Education Research for the Greater Middle East

RAND evaluates and implements educational reform, including standards-based reform. We develop new approaches to measuring student achievement and help clients use data to improve the quality of education.

Journal Article
Reforming the Qatari School System
Qatar's education system now includes independent schools, internationally-accredited and well-respected private schools, and a tuition vouchers program that may spur further expansion of the private school system.
Report
Identifying Arabic-Language Materials for Children That Promote Tolerance and Critical Thinking
A focus on children, whose ideas are still being developed, may be more effective in promoting tolerance and critical thinking in the Arabic–speaking world than efforts directed toward adults, whose attitudes are already established.
Report
Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World
Many analysts have examined the media that violent extremists use to communicate their core messages. Far less research, however, has been devoted to the growing body of creative works produced by Arab authors and artists that counter the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of violent extremism.
Report
Four Countries in the Middle East Face the Human Capital Challenges of the 21st Century
Education and labor market initiatives are under way in Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to address challenges of developing the human capital of their populations for the 21st century global economy, though better evaluation of the implemented reforms will be needed to determine their efficacy.
Brochure
The Cost-Effectiveness of Education Interventions in Poor Countries
The August issue of Policy Insight discusses the growing use of randomized trials to determine the effectiveness of development programs in low-income countries, suggesting that similar methods should be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of education interventions in these countries.