Catherine H. Augustine

Summer Learning Is More Popular Than Ever. How to Make Sure Your District's Program Is Effective

In the best of times, it is no small feat to put together a quality summer learning program. Given that districts are focusing not only on academic recovery from COVID learning loss, but on retaining teachers, supporting students' and teachers' mental health, and addressing increases in misbehavior, they need immediate, digestible guidance for summer programming.

Commit Now to Get Summer Programming Right

When summer programs are targeted to needs, intentionally designed, and well attended, they produce positive outcomes in math and reading. But these programs need federal support, and they require early planning.

Restorative Justice Isn't a Panacea, but It Can Promote Better Relationships Among Students

Restorative practices aren't necessarily a cure-all. But if implemented well, they can contribute to an overall solution. Teaching children to treat one another with respect has the potential to make schools safer and to help kids get along better throughout their lives.

What Two New Studies Reveal About Restorative Justice in Middle School and How It Can Be Done Better

There are many nuances to the implementation and impact of restorative practices. This suggests that continued experimentation could allow school districts to realize the benefits of instituting these practices and reduce the cost of doing so.

The Impact of Restorative Practices

A recent RAND report focuses on estimates of the impact of restorative practices on comprehensive outcome measures for all students. The report defines these measures in seven outcome domains and leads with the impact on suspensions. It estimates the impact on 50 secondary measures and on the seven primary measures for numerous student subgroups defined by race, income, special needs and English language learner status.

Rethinking Student Discipline and Zero Tolerance

Restorative practices are an alternative to zero-tolerance school discipline policies. Rather than mandating prescribed punishments for specific misbehaviors, this more tailored approach aims to empower students.

Ask Me Anything: Catherine Augustine on Summer Learning

With summer now underway, RAND's Catherine Augustine hosted an

Report

Expanding Afterschool Opportunities: Connecting STEM Afterschool Providers and Schools

The authors investigated school and district leaders’ science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) afterschool provision in late 2022 to examine how and why they partner with external organizations to provide STEM afterschool programs.

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Skills for Success: Developing Social and Emotional Competencies in Out-of-School-Time Programs

This report offers guidance for out-of-school-time programs that wish to incorporate social and emotional learning activities into their programming. The lessons are derived from the RAND Corporation's study of more than 100 afterschool programs.

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Building an Effective Social and Emotional Learning Committee in Dallas: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 3)

This case study explores how Dallas's Webster Elementary School and its out-of-school-time program, Thriving Minds After School, formed a social and emotional learning committee that became more effective over time, focusing on daily activities.

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Engaging Teachers, Staff, and Parents in Social and Emotional Learning in Palm Beach County: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 5)

This case study explores how Palm Beach County's Diamond View Elementary School and its out-of-school-time program increased adult awareness of social and emotional learning practices to promote positive interactions with children throughout the day.

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Expanding Social and Emotional Learning Beyond the School Walls in Boston: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 2)

This case study explores how the Russell Elementary School and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester partnered in Boston to provide social and emotional learning enrichment off campus as part of the school day.

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Jointly Prioritizing Time for Social and Emotional Learning In Denver: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 4)

This case study explores how Denver's Cowell Elementary School and its out-of-school-time partner, Discovery Link, worked together to find time for social and emotional learning (SEL) and to provide consistent SEL instruction during and after school.

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Learning to Focus on Adult Social and Emotional Learning First in Tulsa: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 7)

This case study explores how Whitman Elementary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and its out-of-school-time program partner, Youth at Heart, learned to first invest in adults so that they are equipped to support students' social and emotional learning.

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Prioritizing Racial Equity Within Social and Emotional Learning in Tacoma: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 6)

This case study explores how Lister Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington, established social and emotional learning and equity as a nonnegotiable foundation for its work with students, staff, and families.

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Strengthening Students' Social and Emotional Skills: Lessons from Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 1)

How do elementary schools and out-of-school-time programs partner to deliver social and emotional learning to children? This cross-cutting report summarizes six case studies and highlights shared themes.

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Supporting Threat Reporting to Strengthen School Safety: Findings from the Literature and Interviews with Stakeholders Across the K–12 School Community

This report describes threat reporting models available to U.S. kindergarten through 12th-grade schools and how school leaders can support individuals' decisions to report threats effectively.

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Summer for All: Building Coordinated Networks to Promote Access to Quality Summer Learning and Enrichment Opportunities Across a Community

In this eighth report in RAND's Summer Learning Series, the authors chronicle early efforts in four communities to create coordinated approaches to summer programming, noting their challenges, enablers, and early outcomes.

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Challenges in Implementing Physical Security Measures in K–12 Schools

Officials face challenges in developing and implementing protection and mitigation measures for school physical security. This report details literature review and small-group discussion findings and their implications for policymakers and planners.

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A Systems Approach to Physical Security in K–12 Schools

Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center researchers present a systems approach to school safety in which physical security elements integrate to provide benefits with minimal negative effects on schools' missions, operations, and climates.

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Getting to Work on Summer Learning: Recommended Practices for Success, 2nd Ed. — Executive Summary

The authors distill lessons about implementing and improving summer learning programs gleaned from a six-year study in the five urban districts participating in the National Summer Learning Project.

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Every Summer Counts: A Longitudinal Analysis of Outcomes from the National Summer Learning Project

This seventh report in a series presents longitudinal findings on the effectiveness of voluntary summer learning programs in five school districts. The authors also offer implications for policy on narrowing the achievement gap between students.

Research Brief

Supporting Summer Programs: Navigating Federal, State, and Local Program Support Opportunities

This research brief summarizes how policy environment affects school districts' attempts to scale and sustain quality summer programs.

Report

Getting Support for Summer Learning: How Federal, State, City, and District Policies Affect Summer Learning Programs

The authors consider how policy environments affect school districts' attempts to scale and sustain quality summer programs. This report, the sixth in a series, is intended to help program leaders navigate local, state, and federal policy contexts.

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Investing in Successful Summer Programs: A Review of Evidence Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

This report, which provides a systematic review of the evidence supporting summer programs and descriptions of evidence-based programs, is intended to provide guidance regarding the effectiveness of summer interventions.

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Can Restorative Practices Improve School Climate and Curb Suspensions? An Evaluation of the Impact of Restorative Practices in a Mid-Sized Urban School District

This study of Pittsburgh Public Schools' implementation of restorative practices represents one of the first randomized controlled trials of the effects of restorative practices on classroom and school climates and suspension rates.

Research Brief

Restorative Practices Help Reduce Student Suspensions

A study of Pittsburgh Public Schools' implementation of restorative practices represents one of the first randomized controlled trials of the effects of restorative practices on classroom and school climates and suspension rates.

Report

Getting to Work on Summer Learning: Recommended Practices for Success, 2nd Ed.

The RAND Corporation's six-year study of the National Summer Learning Project culminates in this final report about district implementation of summer learning programs and presents the best available guidance about how to establish and sustain them.

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Making Summer Last: Integrating Summer Programming into Core District Priorities and Operations

This report examines the efforts by summer leaders in Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Rochester to integrate their summer learning programs into the core priorities and operations of the larger school district as a strategy to increase sustainability.

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Summer Learning in Pittsburgh: Exploring Programming Gaps and Opportunities

This report investigates summer program opportunities in Pittsburgh, focusing on free or low-cost programs that provide academic instruction for at least five weeks during the summer.

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How to Support More and Stronger Arts Education Partnerships in Allegheny County

This report presents findings from an exploratory study on arts partnerships in Allegheny County and identifies regional facilitators and barriers to forming, implementing, and sustaining them.

Research Brief

Kids Who Attend More Benefit More: Voluntary Summer Learning Programs

This brief summarizes the outcomes of two summers of voluntary academic programming (2013 and 2014) on 3,192 low-income urban students accepted into the programs who had completed third grade before the first summer.

Infographic

Learning from Summer: Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Urban Youth

This infographic summarizes several student outcomes from an assessment of five voluntary, district-led summer learning programs offered at no cost to low-income, urban elementary students.

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Learning from Summer: Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Urban Youth

RAND researchers assess voluntary, district-led summer learning programs for low-income, urban elementary students. This third report in a series examines student outcomes after one and two summers of programming.

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Preservation of Affordable Rental Housing: Evaluation of the MacArthur Foundation's Window of Opportunity Initiative

Evaluates the MacArthur Foundation's Window of Opportunity, a 20-year philanthropic initiative begun in 2000 that has allocated $187 million to preserve privately owned affordable rental housing.

Research Brief

Preserving the Supply of Affordable Housing: The MacArthur Foundation's Window of Opportunity Initiative

Summarizes the achievements of the MacArthur Foundation's Window of Opportunity -- a 20-year philanthropic initiative begun in 2000 to preserve privately owned affordable rental housing -- and the lessons it offers for other philanthropic initiatives.

Research Brief

First Outcomes from the National Summer Learning Study

This brief describes the near-term effects of voluntary summer learning programs provided by five urban school districts to large numbers of struggling low-income elementary students in the summer of 2013.

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Ready for Fall? Near-Term Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Students' Learning Opportunities and Outcomes

As part of a randomized controlled trial study assessing the effect of district-run voluntary summer programs, this second report in a series looks at how summer programs affected student performance in certain categories in fall 2013.

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Getting to Work on Summer Learning: Recommended Practices for Success, 1st Ed.

RAND is conducting a longitudinal study that examines the implementation and effectiveness of voluntary summer learning programs. This second report in the series provides research-based advice for school district leaders developing summer programs.

Research Brief

How to Get the Most out of a Summer Learning Program

The Wallace Foundation is funding a project in six urban school districts to combat summer learning loss. RAND evaluated the summer programs in these districts over two summers, drawing lessons for district leaders on how to create strong programs.

Report

Analysis and Recommendations on the Company-Grade Officer Shortfall in the Reserve Components of the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army National Guard and Reserve have more lieutenants but fewer captains than they are authorized to have. This monograph looks at the company-grade officer shortfall, explores solutions, and makes recommendations.

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Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children's Learning

Students typically lose knowledge and skills during the summer, particularly low-income students. Districts and private providers can benefit from the evidence on summer programming to maximize program effectiveness, quality, reach, and funding.

Research Brief

Summer Counts: Making Summer Programs Part of the Learning Equation

Summer learning programs can prevent the summertime loss of knowledge and skills that disproportionately affects low-income students. A study of existing programs resulted in targeted recommendations for school districts, policymakers, and funders.

Journal Article

Promoting Quality and Variety Through the Public Financing of Privately Operated Schools in Qatar

Qatar began establishing publicly funded, privately operated "independent schools" in parallel with the existing Ministry of Education system in 2002.

Journal Article

State of the States: The Search for Ways to Improve Instructional Leadership Zeroes in on 6 Policy Areas

State organizations take a strategic role in supporting school leaders, both through policy initiatives and by carefully navigating their particular educational contexts.

Research Brief

Building Cohesive Leadership Systems to Improve School Leadership

Documents efforts to build cohesive systems of state and district policies to improve school leadership.

Report

Improving School Leadership: The Promise of Cohesive Leadership Systems

Creating more-cohesive policies and initiatives to improve instructional leadership in schools appears to be a promising approach to developing school principals who are engaged in improving instruction.

Research Brief

Redesigning Qatar's Post-Secondary Scholarship System

This research brief summarizes the results of an evaluation of Qatar's post-secondary scholarship system and describes proposed and implemented reforms outlined in that assessment.

Research Brief

Redesigning Qatar's Post-Secondary Scholarship System (Arabic version)

This research brief summarizes the results of an evaluation of Qatar's post-secondary scholarship system and describes proposed and implemented reforms outlined in that assessment.

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Aligning Post-Secondary Educational Choices to Societal Needs: A New Scholarship System for Qatar

This report summarizes the results of an evaluation of Qatar's scholarship system and describes proposed reforms drawn from comparative assessments of countries with similar characteristics and interviews with a wide-ranging group of stakeholders.

Research Brief

Extending the Reach of Arts Education

This research brief describes efforts of six urban centers to expand access to arts education by developing collaborative networks among diverse organizations.

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Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination

Examines the efforts of six communities to improve arts education through coordination across multiple organizations, describing how the efforts unfolded and documenting the common and unique benefits and challenges of collaborative approaches.

Research Brief

A New System for K-12 Education in Qatar (Arabic version)

This research brief highlights aspects of Phase I (2001-04) of Qatar's K-12 reform initiative, Education for a New Era, based on RAND's experiences in this multi-participant effort to build a world-class standards- and choice-based education system.

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Education for a New Era, Executive Summary: Design and Implementation of K-12 Education Reform in Qatar

Provides an overview of the first phase of Qatar's K-12 education reform initiative, Education for a New Era, based on RAND's experiences in this ambitious, multi-participant effort to build a world-class standards- and choice-based education system.

Research Brief

A New System for K-12 Education in Qatar

This research brief highlights aspects of Phase I (2001-04) of Qatar's K-12 reform initiative, Education for a New Era, based on RAND's experiences in this multi-participant effort to build a world-class standards- and choice-based education system.

Report

Education for a New Era: Design and Implementation of K-12 Education Reform in Qatar

Describes the first phase of Qatar's bold K-12 education reform initiative, Education for a New Era, based on RAND's experiences as part of this ambitious, multi-participant effort to build a world-class standards- and choice-based education system.

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Governing Urban School Districts: Efforts in Los Angeles to Effect Change

Describes the bid of Los Angeles' mayor to take over the Los Angeles Unified School District and the competing efforts on behalf of various stakeholders.

Draft

An Introduction to Qatar’s Primary and Secondary Education Reform

Describes a reform designed by Qatari education officials and RAND researchers to upgrade the school system of Qatar.

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The Effects of A-76 Cost Comparisons on DoD Civilian Education and Training

The authors found that A-76 cost comparisons appear to generate cost savings, but at the cost of degraded employee morale and customer service.

Draft

Options for Changing the Governance System of the Los Angeles Unified School District: Presented to the Presidents’ Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance

In spring 2005, the Los Angeles City Council established a Commission to make recommendations to improve Los Angeles Unified School District's governance system. RAND provided research support to this Commission.

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Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and Organizational Restructuring in the DoD: Implications for Education and Training Infrastructure

Looks at how Department of Defense (DoD) education, training, and development institutions are affected by the consolidation of DoD facilities and changes in governance structure.

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Focus on the Wonder Years: Challenges Facing the American Middle School

Do middle schools meet the needs of young teens? If not, what needs to be done differently?

Research Brief

Base Realignment and Closure: An Opportunity to Reassess DoD's Civilian Education and Training Infrastructure

Education, training, and professional development (ET&D) institutions can experience complementary change when military bases and other infrastructure are reconfigured through the base realignment and closure (BRAC) process.

Research Brief

Problems and Promise of the American Middle School

This research brief describes work documented in Focus on the Wonder Years: Challenges Facing the American Middle School (MG-139-EDU).

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Strategic Assessment and Development of Interorganizational Influence in the Absence of Hierarchical Authority

Presents, for organizations that seek to influence others without the benefit of hierarchical authority, a three-stage framework that will help them capitalize on the power-and-influence options available to them.

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A Strategic Governance Review for Multi-organizational Systems of Education, Training, and Professional Development

Outlines an approach for describing and evaluating external governance in a multi-organizational system of education, training, and professional development.

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Ensuring the Quality and Productivity of Education and Professional Development Activities: A Review of Approaches and Lessons for DoD

This book examines the approaches used to evaluate academic quality and productivity in a variety of postsecondary education and training contexts, including corporations, state governments, and universities.

Research Brief

Civilian Education and Training in the Department of Defense: How Can We Gauge Its Value?

DoD's education and training efforts are highly decentralized and suggests that defense policymakers can gauge the caliber of those efforts by choosing one of four assessment approaches.