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Education Policy

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Education policy includes laws as well as processes and policies that educational organizations, local districts, states, and nations put in place and follow to achieve academic goals. RAND analyses have informed education policy in the United States, United Kingdom, Qatar, and many other countries.

Research Brief
Getting Students to and Through Advanced Math
Students who take precalculus, calculus, and advanced placement math classes get a leg up when it comes to securing college admission and careers in STEM fields. But a large portion of U.S. high school students don't take advanced math. What explains this gap, and what can be done to close it?
Apr 17, 2023
Essay
A Four-Day School Week? Here Are the Costs and Benefits
Hundreds of small school districts across America have cut one day a week from their calendars. A shorter school week helps them compete for teachers and reduce costs. Teachers and parents love it. But is it really in the best interests of students?
Aug 31, 2023

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Commentary
What the REF 2021 Impact Case Studies Can Reveal About UK Research
A new study on the Research Excellence Framework 2021 impact case studies demonstrates the rich and varied impacts of UK research, and the extensive contribution of UK institutions and the academic community both nationally and globally.
Nov 15, 2023
Report
Data enhancement and analysis of the REF 2021 Impact Case Studies
RAND Europe and partners conducted a study to examine the broader societal impacts of research conducted at UK higher education institutions, as represented by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact Case Studies.
Nov 9, 2023
Report
Impacts of research from Scottish universities: Analysis of the REF 2021 Impact Case Studies
RAND Europe and partners conducted a study to examine – for the first time – the broader societal impacts of research conducted at Scottish universities, as represented by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact Case Studies.
Nov 9, 2023
Infographic
The IntegratED Programme: Key findings and lessons learned from a multi-year evaluation
The Porticus IntegratED Programme aimed to reduce preventable exclusion from school and improve the quality of alternative provision. Evaluations by RAND Europe and NFER identify key Programme achievements and lessons for other philanthropic funders.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
Evaluation of the IntegratED Programme: Summary report
The Porticus IntegratED Programme aimed to reduce preventable exclusion from school and improve the quality of alternative provision. Evaluations by RAND Europe and NFER identify key Programme achievements and lessons for other philanthropic funders.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
How Can K–12 Principals Support Student Success and Well-Being? Interviews with Parents to Support Equitable and Culturally Responsive Leadership
This report presents insights from parents about ways principals can support students' academic success and well-being and actions principals can take that align with national standards for equitable and culturally responsive school leadership.
Sep 28, 2023
Report
Building Organizational and Individual Capacities in State and Local Education Agencies: The First Five Years of the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety
The authors explore how the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety designed and implemented its technical assistance supports and how these supports contributed to capacity building among technical assistance recipients.
Sep 27, 2023
Report
State Curriculum Reforms and Their Potential Contribution to Instructional System Coherence: A Case Study of Rhode Island and Tennessee
RAND researchers investigate how English language arts curriculum reforms in Rhode Island and Tennessee might be related to the adoption and use of standards-aligned curriculum materials and teachers’ perceptions of instructional system coherence.
Sep 13, 2023
News Release
U.S. Teachers Are Less Satisfied with Their Pay Than Most Working Adults
Sixty-six percent of U.S. teachers who responded to a new, nationally representative survey said their base salary was inadequate, compared with 39 percent of U.S. working adults. These teachers want a $17,000 increase in base pay, on average, to feel that their pay is adequate.
Sep 12, 2023
Report
All Work and No Pay: Teachers' Perceptions of Their Pay and Hours Worked
Since the pandemic, there have been some positive improvements in teacher well-being. However, teachers in some states are still leaving their jobs at rates higher than before COVID-19 hit. How might salary and work hours affect their decisions to leave?
Sep 12, 2023
Periodical
RAND Review: September-October 2023
Features explore the impact of four-day school weeks; the risk of people in the intelligence community experiencing trauma; and how insomnia affects societal health, well-being, and productivity.
Sep 11, 2023
Blog
The Four-Day School Week, AI and Social Media Manipulation, School Safety: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the costs and benefits of a four-day school week, how artificial intelligence is bringing a new era of social media manipulation, the effects of placing police officers in schools, and more.
Sep 8, 2023
Report
How Are District Leaders Thinking About Mathematics? Selected Findings from the American School District Panel
To determine how school districts were approaching mathematics during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, researchers surveyed and interviewed leaders in the American School District Panel several times between fall 2021 and spring 2023.
Sep 6, 2023
Brochure
The American Educator Panels Pricing Sheet: Taking the Pulse of America's Educators
This pricing guide describes the American Educator Panels and provides costs for the various research options available.
Aug 31, 2023
Commentary
Early Years Education Reform: Could Life Chances for Children in England Be Significantly Improved?
To ensure equal access to high-quality early years provision in England, it is crucial to learn from successful systems worldwide and implement key recommendations. Prioritizing highly qualified staff, maintaining appropriate staff-to-child ratios, and removing barriers for disadvantaged families are essential steps toward achieving this goal.
Jul 18, 2023
Journal Article
The Unintended Consequences of Test-Based Remediation
In this study, we show that test-based remediation programs in middle school could have unintended tracking consequences, especially among Black students.
Jul 13, 2023
Journal Article
Setting a Good Example? Examining Sibling Spillovers in Educational Achievement Using a Regression Discontinuity Design
Using a regression discontinuity design, we identify externalities in human capital production function arising from sibling spillovers.
Jul 13, 2023
Report
Developing Enabling Environments for Women's Access to Education and Vocational Opportunities
The UN Women's Second Chance Education Programme (SCE) in India developed two efforts to support policy changes that improve women's access to education and vocational opportunities. SCE India engaged stakeholders, embedded technical consultants within partner agencies, supported policy enactment by facilitating productive conversations, and promoted structures to institutionalize proposed reforms.
Jun 29, 2023
Journal Article
Survey: Principals Say They Need Better-Trained Teachers and More Resources to Address Student Misbehavior
Educators have long struggled to reduce student misbehavior—a challenge that has become more acute since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight two things principals say they need to reduce misbehavior: better teacher prep and resources.
Jun 20, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

AK Keskin

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

AK Keskin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Community-Partnered Policy and Action stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. His research interests include socioemotional learning, noncognitive skills, experimental/behavioral policy research,…
Troy D. Smith

Associate Economist

Troy Smith is an economist at the RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research is in applied microeconomics focusing on education, entrepreneurship, development, and labor.

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