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 Philadelphia 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).

Dale Mezzacappa reports on issues surrounding school choice in Philadelphia in her blog for the Philadelphia Public School Notebook (Pew Report: Options are growing, but parents still want more, June 28). Mezzacappa references and links to RFA’s recent policy brief Uneven Playing Field: Demographic Differences and High School “Choice” in Philadelphia. This policy brief is part of RFA’s larger research on school choice and the transition to high school in Philadelphia.

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.