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.
In this media conference call, RAND experts on early childhood development and education explain the importance of early childhood development in laying the foundation for success later in life, as well as the potential for high-quality programs to yield a return on investment for society at large.
RAND Education experts Darleen Opfer, Brian Stecher and Laura Hamilton conducted a media conference call on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012 to discuss the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001, or "No Child Left Behind."
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.
In this May 2012 briefing, RAND experts offer recommendations on ways to strengthen the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in light of a renewed push in Congress for reauthorization.
In this Resilient Communities podcast, Jennifer Steele discusses the differences in policies and practices between charter and traditional schools in New Orleans, where charter-based reform spread in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
In April 2012, RAND presented, as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series, A Conversation with the Chief Justice of California, Tani Cantil-Sakauye. The Chief Justice shared her insights on a range of issues, including, among others, innovative technologies that have been shown to improve efficiencies in the judicial system, funding and resources for the judicial branch in an era of extreme budget cuts, civics education, and diversity on the bench.
Laura Hamilton discusses what has been learned in the ten years since the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law in January 2002, including recommendations for addressing key limitations as Congress considers reauthorization.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On February 17, 2011, the RAND Corporation presented "A Conversation with John Deasy, the Next Superintendent of LAUSD" as part of its Distinguished Speaker series in Santa Monica, California.
In a Webinar held on December 9th 2009, child policy experts discussed the latest research related to child care quality and the implications of the findings for policy.
Based on the results of statewide standardized tests, more than 15 percent of U.S. schools are in need of improvement. The students attending these schools need help.
In this Congressional Briefing held on October 19, 2009, researchers Jennifer McCombs and Lou Mariano discuss RAND's recently published evaluation of a test-based promotion policy implemented by the New York City Department of Education. The findings will be of interest as many states and school districts are implementing test-based requirements for promotion at key transitional points in students' schooling careers, thus ending the practice of promoting students who have failed to meet academic standards and requirements for that grade.
RAND experts field questions from the media on the report Achievement and Attainment in Chicago Charter Schools.
RAND researchers and experts in the field discuss the implementation and effectiveness of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
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