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
Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a public education transformation in New Orleans, replacing its school system with a decentralized system of school choice. This study examined principals', teachers', and parents' perspectives three years later.
Journal Article
Inclusionary zoning and economic integration in suburban neighborhoods not only reduces concentration of poverty, it directly improves low-income children's academic achievement.
Journal Article
The study relies on a survey of Ohio schools to ascertain information on vacancies for 2004-2005. The survey also collected information on principal perceptions of the impact of various school conditions and difficulty in hiring.
Past Event
Join this discussion about the upcoming launch of the "Kindergarten Readiness in Santa Monica" initiative, a partnership between Connections for Children, the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District, and the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities.
Commentary
Motivation alone does not improve schools. Even if incentives inspire staff to improve practices or work together, educators may not have the capacity or resources to bring about improvement, writes Julie Marsh.
Report
Brochure for a week-long, intensive course designed for staff and advisors of African First Ladies to develop strategies to manage an effective First Lady's Office and to improve executive decisionmaking through a policy-analysis framework.
Report
Pittsburgh instituted a new college scholarship program to encourage eligible students to continue their education. An assessment of the program offers recommendations for improving its short- and long-term effectiveness.
Research Brief
To deal with the challenges of struggling public schools, declining populations, and diminishing quality in the local workforce, Pittsburgh instituted a new college scholarship program to encourage eligible students to continue their education.
Journal Article
Assesses the effect that missing data in student achievement records, and the assumption that such data are missing at random, have on value-added modeling approaches to using student achievement data to assess school and teacher performance.
Multimedia
In a TEDx presentation, Brian M. Stecher, Associate Director, RAND Education, suggests three steps we need to take to cultivate schools where students can thrive.
Periodical
Stories discuss America after 9/11, Afghan-based solutions, Al Qaeda's narrative, air passenger security, victim compensation, military families, health insurance, entrepreneurship, unemployment, sex, Katrina families, Arab Spring, and a new RAND.
Journal Article
The article concludes that to understand teacher learning scholars must adopt methodological practices that focus on explanatory causality and the reciprocal influences of all three subsystems.
Commentary
Boys and men of color—in particular, young African American men—are particularly vulnerable to racial and ethnic disparities. That such disparities exist should surprise no one. Nor should the fact that such disparities diminish the life chances of those affected, writes Lois M. Davis.
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.
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