Skip to page content

Educational Program Evaluation

Featured

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.
Research Brief

The Promise of Community Schools

Jan 28, 2020

The New York City Community Schools Initiative is based on a holistic strategy of education reform. Academics, health and wellness, youth development, and family engagement are integrated into each school. This approach had positive effects on most of the examined student outcomes.

Explore Educational Program Evaluation

Report

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
Report

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

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.

Oct 20, 2020
Journal Article

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
Report

Report

Estimating the Cost of Quality Early Childhood Care and Education in Oklahoma

Based on data from early childhood care and education (ECCE) providers in Oklahoma and a cost model tailored for the state, researchers estimated the cost of care by child age in center- and home-based settings and identified key ECCE cost drivers.

Oct 6, 2020
Commentary

Why You Should Care About What Curriculum Materials Your Child Is Using

K–12 students getting remote instruction this year may not receive the curriculum they need to master the academic standards they are expected to meet for their grade level. What can parents do to ensure their children are being exposed to standards-aligned, rigorous learning opportunities?

Oct 2, 2020
Tool

Tool

Making Improvements to Stackable Credential Pipelines: A Toolkit on Using Data to Drive Improvement in Ohio Postsecondary Institutions

Stackable credential programs are designed to make it easier for students to earn multiple postsecondary credentials within a field. This toolkit provides steps for identifying issues in and making improvements to stackable credential pipelines.

Sep 23, 2020
Report

Report

Data Use in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Lessons Learned from Quality Start Los Angeles

Through an evaluation of Quality Start Los Angeles, a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) that supports early learning providers, the authors identified lessons learned that could benefit other QRISs as they create or expand data systems.

Sep 9, 2020
Commentary

What Do Teachers Want to See in Automated Writing Evaluation Systems?

Automated writing evaluation systems offer a promising approach to relieving the burden of giving formative feedback to students on their writing. What do teachers want to see in these systems so that the technology can be integrated into their teaching?

Jul 28, 2020
Essay

The COVID Slide: How to Help Students Recover Learning Losses

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?

Jul 9, 2020
Report

Report

Effects of the Executive Development Program and Aligned Coaching for School Principals in Three U.S. States: Investing in Innovation Study Final Report

In this report, part of a series on professional development for school principals, the authors analyze the effects of a professional development program and paired coaching for middle school principals in three states.

Jul 1, 2020
Research Brief

Research Brief

Ensuring That the Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning Toolkit Is Easy to Use and Produces Accurate, Meaningful Results

This research brief summarizes the validity, reliability, and usability of the Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning Toolkit, which was developed to help high schools assess the extent of student-centered learning in their schools.

Jun 8, 2020
Report

Report

Evidence on the Validity, Reliability, and Usability of the Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning (MISCL) Toolkit: Key Takeaways and Lessons on Developing Tools for School Improvement

This report summarizes a study on the validity, reliability, and usability of the Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning Toolkit, which was developed to help high schools measure the extent of student-centered learning in classrooms.

Jun 8, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Nuffield Early Language Intervention: Evaluation Report

An evaluation of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention observed 1,156 students across 193 schools through a randomised control trial. The study found the intervention added three months progress in language skills compared to non-participants.

May 5, 2020
Report

Report

A Team-Based Leadership Intervention in New York City Schools: An Evaluation of the Targeted Intensive School Support Program

This report describes findings from an evaluation of the implementation and effects of the Targeted Intensive School Support program. This program was implemented in New York City Department of Education schools by the NYC Leadership Academy.

Apr 24, 2020
Research Brief

Research Brief

Four Lessons Learned from Implementing a Social and Emotional Learning Program to Enhance School Safety

This brief describes the implementation of Tools for Life®, a social and emotional learning program, in elementary and middle schools in Jackson, Mississippi, and evaluates the program's effects on school climate and safety.

Mar 17, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Implementing an Adaptive Intelligent Tutoring System as an Instructional Supplement

This article studies the implementation of ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) in a blended-learning model. This is the first rigorous experimental evaluation of ALEKS in K–12 in-school settings, and the first to gather extensive implementation data.

Mar 10, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

eRevis(ing): Students' Revision of Text Evidence Use in an Automated Writing Evaluation System

We investigate students' implementation of the feedback messages they received in an automated writing evaluation system (eRevise) that aims to improve students' use of text evidence in their writing.

Feb 26, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Automated Scoring of Students' Use of Text Evidence in Writing

The authors describe an approach to using automated essay-scoring technologies to provide information about students' skills at marshaling text evidence in the upper elementary grades.

Feb 26, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

eRevise: Using Natural Language Processing to Provide Formative Feedback on Text Evidence Usage in Student Writing

This paper presents the design and first classroom evaluation of eRevise, an Automated Writing Evaluation system for improving students' ability to use text evidence - a dimension of writing that is important for college and career readiness.

Feb 26, 2020

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
Educational Program Evaluation

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor