Evaluating the Performance of Philadelphia’s Charter Schools
March 31, 2008
Research for Action recently released, “Evaluating the Performance of Philadelphia’s Charter Schools.”
“This report examines the effect charter schools are having on student achievement in Philadelphia. In addition to the schools’ effect on reading and mathematics achievement, it looks at such questions as what types of students charter schools attract and whether charter schools have higher student turnover rates than traditional public schools. The authors find that students’ average gains when attending charter schools are statistically indistinguishable from the gains they experienced while at traditional public schools.”
Download: Evaluating the Performance of Philadelphia’s Charter Schools
Event: State of the City
March 31, 2008
Center City Proprietors Association and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia Invite you to the Sixth Annual State of the City
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
5:30 to 7:30 pm
Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel
1701 Locust Street
A savvy sector of the region’s brain trust will review the past year’s accomplishments, offer a sneak peek of coming developments, and discuss their vision for the city’s future. Panelists: Andrew Altman, Peggy Amsterdam, Camille Cates Barnett, Ph.D., Tom Muldoon, Steven Wray, Executive Director, Economy League
Space is limited and pre-payment is required. For details and to reserve a place, contact CCPA: 215 545 7766.
Source: State of the City Event April 30
The Bottom Line is…Children
March 31, 2008
Public Citizens for Children and Youth recently released a study called, “The Bottom Line is…Children” for 2008.
“Almost one million children call Southeastern Pennsylvania home. They are very rich and they are very poor, most are healthy but some are not; most of them are able to find good pre-school programs to help them get ready for school and attend schools that are ready for them, but some miss out on one or both of these; they live in luxury, and they live in poverty. They are more alike than they are different, but their life circumstances vary dramatically. Like children everywhere, they look to adults to nurture, support, protect, and teach them. Like adults everywhere most of us try to fulfill the needs and desires of our children. The challenge then for all of us in this region is to understand that all of them are our children.”
Download: The Bottom Line is…Children
Regional Rails as Community Asset
March 31, 2008
The Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project recently released a study called, “Focus: Regional Rails as Community Asset.”
“This report focuses specifically on the ways in which the regional rail system can be seen as a community asset. It provides the background for a more extensive report, due out in the first quarter of 2008, which systematically assess the gains to property values, household budgets, and community vitality.”
Download: Focus: Regional Rails as Community Asset
Philadelphia Dell East in need of overhaul
March 31, 2008
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, “The Robin Hood Dell East is unsafe for concerts this summer, and a dilapidated camp for the city’s poorest children should be shut down for good, administration officials told City Council yesterday.”
Source: Philadelphia Dell East in need of overhaul
Don’t give up on Wireless Philadelphia
March 31, 2008
Chris Satullo of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, “The nonprofit grew out of a fetching vision: Take a city with a huge digital divide, half its households strangers to the Internet. Use a partnership with a visionary company to propel it to the front of the connected pack.”
Source: Chris Satullo: Don’t give up on Wireless Philadelphia
After a big bang, HUD dustup lingers
March 31, 2008
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, “After the implosion of Mantua Hall, firefighters sprayed water on the rubble. The Philadelphia Housing Authority has not constructed enough handicap-accessible housing, HUD says.”
Source: After a big bang, HUD dustup lingers
Mortgage Mess: Who Gets Help and Who Pays?
March 31, 2008
The Christian-Science Monitor reports, “The federal government is increasingly focused on how to resolve the US mortgage mess, but the effort means grappling with controversial issues of who should receive help and who will pay for it.”
Source: Mortgage Mess: Who Gets Help and Who Pays?
Report Sketches Crime Costing Billions: Theft From Charities
March 31, 2008
The New York Times reports, “The volunteer treasurer of the Madison County Humane Society in Indiana was charged this month with using $65,000 of the charity’s money to buy jewelry and makeup. In San Francisco, the chief financial officer of the Music Concourse Community Partnership was fired after he was accused of taking $3.6 million of the organization’s money to play the stock market.”
Source: Report Sketches Crime Costing Billions: Theft From Charities
As Jobs Vanish and Prices Rise, Food Stamp Use Nears Record
March 31, 2008
The New York Times reports, “Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s.”
Source: As Jobs Vanish and Prices Rise, Food Stamp Use Nears Record
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