January 9, 2020

RAND to Launch National School District Survey Panel for Better Understanding of District Policy and Practice

The RAND Corporation is launching a first-of-its-kind national survey panel of school districts and charter management organizations. RAND will collaborate with three groups—the Center on Reinventing Public Education, Chiefs for Change and Kitamba—to develop and deploy the American School District Panel (ASDP). It will be the first nationally representative, longitudinal panel of school districts across the United States.

The ASDP will provide opportunities for district and charter management organization leaders and staff to inform policy and practice. They will participate in surveys and qualitative studies addressing timely education policy topics such as instruction, procurement, professional development supports, and services for students with disabilities. The effort is being funded by a $4.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The new panel builds on RAND and partner expertise in education policy and on RAND's experience with the American Educator Panels surveys of teachers and school principals,” said Laura S. Hamilton, co-director of the American Educator Panels and distinguished chair in learning and assessment at nonpartisan, nonprofit RAND. “We have also created an advisory board consisting of district and charter management organization leaders, as well as leaders of other organizations, to guide the work. We're excited about the opportunity to develop a mechanism for district leaders to share their voices with the field.”

ASDP studies will be broadly disseminated through reports and events aimed to engage the field and reach key audiences.

RAND Education and Labor, a division of the RAND Corporation, conducts rigorous, objective research to help decisionmakers and practitioners find solutions to education and labor market challenges.

Source: RAND Corporation