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Choice-Based Education Reform

The goal of the school choice movement is to allow parents to decide which of the increasing options—from traditional public and private schools and charter and magnet schools to vouchers and tax credits—will best meet their children's educational needs. RAND's analyses consider the role of choice-based school reform in shaping education policy.

Journal Article

Social Returns to Private Choice? Effects of Charter Schools on Behavioral Outcomes, Arrests, and Civic Participation

We add to the research on charter school effects by evaluating the impacts of secondary charter school attendance on 9th grade behavioral outcomes and individuals' propensity to commit crime and participate in elections as young adults in North Carolina.

Jun 5, 2020
Report

A Public School Voucher Demonstration: The First Year at Alum Rock

Reports on the first year of a large-scale educational and social intervention that began in the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District, San Jose, California, in 1972.

Sep 19, 2018
Research Brief

How Does Personalized Learning Affect Student Achievement?

Describes the concept and implementation of personalized learning and considers achievement findings in a small sample of schools.

Dec 7, 2017
Periodical

RAND Review: July-August 2017

This issue highlights recent RAND research on the prevalence and burden of chronic health conditions; on the economic benefits of U.S. overseas security commitments; and on what RAND is doing to anticipate emerging global security challenges.

Jul 11, 2017
Report

Personalized Learning: Lessons from Implementation

Personalized learning focuses on meeting students' individual needs while incorporating their interests and preferences. What does this look like in schools that have implemented personalized learning schoolwide?

Jul 11, 2017
Research Brief

Observations and Guidance on Implementing Personalized Learning

Schools implementing personalized learning were pursuing a wide variety of approaches and students closed achievement gaps relative to national norms. Observed challenges to implementation lead to recommendations for implementers.

Jul 11, 2017
Research Brief

Does School Choice Mean Students Attend Better Schools? The Case of Post–Hurricane Katrina New Orleans

Researchers examined school choice outcomes in New Orleans following 2005's Hurricane Katrina, including exit patterns of students across sectors and school types in New Orleans and the destination schools of mobile students.

Jun 22, 2017
Research Brief

Online Schools in Ohio: Examining Enrollment and Success

Who attends e-schools in Ohio? How do they perform compared with students in brick-and-mortar schools? And what do policymakers and educators need to know going forward?

Jun 8, 2017
Journal Article

Student Enrollment Patterns and Achievement in Ohio's Online Charter Schools

We utilize state data of nearly 1.7 million students in Ohio to study a specific sector of online education: K–12 schools that deliver most, if not all, education online, lack a brick-and-mortar presence, and enroll students full-time.

Mar 28, 2017
Commentary

School Choice: How Parents Can Find Out What They Need to Know

To make an informed choice about schools, parents need to know about the quality of instruction, services, and the overall school climate. Schools need a better system of measuring and collecting data on performance, and a way to make it accessible to families.

Feb 21, 2017
Commentary

Making American Education Great Will Require More Than Charter Schools

The nomination of Betsy DeVos for U.S. Secretary of Education has shone a spotlight on charter schools. While charters could become an important part of a great education system, this burst of attention poses a risk that other issues will be ignored.

Dec 13, 2016
Report

Evaluation of the Regional Choice Initiative

This evaluation describes the Regional Choice Initiative (RCI), a large-scale initiative in 17 school districts in Pennsylvania. The RCI sought to expand school choice and offer more-rigorous courses for students in grades 7 to 12.

Jan 8, 2016
Journal Article

School Choice, Student Mobility, and School Quality: Evidence from Post-Katrina New Orleans

This paper analyzes student mobility in post-Katrina New Orleans between and within the various sectors and school types using a multinomial framework.

Nov 24, 2015
Commentary

How School Choice Could Disadvantage Low-Income Students

The flexibility to allow Title I-A funds to follow students across schools has a certain appeal. But it could have negative consequences for some of the poorest students.

Sep 1, 2015
Commentary

Narrowing the Income Achievement Gap

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.

Jun 12, 2014
News Release

Choice of University in England: It's Not Just About the Money

Tuition fee levels are not the only factor that prospective students and their parents consider when choosing universities. They also compare employment prospects, living expenses, university location, and course quality.

Jun 12, 2014
Report

Understanding the Impact of Differential University Fees in England

Despite tuition of up to £9000 per year for higher education institutions in England, applications continue to rise. Aside from tuition fees, employment prospects, living expenses, university location, and course quality are important influences on prospective students' university choices.

Jun 12, 2014
Blog

What Do We Know About Charter Schools? Moving Beyond the Talking Points

Since their inception in 1992, charter schools have been a lightning rod for controversy in the education policy world. Research highlights the importance of moving beyond test scores and broadening the scope of measures that evaluate success in order to fully assess the performance of charter schools.

Apr 4, 2013
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.

Jan 1, 2013
Project

Are Charter Schools a Good Option in the Gulf States?

In an effort to improve public education, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama have each examined the potential of charter schools. For nearly two decades, RAND has conducted objective, evidence-based research on choice-based education reforms to help education policymakers make the right decisions for their communities.

Aug 21, 2012

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RAND Topic:
Choice-Based Education Reform

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor