind 'School Report Card' Making AYP: The Game (Pennsylvania Edition) Adequate Yearly Progress: Where District Schools Stand Schools Examine Test Data to Guide Plans for What to Teach Philadelphia's First Year Middle Grades Teachers: Perspectives on Supports and Experiences, 2003-2004 Philadelphia's First Year Middle Grades Teachers: Perspectives on Supports and Experiences -- Executive Summary Findings from the New Teacher Coach Focus Groups - Executive Summary Philadelphia's New Teacher Coaches: Reflections on Their First Year Contracting Out Schools: The First Year of the Philadelphia Diverse Provider Model Philadelphia's Teacher Hiring and School Assignment Practices: Comparisons with Other Districts Commentary: The Yet-Untried Ways to Fix Phila.'s Schools Philadelphia's Teacher Hiring and School Assignment Practices: Comparisons with Other Districts - Executive Summary Civic Engagement under Philadelphia's Current Educational Regime Civic Leadership & State Takeover in Public Education: Conflict or Convergence Que Conocemos Sobre 'Calidad de Maestros' en Filadelfia? Que Podemos Hacer? What Do We Know about 'Teacher Quality' in Philadelphia? What Can We Do? Asi es como Filadelfia pierde maestros buenos Why Philadelphia loses promising teachers and what is being done about it Access to Certified, Experienced Teachers Is Not Equal For All The State Takeover in Philadelphia: Where We Are and How We Got Here Once & For All: Placing a Highly-Qualified Teacher in Every Philadelphia Classroom Characteristics of Schools Under Diverse Providers 2002-2003 Once & For All: Placing a Highly Qualified Teacher in Every Philadelphia Classroom - Executive Summary Philadelphia School Reform: Historical Roots and Reflections on the 2002-2003 School Year under State Takeover By the Numbers: What We Know About Teacher Quality in Philadelphia Supports and Challenges in the Multiple Provider Model: Principals Offer Mixed Perspectives on First Year of Takeover Teacher Turnover High at 'Takeover Schools.' A Look at the School Managers in the 'Multiple Provider' Model A Public/Private Hybrid: For-Profit Educational Management Organizations and Public Education Glosario de terminologia de examenes Frequently asked questions about standardized testing A Glossary of Testing Terms Preguntas mas frecuentes sobre los examenes estandarizados Preparing our Students for the Big Test: Sustaining Test Score Gains Requires Good Teaching, Not Skill and Drill Entendamos los examenes estandarizados Emerging Themes from the Perspective of Principals Understanding Philadelphia's Tests From Center-stage to the Sidelines: Community Organizations and the State Takeover of the Philadelphia Schools Principals and Teachers in a Reform Environment Teachers in the School District of Philadelphia: Tables on Teacher Retention and the Distribution of Teachers' Certification Levels and Experience in the District by School Type, Poverty Level, and School Racial Composition Preliminary Results: Philadelphia New Teacher Survey Comprehensive District Reform: Philadelphia's Grand Experiment