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Educational Leadership

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Report

U.S. School Districts Are Expanding Their Services Beyond Academics

Aug 23, 2021

During the pandemic, the percentage of districts offering weekend meals to eligible students nearly tripled. Nine of ten districts offered summer programs. More mental health services and computing devices will be provided to students in 2021–2022. But most academic programs won't change.
Research Brief

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Four-Day School Week

Oct 7, 2021

A four-day school week is becoming more common, especially in states with large rural areas. Champions of the shorter week contend that it saves money, improves student attendance, and helps recruit and retain teachers to rural districts. But what does the evidence say?

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Blog

Four-Day School Weeks, Domestic Terrorism, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the trade-offs of a four-day school week, how to counter domestic violent extremism, racial disparities in who is convicted of more-serious speeding charges, and more.

Oct 8, 2021
Report

Does Four Equal Five? Implementation and Outcomes of the Four-Day School Week

The authors provide information on the implementation and outcomes of the four-day school week using quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources, including surveys of parents and students in 36 districts in three states.

Oct 7, 2021
Tool

School Turnaround Cost Analysis Tool

Some popular approaches to supporting low-performing schools include helping schools collect and use data to guide their planning. This tool helps education leaders assess potential costs of some of the more popular and research-supported approaches.

Sep 9, 2021
Report

The Rise of Virtual Schools

Since the pandemic began, America's school districts have been offering more remote instruction options. This includes a ninefold increase in the number of districts running standalone virtual schools.

Aug 30, 2021
Visualization

Summer 2021 COVID-19 Survey Results: American School District Panel Interactive Survey Results Tool

This tool allows users to compare district leaders' responses to each question in the June 2021 survey. Bar charts display results for all respondents and by district type, locale, student racial and ethnicity composition, and district poverty level.

Aug 16, 2021
Report

The K–12 Pandemic Staffing and Budget Crises Have Not Panned Out—Yet

As the pandemic increased stress on educators, many indicated they planned to leave their jobs by the end of the 2020–2021 school year. Districts have also had budget concerns, knowing federal aid will expire. Neither of these crises has come to pass, but they might yet.

Aug 16, 2021
Report

School Leaders' Role in Selecting Instructional Materials

School leaders' perceptions of instructional materials influence their decisions about how to support teachers' material use. What does the selection process for instructional materials look like? And what role—if any—do school leaders play?

Jul 19, 2021
Research Brief

Supporting Principals to Lead on the Selection and Use of Instructional Materials in Classrooms

This brief discusses findings from several RAND reports on principals' roles with respect to instructional materials. Recommendations describe how stakeholders can prepare and support principals to lead in selecting and using instructional materials.

Jul 19, 2021
Report

Challenges in Implementing Physical Security Measures in K–12 Schools

Creating safe and secure environments is essential to supporting effective teaching and learning in America's classrooms. What are the most common challenges to physical security planning in schools?

Jun 3, 2021
Report

A Systems Approach to Physical Security in K–12 Schools

Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center researchers present a systems approach to school safety in which physical security elements integrate to provide benefits with minimal negative effects on schools' missions, operations, and climates.

Jun 3, 2021
Report

COVID-19 and the State of K–12 Schools: Results and Technical Documentation from the Spring 2021 American Educator Panels COVID-19 Surveys

The authors provide technical information about the sample and survey instrument, along with resultant descriptive data, for the COVID-19 surveys administered to principals and teachers via RAND's American Educator Panels in spring 2021.

May 27, 2021
Report

Has COVID-19 Led to Divergent and Inequitable Pathways in Education?

Remote schooling is associated with fewer instructional opportunities and potentially poorer student outcomes compared with in-person schooling. Nevertheless, many schools will continue to offer a remote option after the pandemic has passed.

May 27, 2021
Research Brief

High-Quality Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten Programs: How Much Do They Cost?

There is strong evidence that children who attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs learn skills that benefit them in school and life. In this brief, RAND researchers estimate the cost of such programs and outline implications.

May 6, 2021
Report

What Is the Cost of High-Quality Publicly Funded Pre-K?

Researchers use cost data collection and cost modeling to estimate the cost of a high-quality publicly funded pre-kindergarten program. They outline the challenges in understanding full program costs and the implications for policymakers.

May 6, 2021
Report

Changing the Subject: K–12 Teachers' Use of and Access to Science-Specific Instructional Materials, Feedback, and Professional Learning

In this Data Note, researchers use the 2020 American Instructional Resources Survey to examine how teachers' science instruction is supported and whether supports differ from those that teachers reported for English language arts and math.

Apr 21, 2021
Report

Getting to Work on Summer Learning: Recommended Practices for Success, 2nd Ed. — Executive Summary

The authors distill lessons about implementing and improving summer learning programs gleaned from a six-year study in the five urban districts participating in the National Summer Learning Project.

Mar 25, 2021
Journal Article

Constraints, Values, and Information: How Leaders in One District Justify Their Positions During Instructional Decision Making

We investigate how leaders support their interpretations of problems and proposed solutions during closed-door negotiations around three policy decisions, and how they invoke race, class, and language in the process.

Mar 2, 2021
Commentary

Choosing Classroom Materials Is Complicated. Here's What Principals and District Leaders Can Do to Support Teachers

What do teachers want when it comes to instructional materials, particularly during the pandemic? Knowing the answer to this question can help district and school leaders select online materials that teachers are more likely to use and guide curriculum developers to create resources with these features in mind.

Feb 12, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Education Administration

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor