Education and the Arts

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.

Research conducted by: RAND Education; RAND Child Policy; RAND Europe; RAND-Qatar Policy Institute; RAND Gulf States Policy Institute

Featured at RAND

Investment in Summer Learning Programs Can Help Stop the 'Summer Slide'

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.

News Releases (51)

Voluntary After-School Program Can Reduce Alcohol Use Among Middle School Children — Feb 8, 2012

If prevention researchers build programs with developmentally relevant content, and provide this content in an engaging, confidential, and non-judgmental way, it can help middle school-aged children avoid alcohol.

New York City School-Based Financial Incentives Program Did Not Improve Student Achievement or Affect Reported Teaching Practices — Jul 18, 2011

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.

Investment in Summer Learning Programs Can Help Stop the 'Summer Slide' — Jun 13, 2011

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.

California School Districts Reduce Popular Programs to Help Balance Budgets — May 26, 2011

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.

Congress Should Expand School Performance Measures Beyond Those Found in 'No Child Left Behind' — Apr 26, 2011

Expanding measures of school performance beyond mathematics and English language arts will give educators better information when evaluating the academic achievements of schools.

V. Darleen Opfer Joins RAND as Director of RAND Education — Apr 11, 2011

"Darleen Opfer has excelled as a teacher, working with policymakers, and in academia, where she has explored education policy and school improvement," said RAND President and CEO James A. Thomson.

First Year of Post-9/11 GI Bill Assessed — Nov 11, 2010

Data on the experiences of student veterans and campus administrators during the first year of the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Coordination Efforts Could Boost After-School Programming — Oct 21, 2010

Coordinating the work of the many different institutions involved in after-school activities -- including schools, nonprofits and municipal agencies like parks and libraries -- holds the promise of making programs better and more accessible to urban children and teens who need them.

RAND Study Highlights Challenges Facing Middle Schools

Middle school students in the United States feel less positive about learning conditions and report more physical and emotional problems at their schools than their peers in 11 other nations, according to a RAND Corporation study that highlights challenges facing American middle schools.

RAND Study Finds L.A. Schools' Arts Education Could Gain from More Coordination with Arts Groups

Community-Based Drug Treatment Programs Can Help Youths Curb Drug Use, Improve Mental Health.

Major Revisions in No Child Left Behind Law Recommended — Apr 26, 2010

Congress and the Obama administration should use the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to promote more consistent and rigorous academic standards across states, as well as more consistent and relevant teacher qualification requirements.

Independent Schools Adopted New Curricula and Teaching Methods Early in Qatar's Education Reform — Nov 6, 2009

As the nation of Qatar reformed its education system from 2005 to 2007, teachers at new independent schools worked together to develop curricular contents that addressed new international curriculum standards in key subjects, applied significantly more student-centered teaching methods and provided more challenging learning environments.

New York City's School Promotion and Retention Policy Shows Positive Results for Students — Oct 15, 2009

The New York City Department of Education's test-based promotion and retention policy, which identifies and provides support for struggling students, has demonstrated positive effects for student achievement in fifth grade that continue into seventh grade.

California's Preschool System Can Be Improved Now, When Resources Are Scarce, and In the Future — May 29, 2009

California can improve its early childhood education system in an era of fiscal crisis and lay the foundation for improving access and quality in the future when more resources are available.

How Charter Schools Affect Student Outcomes — 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.

Report Quantifies the Level of Disadvantage Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California — Feb 5, 2009

The first multi-dimensional effort to quantify the disparities faced by African-American and Latino boys and men in California across a broad spectrum of health and social factors provides a disquieting outlook for their lives.

Methamphetamine Use Estimated to Cost the U.S. About $23 Billion In 2005 — Feb 4, 2009

The economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States reached $23.4 billion in 2005, including the burden of addiction, premature death, drug treatment and many other aspects of the drug.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Should Explore Other Funding Sources, Right-Size Programs — Jan 16, 2009

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh needs to explore new ways to secure adequate and stable funding, engage patrons and other stakeholders, and evaluate what services it offers.

Improving Arts Education Is Key to Stemming Audience Decline — Sep 9, 2008

Policymakers have underestimated the critical role of arts learning in supporting a vibrant nonprofit cultural sector. Despite decades of effort to make high-quality works of art available to Americans, demand for the arts has failed to keep pace with supply.

Most California Children Attend Center-Based Preschools; Educational Quality of Programs Falls Short — Jun 18, 2008

More than half of California’s preschoolers attend center-based early care and education programs, but the children who have the most to gain from preschool frequently are those least likely to participate in the programs.

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