RAND Research Topic: Teachers and Teaching 2012-05-24T21:20:37Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/teachers-and-teaching.html Getting Schooled: How the United States Ranks Among Other Countries in Educational Achievement http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/perspectives.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012 Andreas Schleicher of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development provides a global perspective on what drives high-performing educational systems. RAND Review: Vol. 35, No. 3, Winter 2011-2012 http://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP22-2011-12.html Jan 13, 2012 Jan 13, 2012 Stories discuss world demographic trends, Afghan peace prospects, U.S. health care spending, California prisoner reentry, Latin American inequalities, global health, veterans' mental health, highway investments, teacher bonuses, and charter schools. Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (Japanese translation) http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR675z1.html Jan 13, 2012 Jan 13, 2012 Japanese translation of <em>Support for Students Exposed to Trauma</em>, including a series of teacher- or school counselor–led lessons aimed at reducing distress for middle school students who have been exposed to a traumatic life event. The program includes skill-building techniques geared toward changing maladaptive thoughts and promoting positive behaviors. Reading Coach Quality: Findings from Florida Middle Schools http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100262.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 This article examines what constitutes, contributes to, and is associated with high-quality coaches and coaching. Authors find that coaches generally held many of the qualifications recommended by state and national experts and principals and teachers rated their coaches highly on many indicators of quality. However, several common concerns about recruiting, retaining, and supporting high-quality coaches emerged. Accounting for Movement Between Childcare Classrooms: Does It Change Teacher Effects Interpretations? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120010.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 Child care studies that have examined links between teachers' qualifications and children's outcomes often ignore teachers' and children's transitions between classrooms at a center throughout the day and only take into account head teacher qualifications. What Are Achievement Gains Worth -- to Teachers? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100247.html Nov 30, 2011 Nov 30, 2011 Building Financial Literacy for K-8 Pre-Service Teachers and Adult Learners http://www.rand.org/labor/centers/financial-literacy/projects/financial-literacy-teachers-adult-learners.html Oct 27, 2011 Oct 27, 2011 The Financial Literacy Center is developing and testing college curricula for financial literacy instruction, suitable for adult learners and pre-service K–8 teachers. The goal of this project is to educate as many young people and adults as possible in financial matters. Defining and Identifying Hard-To-Staff Schools: The Role of School Demographics and Conditions http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100230.html Sep 30, 2011 Sep 30, 2011 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. The Debate over Teacher Merit Pay: A Freakonomics Quorum http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/09/20/FRK.html Sep 20, 2011 Sep 20, 2011 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. Missing Data in Value-Added Modeling of Teacher Effects http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/RP1430.html Sep 6, 2011 Sep 6, 2011 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. Stecher Discusses How to Cultivate Thriving Schools http://www.rand.org/multimedia/video/2011/07/16/cultivating-thriving-schools.html Sep 6, 2011 Sep 6, 2011 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. Conceptualizing Teacher Professional Learning http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100233.html Aug 31, 2011 Aug 31, 2011 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. New York City School-Based Financial Incentives Program Did Not Improve Student Achievement or Affect Reported Teaching Practices http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/07/18.html Jul 17, 2011 Jul 17, 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. NYC School-Based Financial Incentives Program Did Not Improve Student Achievement or Affect Reported Teaching Practices http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1114.html Jul 17, 2011 Jul 17, 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. What New York City's Experiment with Schoolwide Performance Bonuses Tells Us About Pay for Performance http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9596.html Jul 17, 2011 Jul 17, 2011 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. The influence of school orientation to learning on teachers' professional learning change http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100232.html May 31, 2011 May 31, 2011 Results from a structural equation modeling process of 1,126 teacher survey responses in England show that schools have an orientation to learning that includes beliefs about learning, systems and supports for learning, and collective capacity for learning. V. Darleen Opfer Joins RAND as Director of RAND Education http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/04/11.html Apr 11, 2011 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. Collaborative Approaches to Education Reform Have Both Challenges and Potential http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1051.html Mar 4, 2011 Mar 4, 2011 A restructuring of the Ford Foundation's Collaborating for Education Reform Initiative yielded functioning collaboratives with varying abilities to meet their goals, depending on such factors as strong leadership and a positive funding environment. Using Student Performance to Evaluate Teachers http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9569.html Feb 7, 2011 Feb 7, 2011 Performance-based teacher evaluations should incorporate multiple measures of performance. Use of student test scores must support valid, reliable inferences. Evaluating teachers of nontested subjects/grades may require supplemental assessments. The lost promise of teacher professional development in England http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100234.html Jan 31, 2011 Jan 31, 2011 The analysis indicates that while the professional development of teachers in England is generally ineffectual and lacks school level systems and supports, the professional development and supports for professional learning by teachers in high performing schools display many of the characteristics associated with effective professional learning.