Ashley Woo

Five Charts That Tell Us About the State of Public Education Right Now

To monitor education trends, RAND fields more than a dozen surveys per year to teachers, principals, and superintendents. Five charts highlight findings across different areas—staff turnover, teacher well-being, guns in schools, quality of instruction, and politics in schools—that say a lot about the state of American public education.

Partnerships with Parents Are Key to Solving Heightened Political Polarization in Schools

Parental involvement has become a flashpoint in the public debate over what instructional content is appropriate for school settings. School system leaders should develop a two-pronged approach on how to respond when educators encounter conflicts with parents and families: a proactive strategy to build trust and engage parents and a reactive strategy to manage conflicts when they arise.

How Florida's Expansion of 'Don't Say Gay' Law Will Hurt Students and Teachers Across the United States

Policies restricting discussion of LGBTQ+ issues and representation of LGBTQ+ individuals are likely to make schools less welcoming to America's estimated two million LGBTQ+ youth. Policymakers should develop policies that cultivate learning and work environments where all students and educators feel safe and valued.

Amplifying Teachers' Voices: Q&A with Ashley Woo

Ashley Woo, an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, aims to bring teachers' perspectives into policymaking. In this interview, she discusses her research on teachers' responses to state restrictions on how they can address topics related to race and gender in the classroom.

Keeping Teachers of Color in the Classroom Will Take More Than a Pay Raise

All students—but particularly Black and Latinx students—benefit academically and socially from having teachers who are people of color. Policymakers and education leaders can help these teachers stay in the profession by making teaching more financially sustainable and fostering collegial relationships within school communities.

Commentary

The American Mathematics Educator Study: Unraveling the Formula for Equitable and Excellent Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Authors lay out a research agenda for the American Mathematics Educator Study by synthesizing what they know from mathematics education research regarding key factors that shape equitable, high-quality mathematics teaching and learning. 

Report

Building Organizational and Individual Capacities in State and Local Education Agencies: The First Five Years of the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety

The authors explore how the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety designed and implemented its technical assistance supports and how these supports contributed to capacity building among technical assistance recipients.

Report

State Curriculum Reforms and Their Potential Contribution to Instructional System Coherence: A Case Study of Rhode Island and Tennessee

RAND researchers investigate how English language arts curriculum reforms in Rhode Island and Tennessee might be related to the adoption and use of standards-aligned curriculum materials and teachers’ perceptions of instructional system coherence.

Report

All Work and No Pay — Teachers' Perceptions of Their Pay and Hours Worked: Findings from the 2023 State of the American Teacher Survey

The authors present teachers' perceptions of their base salary and total weekly hours worked and describe how these factors related to teachers' well-being and their intentions to leave their jobs.

Report

The Role of Benchmark Assessments in Coherent Instructional Systems: Findings from the 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey

Researchers draw on the American Instructional Resources Survey to examine the prevalence of benchmark assessments and explore educators' perceptions about the role that benchmark assessments play in their schools' instructional systems.

Report

State of the American Teacher Survey: 2023 Technical Documentation and Survey Results

This technical report presents detail about the data, samples, and methodology for the 2023 State of the American Teacher survey and American Life Panel companion survey, including survey results.

Report

Teacher Well-Being and Intentions to Leave: Findings from the 2023 State of the American Teacher Survey

This Data Note presents selected findings from the 2023 State of the American Teacher survey related to teacher well-being, the availability of mental health and well-being supports, and teachers' intentions to leave their current teaching jobs.

Report

Working Conditions Related to Positive Teacher Well-Being Vary Across States: Findings from the 2022 Learn Together Survey

The authors of this report draw on a nationally representative survey of K–12 public school teachers from March and April 2022 to examine working conditions that are related to teacher well-being in the United States.

Report

Teachers' Perceptions of Coherence in K–12 English Language Arts and Mathematics Instructional Systems

RAND researchers interviewed a sample of members of the American Teacher Panel who responded to the spring 2022 Coherent Instructional Systems Survey to examine how teachers perceive and navigate coherence within their instructional systems.

Report

Supporting Equitable Math Instruction in California: Findings from the 2022 Learn Together Survey and the 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey

In 2023, California will implement a new statewide math framework that will drive curriculum decisions for years to come. Researchers leveraged data collected from California math teachers to paint a picture of math instruction throughout the state.

Report

The Missing Infrastructure for Elementary (K–5) Social Studies Instruction: Findings from the 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey

This report uses data from the RAND Corporation's American Educator Panels to investigate the state of infrastructure to support elementary social studies instruction during the 2021-2022 school year.

Report

Walking on Eggshells—Teachers' Responses to Classroom Limitations on Race- or Gender-Related Topics: Findings from the 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey

In this report, drawing on the spring 2022 American Instructional Resources Survey, the authors examine teachers' awareness of and responses to limitations on how they can address race- or gender-related topics in their instruction.

Report

Early Childhood Educators in Hawaiʻi: Addressing Compensation, Working Conditions, and Professional Advancement

This report documents the low wages, few benefits, and mixed working conditions for the early care and education (ECE) workforce and provides strategies for investing in improvements that would help with recruiting and retaining ECE workers.

Report

Prioritizing Strategies to Racially Diversify the K–12 Teacher Workforce: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys

The authors of this report surveyed and interviewed teachers and convened a panel of education policymakers to identify policies and strategies that could help racially diversify the teacher workforce in the United States.

Report

Walking a Fine Line—Educators' Views on Politicized Topics in Schooling: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys

Using nationally representative survey data, the authors analyze educators' views on two politicized issues—COVID-19 mitigation policies and teaching about race, racism, or bias—to better understand the consequences of politicization in schools.

Report

Restoring Teacher and Principal Well-Being Is an Essential Step for Rebuilding Schools: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys

Researchers present selected findings on teacher and principal well-being, working conditions, and intentions to leave their jobs from the 2022 State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal surveys.

Report

State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys: 2022 Technical Documentation and Survey Results

This technical report on the 2022 State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal surveys includes descriptions of the survey content, administration, and weighting and detailed data tables of the survey results.

Report

How States Are Creating Conditions for Use of High-Quality Instructional Materials in K–12 Classrooms: Findings from the 2021 American Instructional Resources Survey

In this report, the authors examine adoption and use of instructional materials using survey self-reports from teachers across the United States and from a network of states that is focused on improving use of standards-aligned materials.

Report

Redesigning University Principal Preparation Programs: A Systemic Approach for Change and Sustainability — Full Report (Volume 3, Part 1)

University-based principal preparation programs prepare the majority of U.S. school principals. This report described the methodology of and findings from a five-year study of an initiative designed to support improvements to such programs.

Report

Redesigning University Principal Preparation Programs: A Systemic Approach for Change and Sustainability — Report in Brief (Volume 3, Part 2)

University-based principal preparation programs prepare the majority of our country's school principals. This report shares findings from a five-year study of an initiative designed to support improvements to such programs.

Report

A Snapshot of Anti-Bias Education in U.S. K–12 Schools: Findings from the 2021 American Instructional Resources Surveys

RAND researchers leverage nationally representative survey data of kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) public school teachers to examine whether teachers report providing anti-bias education and what anti-bias education looks like in K–12 schools.

Report

English Language Arts Instructional Systems in the First Full Year of COVID-19

The authors focus on teachers' perceptions of the guidance received on English language arts instruction and instructional system coherence during the first full year of COVID-19 (2020–2021), and how teachers' perceptions compared with 2019–2020.

Report

The Well-Being of Secondary School Principals One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic

Using nationally representative data from the 2021 Learn Together Surveys, the authors examine the state of secondary principals' well-being and job-related stressors one year into the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss implications and recommendations.

Report

Seeking Balance in the Provision of Technical Assistance: Insights from the National Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety

The authors examine the first three years of operation for the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety (CISELSS) and offer insights that might help guide efforts to continuously improve CISELSS's provision of supports.

Report

School Leaders' Role in Selecting and Supporting Teachers' Use of Instructional Materials: An Interview Study

The authors examine what school leaders regard as the key dimensions of quality instructional materials and describe the role that school leaders play in guiding the selection and use of instructional materials.

Research Brief

Supporting Principals to Lead on the Selection and Use of Instructional Materials in Classrooms

This brief discusses findings from several RAND reports on principals' roles with respect to instructional materials. Recommendations describe how stakeholders can prepare and support principals to lead in selecting and using instructional materials.

Report

Job-Related Stress Threatens the Teacher Supply: Key Findings from the 2021 State of the U.S. Teacher Survey

The authors explore the state of teacher well-being in the United States, describing job-related stressors that teachers faced during the pandemic and the working conditions of teachers who were considering leaving their jobs because of the pandemic.

Report

Did Experience with Digital Instructional Materials Help Teachers Implement Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Researchers examine teachers' use of digital materials during the 2019–2020 school year, whether digital materials connected to main curricula, and how the use of digital materials before the pandemic connected to teaching during school closures.

Report

Teachers' Perceptions of What Makes Instructional Materials Engaging, Appropriately Challenging, and Usable: A Survey and Interview Study

In this report, the authors examine how middle and high school English language arts and mathematics teachers use and perceive their instructional materials in terms of how engaging, challenging, and usable they are.

Report

Using State-Level Policy Levers to Promote Principal Quality: Lessons from Seven States Partnering with Principal Preparation Programs and Districts

The authors examine how seven states are using state-level policy levers to improve the quality of school principals.

Report

Exploring Coherence in English Language Arts Instructional Systems in the Common Core Era

Coherence among instructional components is key to changing teachers' practices in standards-based reforms. This report uses survey data to explore the coherence of school-level instructional systems in Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Report

American Instructional Resources Surveys: 2020 Technical Documentation and Survey Results

This technical report provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the American Instructional Resources Surveys administered to principals and teachers in spring 2020 via RAND's American Educator Panels.

Report

The Digital Divide and COVID-19: Teachers' Perceptions of Inequities in Students' Internet Access and Participation in Remote Learning

Researchers investigate the relationship between teachers' reports of students' internet access and their interaction with students and families during school closures related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Report

How Instructional Materials Are Used and Supported in U.S. K–12 Classrooms: Findings from the 2019 American Instructional Resources Survey

New results from the RAND American Instructional Resources Survey, which was fielded to a national sample of public teachers and school leaders in spring 2019, shed light on how teachers use instructional materials in their classroom.

Report

Digital Instructional Materials: What Are Teachers Using and What Barriers Exist?

This Data Note draws on data from the spring 2019 American Instructional Resources Survey to provide new insights from English language arts, math, and science teachers on their use of digital materials.