Elementary education comprises the period from when a student enters school, generally around the age of 5 or 6, until the student moves on to middle or secondary school, around the age of 12 or 13. RAND research in the area includes school reform, the role and effectiveness of teachers and school administration, and the increasing use of private-sector school management.
Report
This document describes recent RAND work related to K-12 education, including teacher pay for performance, measuring teacher effectiveness, school leadership, school systems and reform, and out-of-school time.
Journal Article
The availabiltiy of junk food does not significantly increase BMI or obesity among a group of fifth-graders even though they are likely to buy junk food.
Report
The earliest years of a child's life are critical to physical, socio-emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development. High quality early education can improve readiness and success in school, particularly for disadvantaged children, but access to such programs is uneven.
Journal Article
Without a strong combination of district, state, federal government, or community-based organization commitment, more engaging versions of civic education will not flourish.
Journal Article
Nearly 40% of a nationally representative cohort of children started kindergarten with a BMI in the top quartile of the growth charts. This proportion increased significantly between 1st and 3rd grades but there was no further increase during middle school.
Journal Article
The purpose of this article is to bring together findings developed from the Schools and Continuing Professional Development in England – State of the Nation Study.
Journal Article
Examines the progress that Qatar has made in implementing a comprehensive reform, begun in 2002, of its K-12 education system.
Project
The California Preschool Study sought to understand achievement gaps among the state's children, whether existing preschool education programs is adequate, and what efficiencies could be achieved through public funding of early childhood education.
Journal Article
This study capitalizes on a natural experiment that occurred in California between 2000 and 2002.
Report
Evaluates the impact of elementary school policies on child health behaviors and obesity in the United States.
Past Event
Policy analyst Jennifer McCombs and statistician Lou Mariano will discuss the findings of their evaluation of the New York City Department of Education's 5th-grade promotion policy.
Research Brief
RAND researchers conducted a three-year study of New York City's promotion policy, using interviews, case studies, student surveys, and demographic and test score data to determine its effects on the outcomes of 5th-grade students held to the policy.
Report
The New York City Department of Education asked RAND to conduct a longitudinal evaluation of its 5th-grade promotion policy. The findings provide a comprehensive view of the policy's implementation and its impact on student outcomes.
Report
This report, one in a series on the New York City Department of Education 5th-grade promotion policy, identifies lessons learned about policy design and implementation from top-level administrators in states and districts with similar policies.
Report
This report, one in a series documenting RAND's evaluation of the New York City Department of Education 5th-grade promotion policy, identifies and reviews the relevant literature on grade retention.
Research Brief
Describes RAND's evaluation of the progress made in the first years of Qatar's K-12 education reform.
Report
Reform-minded leaders of Qatar, who have embarked on a sweeping reform of their nation's education system, asked RAND to evaluate the education finance system that has been adopted and to offer suggestions for improvements.
Journal Article
Qatar-a small, natural-resource-rich country in the Persian Gulf-has embarked on an ambitious, comprehensive effort to upgrade its educational institutions.
Report
England reformed its elementary math curriculum in 1999 to improve educational outcomes. Evaluations of the reforms were generally positive, but the evidence of success and value for money was more difficult to confirm.
Journal Article
Childhood overweight has increased rapidly over the last two decades. Energy-dense foods are cheaper per calorie, which could be a partial explanation for why the highest rates of obesity are observed among groups of limited economic means.
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