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Education Reform

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Education reform comprises any planned changes in the way a school or school system functions, from teaching methodologies to administrative processes. RAND evaluates school reform models and conducts case-study analyses of individual schools and school systems to identify areas of improvement and highlight best practices and effective reform efforts.

Report
Florida K–12 Mathematics Teachers' Access to and Use of Student Data
Teachers' use of data could be a valuable tool in helping students recover from the negative effects of the pandemic on mathematics learning. Are Florida math teachers being supported to use student data?
Jul 11, 2023
Tool
The Improving Instructional System Coherence Toolkit
The Coherent Instructional Systems toolkit is intended to help district and school leaders—in teams with teachers and other instructional staff—investigate and reflect upon the extent of coherence within their instructional systems, with the goal of improving coherence.
Mar 30, 2023

Explore Education Reform

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
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
Journal Article
Assessment of Exposure to High-Performing Schools and Risk of Adolescent Substance Use: A Natural Experiment
We analyzed a natural experiment of 1270 students who applied to charter school lotteries in low-income communities in Los Angeles. Results provide evidence that school environments can improve risky behaviors for low-income minority adolescents.
Jul 25, 2023
Journal Article
Teachers and Coaches in Adolescent Social Networks Are Associated With Healthier Self-Concept and Decreased Substance Use
We surveyed 1270 students who applied to high-performing public charter schools in low-income minority communities in Los Angeles. Evidence suggests that school environments can improve risky behaviors for low-income minority adolescents.
Jul 20, 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
Survey: What Purpose Do Suspensions Serve? Principals Don't Seem Quite Sure
Efforts to encourage principals to limit use of excessively punitive disciplinary practices have been underway for more than a decade and yet suspension rates remain high. We sought to learn more about principals' beliefs about school discipline.
Jun 20, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023
Report
Teachers' Perceptions of Coherence in K–12 English Language Arts and Mathematics Instructional Systems
RAND researchers interviewed a sample of members of the American Teacher Panel who responded to the spring 2022 Coherent Instructional Systems Survey to examine how teachers perceive and navigate coherence within their instructional systems.
Apr 25, 2023
Report
Coherence in English Language Arts and Mathematics Instructional Systems Across the United States
Using survey responses from a nationally representative sample of public school kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) English language arts and math teachers, RAND researchers examine teachers' perceptions of instructional system coherence.
Mar 30, 2023
Journal Article
The Louisiana Believe and Prepare Educator Preparation Reform: Findings from the Pilot and Early Implementation Years
Believe and Prepare is a teacher preparation reform implemented by the Louisiana Department of Education in collaboration with school systems and teacher preparation programs across the state.
Mar 8, 2023
Visualization
American School District Panel Interactive Survey Results Tool: Fall 2022 Survey Results
This tool allows users to compare superintendents' responses to the fall 2022 American School District Panel survey. Charts display results for all respondents and by locale, student race and ethnicity, and district poverty level.
Feb 16, 2023
Journal Article
Survey: Understanding How U.S. Public Schools Approach School Discipline
How prevalent do zero-tolerance policies remain today? To find out, researchers surveyed 1,080 public school principals across the U.S.
Feb 8, 2023
Report
Andover's Teaching and Departmental Reviews: Findings and Recommendations
This report offers recommendations for how Phillips Academy Andover, an independent boarding school in Massachusetts, can update its processes for departmental review and teacher review to develop a more coherent instructional system.
Jan 31, 2023
Multimedia
Creating Conditions for Teachers' Use of High-Quality Instructional Materials: A Research, Policy, and Practice Conversation
In this webinar, RAND researchers and state department of education officials in Delaware and Mississippi discuss the work that states and districts are doing to encourage and support the use of high-quality materials.
Aug 4, 2022
Report
The Impact and Implementation of the Chicago Collaborative Teacher Professional Development Program
The authors evaluated the Leading Educators Chicago Collaborative, a teacher professional development program aligned to Common Core State Standards, examining the program's implementation and its impact on student achievement.
Jul 6, 2022
Report
How States Are Creating Conditions for Use of High-Quality Instructional Materials in K–12 Classrooms: Findings from the 2021 American Instructional Resources Survey
In this report, the authors examine adoption and use of instructional materials using survey self-reports from teachers across the United States and from a network of states that is focused on improving use of standards-aligned materials.
Jun 7, 2022
Report
School Staffing Challenges in the Pandemic's Third Year
As of fall 2021, school staff shortages were most acute for substitutes, bus drivers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. The turnover of superintendents was normal but half of them said that they might leave in the next few years or were unsure of how long they would stay.
Feb 15, 2022
Report
Challenges That May Be Getting in the Way of Student Learning
As of November 2021, school district leaders' top three concerns were the mental health of students, teachers, and principals. And 74 percent of them said that political polarization about COVID-19 safety or vaccines was interfering with their ability to educate students.
Feb 7, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Education Reform

Topic Synonyms:
Educational Change

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