The Overlooked Support Teachers Are Missing: A Coherent Curriculum
America is still too far off from the classrooms envisioned by standards advocates, and it will take sustained effort from educational leaders to reach these ambitious goals. States and districts could prioritize efforts to support teachers to understand and implement standards both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mar 3, 2021 Education Week
Giving Teachers the Tools They Need to Provide 21st-Century Civics Education
The Capitol attack has rightfully led to many calls for teachers to address civic education in a much more robust way in their classrooms. However, a national survey of social studies teachers suggests that teachers lack the critical training and incentives to do so.
Feb 23, 2021 The RAND Blog
Choosing Classroom Materials Is Complicated. Here's What Principals and District Leaders Can Do to Support Teachers
What do teachers want when it comes to instructional materials, particularly during the pandemic? Knowing the answer to this question can help district and school leaders select online materials that teachers are more likely to use and guide curriculum developers to create resources with these features in mind.
Feb 12, 2021 The 74
Parents: Why You Should Care About What Curriculum Materials Your Child Is Using This Year
K–12 students getting remote instruction this year may not receive the curriculum they need to master the academic standards they are expected to meet for their grade level. What can parents do to ensure their children are being exposed to standards-aligned, rigorous learning opportunities?
Oct 2, 2020 The 74 Million
How to Reopen Schools: Q&A with RAND Experts
The debate over opening U.S. schools is growing more heated by the day. In this Q&A, RAND researchers discuss the different approaches for reopening, how online learning went in the spring, ways to help disadvantaged students, and more.
Jul 23, 2020 The RAND Blog
Three Steps States Could Take to Make Sure Learning Is More Equitable Should Schools Close Again in the Fall
The quality of remote instruction depends on whether students can connect and interact with educators online. But poverty is a major driver of who gets high-quality online instruction and who doesn't. What can states do in this new reality?
Jun 30, 2020 The RAND Blog
New Teacher Survey Shows That Digital Materials Were Not Optimal Before the Pandemic. Now That They Are Front and Center, How Should They Be Used?
Schools and teachers can support student learning during the COVID-19 crisis by considering how to keep curricula front and center alongside a set of targeted digital materials that connect with curricula and can keep students learning, engaged, and connected to their school support systems.
May 4, 2020 The RAND Blog
Schools Pivot Online in Wake of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts
Nearly all school-age children in the United States are no longer in the classroom as districts shut down to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus. RAND education researchers discuss how this situation might exacerbate educational inequities, how districts and teachers are innovating and what they need, and what parents can do.
Apr 2, 2020 The RAND Blog
Elevating Teacher Voices, Along with Their Salaries to Professionalize Teaching in Louisiana
Salary raises have a direct impact on teachers' day-to-day lives. But efforts like those in Louisiana to elevate teachers' voices, and not just their salaries, are more likely to make a real difference for the teaching profession by creating a clear career ladder. The state's efforts could also be cultivating a teaching force that is providing students with the curricula and instruction they need to achieve at higher levels.
Sep 18, 2019 The RAND Blog
Louisiana's Education System Is Evolving: Here's What Parents Need to Know
Louisiana has taken big steps to improve its education policies and the education of the state's children, from birth to grade 12. Parents can help their children benefit from the reforms by being informed about the changes and knowing how to take advantage of new resources.
Sep 12, 2018 The Advocate
Giving State Educators What They Need to Stand Apart—and Together
States have an opportunity to provide better instructional materials to teachers hungry for more resources aligned with state standards. By focusing on what they agree students should learn, states could work together to build curricula and shore up other key supports.
Apr 4, 2017 U.S. News & World Report
Principals in Small Districts Receive Far Less 'Instructional Leadership' Support, Survey Shows
Until recently, little was known about how much support principals in the United States receive to be effective “instructional leaders.” A national survey shows that mentors and supervisors do provide feedback focused on principals' role in teaching and learning, but the amount varies.
Aug 16, 2016 U.S. News & World Report
Inspiring Better Teacher Planning and Instruction or Just Adding Noise?
Teachers can and should have the freedom to select and develop at least some of their own instructional resources. But whether sites like Amazon Inspire will actually save teachers time and help them find high-quality resources is up for debate.
Jul 20, 2016 The RAND Blog