RAND Education and Labor

Communities everywhere strive for effective and equitable education and economic opportunities for their citizens. RAND Education and Labor conducts rigorous, objective research to help decisionmakers and practitioners find ways to meet these goals. We have 200+ experts from different fields. Our sponsors include government agencies, foundations, and private organizations.

Dedicated to improving education and expanding economic opportunities for all through research and analysis.

Early Childhood Education

Effective early school experiences and interventions set children up for success. Our work in early childhood includes studies of preschool programs, childcare, parenting programs, cost benefit analyses, and more.

K–12 Education

Education shapes lives profoundly, and it is vital that education programs and polices are effective and equitable. Our K–12 education work focuses on services that meet the needs of the whole child, curriculum development and standards, educator effectiveness, education technology, and out-of-school time.

Postsecondary Education

Higher education is evolving. Institutions need ways to expand access, support changing workforce requirements, and maintain viability and quality. Our post-secondary education work includes institution-, system-, and national-level analyses of college readiness, access, and success, paying for and funding higher education, curriculum innovation, and student health and safety.

Workforce Development

Technology, globalization, and demographic changes have altered what employers need from workers and what workers expect from employers. We leverage our deep expertise in K–12 career and technical education, workforce certification and development programs, retraining and “upskilling” programs to help both workers and employers succeed in the 21st century and beyond.

Labor Markets

Productive labor markets are the backbone of strong communities. Our work seeks to understand the dynamics of labor supply and demand in a time of constant change, if and how labor markets are functioning efficiently, and how they can be enhanced to provide opportunities for all.

Services

RAND Education and Labor works at the cutting edge of quantitative and qualitative research methods. We conduct randomized controlled trials and use quasi-experimental methods such as regression discontinuity, instrumental variables analysis, and event-study analyses. We use a range of artificial intelligence approaches and algorithms, including machine learning and natural language processing. Our data collection methods also include surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, and cognitive interviews.

RAND conducts rigorous, objective research and analysis on behalf of its funders to help improve policy and decisionmaking.

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Recent Clients and Grantmakers

RAND Education and Labor works with a diverse range of funders and partners across public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Organizations seek out RAND’s rigorous and objective research on an array of education and workforce topics.

Work with Us
  • Abt
  • American Institutes for Research
  • Ascendium Education Philanthropy
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Colorado Community College System
  • ECMC Foundation
  • Ednovate Incorporated
  • Elk Grove Unified School District
  • Foundation for California Community Colleges
  • Houston Independent School District
  • Lexia Learning
  • Los Angeles Unified School District
  • Louisiana Department of Education
  • MDRC
  • Phillips Academy
  • Seattle Colleges
  • State of Vermont
  • University of California Irvine
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of North Carolina Greensboro
  • Wallace Foundation
  • Westat Research Corporation
  • Wested
  • Zearn
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