RFA is leading “Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform,” a comprehensive, multi-year study of Philadelphia’s complex and radical school reform effort. RFA researchers worked with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, Montclair State University, Swarthmore College, and the Consortium on Chicago School Research to examine the impact of state takeover, the efficacy of a diverse provider model, the success of district-level leadership in managing a complex set of reforms, the engagement of civic and community groups with district policy and school improvement, and the key factors influencing student outcomes under various school conditions and school management models. “Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform” included a multi-faceted, vigorous public awareness component that engages leaders and citizens in the process of educational change, and informed and guided the national debate on school reform. RFA continues to disseminate information broadly through public speaking and the RFA website.
Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform
Associated Publications
- Once & For All: Placing a Highly Qualified Teacher in Every Philadelphia Classroom – Executive Summary
- Philadelphia Story: Building Civic Capacity for School Reform in a Privatizing System – Executive Summary
- Philadelphia’s First Year Middle Grades Teachers: Perspectives on Supports and Experiences — Executive Summary
- Philadelphia’s Teacher Hiring and School Assignment Practices: Comparisons with Other Districts – Executive Summary
- The Quest for Quality: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Philadelphia – Executive Summary
- A Tall Order for Philadelphia’s New Approach to School Governance: Heal the Political Rifts, Close the Budget Gap, AND Improve the Schools
- Preliminary Results: Philadelphia New Teacher Survey
- Emerging Themes from the Perspective of Principals
- Once & For All: Placing a Highly Qualified Teacher in Every Philadelphia Classroom
- Principals and Teachers in a Reform Environment
- Teachers in the School District of Philadelphia: Tables on Teacher Retention and the Distribution of Teachers’ Certification Levels and Experience in the District by School Type, Poverty Level, and School Racial Composition
- The State Takeover in Philadelphia: Where We Are and How We Got Here
- Understanding Philadelphia’s Tests
- Adequate Yearly Progress: Where District Schools Stand
- Civic Engagement under Philadelphia’s Current Educational Regime
- Making AYP: The Game (Pennsylvania Edition)
- Philadelphia’s First Year Middle Grades Teachers: Perspectives on Supports and Experiences, 2003-2004
- Philadelphia’s New Teacher Coaches: Reflections on Their First Year
- Philadelphia’s Teacher Hiring and School Assignment Practices: Comparisons with Other Districts
- Private Sector Involvement in Urban School Reform: Emerging Themes
- Que Conocemos Sobre ‘Calidad de Maestros’ en Filadelfia? Que Podemos Hacer?
- Reading a No Child Left Behind ‘School Report Card’
- Achieving ‘Proficiency’: The Devil Is in the Details of State Plans
- Adequate Yearly Progress: Where Philadelphia Public Schools Stand 2004
- Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform: What Do the Research Findings Show So Far?
- Making AYP: The Game (New! 2005 Pennsylvania Edition)
- The ‘Original 86:’ Tracking Changes to ”Original 86′ Philadelphia Public Schools Initially Targeted for Intervention Following the 2001 State Takeover
- The Quest for Quality: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Philadelphia
- Time to Engage? Civic Participation in Philadelphia’s School Reform
- Adequate Yearly Progress: Where Philadelphia Public Schools Stand 2005
- Privatization ‘Philly Style’: What Can Be Learned from Philadelphia’s Diverse Provider Model of School Management (Updated edition with important new information and findings)
- The Role of District Leadership in Radical Reform: Philadelphia’s Experience under the State Takeover, 2001-2006
- Blurring the Boundaries: A Case Study of Private Sector Involvement in Philadelphia Public Schools
- Bringing the Private into the Public: Changing the Rules of the Game and New Regime Politics in Philadelphia Public Education
- Closing the Teacher Quality Gap in Philadelphia: New Hope and Old Hurdles
- Learning from Philadelphia’s School Reform: The Impact of NCLB and State Related Legislation
- Philadelphia Story: Building Civic Capacity for School Reform in a Privatizing System
- State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Student Achievement in Philadelphia
- Student Achievement in Privately Managed and District-Managed Schools in Philadelphia Since the State Takeover
- Radical Privatization: The Role of School District Leaders as Policy Entrepreneurs
- The Ascent of Privatization Policy in Public Education: The Case of Philadelphia
- Making the Most of Interim Assessment Data: Lessons from Philadelphia
- Philadelphia’s Teacher Appraisal System: Needs Improvement
- Challenges to Freshman Year Interventions in Philadelphia
- Context, Conditions, and Consequences: Freshman Year Transition in Philadelphia
- Bridging the Gap: How Students from Immigrant Families Navigate Philadelphia’s High School Application Process
- Counselors are Critical: How Middle School Counselors Can Support Students in Philadelphia’s High School Application Process
Dates: 2002 - 2010