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Education Curriculum

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The set of courses that a school, university, or other educational institution offers—and, at times, requires for graduation—constitutes its curriculum; these courses may be determined at the school or district level, but more frequently they are influenced by educational legislation and policy. RAND has investigated and advised policymakers on curriculum development in schools worldwide, including helping to redesign the entire curriculum for Qatar's K-12 schools and universities.

Report
Teachers' Use of New Instructional Materials
Introducing new instructional materials costs teachers time, effort, and sometimes their own money. About half of English language arts and mathematics teachers used at least one new material a week over the past three years. How can districts support them in selecting and using materials effectively?
Nov 15, 2022
Essay
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.
Sep 6, 2022

Explore Education Curriculum

Article
Want to Rebuild Public Trust? Focus on Civic Education
Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts in American public life—has led to political paralysis, the erosion of civil discourse, and widespread uncertainty. Investing in civic education could help turn the tide.
Dec 8, 2020
News Release
Most U.S. Social Studies Teachers Feel Unprepared to Teach Civic Learning, a Gap That Could Contribute to Truth Decay
Only one in five social studies teachers in U.S. public schools report feeling very well prepared to support students' civic learning, saying they need additional aid with instructional materials, professional development, and training.
Dec 8, 2020
Report
Preparing Children for Civic Life in the Era of Truth Decay
To restore the role of facts in public life, it's important for America's youth to develop strong civic skills. Students can build these skills in the classroom, but teachers need better resources and more support to help them do it.
Dec 8, 2020
Report
Exploring Coherence in English Language Arts Instructional Systems in the Common Core Era
Coherence among instructional components is key to changing teachers' practices in standards-based reforms. This report uses survey data to explore the coherence of school-level instructional systems in Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Nov 4, 2020
Essay
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.
Oct 29, 2020
Report
How to Support Social and Emotional Learning in School and Out of School
Do children benefit when schools and out-of-school time programs partner to improve and align social and emotional learning (SEL)? Lessons from six communities that made such efforts can help school districts and out-of-school time providers implement their own SEL programs.
Oct 20, 2020
Report
Early Lessons from Schools and Out-of-School Time Programs Implementing Social and Emotional Learning: Executive Summary
In this summary, RAND researchers describe the Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative, as well as findings and early lessons from the first two years of implementation in the six participating communities.
Oct 20, 2020
Blog
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.
Oct 9, 2020
Commentary
Why You Should Care About What Curriculum Materials Your Child Is Using
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?
Oct 2, 2020
Report
American Instructional Resources Surveys: 2020 Technical Documentation and Survey Results
This technical report provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the American Instructional Resources Surveys administered to principals and teachers in spring 2020 via RAND's American Educator Panels.
Sep 24, 2020
Report
How Instructional Materials Are Used and Supported in U.S. K–12 Classrooms: Findings from the 2019 American Instructional Resources Survey
New results from the RAND American Instructional Resources Survey, which was fielded to a national sample of public teachers and school leaders in spring 2019, shed light on how teachers use instructional materials in their classroom.
Aug 31, 2020
Report
Parents Need Help During School and Child Care Center Closures
The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for parents since schools and child care centers closed or switched to distance learning in the spring. Parents with children in different age groups and those under financial stress need the most support.
Jul 27, 2020
Report
Career Guidance in Schools: Research with schools and providers of career guidance services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
This report examines the provision of career guidance in schools and colleges in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region.
Jul 21, 2020
Report
How Teachers Use Civics Instructional Materials
Teachers' instructional materials provide a window into civic education in schools. Where are public-school social studies teachers getting most of their instructional materials? And how are they using these materials to teach civics?
Jul 13, 2020
Tool
Gun Policy Research for High School Students
When RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative released its first set of research tools in 2018, high school teachers reported that their students were keenly interested. This new unit plan, recommended for grades 10 to 12, is designed to help educators and students understand gun policy research.
Jun 11, 2020
Commentary
Now That Digital Materials 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.
May 4, 2020
Report
What Digital Materials Do Teachers Use?
Digital materials for lesson planning and instruction are becoming an increasingly important resource for teachers. A survey of English language arts, mathematics, and science teachers across the United States provides insights on which materials they use and what they consider barriers to use.
Apr 16, 2020
Report
Teachers Need Access to High-Quality Materials
When asked about their instructional materials, U.S. mathematics teachers were more likely to report regular use of at least one high-quality material compared to English-language arts teachers, although high school teachers did so less than their elementary or middle school counterparts. More open-access online materials could help.
Apr 15, 2020
Blog
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.
Apr 10, 2020
Q&A
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.
Apr 2, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Education Curriculum

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Elaine Lin Wang

Policy Researcher

Elaine Lin Wang (she/her) is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her primary research interest concerns K–12 instruction, especially with a focus on literacy/English language arts (ELA). She is currently the PI of a multi-million dollar, five-year Institute of Education Sciences…
Claudia Elizabeth Rodriguez-Solorio

Assistant Policy Researcher and Ph.D. Fellow, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Claudia Rodriguez is an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her interests include education policy, underrepresented minorities in higher education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education,…

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