Public Education
Differentiator Fund
Flexible capital for better public education outcomes.
On-time graduation
2030 target: 90%
Baseline: X%
Current: X%
Change: +X points
Public dollars are intended to operate a school system. Flexible capital can take risks that those dollars often cannot by testing a new model, absorbing early costs, building evidence, and determining whether an approach is ready to grow within the public system. REF’s Differentiator Fund backs those bets in Richmond public education. We invest where additional capital can materially improve student outcomes, and we use evidence and what it costs to determine what deserves more investment.
Why This Matters
Strong public schools create opportunity at a scale few institutions can match. That means the status quo also carries an enormous cost. REF concentrates capital at the points where a better outcome can materially change a student's trajectory.
What Success Looks Like
Our public education investments are aligned around clear outcomes for Richmond students:
Third-grade reading proficiency
2030 target: 100%
Baseline: X%
Current: X%
Change: +X points
Our Current Public Education Investments
Literacy: An Evidence-Based Path to Proficiency
RPS is advancing early literacy by grounding Pre-K–5 materials and instruction in the Science of Reading.
REF has partnered with the University of Florida’s Literacy Institute (UFLI) to develop educator pedagogy and practice across the district. By pairing evidence-based instruction with sustained teacher training, aligned assessments, and high-quality learning resources, we are strengthening foundational reading skills across RPS.
The outcome: Every student reading proficiently by the end of third grade.
High School Redesign: From Classroom to Career
Our High School Redesign initiative is reshaping the student experience by aligning high school themes with career clusters.
This approach connects classroom learning to real job markets while expanding access to AP, CTE, dual enrollment, and pre-apprenticeship pathways—so students graduate ready for college, credentials, or the workforce.
The bet: rigorous academics connected to real-world learning and a clearer next step should produce stronger engagement and postsecondary readiness.
Educator + School Leader Talent
Strong public schools depend on talented educators and leaders who are supported to grow and stay. REF invests in strategies that strengthen recruitment, retention, compensation, leadership development, and recognition across RPS.
RPS Shines: Investing in the People Who Make Schools Work
RPS Shines is a districtwide investment in recognizing and celebrating the educators and staff who make RPS work every day. Through recognition, celebration, and targeted support, the initiative helps affirm excellence, strengthen morale, and reinforce the value of educators and staff across the district. It is one part of REF’s broader investment in creating the conditions that help talented people grow, stay, and lead in RPS.
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Compensation Incentives: Strengthening Recruitment and Retention
The Bet: Targeted compensation can improve recruitment and retention where staffing instability is most costly to students
RPS Leads: Building Richmond’s School Leader Pipeline
The Bet: A residency-based leadership pipeline can produce better-prepared school leaders and strengthen retention in high-need schools
RPS200: More Time. Better Outcomes.
RPS200 extends the school year by adding 20 instructional days at participating schools to support deeper learning and academic enrichment while reducing summer learning loss.
Early implementation at four elementary schools has led to faster literacy growth and higher attendance than in non-RPS200 schools, demonstrating the power of time as a lever for student success.
Read our case study on RPS200.
The bet: Additional instructional time should yield sufficient incremental learning and attendance gains to justify its marginal cost.
Evidence to date: In 2025–26, all four RPS200 schools ranked among RPS’s five largest gainers in K–2 early literacy, with school-level gains ranging from about 17 to 30 percentage points.
Next decision: Determine Whether the gains justify continued or expanded investment