RAND's research on pre-K, K-12, and higher education covers issues such as assessment and accountability, choice-based and standards-based school reform, vocational training, and the value of arts education and policy in sustaining communities and promoting a well-rounded community.
Many factors contribute to a student's academic performance, but research suggests that, among school-related factors, teachers matter most. What's less clear is how to measure an individual teacher's effectiveness. A new RAND Education website features fact sheets, blog posts, research briefs, and more on this important issue.
Report
This report provides a preliminary assessment of the National Science Digital Library/Distributed Learning program and makes recommendations for the design of a more complete formative evaluation.
News Release
A New York City program designed to improve student performance through school-based financial incentives for teachers did not improve student achievement, most likely because it did not change teacher behavior and the conditions needed to motivate staff were not achieved.
Report
A New York City program designed to improve student performance through school-based financial incentives for teachers did not improve student achievement, most likely because it did not change teacher behavior and the conditions needed to motivate staff were not achieved.
Research Brief
New York City's Schoolwide Performance Bonus Program did not improve student achievement at any grade level, perhaps in part because it provided no significant additional motivation beyond other accountability incentives.
Journal Article
This study analyzed three different middle school mathematics formative assessment programs, examining how features of each program were associated with the information they provided to teachers and the manner in which teachers used the information.
Journal Article
In applying latent class analysis techniques, we identified multiple types of students who do not pursue college. One group of non-enrollees (27.6%) reports forgoing college because the economic barriers are too high – either because of college affordability or family financial responsibility.
Multimedia
At this June 2011 RAND Policy Circle event in Pittsburgh, a selection of RAND's top experts in education policy shared fresh, evidence-based perspectives on measuring school performance.
Journal Article
Examines the progress that Qatar has made in implementing a comprehensive reform, begun in 2002, of its K-12 education system.
Report
In 2007, Hawai'i launched its P-3 initiative, which aims for every child to read at grade level by third grade. The first year of RAND's evaluation examined plans, activities, and policy in two demonstration sites and for the initiative as a whole.
Multimedia
Catherine Augustine and Jennifer McCombs, researchers at the RAND Corporation, spoke with RAND media relations officer Joseph Dougherty about the loss of knowledge and educational skills during the summer months and how students who attend summer programs can disrupt the educational loss and do better in school than peers who do not attend the same programs.
Multimedia
In this June 2011 Congressional Briefing, RAND researchers discuss the growing body of creative works produced by Arab authors and artists that counter the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of violent extremism, factors that thwart the distribution of such works, and policy recommendations for overcoming those barriers.
Past Event
In this June 2011 Congressional Briefing, RAND researchers discuss the growing body of creative works produced by Arab authors and artists that counter the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of violent extremism, factors that thwart the distribution of such works, and policy recommendations for overcoming those barriers.
News Release
The loss of knowledge and educational skills during the summer months is cumulative over the course of a student's career and further widens the achievement gap between low- and upper-income students.
Report
The loss of knowledge and educational skills during the summer is cumulative over the course of a student's career and further widens the achievement gap between low- and upper-income students. Those who attend summer programs can disrupt that loss and do better in school.
Research Brief
Summer learning programs can prevent the summertime loss of knowledge and skills that disproportionately affects low-income students. A study of existing programs resulted in targeted recommendations for school districts, policymakers, and funders.
Journal Article
Through a collaborative partnership between school staff and researchers, preliminary evidence suggests that receiving a school trauma intervention soon after screening compared to delaying treatment can result in better school grades.
Journal Article
Results from a structural equation modeling process of 1,126 teacher survey responses in England show that schools have an orientation to learning that includes beliefs about learning, systems and supports for learning, and collective capacity for learning.
News Release
California school districts -- wielding new fiscal flexibility granted by state lawmakers -- cut deeply into several popular programs to balance local budgets, according to a study of 10 diverse districts released today.
Journal Article
California school districts — wielding new fiscal flexibility granted by state lawmakers — cut deeply into several popular programs to balance local budgets. School boards changed spending on adult education, special programs for gifted students, new textbooks, and other programs.
Report
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) could be reauthorized in 2011, and there is much discussion about the most-effective way to balance federal and state responsibilities for improving schools and how best to frame federal policy to promote this goal.
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