1996 Annual Report
The Institute on Education and Training
About the IETRAND's Institute on Education and Training (IET) was founded with the conviction that the challenges of education and training today require a new approach--not only examining individual components of education and training, but looking at the enterprise as a system of related parts. Established in 1991 with a grant from the Lilly Endowment and building on more than 25 years of RAND research in education, the IET's mission is to improve educational policy and practice from kindergarten to higher education. The IET pursues that mission by
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Focus on Reform
In its most recent work, the IET has engaged in a wide range of issues relating to educational reform:
- The IET study of the California Master Plan concluded that the three systems of higher education in the state--the University of California, the State University system, and the Community College system--should differentiate their missions more sharply and restructure the way their institutions govern resources to better serve a growing student population.
- In research supported by the National Science Foundation, the IET recommended a new approach to testing students in science.
- The IET assessed "break the mold" schools as part of a continuing effort in support of the New American Schools.
The Center for Research on Immigration Policy, which is part of the IET, also completed two ground-breaking studies of immigrants in the last year: one examined the mixed economic progress of immigrants from different countries of origin, and the other examined the educational attainments of immigrants at all levels of schooling.
With its current research agenda, the IET is creating new partnerships with business leaders and governmental agencies to explore educational issues of mutual concern.
The institute is broadening its understanding of the fiscal crisis in higher education that is threatening to exclude large segments of the population from access to college. This work is being done for the Commission on National Investment in Higher Education, established by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE), now an independent subsidiary of RAND.
IET staff are helping the California School Board Association evaluate the effectiveness of expenditures for K-12 education in the state.
The New American Schools initiative is going beyond its original mission of creating a small number of outstanding designs for schools to articulating a broad systemic reform strategy. Ten jurisdictions have now joined the effort to create a critical mass of 30 percent or more of their schools using the New American Schools design or similar design-based assistance. The IET looks forward to documenting this effort and distilling lessons of importance for the continuing improvement of American education.
IET research is also helping private colleges conduct strategic planning and restructuring and evaluate the results.
The IET is supported by grants from corporate and private foundations; by city, state, and federal government grants and contracts; and by contributions from individuals.
Outreach
To ensure that IET research influences policy and practice, a range of outreach activities is promoted, from offering seminars and workshops to establishing partnerships with other influential organizations. This year RAND/IET formed an important new alliance with the Council for Aid to Education. Since 1952, CAE has been assisting corporations in developing education-support programs and conducting commissions on educational issues of national concern. IET research will help the CAE serve its corporate and educational constituencies. The council, in turn, will provide the IET with an influential network of business leaders who care about improving the nation's education.
In other new initiatives, the IET has begun to work with the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, an umbrella association for 630 independent colleges, to help its members implement and evaluate plans for restructuring. The IET is also planning to work with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education to improve the productivity of development offices of colleges and universities.
In addition to its core program of research, the IET has three research centers: the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing; the Center for Reinventing Public Education; and the National Center for Research in Vocational Education. These centers conduct studies in the IET relevant to their charters.
Selected Publications
The Future of Public Undergraduate Education in California, Michael A. Shires, RAND MR-561-LE.
How Immigrants Fare in U.S. Education, Georges Vernez, Allan Abrahamse, RAND MR-718-AMF.
Issues in Building an Indicator System for Mathematics and Science Education, Brian M. Stecher, Daniel M. Koretz, RAND MR-738-NSF.
Lessons from New American Schools Development Corporation's Demonstration Phase, Susan Bodilly, RAND MR-729-NASDC.
The Mixed Economic Progress of Immigrants, Robert F. Schoeni, Kevin F. McCarthy, Georges Vernez, RAND MR-763-FF.
Perceived Effects of the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS), Daniel M. Koretz, Sheila Barron, Karen J. Mitchell, Brian M. Stecher, RAND MR-792-PCT/FF.
Performance Assessments in Science: Hands-On Tasks and Scoring Guides, Brian M. Stecher, Stephen P. Klein, eds., RAND MR-660-NSF.
Workplace Skills in Practice: Case Studies of Technical Work, Cathleen Stasz, Kimberly Ramsey, Rick Eden, Elan Melamid, Tessa Kaganoff, RAND MR-722-NCRVE/UCB.
Institute on Education and Training Advisory Board
Bruce Karatz (Chairman), CEO, Kaufman & Broad Home Corporation
Joan Abrahamson, President, The Jefferson Institute
Boy-Jürgen Andresen, CEO, Beratungs-GmbH fŸr Altersversorgung
John H. Augustine, Senior Vice President, Lehman Brothers Inc.
Ronald W. Burkle, Managing Partner, Yucaipa Company
Patty Burness, Executive Director, The George Lucas Educational Foundation
John Cooke, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, The Walt Disney Company
Ramon C. Cortines, Visiting Scholar, Stanford University
Jan Davidson, President, Davidson & Associates, Inc.
Bronya Galef, Cofounder, The Galef Institute
Bernard Gifford, President and CEO, Academic Systems Corporation
Sharon Lynn Kagan, Senior Associate, Bush Center in Child Development, Yale University
Thomas J. Kalinske, President, Education Technology
Kenneth H. Keller, Professor, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Jorge Alberto Lozoya, Mexican Ambassador to Israel (on leave from the Advisory Board)
Diana Natalicio, President, University of Texas at El Paso
Thomas Pollock, MCA, Inc.
James J. Renier, Chairman and CEO (Retired), Honeywell, Inc.
Gordon R. Sullivan, Corporate Vice President, Coleman Research Corporation; former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
Harold M. Williams, President and CEO, The Getty Trust
Blenda J. Wilson, President, California State University, Northridge
Ira Yellin, President, The Yellin Company
Council for Aid to Education Board of Overseers
Joseph L. Dionne (Chairman), Chairman and CEO, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Edward F. Ahnert, President, Exxon Education Foundation
Roger Benjamin, President, Council for Aid to Education
Ronald Gidwitz, President and CEO, Helene Curtis
Jack S. Gordon, President, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
Bruce E. Karatz, Chairman and CEO, Kaufman & Broad Home Corporation
Harold McGraw, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; Special Adviser to the Board of Overseers
Diana Natalicio, President, University of Texas at El Paso
Michael D. Rich, Executive Vice President, RAND
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