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Student Achievement in Privately Managed and District-Managed Schools in Philadelphia Since the State Takeover

Following a state takeover of the Philadelphia public schools in 2002, 45 schools were turned over to private managers, making Philadelphia the site of the nation’s largest experiment in the private management of public schools. This research brief/executive summary presents findings from the full report, State Takeover, School Restructuring, Private Management, and Student Achievement in Philadelphia, a collaborative study by RAND Corporation and Research for Action. This study examines achievement effects in the privately managed schools, as well as in schools with district-led interventions, and examines these effects in the context of district-wide trends in achievement.