School Effectiveness

Using a range of approaches, we explore the factors that ensure high-quality education for all pupils, from complex school interventions, to the use of technology in the classroom, teacher retention and more

Research, commentary, and events

  • Careers advisor meeting female university student, photo by Monkey Business Images/Adobe Stock

    Project

    Examining the quality of career guidance in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

    21 Jul 2020

    Surveying 54 secondary schools and colleges and interviewing 10 career guidance service providers, researchers produced a comprehensive picture of how career guidance is provided in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and how these services meet the needs of children and young people.

  • Young school girls studying the heart using tablet computers

    Project

    Evaluating Digital Feedback in Primary Maths

    01 Oct 2019

    A partnership of primary schools in Lincolnshire developed an intervention that seeks to maximise the impact of teachers’ feedback on pupils’ outcome through the use of video. However, an efficacy trial and associated process evaluation of the intervention found that it does not improve pupil outcomes.

  • Elementary school children reading a book, photo by Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock

    Project

    Understanding the impact of peer-assisted learning strategies

    30 Apr 2019

    RAND Europe is evaluating the impacts of peer-assisted learning strategies (PALS) in England. The evaluation will seek to understand the impact of PALS on reading attainment for both strong and weak readers and will assess how effectively the intervention is implemented.

  • Businessman and businesswoman discussing hanging paperwork in office

    Project

    Developing tools to assess research evidence for policymakers and practitioners

    01 Mar 2019

    Researchers developed recommendations for the College of Policing and the Education Endowment Foundation on how to assess evidence from research studies and make evidence-informed recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.

  • Young students conduct a planting experiment in science laboratory class

    Project

    Evaluating Primary Science Quality Mark

    21 Dec 2018

    A randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the impact of PSQM aims to understand the impact of the intervention on pupils and teachers. The study will also examine how the intervention is implemented.

  • School children perform a chemistry experiment

    Project

    Evaluating 'Aspire to STEM'

    14 Aug 2018

    Researchers are evaluating an intervention aimed at improving STEM teaching and learning in UK schools in disadvantaged areas. The project aims to understand what impact the intervention has on children’s learning and teacher retention.

  • Moroccan girls walking to school

    Project

    Supporting the OECD Review on Evaluation and Assessment in Morocco

    23 Jul 2018

    As part of a larger OECD effort, RAND Europe researchers analysed the strengths and challenges of Morocco's current approach for teacher appraisal and provided four actionable policy recommendations as well as advice for implementing improvements.

  • Students raise their hands during class

    Project

    Exploring Why an Incentivised Pay Study Failed to Recruit Enough Teachers

    05 Feb 2018

    Researchers tried to conduct a randomised control trial to understand whether UK teachers could be motivated with incentivised pay and coaching, but they failed to recruit enough participants. To help future studies, they changed their research to explore why the recruitment effort failed.

  • High school students asleep in their class

    Commentary

    The Early Bird Catches the Worm? Probably Not

    12 Sep 2017

    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.

  • Early morning school bus

    Project

    Delaying U.S. School Start Times Would Have Large Benefits

    30 Aug 2017

    An economic analysis shows that delaying U.S. high school start times is a cost-effective, population-level strategy that could have a significant, positive impact on public health and the U.S. economy.

  • Two students working together in a chemistry class

    Commentary

    Cambridgeshire Is at the Heart of England's Teacher Shortage Problem

    21 Mar 2017

    Teacher shortages could be a real threat in Cambridgeshire, unless larger numbers of secondary school teachers are attracted and retained. There are simply too few new teachers replacing those who retire, with this gap being even more pronounced in STEM subjects.

  • High school teacher teaching group of students in classroom

    Project

    Attracting and Retaining Teachers in Cambridgeshire

    20 Mar 2017

    Teacher shortages could be a real and imminent threat in Cambridgeshire unless more new secondary school teachers are attracted and retained. The region should explore the association between teachers’ working and living conditions, why not enough teachers are attracted to work in Cambridgeshire and why teachers are leaving the profession.

  • Missing data

    Project

    Accounting for Missing Data in the Second Longitudinal Study of Young People in England

    09 Jan 2017

    The Department for Education commissioned RAND Europe to provide a statistically robust, unbiased, and consistent approach to account for missing Key Stage 2 data in the LSYPE2 cohort. The final report balances the need for practical solutions for analysts with the desire to exhaustively explore options for dealing with the missing data.

  • School students discussing science with their teacher in class

    Project

    RCT to Evaluate the Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants Programme

    03 Nov 2016

    Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (MITA) aims to develop ways in which UK teaching assistants can improve students’ outcomes. An efficacy randomised control trial will evaluate whether, under ideal conditions, the programme has a positive impact.

  • Syrian refugee children

    Project

    Next Steps for UNICEF's Emergency Education Response Programme in Jordan

    29 Sep 2016

    An evaluation recommends that UN agencies, donors, partners, and the Jordanian government develop and implement a strategy to manage the influx and education of child refugees. Jordanian and refugee children both will benefit from expanding the Jordanian education system's safety, quality and performance.

  • Little girl sitting on the floor reading a book

    Project

    Evaluating the Accelerated Reader Scheme

    11 Apr 2016

    An evaluation of Renaissance Learning's AR scheme will explore whether the programme has a positive effect on the reading comprehension of randomly assigned pupils, particularly those who are eligible for free school meals.