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Elementary Education

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Elementary education comprises the period from when a student enters school, generally around the age of 5 or 6, until the student moves on to middle or secondary school, around the age of 12 or 13. RAND research in the area includes school reform, the role and effectiveness of teachers and school administration, and the increasing use of private-sector school management.

Research Brief
Benefits and Drawbacks of the Four-Day School Week
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?
Oct 7, 2021
Research Brief
Surges in Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children Prompt Need for Better K–12 Policies
Growing numbers of children from Central America and Mexico are arriving in the United States. As of March 2020, 321,000 undocumented and asylum-seeking children were enrolled in public schools. How are the schools managing, and what could be done to help them better prepare to assist these students?
Sep 30, 2021

Explore Elementary Education

Report
Coherence in English Language Arts and Mathematics Instructional Systems Across the United States
Using survey responses from a nationally representative sample of public school kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) English language arts and math teachers, RAND researchers examine teachers' perceptions of instructional system coherence.
Mar 30, 2023
Tool
The Improving Instructional System Coherence Toolkit: A Resource for K–12 Districts and Schools
This toolkit, along with an accompanying workbook and slide deck, is intended to help district and school leaders investigate and reflect on the extent to which coherence is present in their instructional systems.
Mar 30, 2023
Commentary
Can Grade Retention Help with COVID-19 Learning Recovery in Schools?
Early grade retention is getting more attention as a potential way to make up for missed learning during the pandemic. But retaining kids without providing the necessary supports or failing to identify the right kids using objective criteria will likely yield ineffective results or even lead to adverse effects.
Mar 28, 2023
Blog
U.S. Cooperation with China and Russia, Artificial Intelligence, War in Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on U.S. security cooperation with China and Russia, artificial intelligence, consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine, and more.
Mar 10, 2023
News Release
Teacher Supports, Guidance for Elementary Social Studies Education Vary Widely Across United States
The basic infrastructure to support elementary (grades K–5) social studies instruction—academic standards, accountability requirements, assessment programs—is inadequate in many states. Even where state-level infrastructure to guide teachers' instruction is in place, its comprehensiveness and quality vary greatly.
Mar 7, 2023
Report
Support for Elementary Social Studies Education Varies Widely Across States
Over the past few decades, U.S. schools have increasingly sidelined students' civic development as one of their priorities. The infrastructure to support grades K–5 social studies instruction—academic standards, accountability requirements, assessment programs—is often missing or inadequate.
Mar 7, 2023
Report
Skills for Success: Developing Social and Emotional Competencies in Out-of-School-Time Programs
Out-of-school-time programs have long focused on children's social and emotional development as part of their mission of building a culture of connectedness and positive relationships between youth and adults. How do these programs incorporate social and emotional learning?
Feb 27, 2023
Report
Learn Together Surveys: 2022 Technical Documentation and Survey Results
This report provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the 2022 Learn Together Surveys that were administered to K-12 principals and teachers in March 2022 via the RAND Corporation's American Educator Panels.
Nov 3, 2022
Report
How Do Teachers Approach Civic and Citizenship Education?
Survey results suggest that, in U.S. public schools, civic and citizenship education is often siloed into specific subject areas, such as social science. Only a quarter of educators said that these topics are integrated into all subjects or are part of the whole school experience.
Sep 29, 2022
Report
Building an Effective Social and Emotional Learning Committee in Dallas: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 3)
This case study explores how Dallas's Webster Elementary School and its out-of-school-time program, Thriving Minds After School, formed a social and emotional learning committee that became more effective over time, focusing on daily activities.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Engaging Teachers, Staff, and Parents in Social and Emotional Learning in Palm Beach County: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 5)
This case study explores how Palm Beach County's Diamond View Elementary School and its out-of-school-time program increased adult awareness of social and emotional learning practices to promote positive interactions with children throughout the day.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Expanding Social and Emotional Learning Beyond the School Walls in Boston: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 2)
This case study explores how the Russell Elementary School and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester partnered in Boston to provide social and emotional learning enrichment off campus as part of the school day.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Jointly Prioritizing Time for Social and Emotional Learning In Denver: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 4)
This case study explores how Denver's Cowell Elementary School and its out-of-school-time partner, Discovery Link, worked together to find time for social and emotional learning (SEL) and to provide consistent SEL instruction during and after school.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Learning to Focus on Adult Social and Emotional Learning First in Tulsa: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 7)
This case study explores how Whitman Elementary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and its out-of-school-time program partner, Youth at Heart, learned to first invest in adults so that they are equipped to support students' social and emotional learning.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Prioritizing Racial Equity Within Social and Emotional Learning in Tacoma: One of Six Case Studies of Schools and Out-of-School-Time Program Partners (Volume 2, Part 6)
This case study explores how Lister Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington, established social and emotional learning and equity as a nonnegotiable foundation for its work with students, staff, and families.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Strengthening Students' Social and Emotional Skills
Children benefit when schools and out-of-school-time programs partner to improve social and emotional learning (SEL). Case studies from six communities illustrate approaches to implementing SEL. Shared themes include committed leaders and focusing on adult SEL before children's.
Sep 15, 2022
Report
Educating Newcomers: A Research-Practice Conversation
RAND researchers highlight findings from a recent study that estimates the number of children and youth from Central America and Mexico crossing the Southwest border of the United States from 2017 to 2019, as well as findings on policies and practice from two case study school districts in Louisiana and California.
Aug 4, 2022
Journal Article
Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM): Evaluation Report
The Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) is a whole school accreditation programme aimed at improving science teaching and learning.
Jul 13, 2022
Research Brief
Contributions to Research on Automated Writing Scoring and Feedback Systems
This brief summarizes research by experts at the RAND Corporation and the University of Pittsburgh to advance automated writing scoring and feedback systems for elementary school student writers.
Jun 22, 2022
Multimedia
A Snapshot of Anti-Bias Education in U.S. K–12 Schools
In this webinar, RAND researchers share data from a national teacher survey administered in spring 2021 concerning the extent to which public school teachers report addressing anti-bias education in their K-12 classrooms. Discussants from organizations that support high-quality teaching and learning reflect on the findings and their implications for helping all students in public schools succeed.
Apr 18, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Elementary Education

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Elaine Lin Wang

Policy Researcher

Elaine Lin Wang (she/her) is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her primary research interest concerns K–12 instruction, especially with a focus on literacy/English language arts (ELA). She is currently the PI of a multi-million dollar, five-year Institute of Education Sciences…
Catherine H. Augustine

Director, Pittsburgh Office

Catherine Augustine is director of the RAND Pittsburgh Office and a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, with more than 20 years of experience conducting education research. She is also a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Augustine focuses on improving…

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