An examination of standards implementation in Philadelphia public schools as part of a series of progress reports on the Children Achieving Challenge from the 1996-97 school year. This report addresses how standards influence instruction in Philadelphia classrooms. The authors found that many teachers did not think that they needed to change their instructional practice to incorporate the district’s new content standards. Teachers saw the standards as a list of topics to be included in their curricula, rather than as a set of learning outcomes – their most common response was, ‘I’m already doing that.’ The report also examines how new assessment mechanisms, including the SAT-9, affected classroom instruction.
Making Sense of Standards: Implementation Issues and the Impact on Teacher Practice
Date: May 1998
Related Publications
Publication
Growing Per Pupil Fund Balances in Pennsylvania Cyber Charter Schools
This research update from Research for Action’s PACER project revisits and expands on prior analyses of fund balances across Pennsylvania’s public education sectors using the most recent 2023–24 data. The findings show that cyber charter…
Publication
The Increasing Reliance on Emergency Permits for Teachers in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s public education system is grappling with a significant and escalating reliance on emergency teaching permits. This increase reflects a growing teacher shortage across the state, characterized by a sharp decline in the number of…
Publication
Small But Mighty – An Audio Documentary
Why are Black teachers leaving the classroom—and what can be done to keep them? In this audio documentary, hosts Samuel Reed and Kevin Burgess dive deep into Research for Action’s groundbreaking study on Black teacher…
Publication
State of Inequity: Disparities in Pennsylvania School Districts by Degree of Funding Adequacy
This study provides the first descriptive comparison of the characteristics of Pennsylvania school districts by degree of school funding adequacy gaps, as calculated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2024 using the state’s legislatively…
Publication
Patterns of Student Mobility Among English Learner Students in Public High Schools in Philadelphia
This study examines the mobility rates of English Learner (EL) students in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). Student mobility refers to the process of students changing schools, either during the school year or over…
Publication
Interim Report 2 on the Implementation, Impact, and Cost Effectiveness of Developmental Education Reform in California’s Community Colleges
For years, developmental education (DE) courses in community colleges, intended to prepare students for college-level work, often became a barrier, disproportionately impacting Black, Latino, and Indigenous students. In 2017, California aimed to address this with…
Publication
Students Experiencing Homelessness in Pennsylvania: A 2024 Update
This PACER brief provides RFA’s updated analysis of data on students experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania, highlighting prevalence, challenges with identification, disparities in educational opportunities, and impact on academic outcomes. Our main findings include that: Roughly…
Publication
The When and How of Keystone Exams in the School District of Philadelphia
To earn a diploma, Pennsylvania high school students must now demonstrate college or career readiness through one of several pathways. Two of these pathways require passing state exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature, known…
Publication
Understanding Increases in Head Start Teacher Turnover During COVID-19
This report explores the dramatic increase in Head Start teacher turnover during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) from 2010 to 2022, the study investigates trends in teacher…
Publication
Examining the Effectiveness of Race-Specific Funding Strategies in Higher Education
As states reckon with racial enrollment and attainment gaps in higher education, some have made efforts to address them through their higher education funding. Two common approaches are outcomes-based funding (OBF) and Promise programs, as…
Publication
“For the Good of the City” An Early Evaluation of the Catto Scholarship
The Octavius V. Catto Scholarship launched in spring 2021 at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to help Philadelphians achieve college success. Inspired by 19th-century civil rights leader Octavius Catto’s belief in education for all, the…
Publication
Revisiting Research on School Closings: Key Learnings for District and Community Leaders
While school closures are often framed as necessary adjustments due to population shifts, building issues, or declining enrollment, the reality is these decisions spark fierce debate and can disproportionately impact students and communities of color.…