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Educational Program Evaluation

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RAND rigorously evaluates all kinds of educational programs by performing cost-benefit analyses, measuring effects on student learning, and providing recommendations to help improve program design and implementation. Our portfolio of educational program evaluations includes studies of early childhood education, summer and after-school programs, educator pay-for-performance, programs intended to reduce educational disparities, and choice- and standards-based reforms.

Report

Taking Stock of Principal Pipelines

Jun 23, 2020

To what extent do U.S. school districts view school principals as a key lever for school improvement? Superintendents and senior officials from a national sample of school districts shared their views on principal pipelines and the priority their districts place on them.
Report

How to Support Social and Emotional Learning in School and Out of School

Oct 20, 2020

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.

Explore Educational Program Evaluation

Journal Article

Heterogeneity in the Effects of College Course Placement

To better understand which types of students might be most likely to benefit from being placed into college-level math coursework, this study examines heterogeneity in the causal effects of placement into college-level courses using administrative data from Texas.

Apr 6, 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

Sexuality Education Across the European Union: An Overview

This policy memo examines how sexuality education is delivered by schools across the EU Member States. Drawing on existing data sources, the memo highlights trends and differences and considers the need for further data mapping.

Feb 23, 2021
Report

Adapting Course Placement Processes in Response to COVID-19 Disruptions: Guidance for Schools and Districts

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.

Feb 16, 2021
Journal Article

Independent Analysis of the Relationship Between Sparx Maths and Maths Outcomes: Key Findings and Technical Report

This research project is an independent evaluation of Sparx Maths and EdTech programme, aiming to improve mathematics outcomes for secondary school pupils.

Feb 16, 2021
Report

The Quality Start Los Angeles Developmental Evaluation: Research Findings and Lessons Learned

RAND researchers conducted a developmental evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles, the voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early learning providers in Los Angeles County.

Feb 1, 2021
Report

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

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.

Jan 21, 2021
Report

Georgia II STEM Higher Education Interim Evaluation Report

The authors evaluate the implementation of a San Diego State University partnership with three universities in the country of Georgia, part of a U.S.-Georgia collaboration to improve university education in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Jan 5, 2021
Journal Article

Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus: Cost Study Final Report

This report includes estimates of the Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus expenditures in the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 school years as part of a larger evaluation of VPI+ that also examined the impacts of VPI+ on children's kindergarten entry outcomes.

Dec 22, 2020
Research Brief

Designing and Sustaining Innovative High Schools: Successes, Challenges, and Student Outcomes

In a five-year study, high schools adopted a set of design principles intended to prepare students for college and careers.

Dec 17, 2020
Report

Every Summer Counts: A Longitudinal Analysis of Outcomes from the National Summer Learning Project

This seventh report in a series presents longitudinal findings on the effectiveness of voluntary summer learning programs in five school districts. The authors also offer implications for policy on narrowing the achievement gap between students.

Dec 17, 2020
Report

Building and Sustaining Innovative High Schools: Findings from the Opportunity by Design Study

The Opportunity by Design initiative gave support to small schools of choice to adopt a set of design principles intended to prepare students for college and careers. This final report describes the methods and findings of the five-year study.

Dec 17, 2020
Report

Establishing A Research-Practice Partnership To Improve Early Care and Education Supports Within Quality Start Los Angeles: Partnership Insights and Lessons Learned

This report describes a developmental evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles, a quality rating and improvement system, and provides recommendations for research-practice partnerships looking to achieve evidence-based decisionmaking.

Dec 17, 2020
Report

Benchmarks for Success: Expected Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Participants

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is a residential intervention program to help teens who have dropped out of high school. Sites can compare the outcomes of their cadets with this set of population benchmarks derived from public datasets.

Dec 10, 2020
Journal Article

Command College: Foresight as a Foundation to Police Executive Development

This paper aims to answer the question, "Does the Command College achieve its intended goals?"

Dec 4, 2020
Journal Article

Examining Design and Statistical Power for Planning Cluster Randomized Trials Aimed at Improving Student Science Achievement and Science Teacher Outcomes

In this study, we consider strategies to maximize the efficiency of the study design when both student and teacher effects are of primary interest.

Nov 25, 2020
Report

Using State-Level Policy Levers to Promote Principal Quality: Lessons from Seven States Partnering with Principal Preparation Programs and Districts

The authors examine how seven states are using state-level policy levers to improve the quality of school principals.

Nov 17, 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
Journal Article

Georgia II STEM Higher Education Evaluation Design Report (Revised)

U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation is funding a higher education partnership in the country of Georgia. This report delineates the evaluation design and approach that will be used for evaluating the successes and challenges of this effort.

Oct 19, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Educational Program Evaluation

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor