Blueprint for Secondary Education in Philadelphia: The Planning Process, 2006-2008

Between fall 2006 and spring 2008, the Philadelphia Education Fund (the Ed Fund) and the School District of Philadelphia (the District) co-convened a planning process for secondary education reform. The planning process brought together partners who worked with high schools in the District’s central and regional offices, and schools, as well as parents, students and leaders from the non-profit, civic, community, university, advocacy and business sectors; together, they generated a five-year Blueprint to guide school improvement in grades 6-12. In this report, RFA presents a detailed overview of the planning process, then considers the process’s accomplishments, challenges, dilemmas, and next steps. Finally, the report provides a broad set of recommendations for other districts that may engage in a similar planning process.