Education Curriculum

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Improving Media Literacy in Middle School

Middle schoolers can be savvy users of news and information—when they know where to look. But they're also easy marks for misinformation, disinformation, and trolls. Helping them find their way in today's media landscape is important both for their futures and for the future of democracy.

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Gun Storage, the Dangers of Replacement Theory, War in Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how Americans store their guns, why ‘replacement theory' is a danger to us all, the war in Ukraine, and more.

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The Economic Returns of Foreign Language Learning

If just 10 percent more students in the United Kingdom mastered Arabic, Mandarin, French, or Spanish, the economic returns could be measured in billions of British pounds. Removing the language barrier reduces trade costs.

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Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”

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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.

Catherine H. Augustine, Heather L. Schwartz @schwartz_hl

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Responding to Russia, Sex Trafficking, Anti-Bias Education: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the false choice between responding to Russia or deterring China, how substance use and sex trafficking are connected, providing anti-bias education in U.S. schools, and more.

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How State Critical Race Theory Bans Could Trickle Down to the Classroom

Given the potential blowback to teaching anything related to race or gender, avoiding lessons on the experiences of women or people of color will be the path of least resistance in many schools. But discussing racism and sexism in a safe environment is crucial for students to become active, knowledgeable citizens.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman, Alice Huguet

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Next Year's Freshman: How Corequisites Might Help Address COVID-19 Learning Loss

As states and colleges look to address learning loss due to COVID-19, it is important that they not turn to traditional models of remediation that prevent students from directly entering college coursework. Instead, they should look to new, effective models of corequisite support.

Lindsay Daugherty, Trey Miller

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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.

Morgan Polikoff, Elaine Lin Wang, et al.

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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.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

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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.

Elaine Lin Wang, Andrea Prado Tuma, et al.

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Want to Rebuild Public Trust? Focus on Civic Education

Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life—has led to political paralysis, the erosion of civil discourse, and widespread uncertainty. Investing in civic education and media literacy could be the antidote. But what exactly can be done to spur a civics revival in U.S. schools?

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The Importance of Teaching Civic Responsibility in America

A survey of civics and social studies teachers asked what they teach, how they teach it, and what they think students need to know. Most said their students absolutely need to learn to be tolerant of different people and groups. And they want their students to see themselves as global citizens.

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Election Interference on Twitter, Insulin Prices, Remote Learning: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on evidence of interference in the 2020 election on Twitter, U.S. insulin prices compared to those of other countries, how parents can help their kids' education stay on track during the pandemic, and more.

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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?

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

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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.

Katie Tosh, Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

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Hospitals' Critical Care Capacity, Unemployment Insurance, Farmworkers: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how hospitals can increase critical care capacity, reforming the U.S. unemployment system, supporting farmworkers, and more.

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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.

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Back to School Means Back to SEL for America's Teachers and Principals

Schools are increasingly adopting programs and practices to build social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Policymakers can benefit from understanding the educator perspective: how they feel about SEL, what they're doing to promote it, and what resources they need.

Laura S. Hamilton, Christopher Joseph Doss @Chris_J_Doss, et al.

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How Community Colleges Can Establish Better Partnerships with Employers

Career and technical education programs give students a chance to engage in learning relevant to their chosen fields and apply immediately for jobs. A strategic vision of collaboration between industry and community colleges can benefit all parties.

Rita T. Karam

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Choosing the Right Social and Emotional Learning Programs and Practices

Educators have become increasingly interested in supporting students to cultivate the inter- and intra-personal skills that are developed through the process of social and emotional learning. A new guide developed at RAND is meant to help educators adopt evidenced-based interventions that fit the needs of their students and communities.

Stephani L. Wrabel, Laura S. Hamilton

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Finding the Right Assessment Tool: Another Resource for Educators and Researchers

To teach something effectively, educators need to determine whether their instructional approaches are working, and make adjustments to those approaches as needed. The Assessment Work Group and RAND have developed tools to assist educators in finding and using assessments to measure social and emotional learning and higher-order cognitive competencies.

Laura S. Hamilton, Brian M. Stecher

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Social and Emotional Learning Prepares Students for Life

The goal of social and emotional learning is to give students the skills they need to work in teams, communicate their ideas, and manage their emotions. Research can help educators determine which programs work and which ones qualify for federal funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

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Learning How to Measure Social and Emotional Learning

Educators and policymakers are increasingly focusing on non-academic competencies, known as social and emotional learning. To support growth in these areas, teachers need assessments that can help them understand how well students are learning these skills, and what instructional approaches work best.

Brian M. Stecher, Laura S. Hamilton

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Building Support for Social and Emotional Learning: Having an Evidence Base Is Critical

Students need more than proficiency in reading or math. Perseverance, active listening, empathy and good decision-making help kids succeed both academically and in life. Schools need access to high-quality social and emotional learning assessment measures to ensure programs will improve student learning and their futures.

Sean Grant @GrantSeanP, Laura S. Hamilton

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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.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman, V. Darleen Opfer @VDarleenOpfer

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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.

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

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Technology Is Only Part of Personalized Learning

The concept of personalized learning has gained favor in recent years, partly because new technology applications help to facilitate it. But those who characterize this instructional approach as

John F. Pane @JohnFPane, Laura S. Hamilton

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Strengthening Our Democracy Starts in School

The teaching of civics and other social studies courses has hit hard times in most states, driven in part by accountability systems that reward schools for math and reading scores. Yet civic education is critical to the stability of our democracy and seems warranted now more than ever.

Anna Rosefsky Saavedra

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Exploring New Approaches to Higher Education: The Expansion of Competency-Based Programs

Policymakers and educators must determine if the risks of maintaining the status quo outweigh the potential benefits of competency-based programs, especially for those students who are ill-served by the traditional higher education model.

Lindsay Daugherty, Trey Miller, et al.

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Making Room for New Approaches: Recommendations for ESEA Reauthorization That Support Innovation

As lawmakers consider the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it is critical that in meeting their objectives they do not create unnecessary obstacles to the productive innovations being explored at schools, such as personalized learning.

John F. Pane @JohnFPane

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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.

Laura S. Hamilton, Brian M. Stecher, et al.

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Building a Sound Technical and Vocational Education and Training System

Technical and vocational education and training in India has expanded significantly over the past two decades. But quality and relevance remain significant issues. What may be learned from other countries' experiences?

Louay Constant, Cathy Stasz, et al.

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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.

Laura S. Hamilton, Brian M. Stecher

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Mending the Marriage Between Colleges and the Military

Without a concerted effort to change military executive education, military services will continue a misguided effort to buy academic credibility, and some elite universities will continue selling their names. Most importantly, the Untied States will miss an opportunity to hone the critical thinking of its next generation of military leaders.

Paula G. Thornhill

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Cognitive Tutor: Encouraging Signs for Computers in the Classroom

A first-year algebra curriculum that blends tutoring software with conventional textbook learning had a positive effect for high school algebra students. Researchers found significant improvements—a change equivalent to moving from the 50th percentile to the 58th on an algebra posttest.

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Transforming Schools by Developing 21st-Century Skills

If students are to learn the skills they need to succeed in tomorrow's competitive world, educators may need to rethink yesterday's teaching practices. That's the rationale behind teaching 21st century skills, which include high-order abilities like teamwork and critical thinking.

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Nine Lessons on How to Teach 21st Century Skills and Knowledge

Despite widespread agreement among parents, educators, employers and policymakers worldwide that students need skills like critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity, these skills are stubbornly difficult to teach and learn, write Anna R. Saavedra and V. Darleen Opfer.

Anna Rosefsky Saavedra, V. Darleen Opfer @VDarleenOpfer