Jonathan Schweig

Behavioral/Social Scientist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in education, University of California, Los Angeles; M.S. in statistics, University of California, Los Angeles; M.A. in curriculum and teacher education, Stanford University

One Page Bio

Overview

Jonathan Schweig (he/him) is a social scientist at the RAND Corporation and professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research interests are at the intersection of quantitative methodology and education policy, specifically on the measurement of instructional practice, school and classroom climate, and the development and implementation of teacher evaluation policies.

Schweig earned an M.A. in curriculum and teacher education from Stanford University, an M.S. in statistics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in education from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Research Focus

Commentary

Educational Program Evaluation

Building an Evidence Base for High School Improvement Will Require Concerted Effort Among Policymakers, School Systems, Researchers, and Funders
The ultimate goal of every education intervention is to help enable students to achieve their fullest potential. Relatively few interventions suited for high schools are supported by evidence of positive effects. Research that is able to provide sound evidence about effectiveness is more important than ever.
May 12, 2021
The RAND Blog
Students

Unpacking COVID-19's Long-Term Effects on Students
The pandemic has created an unprecedented set of obstacles for schools and exacerbated existing structural inequalities in public education. It may take years to understand how COVID-19 affected student learning and social and emotional development and to identify any lasting effects on low-income communities and communities of color.
Dec 29, 2020
The RAND Blog
Standards-Based Education Reform

The Opt-Out Reckoning
Criticism of standardized testing is nearly as old as the testing itself. Will the opt-out movement promote meaningful and enduring changes in the educational system, and will these changes benefit the most at-risk and disadvantaged students?
May 10, 2016
U.S. News & World Report

Publications

Research Brief
Getting Students to and Through Advanced Math: Which Students Have Access and How State and District Leaders Can Help Address Challenges
This research brief summarizes how students’ opportunities to prepare for and take advanced math courses in the United States differ by school context
Apr 17, 2023
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
Report
Getting Students to (and Through) Advanced Math: Where Course Offerings and Content Are Not Adding Up
High schoolers who take advanced math have advantages in college admissions and in securing STEM careers. This report examines how students' opportunities to prepare for and take advanced math courses in the United States differ by school context.
Mar 21, 2023
Report
Redesigning University Principal Preparation Programs: A Systemic Approach for Change and Sustainability — Full Report (Volume 3, Part 1)
University-based principal preparation programs prepare the majority of U.S. school principals. This report described the methodology of and findings from a five-year study of an initiative designed to support improvements to such programs.
May 26, 2022
Report
Redesigning University Principal Preparation Programs: A Systemic Approach for Change and Sustainability — Report in Brief (Volume 3, Part 2)
University-based principal preparation programs prepare the majority of our country's school principals. This report shares findings from a five-year study of an initiative designed to support improvements to such programs.
May 26, 2022
Report
One Year into the Pandemic, What Secondary Math Teachers Said About Challenges to Standards-Aligned Instruction and Skipping Content
The authors use 2020 and 2021 Learn Together Survey data to examine challenges to standards-aligned instruction during COVID-19 reported by secondary math teachers and how frequently and why these teachers skipped standards-aligned math content.
May 11, 2022
Report
Learning Creates Australia: Evaluation of the Learner's Journey Social Lab
In this report, the authors evaluate 'The Learner's Journey', a social lab designed by Learning Creates Australia to explore ways to assess and accredit learning that better reflect the diverse knowledge sets, skills and dispositions of students.
Mar 30, 2022
Report
Changes in School Composition During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for School-Average Interim Test Score Use
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has exacerbated concerns about using school-aggregate test scores to monitor school performance. In this report, researchers investigate how changes to school composition may contaminate aggregate scores.
Jan 19, 2022
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
Developing School Leaders: Findings From a Randomized Control Trial Study of the Executive Development Program and Paired Coaching
This article presents the results of two randomized control trials evaluating the impacts of the National Center on Education and the Economy's Executive Development Program and coaching on schoolwide practices and performance.
2021
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
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
Evaluation of Families Forward Learning Center: Participant Perspectives and Student Outcomes
In this report, the authors examine how participants in the Families Forward Learning Center (FFLC)'s two-generation learning program perceive its benefits and compare FFLC children's educational outcomes through third grade with their peers'.
Aug 3, 2020
Research Brief
A Two-Generation Learning Program Educates and Empowers Parents and Children: An Assessment of Families Forward Learning Center in Pasadena, California
This brief summarizes how participants in the Families Forward Learning Center (FFLC)'s two-generation learning program perceive its benefits, and also compares FFLC children's educational outcomes through third grade with their peers' results.
Aug 3, 2020
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
Journal Article
Switching Cluster Membership in Cluster Randomized Control Trials: Implications for Design and Analysis
With a focus on cluster switching that violates treatment assignment, the goal of this article is to explore the challenges posed for the analysis of clustered RCTs and to propose a potential solution to these challenges.
Jun 16, 2020
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
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
Day by Day: Investigating Variation in Elementary Mathematics Instruction That Supports the Common Core
This article investigates the extent to which students were being engaged in complex practices exemplified by Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the Standards for Mathematical Practice on a daily basis, according to teachers' reports.
May 15, 2020
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
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
Report
Social and Emotional Learning, School Climate, and School Safety: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of Tools for Life® in Elementary and Middle Schools
This report 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.
Jan 9, 2020
Report
School and Classroom Climate Measures: Considerations for Use by State and Local Education Leaders
This report provides broad guidance regarding assessment of school and classroom climate. It also features a list of resources and databases that focus explicitly on climate measures.
Dec 11, 2019
Report
Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: Understanding Common, Uncommon, and Combined Methods
The author describes the three most-common methods for measuring teacher effectiveness in the United States and discusses the importance of carefully considering the ways that measures are combined to create an overall index.
Dec 4, 2019
Report
Stakeholder Feedback Surveys as Indicators of Teaching Effectiveness
According to the author, stakeholder surveys address a broad range of topics related to school and classroom climate. Some types of surveys can be used for teacher-level feedback.
Dec 4, 2019
Journal Article
The Consistency of Composite Ratings of Teacher Effectiveness: Evidence From New Mexico
We estimate the consistency of composite ratings of teacher quality from New Mexico's teacher evaluation system from 2015 to 2016.
2019
Journal Article
Choosing and Using SEL Competency Assessments: What Schools and Districts Need to Know
This document was developed by the Assessment Work Group (AWG) and researchers from the RAND Corporation's Assessment Finder project to provide guidance on how to choose and use social and emotional learning (SEL) competency assessments.
Dec 4, 2018
Research Brief
Considerations for Implementing the TNTP Core Rubric
RAND researchers assessed whether the TNTP Core Teaching Rubric produces scores that are representative of teachers' overall instructional practices and whether raters' content expertise influences scores on TNTP Core.
Nov 7, 2018
Report
Validation Study of the TNTP Core Teaching Rubric
RAND researchers assess whether the TNTP Core Teaching Rubric produces scores that are representative of teachers' overall instructional practices and whether raters' content expertise influences scores on TNTP Core.
Nov 7, 2018
Report
Building a Repository of Assessments of Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Higher-Order Cognitive Competencies
This report describes the development of an online repository of more than 200 assessments of K--12 students' interpersonal, intrapersonal, and higher-order cognitive competencies, including associated descriptive and evaluative information.
Nov 1, 2018
Tool
RAND Education Assessment Finder
This tool is an online database with information on assessments of K-12 students' interpersonal, intrapersonal, and higher-order cognitive competencies, including associated descriptive and evaluative information.
Nov 1, 2018
Report
Results from the Teach For America 2017 National Principal Survey: School Leader Perspectives on Induction, Support, and School Partnerships
Teach For America (TFA) trains recent college graduates and professionals to teach for a two-year commitment in high-needs schools across the United States. This report describes the findings from TFA's 2017 National Principal Survey.
Jan 17, 2018
Research Brief
Teach For America Passes the Test with Most Participants in Principal Survey
More than 85 percent of principals surveyed were satisfied with their schools' Teach for America (TFA) corps members. Principals who were TFA alumni or who led charter schools were less satisfied with corps members' abilities than other principals.
Jan 17, 2018
Report
Geographic and Demographic Representativeness of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
This report examines the representativeness of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program at the school level with respect to geography and demographics and determines how federal laws and policies affect JROTC units.
Aug 10, 2017
Report
Evaluation of the SB 1041 Reforms to California's CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work Program: Findings Regarding the Initial Policy Implementation and Outcomes
This report provides initial findings from the evaluation of the Senate Bill 1041 reforms to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program, with a focus on the implementation of the policy changes and participant outcomes.
Nov 2, 2016
Research Brief
Kids Who Attend More Benefit More: Voluntary Summer Learning Programs
This brief summarizes the outcomes of two summers of voluntary academic programming (2013 and 2014) on 3,192 low-income urban students accepted into the programs who had completed third grade before the first summer.
Sep 7, 2016
Infographic
Learning from Summer: Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Urban Youth
This infographic summarizes several student outcomes from an assessment of five voluntary, district-led summer learning programs offered at no cost to low-income, urban elementary students.
Sep 7, 2016
Report
Learning from Summer: Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Urban Youth
RAND researchers assess voluntary, district-led summer learning programs for low-income, urban elementary students. This third report in a series examines student outcomes after one and two summers of programming.
Sep 7, 2016
Report
Mathematics Audit of the DoDEA Schools: 2014–2015
This report is an audit of the then-current Department of Defense Education Activity mathematics program, built around standards established in 2009, to help prepare for a transition to Common Core State Standards, which began in 2014--2015.
Aug 10, 2016
Journal Article
Intention-to-treat Analysis in Partially Nested Randomized Controlled Trials with Real-World Complexity
Randomized Control Trials have become the 'gold standard' of education research and an integral part of the 'what works' agenda.
Jun 10, 2016
Research Brief
New Haven Promise: An Early Look at College Preparation, Access, and Enrollment of New Haven Public School Students (2010–2013)
This brief highlights findings of a study of early progress of New Haven Promise, a place-based scholarship program focusing on college preparation, access, and enrollment.
Nov 21, 2014
Research Brief
Transforming an Urban Public School District: Tracking the Progress of the New Haven Public Schools' Educational Reforms and the New Haven Promise Scholarship Program
This brief summarizes a study of baseline conditions and early progress of two educational efforts in Connecticut: New Haven School Change, a sweeping K-12 educational reform, and New Haven Promise, a scholarship program.
Nov 21, 2014
Report
Transforming an Urban School System: Progress of New Haven School Change and New Haven Promise Education Reforms (2010–2013) — Technical Appendixes
This volume contains supporting appendixes for a study of baseline conditions and early progress of two educational efforts in Connecticut: New Haven School Change, a districtwide K-12 educational reform, and New Haven Promise, a scholarship program.
Nov 20, 2014