School Choice in a City of Neighborhoods: Philadelphia’s Approach to High School Reform

RFA’s study on high school choice builds on the “Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform” study and turns RFA’s attention to the improvement of Philadelphia’s high schools–a focus that was not part of the previous study and one that is sorely needed given the dire statistics on the city’s youth. Philadelphia’s system of comprehensive high schools has undergone dramatic change in the past several years. In this study, we use qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the district’s approach to creating good high school options for all students, and we investigate neighborhood high schools from the perspectives of students, parents, and staff.