The High Stakes of 'Soft Skills'
With the recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, Congress is broadening what it considers success when it comes to judging school quality. One potential new indicator being discussed in some states is social and emotional learning, which has been linked to success later in life.
Apr 7, 2016 U.S. News & World Report
Standardized Tests Can Be Smarter
Capping the amount of time students spend testing is a reasonable response to unchecked growth. However, a better response would be to systematically review testing programs, focusing on tests that offer the most value.
Nov 2, 2015 U.S. News & World Report
How School Choice Could Disadvantage Low-Income Students
The flexibility to allow Title I-A funds to follow students across schools has a certain appeal. But it could have negative consequences for some of the poorest students.
Sep 1, 2015 U.S. News & World Report
Reauthorizing ESEA: What We Know and Where We Should Go with School Improvement
Federal policy should ensure that school improvement is a priority, that schools adopt proven reforms that fit the school context, and that schools and their districts are held accountable when federal resources are used for school improvement.
Feb 11, 2015 The RAND Blog
Reauthorizing ESEA: Four Recommendations to Improve Teaching Effectiveness
Policies aimed at boosting teaching effectiveness are a key component of a strong ESEA reauthorization. Addressing discrepancies in teacher quality helps teachers improve, retains effective teachers, and makes the teaching profession an attractive option for those contemplating careers.
Feb 3, 2015 The RAND Blog
Reauthorizing ESEA: Four Recommendations to Make Testing Work
Will Congress be able to reauthorize ESEA in 2015? Success will depend on legislators clearing several hurdles, such as decisions regarding teacher quality, school improvement, and charter schools. And at the center of the debate remains the issue of federal requirements for testing.
Jan 21, 2015 The RAND Blog
A Plan for Measuring Hard-to-Measure, 'Soft' Skills
Research increasingly suggests that 'soft' skills are important for college and career success, as well as for promoting civic engagement. So far, these skills are largely unmeasured in schools. But new research may pave the way for change.
Dec 10, 2014 Education Week
Flexibility Is Key in Administration's Call for Teacher Equity Plans
Metrics like teacher experience and licensure reveal little about teachers' impact on student learning. The focus should be on disadvantaged students' access to effective teachers.
Aug 22, 2014 The RAND Blog
How to Assess 21st Century Competencies: 12 Key Lessons
Assessing competencies such as creativity and global awareness can provide educators with a broader set of indicators they can use to inform instruction and set goals with students. However, evidence about the effects of testing suggests that caution and careful planning is warranted when developing a new assessment system.
Feb 18, 2014 Education Week
High-Quality Early Childhood Programs Require High-Quality Teachers
High-quality early childhood interventions can improve academic achievement, reduce crime and delinquency, and enhance future labor market success. But the operative word is "high-quality." And for early childhood programs to be high-quality, they must have qualified instructors.
Mar 18, 2013 The RAND Blog
Taking Stock on the Anniversary of 'No Child Left Behind'
While “No Child Left Behind” aims to improve schools, Congress can improve the law. Flexibility and capacity are crucial, particularly for struggling schools, writes Brian Stecher.
Jan 10, 2013 The Huffington Post
No Child Left Behind, Act II
The bill's eleventh anniversary presents an opportunity to consider what the evidence tells us about how to make NCLB more effective.
Jan 8, 2013 Philadelphia Inquirer
Revamp NCLB to Fulfill Its Promise
Research reveals that NCLB has flaws, but changes can be made that preserve its basic goals of school accountability and student improvement, writes Brian Stecher.
Sep 16, 2007 Baltimore Sun
'No Child' Leaves Too Much Behind
Published commentary by RAND staff: 'No Child' Leaves Too Much Behind, in Washingtonpost.com.
Sep 13, 2006 Washingtonpost.com
Test-Based Accountability: Making It Work Better
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Feb 20, 2002 Education Week
Test Schemes Look More Like Lotto Than Lessons
Incentives may be effective if they target the right outcomes and encourage the right behaviors, but this set of tests and rewards has shortcomings on both fronts.
Sep 27, 2000 Los Angeles Times
