Welcome to RAND Education

Bringing accurate data and objective analysis to education policy

For over three decades, RAND Education has applied its expertise to almost every aspect of the education system. RAND Education's staff includes more than 50 experts from a wide range of disciplines. Sponsors of our research include government agencies, foundations, and private-sector organizations.

Our mission is to bring accurate data and objective analysis to education policy. We are a division within RAND, a nonprofit institute that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

"Teachers Matter": Education Is Key Topic in President Obama's State of the Union Address — Jan 27, 2012

In his 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama remarked that "A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstances." RAND Education actively investigates many of the education issues that he touched on, from teacher effectiveness to graduation rates and continuing education.

No Child Left Behind: Ten Years Later — Jan 6, 2012

Laura Hamilton discusses what has been learned in the ten years since the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law in January 2002, including recommendations for addressing key limitations as Congress considers reauthorization.

The No Child Left Behind Act, a Focus Area for RAND Education Researchers, Turns 10 — Jan 4, 2012

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)—as controversial now as when it was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan. 8, 2002—tied federal funding for public schools to student achievement as measured by statewide standardized tests. In the decade since NCLB, which is being reexamined by Congress, was enacted, RAND experts have analyzed its provisions, outcomes, and implications. A U.S. News & World Report blog on NCLB quotes Laura Hamilton and Brian Stecher of RAND Education.

RAND Research on Teacher and Student Performance Cited in Albert Shanker Institute Blog — Dec 19, 2011

In reflecting on developments in “market-based” education reform in 2011, blogger Matthew Di Carlo—a senior fellow at the Albert Shanker Institute—cited two RAND studies. One examines the results of New York City's Schoolwide Performance Bonus Program, and another analyzes school districts and states that use student performance to assess teacher effectiveness.

RAND Education Study Referenced in CNN Blog about Charter School Growth — Dec 15, 2011

Hundreds of new charter schools opened in the United States for the 2011-2012 school year, and millions of students and parents are embracing them as an alternative to traditional public schools. Charter school effectiveness has long been a focus area for RAND researchers, who completed a longitudinal study of charter schools in eight states—comparing test scores, graduation rates, and other measures of academic achievement.

Examining Leadership, Management, and Governance in Higher Education Collaborations — Dec 1, 2011

UK higher education institutions have developed collaborative relationships with organizations outside the education sector for many years. RAND analyzed recent collaborations to provide recommendations on structuring leadership, management, and governance to effectively create and implement innovative relationships.
Cover: Reading Coach Quality

Reading Coach Quality: Findings from Florida Middle Schools — January 1, 2012

This article examines what constitutes, contributes to, and is associated with high-quality coaches and coaching. Authors find that coaches generally held many of the qualifications recommended by state and national experts and principals and teachers rated their coaches highly on many indicators of quality. However, several common concerns about recruiting, retaining, and supporting high-quality coaches emerged.

Cover: The Transformation of a School System

The Transformation of a School System: Principal, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of Charter and Traditional Schools in Post-Katrina New Orleans — October 5, 2011

Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a public education transformation in New Orleans, replacing its school system with a decentralized system of school choice. This study examined principals', teachers', and parents' perspectives three years later.

Qatar

The leadership of the Arabian Gulf nation of Qatar sees education as the key to Qatar's economic and social progress. Long concerned that the country's education system was not meeting the needs of its society, the Qatari leadership approached the RAND Corporation in 2001, asking it to examine the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) education system.

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