RAND Research Topic: Choice Based Education Reforms 2012-05-25T23:21:13Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/choice-based-education-reforms.html Remaking a School System in the Wake of Natural Disaster http://www.rand.org/multimedia/audio/2012/05/15/remaking-school-system-wake-natural-disaster.html May 15, 2012 May 15, 2012 In this Resilient Communities podcast, Jennifer Steele discusses the differences in policies and practices between charter and traditional schools in New Orleans, where charter-based reform spread in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Transformation of a School System: Principal, Teacher, and Parent Perceptions of Charter and Traditional Schools in Post-Katrina New Orleans http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1145.html Oct 5, 2011 Oct 5, 2011 Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a transformation of public education in New Orleans, replacing the city's existing school system with a decentralized choice-based system of both charter and district-run schools. Using principal, teacher, and parent surveys administered three years after Katrina, this study examined schools' governance and operations, educational contexts, educator quality and mobility, and parental choice and involvement. Perceptions of Charter and Traditional Schools in New Orleans http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9614.html Oct 5, 2011 Oct 5, 2011 RAND researchers found many similarities between charter and traditional schools in New Orleans but greater satisfaction among charter school parents with their children's schools, as well as more perceived choices. Cost Study of the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR947.html Mar 15, 2011 Mar 15, 2011 In 2008, the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation created the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program, a pilot program to provide families with scholarships to cover the cost of high-quality early childhood education (ECE) programs. This report provides detailed cost and program data for a sample of 12 ECE programs participating in the scholarship program, including the per-child per-hour cost for participation of children in the programs. The Cost of Providing Quality Early Care and Education in Saint Paul, Minnesota http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9581.html Mar 15, 2011 Mar 15, 2011 Shares results of a RAND analysis of programs participating in Minnesota's Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to cover the cost of high-quality early childhood education programs. K-12 Education Reform in Qatar http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20110023.html Jan 1, 2011 Jan 1, 2011 The Central Office in a Decentralized System http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000160.html Dec 1, 2010 Dec 1, 2010 In this article, the author examines two school districts that are highly decentralized to understand the central-office roles: (1) Edmonton, Canada; and (2) Lake Wales Charter Schools District in central Florida. Are Educational Vouchers Only Redistributive? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000204.html Aug 1, 2010 Aug 1, 2010 It is unclear if vouchers increase educational productivity or are purely redistributive, benefiting recipients by giving them access to more desirable peers at others' expense. To examine this, the authors study an educational voucher programme in Colombia which allocated vouchers by lottery. Expanding What Counts When Evaluating Charter School Effectiveness http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000145.html Jan 1, 2010 Jan 1, 2010 Promoting Quality and Variety Through the Public Financing of Privately Operated Schools in Qatar http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000140.html Jan 1, 2010 Jan 1, 2010 The Role of Charter Schools in Improving Education http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9428.html Mar 27, 2009 Mar 27, 2009 <p>Charter schools are increasing in numbers as alternatives to traditional public schools, and research shows some associated positive effects on student attainment. RAND recommends that the federal government support further investigation.</p> Increasing Participation in No Child Left Behind School Choice http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9424.html Mar 25, 2009 Mar 25, 2009 <p>Only a small percentage of eligible students elect to switch to better-performing schools under the No Child Left Behind Act. RAND recommends policy actions and investments to increase the percentage of families who exercise the school choice option.</p> Are Charter Schools Making a Difference? A Study of Student Outcomes in Eight States http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9433.html Mar 20, 2009 Mar 20, 2009 <p>Charter schools do not generally draw the top students from other public schools. Their test-score gains are similar to those of traditional public schools, but they have higher rates of students graduating high school and attending college.</p> How Charter Schools Affect Student Outcomes http://www.rand.org/news/press/2009/03/18.html Mar 18, 2009 Mar 18, 2009 While the number of charter schools continues to grow, debate continues about whether charter schools provide a better education experience than traditional public schools. Proponents contend that charter schools expand educational choices for students, improve student achievement and provide much-needed competition to public schools. What Are the Effects of Charter Schools on Educational Attainment in Eight States? http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG869.html Mar 18, 2009 Mar 18, 2009 <p>Along with the growth of the charter school movement has come contentious debate about its effects on both charter students and those in nearby traditional public schools. This study helps determine why previous research has drawn differing conclusions through its examination of charter schools' effect on overall educational attainment.</p> Final Report on State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act Finds Parents Largely Unaware of Options http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/RP1383.html Feb 10, 2009 Feb 10, 2009 <p>A key aim of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is to provide school choice or supplemental educational services to predominantly low-income parents whose children are attending Title I schools identified for improvement, but in recent years only a small fraction of families have taken advantage of these options.</p> No Child Left Behind Educational Options: Availability Expands, But Participation Remains Low http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9414.html Jan 22, 2009 Jan 22, 2009 <p>Although the availability of No Child Left Behind public school choice and supplemental educational options continues to expand for students in underperforming schools, only a small percentage of eligible students participate in these programs.</p> Education Vouchers in Colombia http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20090029.html Jan 1, 2009 Jan 1, 2009 This chapter presents evidence on the impact of a voucher program implemented in 1991 in Colombia. Specifically, the analysis is centered on the mechanism by which the program increased learning outcomes. Perspectives on Educational Management Organizations http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20090003.html Jan 1, 2009 Jan 1, 2009 <p>This chapter examines the history and role of Education Management Organizations (EMOs) in the United States, focusing on two prominent cases: Edison Schools, the largest EMO the country has seen; and Philadelphia, which became the site of the nation's largest experiment in private management of public schools in the wake of a state takeover of the district in 2002.</p> Charter School Students in Chicago Enjoy Better Graduation, College Entry Rates http://www.rand.org/news/press/2008/05/07.html May 7, 2008 May 7, 2008 Chicago's multi-grade charter high schools (those serving students in grades 7-12, 6-12 or K-12) appear to improve their students' chances of graduating and attending college, as compared with the city's traditional public high schools.