RAND Research Topic: Educational Equity

The COVID Slide: How to Help Students Recover Learning Losses

2020-07-09T08:00:00Z

Research shows that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for youth. How can we use what we know about summer learning to help kids in the age of COVID-19?

The Digital Divide and COVID-19

2020-09-24T09:00:00Z

Researchers investigate the relationship between teachers' reports of students' internet access and their interaction with students and families during school closures related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Adapting Course Placement Processes in Response to COVID-19 Disruptions

2021-02-16T08:05:00Z

Because of the pandemic, spring 2020 end-of-year assessments were canceled and schools began the 2020-2021 year without assessment data. The authors compare three strategies to estimate missing test scores and help with course placement decisions.

Would Low-Income Students Graduate Faster with a Boost in Financial Aid?

2021-02-04T09:00:00Z

New Jersey's Tuition Aid Grant—the nation's most generous state-funded grant program per state resident college student—increased the rate of on-time bachelor's degree completion at public universities for low-income students who received it.

Cutting the College Price TAG

2021-02-04T09:00:00Z

RAND researchers studied more than 450,000 recipients of New Jersey's Tuition Aid Grant to explore whether larger amounts of grant aid led to higher graduation rates for students at varying income levels and types of institutions.

Inequality in Household Adaptation to Schooling Shocks

2021-02-03T08:45:00Z

Using internet searches, we study real-time demand for online learning resources. Internet searches for online learning resources doubled during the pandemic. Increases were larger in are as with higher income and better internet access. The pandemic will likely widen achievement gaps along these dimensions.

Evaluation of Delaware's Opportunity Funding and Student Success Block Grant Programs

2021-01-21T08:00:00Z

The authors examine the 2019-2020 implementation of two newly expanded Delaware weighted education funding programs, the Opportunity Fund and Student Success Block Grant, and emerging best practices, as reported by local education agency leaders.

Despite Its Challenges, Remote Learning Is Here to Stay

2020-12-15T09:00:00Z

School district leaders are concerned about students' unequal opportunities to learn during the pandemic, students' social and emotional learning needs, and insufficient funding to cover staff. About two in ten still anticipate that a fully remote learning option will become a permanent public school offering.

Exploring Coherence in English Language Arts Instructional Systems in the Common Core Era

2020-11-04T09:00:00Z

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.

COVID-19 and the Digital Divide: Inequities in Online Learning

2020-10-16T10:00:00Z

RAND senior policy researcher Julia Kaufman explains how the digital divide impacted teaching and learning when schools closed last spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools Weren't Prepared for a Crisis Like COVID-19

2020-09-29T08:00:00Z

Before COVID-19, less than half of U.S. public schools had a written plan for dealing with a pandemic. And only 38 states had publicly available school health emergency plans. How did schools' preparation affect their transitions to remote learning and principals' confidence in student achievement?

The Digital Divide and COVID-19

2020-09-24T15:49:00Z

Findings from a survey of U.S. teachers reveal how limited home internet access has been a barrier to providing instruction amid pandemic-related school closures. The problem is particularly acute among high-poverty schools.

How Can State Financial Aid Best Meet the Needs of Low-Income Students?

2020-08-31T10:00:00Z

The author of this brief analyzes the policy design, implementation, and outcomes of the Wisconsin Grant program.

Need-Based Financial Aid in Wisconsin

2020-08-31T09:00:00Z

RAND researchers analyzed the policy design, implementation, and outcomes of the Wisconsin Grant. This grant and other state programs face similar challenges using need-based grant aid to promote college attainment for low-income residents.

RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy

2020-08-25T14:00:00Z

RAND has launched a new research center dedicated to racial equity. The center supports a portfolio of innovative, high-impact racial equity research and analysis, creates a clearinghouse to help coordinate related efforts, and collaborates with organizations dedicated to advancing racial equity.

RAND 20/20: Teaching and Learning During a Pandemic

2020-08-20T12:20:00Z

In this remote video conversation, RAND's Laura Hamilton discusses how teachers, school leaders, and parents are navigating the challenges of educating during a pandemic. Brandon Baker hosts.

Local Government Reform and the Socioeconomic Gap in Israel

2020-07-02T09:00:00Z

This report describes the problems and the potential for revitalization in Israeli municipalities instead of the centers of national government in Jerusalem, with a focus on strengthening education services and local governments.

Strengthening the Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care Through Inclusion

2020-06-16T14:30:00Z

Ensuring effective access to quality early childhood education and care for all remains a challenge in Europe, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This policy memo helps decision makers better understand this challenge and suggests some possible solutions.

How Schools Can Support Students During COVID-19

2020-06-10T10:00:00Z

Melanie Zaber, associate economist with the RAND Corporation, offers insights into how education leaders and policymakers can support students during COVID-19.

A Statement by Michael D. Rich

2020-06-03T16:00:00Z

Everyone must do more to eliminate racial inequities. At RAND, we will contribute by continuously strengthening our research and analysis on health, education, justice, security, and well-being. We must examine where these areas intersect, listen more to voices that are too often underrepresented, and integrate the historical and structural contexts in which policies have been developed and applied.