Trusted, equity-focused education researchers and policy experts.

Research for Action is a nonprofit education research organization. We use field-driven insights to advance equity in opportunities and outcomes for underserved students and their families along the early childhood to postsecondary education pipeline.

Join our team!

RFA is actively recruiting early career researchers with demonstrated experience in education or education policy.

A Study of Out-of-School Time (OST) Coordination: Infrastructure for Supporting Healthy OST Ecosystems

Learn about our current project examining OST ecosystems during and after the pandemic.

Educational Opportunity Dashboard

Built with data from the 2017-18 federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), this interactive tool from RFA allows users to compare disparities in access to educational opportunity for students in all 50 states and the nation. Visit the Dashboard to examine the data on your home state and review RFA’s reports about educational opportunity in the nation and in Pennsylvania.

Visit the Dashboard

About Us

For 30 years, RFA has conducted research and evaluation to improve education policy and practice. Using culturally-responsive and equity-focused approaches to research studies, collaboration, and partnership, we work to advance racial and social justice so that all students, families, and their communities have the resources and supports to develop their potential and thrive.

Featured Projects

A project designed to inform state education policy discussions through rigorous, objective research; regular policy briefs; and research-based commentaries in leading media outlets statewide.

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Findings from a national survey of high school aged youth to examine factors that contribute to the readiness and well-being of youth, given the current context of the pandemic and the ongoing national reckoning with racial injustice.

View the Findings

An innovative research practice partnership with the School of Philadelphia’s Office of Research and Evaluation designed to provide research and analyses on some of Philadelphia’s most pressing education issues.

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Our Approach

A hallmark of RFA’s research and evaluation work is our responsive and collaborative approach to partnerships. Our research directly addresses the information needs of our partners and key stakeholders, knowing that education policies and contexts can shift, and important decisions need to be made to seize the moment to improve policy and practice.

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