Evaluating the Philadelphia Academies’ All-Academy High School Model

Research for Action partnered with Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (PAI) to evaluate the All-Academy model in two Philadelphia public high schools. PAI has served as a high school, postsecondary, and career readiness resource for nearly 50 years and serves as an intermediary between Philadelphia schools and the business community. As the “All-Academy” name suggests, these schools utilize a school-wide model of the high school career academy—a nationally-recognized approach that breaks students into small learning communities and exposes them to a sequential, career-themed, college-prep curriculum. During the 2014-15 school year, PAI implemented an All-Academy high school model in two Philadelphia public schools. Over the next three years RFA will work with PAI to better understand: 1) the All-Academy model’s influence on students’ academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional outcomes; 2) the successes and challenges of implementing the model; and 3) the conditions, resources, and activities necessary for implementing the All-Academy model within a comprehensive high school.