Educational Program Evaluation

To determine which interventions are most effective in improving student, teacher, and school performance, RAND researchers investigate a variety of approaches — including pay-for-performance incentives for educators, summer learning programs for disadvantaged students, training techniques for military personnel, and continuing education for adult learners. Metrics for assessing educational outcomes and the impact of national and local policies also are considered.

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Introducing RAND's Measuring Teacher Effectiveness Website

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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.

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Commentary

Are High-Stakes Tests Counterproductive? — Apr 21, 2013

multiple choice standardized test answer sheet

If we want testing to exert beneficial effects on teaching and learning, we need to advocate for higher-quality tests and for evaluation and accountability systems that use multiple measures and do not rely exclusively on test scores, write Laura Hamilton and Gabriella C. Gonzalez.

Blog

What Do We Know About Charter Schools? Moving Beyond the Talking Points — Apr 4, 2013

two elementary students with a teacher

Since their inception in 1992, charter schools have been a lightning rod for controversy in the education policy world. Research highlights the importance of moving beyond test scores and broadening the scope of measures that evaluate success in order to fully assess the performance of charter schools.

Journal Article

The Effect of Career Magnet Schools — Apr 2, 2013

chemistry student pouring green liquid

The career focus at magnet high schools seems to help students move through the indecision of adolescence and build a career identity. However, career magnet schools had a higher dropout rate than comprehensive high schools, and many of the programs were of poor quality.

Report

Assessing Research Impact: An international review of the Excellence in Innovation for Australia Trial — Mar 27, 2013

This report reviews the Excellence in Innovation for Australia Impact Assessment Trial in order to assess how well the universities identified and demonstrated impact, as well as how the process could be improved.

Journal Article

Qatar — Jan 1, 2013

This chapter focuses on Qatar's education system, describing the laws and policies under which both public and non-public schools operate.

Commentary

Nine Lessons on How to Teach 21st Century Skills and Knowledge — Oct 24, 2012

teenager with laptop

Despite widespread agreement among parents, educators, employers and policymakers worldwide that students need skills like critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity, these skills are stubbornly difficult to teach and learn, write Anna R. Saavedra and V. Darleen Opfer.

Journal Article

Learning 21st-Century Skills Requires 21st-Century Teaching — Oct 1, 2012

The authors summarize nine lessons from the science of learning telling how students learn 21st-century skills and how pedagogy can address their needs.

Multimedia

Lessons from the Science of Learning for 21st-Century Schools — Sep 5, 2012

Several factors–such as globalization, technology, migration, international competition, and changing markets–present new challenges in preparing today's students for work, citizenship, and life. V. Darleen Opfer discusses what we know about how students learn and about how to teach these skills in the 21st century.

Journal Article

Measuring Value-Added in Higher Education — Sep 1, 2012

In this paper, we outline a practical guide for policymakers interested in developing institutional performance measures for the higher education sector.

Report

Assessing Operation Purple, a Summer Camp for Military Youth — Jul 26, 2012

Military family support programs have proliferated, but there has been little evaluation of whether the programs are meeting their key objectives. An examination of the curriculum, themes, and outcomes of Operation Purple found some positive effects from participation and helps lay the groundwork for future studies.

Report

California School Districts Use Budget Flexibility to Balance Budgets, Avoid Layoffs — Jun 25, 2012

Most California school districts with new flexibility about how to spend $4.5 billion in education funds opted to move most of the money into their general funds to balance budgets and avoid teacher layoffs.

News Release

California School Districts Use Budget Flexibility to Balance Budgets, Avoid Layoffs — Jun 25, 2012

Most California school districts with new flexibility about how to spend $4.5 billion in education funds opted to move most of the money into their general funds to balance budgets and avoid teacher layoffs.

Research Brief

More Freedom to Spend Less Money: What Happened When California School Districts Gained Spending Flexibility and Budgets Were Cut — Jun 25, 2012

Examines how California school districts responded to increased financial flexibility in the face of budget cut.

Report

Deregulating School Aid in California: Revenues and Expenditures in the Second Year of Categorical Flexibility — Jun 25, 2012

Describes statewide patterns in California school district revenues and expenditures in light of a new state policy that increased flexibility over a large number of previously restricted categorical programs.

Blog

Can Summer Learning Programs Prevent Skill and Knowledge Loss? — Jun 21, 2012

When kids go on summer vacation, their knowledge and skills suffer, with their performance dropping off, on average, one month from where they were when they left school in the spring. Such losses do not affect all kids equally, having the greatest effect on low-income students.

Research Brief

Transforming Indonesia's Centralized Education System to School-Based Management — Jun 5, 2012

This study provides a quantitative and qualitative status report on the implementation of school-based management (SBM) in Indonesia, identifies factors associated with the successful practices of SBM, and assesses SBM effects on student achievement.

Journal Article

Standards-Based Accountability in the United States: Lessons Learned and Future Directions — Jun 1, 2012

Standards-based accountability (SBA) has been a primary driver of education policy in the United States for several decades.

Research Brief

No Evidence That Incentive Pay for Teacher Teams Improves Student Outcomes: Results from a Randomized Trial — May 30, 2012

Analysis of an incentive program that paid teachers bonuses based on their students' growth in achievement in mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies showed no effect on student test scores in any of the subject areas.

Report

Implementation of School-Based Management in Indonesia — May 29, 2012

This study provides a quantitative and qualitative status report on the implementation of school-based management (SBM) in Indonesia, identifies factors associated with the successful practices of SBM, and assesses SBM effects on student achievement.

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