Research for Action

Diane C. Brown

Senior Research Consultant dbrown@researchforaction.org	Diane Brown is a forty-year veteran educator, who worked many years for the School District of Philadelphia. She has extensive experience with youth action research programs. She was the Director of Sisters Together in Action Research (STAR), a leadership and literacy development program for low-income, adolescent girls of color. She was also the Team Leader of RFA’s summer research camp for Philadelphia high school students. She recently completed a three year evaluation of the Annenberg-funded Pennsylvania High School Coaching Initiative, (PAHSCI), which focused on the impact of strongly supported coaching with a literacy-rich curriculum on improving teaching and learning. Diane has expertise and interest in issues surrounding adolescent girls of color. Her dissertation was titled: Testifying on our own behalf: African American girls at a racially isolated middle school. Diane is an instructor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Teach For America program.
Selected Research for Action projects: An evaluation of the Pennsylvania High School Coaching Initiative, a classroom based coaching model A formative evaluation of reform initiatives in Trenton Public Schools: Trenton School District A research camp for Philadelphia-area high school-aged students involved in social action projects in their schools and communities All Projects
Selected Publications: Christman, J. B., Brown, D. C., Burgess, S., Kay, J., Maluk, H. P., & Mitchell, C. A. (2009, Apr 15). Effective Organizational Practices for Middle and High School Grades: A Qualitative Study of What's Helping Philadelphia Students Succeed in Grades 6-12. Philadelphia: Research for Action. Brown, D. C., Reumann-Moore, R. J., Christman, J. B., Riffer, M., & Liu, R. (2009, Feb). Links to Learning and Sustainability: Year Three Report of the Pennsylvania High School Coaching Initiative. Philadelphia: Research for Action. Brown, D. C., Reumann-Moore, R. J., Christman, J. B., Riffer, M., du Plessis, P. L., Maluk, H. P., & Liu, R. (2007, Nov). Making A Difference: Year Two Report of the Pennsylvania High School Coaching Initiative - Executive Summary. Philadelphia: Research for Action. Brown, D. C., Reumann-Moore, R. J., du Plessis, P. L., Christman, J. B., & Liu, R. (2006, Sep 1). Promising InRoads: Year One Report of the Pennsylvania High School Coaching Initiative. Philadelphia: Research for Action. All Publications
Educational Background: Ed.D.: Lehigh University M.Ed.: Lehigh University, Educational Leadership M.A.: St. John's College B.S.: Cheney University, Secondary English