Report on institute which addressed 3 strands of work in Phila: planning for development of SLCs in schools, Learning about District’s new initiative and implement higher academic standards, focusing on teaching and learning with an emphasis on literacy in SLCs. Report finds that participants got the opportunity to understand elements of the work that would be necessary in the new District initiative–working with multiple points of view, working in teams, thinking about school change, becoming active in improvement efforts, think about connections between school org and improvement, etc.
First Steps: A Report on the K-12 Literacy/Small Learning Community Institute
Related Publications
Publication
The Implementation, Impact, and Cost Effectiveness of Developmental Education Reform in California’s Community Colleges, Interim Report #3
California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 705, passed in 2017 and taking effect in fall 2019, fundamentally changed the postsecondary pathways available to students entering community college in the state. The law required colleges to revise their…
Publication
Literacy Practice Guides: Lessons from Four Philadelphia Literacy Pilot Programs Moving Students from Phonics to Fluency
In partnership with the William Penn Foundation, Research for Action (RFA) conducted a three-year, mixed-methods evaluation of four innovative early-literacy interventions in Philadelphia. The evaluation examined how community-based and school-embedded programs support young readers through structured, evidence-based…
Publication
Bringing History to Life: An Evaluation of the Penn Museum’s Unpacking the Past Program
Philadelphia is home to a vibrant network of cultural institutions that provide enriching educational experiences for students in the School District of Philadelphia. Among them, the Penn Museum’s Unpacking the Past (UtP) program engages more…
Publication
Educational Outcomes for Boys & Girls Club Members in California, 2021-22
Research has consistently shown that participation in high-quality out-of-school time programming has a positive impact on participants’ social and emotional development, academic achievement, and rates of engagement in risky behaviors. The research summarized in this…
Publication
Growing Per Pupil Fund Balances in Pennsylvania Cyber Charter Schools
This research update from Research for Action’s PACER project revisits and expands on prior analyses of fund balances across Pennsylvania’s public education sectors using the most recent 2023–24 data. The findings show that cyber charter…
Publication
The Increasing Reliance on Emergency Permits for Teachers in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s public education system is grappling with a significant and escalating reliance on emergency teaching permits. This increase reflects a growing teacher shortage across the state, characterized by a sharp decline in the number of…
Publication
Small But Mighty – An Audio Documentary
Why are Black teachers leaving the classroom—and what can be done to keep them? In this audio documentary, hosts Samuel Reed and Kevin Burgess dive deep into Research for Action’s groundbreaking study on Black teacher…
Publication
State of Inequity: Disparities in Pennsylvania School Districts by Degree of Funding Adequacy
This study provides the first descriptive comparison of the characteristics of Pennsylvania school districts by degree of school funding adequacy gaps, as calculated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2024 using the state’s legislatively…
Publication
Patterns of Student Mobility Among English Learner Students in Public High Schools in Philadelphia
This study examines the mobility rates of English Learner (EL) students in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). Student mobility refers to the process of students changing schools, either during the school year or over…
Publication
Interim Report 2 on the Implementation, Impact, and Cost Effectiveness of Developmental Education Reform in California’s Community Colleges
For years, developmental education (DE) courses in community colleges, intended to prepare students for college-level work, often became a barrier, disproportionately impacting Black, Latino, and Indigenous students. In 2017, California aimed to address this with…
Publication
Students Experiencing Homelessness in Pennsylvania: A 2024 Update
This PACER brief provides RFA’s updated analysis of data on students experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania, highlighting prevalence, challenges with identification, disparities in educational opportunities, and impact on academic outcomes. Our main findings include that: Roughly…
Publication
The When and How of Keystone Exams in the School District of Philadelphia
To earn a diploma, Pennsylvania high school students must now demonstrate college or career readiness through one of several pathways. Two of these pathways require passing state exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature, known…