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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.

Essay

Investing in Principals Helps Students Succeed

Jul 5, 2019

Hiring good principals is one of the most important things a district can do for its students, second only to hiring good teachers. Students whose schools participated in a principal pipeline initiative outperformed their peers by six percentage points on reading tests and nearly three points in math.
Research Brief

Restorative Practices Help Reduce Student Suspensions

Dec 27, 2018

Restorative practices—inclusive and non-punitive ways to respond to conflict and build community—have been successful in reducing student suspensions in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district.

Explore Educational Program Evaluation

Commentary

North Carolina Program Helps Former Prisoners Make It on the Outside

To avoid the all-too-common fate of ending up back in prison, incarcerated adults need skills and credentials they typically don't have. Helping them overcome the challenges of reentry is a net gain for them and for the communities to which they return.

Jul 11, 2019
Commentary

Research Rigor Is Undermined by Translating Into Years of Learning

The research field increasingly recognizes that we need metrics that everyone can understand. Translating the result into years of learning has become a popular approach, but this metric has major flaws. There are better options.

Jul 5, 2019
Multimedia

Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way to Improve Schools

A recent RAND report found that implementing “principal pipelines”—a strategic approach to the hiring, preparation, evaluation, and support of school leaders—can improve schools. In this congressional briefing, Susan Gates discusses the feasibility, effectiveness, and affordability of principal pipelines.

Jun 17, 2019
Report

Report

Raising the Bar for K–12 Academics: Early Signals on How Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies Are Working for Schools, Teachers, and Students

This report, part of a four-part series on the implementation and outcomes of Louisiana's education initiatives, focuses on Louisiana's strategies to support and improve K-12 academics.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

The "Raising the Bar" Series on Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies to Support Students from Birth Through High School: Technical Appendix — Data Sources and Methods

This technical appendix describes the data sources, samples, and analytic methods used in a series of reports examining implementation and outcomes associated with Louisiana's education policy actions.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Raising the Bar for Early Childhood Education: Early Signals on How Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies Are Working for Early Childhood Providers and Community Networks

This report, part of a four-part series on the implementation and outcomes of Louisiana's education initiatives, focuses on the state's efforts to support and improve early childhood education.

Jun 11, 2019
Research Brief

What Other States Can Learn from Louisiana's School Reform

Louisiana's education policy changes aim to improve outcomes for public school students statewide. How well are these reforms working? Analyses of the state's early efforts to reshape its education system point to several early successes, remaining challenges, and key lessons.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Raising the Bar for Teacher Preparation: Early Signals on How Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies Are Working Across the State

This report, part of a four-part series on the implementation and outcomes of Louisiana's education initiatives, focuses on the state's strategies for K-12 teacher preparation.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Raising the Bar for Graduation Pathways to College and Work: Early Signals on How Louisiana's Education Policy Strategies Are Affecting College and Career Readiness

This report, part of a four-part series on implementation and outcomes of Louisiana's education initiatives, focuses on Louisiana's high school graduation pathways, which aim to improve college readiness, career readiness, and financial aid access.

Jun 11, 2019
Report

Report

Investing in Successful Summer Programs: A Review of Evidence Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

This report, which provides a systematic review of the evidence supporting summer programs and descriptions of evidence-based programs, is intended to provide guidance regarding the effectiveness of summer interventions.

Jun 5, 2019
Tool

Tools for Improving Corequisite Models: A Guide for College Practitioners

This toolkit acts as a guide to improvement strategies for teams of practitioners at colleges, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to carry out rapid cycles of data-driven improvement to address issues they face on the ground.

May 28, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Translating Standardized Effects of Education Programs Into More Interpretable Metrics

Compares four ways to translate standardized effect sizes into metrics that may be easier for educators and policymakers to interpret. Concludes that translating to years of learning is a poor choice; translating to percentile gains is recommended.

May 23, 2019
Commentary

What Two New Studies Reveal About Restorative Justice in Middle School

There are many nuances to the implementation and impact of restorative practices. This suggests that continued experimentation could allow school districts to realize the benefits of instituting these practices and reduce the cost of doing so.

Apr 17, 2019
News Release

News Release

Principal Pipelines Benefit Students, Reduce Principal Turnover

Districts can improve schools—including boosting student achievement in reading and math—by better preparing, selecting, evaluating, and supporting principals.

Apr 8, 2019
Report

Principal Pipelines Benefit Students and Reduce Principal Turnover

Six urban districts implemented principal pipelines, a strategic approach to the hiring, preparation, evaluation, and support of school leaders. The efforts were feasible, affordable, and effective. The schools not only outperformed comparison schools in both math and reading, but they also improved principal retention.

Apr 7, 2019
Commentary

How Do You Measure Social and Emotional Learning?

As the desire to improve SEL for all students grows, it is increasingly important to measure its effectiveness. But the field has lacked an organized method of identifying, choosing, and using the best assessments to measure students' competencies. Two newly developed tools can help.

Mar 28, 2019
Report

Report

Preparing New York City High School Students for the Workforce: Evaluation of the Scholars at Work Program

This report evaluates the Scholars at Work program, which connects students in Career and Technical Education courses at New York City high schools with local employers to improve the career chances of the students and meet the needs of employers.

Mar 28, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Use of Responsive Circles in Schools: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of the study was to examine how educators use responsive circles. We aimed to fill a gap in the literature by offering details about their implementation based on enacted responsive circles in a large urban school setting.

Feb 8, 2019
Commentary

Choosing the Right Social and Emotional Learning Programs and Practices

Educators have become increasingly interested in supporting students to cultivate the inter- and intra-personal skills that are developed through the process of social and emotional learning. A new guide developed at RAND is meant to help educators adopt evidenced-based interventions that fit the needs of their students and communities.

Feb 5, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Educational Program Evaluation

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor