Education Policy

Postsecondary Education
commentary
Federal Policy Might Encourage Innovation to Cut the Cost of College
Charles A. Goldman
Jun 5, 2019
The RAND Blog
A big factor in the rise of college costs is the traditional seat-time mode requiring undergraduate students to spend a specified amount of time in classrooms, frequently with doctorally qualified faculty. But there are alternative models that could enable colleges and universities to offer degrees more efficiently and affordably.
Read More »

Postsecondary Education
commentary
Addressing the College Completion Problem
Lindsay Daugherty
May 9, 2019
The RAND Blog
More than half of students who enter college end up dropping out without ever completing a degree or certificate. Time and money are wasted without the benefits of a degree. While colleges are experimenting with novel techniques to boost completion rates, strategic support from the federal government could further these efforts.
Read More »
Education Policy
blog
Education Policy 'Game Night' Debuts at RAND
Oct 11, 2018
Parents, teachers, principals, and community leaders played RAND's first education policy game. Participants had to work through scenarios affecting a fictional high school, such as how to cut its budget by 4 percent. The game showed researchers how different stakeholders might approach school improvement challenges and what drives their decisions.
Read More »
Social and Emotional Learning
essay
Social and Emotional Learning Prepares Students for Life
Aug 27, 2018
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.
Read More »
Sleep
commentary
Teens Are Driving Drowsy Every Day, and That's Dangerous
Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel
Mar 12, 2018
Salt Lake Tribune
About 1 in 10 car crashes are caused by drowsy driving, and young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 account for more than half of them. Many parents unwittingly allow their teens to drive while tired on a daily basis.
Read More »
Social and Emotional Learning
commentary
Learning How to Measure Social and Emotional Learning
Brian M. Stecher, Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS
Jan 11, 2018
FutureEd
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.
Read More »
Social and Emotional Learning
commentary
Building Support for Social and Emotional Learning: Having an Evidence Base Is Critical
Sean Grant @GrantSeanP, Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS
Dec 14, 2017
The Measuring SEL Blog
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.
Read More »
Preschool
commentary
In Britain's Approach to Free Child Care, Lessons for the U.S.
Barbara Janta
Oct 27, 2017
USA Today
If public school in America is free for kindergarten through high school, why not extend the same guarantee for the earliest years, when the potential impact is greatest? The United States can learn from Britain's experience in this area.
Read More »
Sleep
commentary
The Early Bird Catches the Worm? Probably Not, Says Science on School Start Times
Marco Hafner @econ_hafner, Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel
Sep 12, 2017
Thrive Global
School start times are becoming a hotly debated topic across the United States. Starting middle and high schools at 8:30 a.m. would improve teen health, and the economic benefits of this shift would likely outweigh the costs.
Read More »
Sleep
commentary
If Teenagers Get More Sleep, California Could Gain Billions
Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel, Marco Hafner @econ_hafner
Sep 7, 2017
Los Angeles Times
Two key effects of better-rested teens are improved academic performance and reduced motor vehicle crashes. Delaying school start times to 8:30 a.m. could result in economic benefits that would be realized within a matter of years — $10 billion in California alone.
Read More »
Education Policy
commentary
How to Solve a Problem Like Missing Data
Alex Sutherland, Catherine L. Saunders
Jun 16, 2017
Statistics Views
Missing data is a challenge for statisticians, policymakers, and analysts, particularly when a robust evidence base is needed. How can this problem be addressed?
Read More »
Education Reform
commentary
Going Forward, Looking Back: Lessons from School Improvement Grants
Rebecca Herman
May 10, 2017
The Hill
The Every Student Succeeds Act takes effect this fall, returning significant power to states and local districts to set goals and prescribe strategies to lift achievement. As schools finalize their plans under the new law, they can learn from the shortcomings of School Improvement Grants.
Read More »
Middle East
q&a
What to Expect in the Middle East: Q&A with Dalia Dassa Kaye
Apr 24, 2017
Dalia Dassa Kaye explains why there's more to the Middle East than what appears in daily headlines, how RAND is working to help people in the region, and more.
Read More »
Principals
commentary
How States and Districts Can Leverage the Every Student Succeeds Act to Improve School Leadership
Rebecca Herman, Susan M. Gates
Dec 12, 2016
The RAND Blog
The Every Student Succeeds Act provides states and districts with new chances to invest in school leadership. A review of interventions can serve as a starting point to enact relevant solutions and build the evidence base for what works.
Read More »
Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
What Does the Stern Review Mean for the Research Excellence Framework?
Molly Morgan Jones, Susan Guthrie
Sep 6, 2016
The RAND Blog
The Stern Review's release at the end of July raised two pertinent questions about the Research Education Framework. What purposes does the REF serve? And does it offer good value for money for the UK's higher education institutions?
Read More »
Postsecondary Education
commentary
The High Cost of Free College
Trey Miller
Aug 1, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Tuition subsidies may encourage institutions to raise tuition, since the government would foot the bill. One possible solution: develop and implement policies that encourage greater productivity from higher education institutions.
Read More »
Teacher Effectiveness
commentary
Inspiring Better Teacher Planning and Instruction or Just Adding Noise?
Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman
Jul 20, 2016
The RAND Blog
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.
Read More »
Standards-Based Education Reform
commentary
The Opt-Out Reckoning
Jonathan Schweig
May 10, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Criticism of standardized testing is nearly as old as the testing itself. Will the opt-out movement promote meaningful and enduring changes in the educational system, and will these changes benefit the most at-risk and disadvantaged students?
Read More »
Refugees
commentary
Battered by War, Syrian Refugee Kids Need to Be Taught
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Louay Constant
Jan 15, 2016
Newsweek
More than 700,000 Syrian refugee children are not receiving formal education. Host countries are struggling to create enough spaces to accommodate them in schools, and there are no formal programs to teach children who have missed years of instruction.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Analysing 'High Performance' Research Units in Higher Education
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Dec 4, 2015
Open Forum Events
The characteristics that are central to high performance are people—as in recruiting and retaining the best—and the culture and values within the department, coupled with the leadership displayed.
Read More »
Education Reform
commentary
Standardized Tests Can Be Smarter
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS, Brian M. Stecher
Nov 2, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
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.
Read More »
Educational Institutions
commentary
The Shared Savings Model: An Innovative Way to Attack Rapidly Rising College Costs
Trey Miller, Van L. Davis
Oct 22, 2015
The RAND Blog
The challenge facing policymakers is how to lessen the college cost pressure felt by families while incentivizing institutions to innovate to reduce cost and improve quality. What if cost savings from increased productivity were quantified and a portion returned to institutions?
Read More »
Immigrants and Emigrants
commentary
Should Undocumented Immigrant Youth Pay In-State Tuition to Attend College?
Robert Bozick
Jul 28, 2015
The RAND Blog
Undocumented children are entitled to free primary and secondary public education everywhere in the United States, regardless of their legal status. But when they finish high school, their options for college vary depending on the state in which they live.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
What's Next for REF?
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Jul 8, 2015
Open Forum Events
In 2014, the research of 154 UK universities was evaluated, accounting for the efforts of 52,061 academic staff members. For the first time, the impact that the research had on wider society was part of the assessment. As we approach the next assessment period, there is opportunity for discussion to tweak and refine future measures of impact.
Read More »
Early Childhood Education
q&a
Investing in Kids Can Yield High Returns: Q&A with Lynn A. Karoly
Apr 8, 2015
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy
There is strong evidence of large potential economic returns to investing in high quality early childhood programs, but that doesn't mean that every program will generate equally large returns. Many programs likely have a “threshold” of quality and intensity that needs to be achieved in order to register positive returns.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Three Cheers for Research Users Engaging in REF 2014
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Mar 31, 2015
PolicyWonkers
In the UK, research outputs from universities are assessed every five years to determine future funding allocations from government. In 2014, for the first time, the Research Excellence Framework included an assessment of research impact. Research users played key roles throughout the process.
Read More »
Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
REF 2014 Shows That Research Impact Can Be Assessed
Catriona Manville @CMManville
Mar 27, 2015
Higher Education Funding Council for England Blog
For the first time anywhere, the UK has allocated funding to universities according to an assessment of research impact. An evaluation of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 process reveals that it worked, allowing different types of impacts drawn from a wide range of disciplines to be compared and scored.
Read More »
Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
REF 2014 Impact Submissions: Part of a Cultural Shift?
Catriona Manville @CMManville, Jonathan Grant
Mar 27, 2015
Higher Education Funding Council for England Blog
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) has incentivized universities to be more focused on their contribution to society beyond academia. The inclusion of impact as a component of the REF is leading to a cultural shift in the academic sector.
Read More »
Education Reform
commentary
Reauthorizing ESEA: What We Know and Where We Should Go with School Improvement
Rebecca Herman, Brian M. Stecher, Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS
Feb 11, 2015
The RAND Blog
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.
Read More »
Education Reform
commentary
Reauthorizing ESEA: Four Recommendations to Improve Teaching Effectiveness
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS, Brian M. Stecher, Grace Evans
Feb 3, 2015
The RAND Blog
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.
Read More »
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
commentary
Making Room for New Approaches: Recommendations for ESEA Reauthorization That Support Innovation
John F. Pane @JohnFPane
Jan 27, 2015
The RAND Blog
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.
Read More »
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
commentary
Reauthorizing ESEA: Four Recommendations to Make Testing Work
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS, Brian M. Stecher, Grace Evans
Jan 21, 2015
The RAND Blog
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.
Read More »
Education Curriculum
commentary
A Plan for Measuring Hard-to-Measure, 'Soft' Skills
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS, Brian M. Stecher
Dec 10, 2014
Education Week
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.
Read More »
College-Bound Students
commentary
The Price for Student Satisfaction and Success in Higher Education
Benoit Guerin
Aug 14, 2014
The RAND Blog
Choosing the right university and the best course of study is one of the most important decisions young people and parents will make. Not everyone makes the right decision. Of the wide range of factors involved in choosing a university, how important are university tuition fees to young people and their parents?
Read More »
Economic Policy
blog
Former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole Urges Graduates to Use Storytelling to Advance Policy
Jun 24, 2014
Facts and objective analysis are important, but for policy analysts to make a difference in the real world they also have to be able to tell a story, former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole said at the June 21 Pardee RAND Graduate School commencement.
Read More »
Educational Equity
commentary
Narrowing the Income Achievement Gap
Heather L. Schwartz
Jun 12, 2014
Education Week
The achievement gap between children from the highest- and lowest-income families has substantially grown since 1960. The income achievement gap is now about twice the size of the black-white achievement gap.
Read More »
Postsecondary Education
commentary
Comparing Higher Education Entrance Qualifications Across Europe
Cecile Hoareau McGrath
Nov 27, 2013
The RAND Blog
Given the opportunities for mobility of students and graduates across Europe, there is a need to understand how each country's higher education admission requirements compare, and to consider the long-term effects of those requirements on the skills, innovativeness, and resilience of Europe's workforce.
Read More »
Preschool
commentary
To Eliminate the 'Readiness Gap,' Preschool Is Just the Beginning
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Nov 26, 2013
RAND Review
Preschool for four-year-olds should be as common as kindergarten is for five-year-olds. Ultimately, the goal should be the elimination of the readiness gap through expanded access to preschool, written materials in the home, and technology that could improve delivery of such materials.
Read More »
Teacher Effectiveness
blog
RAND's Teacher Bonus Research Recognized by U.S. Dept. of Education
Sep 24, 2013
The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences recognized a RAND report on the effects of teacher bonuses in New York City public schools last week. IES added the report, A Big Apple for Educators, to its What Works Clearinghouse.
Read More »
Mathematics
commentary
The Limits of Career and Technical Education in Improving Math Achievement among High School Students
Robert Bozick
Jun 19, 2013
Policy Analysis for California Education
Students who had taken occupationally focused career and technical education (CTE) courses in addition to their regular academic courses had similar learning gains to those who had only taken academic courses: an academic curriculum that includes CTE courses neither bolstered nor curtailed the acquisition of math skills.
Read More »
Military Budgets and Defense Spending
blog
At 65, RAND Continues to Make a Difference
May 13, 2013
To celebrate our first 60 years, we created '60 Ways RAND Has Made a Difference,' an online book to illustrate our most notable contributions. On our 65th birthday, we provide five of the most recent ways in which we at RAND are proud to have made a difference.
Read More »
Education Policy
commentary
Taking Stock on the Anniversary of 'No Child Left Behind'
Brian M. Stecher
Jan 10, 2013
The Huffington Post
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.
Read More »
Education Reform
commentary
Making Extended Learning Time Worth the Investment
Jennifer Sloan McCombs
Dec 14, 2012
The RAND Blog
Five states are experimenting with adding a substantial amount of time to the school year in some schools. This policy initiative holds promise, says Jennifer McCombs
Read More »
Education Policy
commentary
School Principals Respond to Performance-Based Evaluation System
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS, John Engberg
Aug 15, 2012
The RAND Blog
It's fair to say the program turned out to be an important step for the district in the context of its overall reform plan considering how important high-quality school leadership is for improving teaching and learning, write Laura Hamilton and John Engberg.
Read More »
Urban Planning
commentary
Narrowing the Economic Achievement Gap: The Role of Housing
Heather L. Schwartz
Jan 11, 2012
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
The results from Montgomery County demonstrate that an integrative housing policy can be an effective form of school policy for disadvantaged children, writes Heather Schwartz.
Read More »
commentary
The Debate over Teacher Merit Pay: A Freakonomics Quorum
Julie A. Marsh
Sep 20, 2011
Freakonomics
Motivation alone does not improve schools. Even if incentives inspire staff to improve practices or work together, educators may not have the capacity or resources to bring about improvement, writes Julie Marsh.
Read More »
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
commentary
Revamp NCLB to Fulfill Its Promise
Brian M. Stecher
Sep 16, 2007
Baltimore Sun
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.
Read More »
Academic Achievement
commentary
Think It Through on Tests
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS
Mar 27, 2007
Philadelphia Inquirer
Published commentary by RAND staff: Think It Through on Tests, in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Read More »