Research For Action Inc

TO CONDUCT RESEARCH/EVALUATIONS TO IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES & OUTCOMES FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS

RFA'S RESEARCH AND EVALUATIONS COMBINE RIGOR WITH FLEXIBILITY TO INFORM AND IMPROVE PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES TOWARD EQUITABLE, HIGH QUALITY, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. RFA PARTNERS WITH NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES, INCLUDING NON-PROFITS, FOUNDATIONS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME (OST) PROVIDERS, HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS, K-12 EDUCATION PROVIDERS, JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROVIDERS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, RFA PUBLISHED DOZENS OF RESEARCH STUDIES, EVALUATIONS, AND POLICY REPORTS, AS WELL AS TOOLKITS AND RESOURCES, ADDRESSING RELEVANT EDUCATION TOPICS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO OUR WORK WAS OUR EMERGING FOCUS ON ENGAGING COMMUNITIES TO EXPAND THE REACH OF OUR RESEARCH AND TO CO-CREATE KEY QUESTIONS, FINDINGS, AND ACTIONABLE RESULTS DIRECTLY WITH THOSE WHO BENEFIT MOST DIRECTLY. IN ADDITION TO VARIOUS WEBINARS AND TOWN HALL MEETINGS, IN APRIL 2022, RFA HELD ITS FIRST TEACH-IN EVENT WITH 75+ PARTICIPANTS IN ATTENDANCE, MADE POSSIBLE BY AN INNOVATION GRANT FROM THE BARRA FOUNDATION. OUR PROJECTS WITH A LOCAL FOCUS INCLUDE THE PENNSYLVANIA CLEARINGHOUSE FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH (PACER), THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY EDUCATION RESEARCH (ACER) PROJECT AND THE PHILADELPHIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CONSORTIUM (PERC), THE LATTER OF WHICH IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA'S OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND EVALUATION. IN FY22, WE ADVANCED OUR LOCAL FOOTPRINT WITH FUNDING FROM THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMMING. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL NONPROFIT TO EVALUATE ARTS PROGRAMMING AS PART OF THEIR EDUCATION INNOVATION AND RESEARCH GRANT. AND FINALLY, WE WERE SELECTED BY THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THREE OTHER NONPROFITS TO EVALUATE THE CITY'S ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE GRANTMAKING EFFORTS. OUR NATIONAL WORK EXTENDS OUR REACH AND IMPACT TO STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES, INCLUDING ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, FLORIDA, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, NORTH DAKOTA, AND TEXAS AMONG OTHERS. WE ALSO COMPLETED OUR SECOND YEAR OF AN EDUCATION RESEARCH GRANT FROM THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES TO RESEARCH THE IMPLEMENTATION, IMPACT AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION CURRICULAR REFORM IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES.