In 2019, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), in partnership with the University of Rhode Island (URI), launched the Work-Based Learning for Computer Science (WBL4CS) project through an Education Innovation Research (EIR) grant. The initiative aimed to expand access to computer science (CS) education for high school students,…

The effects of transitions impact students across academic levels in many ways. The transition to high school can be a vulnerable time; moreover, it may be an optimal time for preventive interventions. As students matriculate and transition from middle to high school, a concentrated effort must be made to improve the practices to best support…

Earning a high school diploma is a milestone that has been linked to many later life outcomes, from employment to incarceration to physical health, and impacts society as a whole through tax revenues and government spending. Yet, youth leaving school prior to obtaining a diploma remains a challenge nationwide, particularly in large cities. Given…

Micro-credentials are increasingly being adopted across a variety of industries and countries, including the kindergarten through grade 12 education system in the United States, as a way to identify workers with specific skills, knowledge, and competencies. This report presents the results of a study conducted by RAND researchers who investigated…

Prior research has found the transition to high school to be a critical time for ninth-grade students. This mixed-methodology study investigated the experiences of a school-based team that provided programming and various support to ninth-grade students using the teaming model. The study utilized the following methods: 1) interviews, 2) historical…

In pursuance of analyzing attendance at Midwest Public Urban School District (a pseudonym), the researcher investigated the high school's truancy intervention program's effectiveness. The research intervention program's goal was to find what worked in the program, what needed to be changed, and how practical the truancy intervention program was.…

The relationship between PBIS implementation fidelity and reductions in student office discipline referrals (ODR) has been relatively well-established in the literature; however, results related to other student outcomes such as suspensions, attendance, and academic performance are not well explored especially at the high school level. The purpose…

To better understand the supports needed to positively impact student outcomes, the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been examining several model demonstrations of PBIS implementation in schools residing within high need Local Education Agencies (LEAs). In particular, this brief provides an initial examination on…

Current research suggests that students fare better in school, especially in areas of engagement and attendance, when they have supportive adult-student relationships. As many educators learned during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, extra efforts are needed to build these supportive relationships when teaching and learning in online environments. Full…

This report analyzes the effects of implementing a personalization for academic and social emotional learning (PASL) program in selected Broward County high schools. PASL was implemented with a continuous improvement model promoting deliberate adaptations to class- and school-level conditions. PASL practices include goal setting, use of data,…

Using data for decision-making is critical for schoolwide leadership teams and has been shown to enhance both social and academic outcomes for students (Faria et al., 2017). Using data effectively, however, requires that teams have a clear vision about the type of data, format of data presentation, and process for using data. To avoid expending…

Although high school graduation rates are improving, a large number of students are still not successful. Research has documented that 9th grade is a pivotal year in determining whether a student will graduate or drop out. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the effects of a Tier 1 intervention model (Freshmen Success)…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation and impacts of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model in its first year of implementation in 66 schools across the U.S. and to document scale-up progress during the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant period (2017-2021). The impact evaluation included 21,529 9th grade students…

The quality of a school's social environment is critically related to student outcomes, including academic performance, attendance, student behavior, and high school completion rates. New Hampshire engaged in a dropout prevention initiative between 2006 and 2012 that focused on implementation of the multitiered Positive Behavioral Interventions…

Educational reform is at the forefront of legislatures and school districts across the United States (Hattie, 2011). To find and employ high school improvement initiatives that lead to improved educational experiences for students, educational leaders must examine in great detail what systems have been successful and then modify the initiatives to…