This week, we discuss the trade-offs of a shorter school week; why countering domestic terrorism may require a new U.S. intelligence strategy; data showing that Black motorists are more likely to be charged with a misdemeanor for excessive speeding; the big unanswered question of the Afghanistan war; how North Korea evades sanctions; and some techniques for talking to kids about COVID-19.
A four-day school week is becoming more common, especially in rural parts of the western United States. Champions of this approach say that it saves schools money, improves student attendance, and helps recruit and retain teachers in rural districts.
To learn more about these potential benefits—and the drawbacks—of a four-day school week, RAND researchers examined data from dozens of districts in Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
The findings point to trade-offs. For example, students' test scores in districts with four-day school weeks improved more slowly than they would have if the schools had maintained five-day school weeks. On the other hand, parents and students expressed enthusiasm about the shorter school week, valuing the extra family time that a four-day schedule brings.
Insights such as these can help education leaders and other stakeholders weigh which outcomes matter the most when considering the shift to a shorter school week.
Trump supporters battle with police at the west entrance of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021
After two decades of focusing on the terrorist threat posed by global and homegrown jihadists, the United States is pivoting to address domestic violent extremism.
The challenge, says RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins, is to “isolate and contain violent extremists without turning them into political martyrs or half the country into enemies of the state.” Doing this may require focusing less on intelligence collection and more on investigating violent crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice.
In 25 states, motorists accused of excessive speeding can face either a criminal misdemeanor or a traffic infraction. In a new study, RAND researchers examined nine years of data on speeding violations in one such state, Virginia. They found that Black motorists were more likely than White motorists to be charged with a misdemeanor instead of an infraction. Additionally, Black motorists were almost twice as likely to be convicted of the more serious charge.
Paratroopers board a U.S. Air Force C-17 at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, August 30, 2021
Photo by Master Sgt. Alexander Burnett, 82nd Airborne Public Affairs/U.S. Army
The debate over the legacy of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is just beginning, and there are many questions to be answered. One in particular stands out to RAND political scientist Raphael Cohen: Does the United States still have the grit necessary to fight and win long wars? The answer is not immediately clear, but the stakes are. The sake of the international order and the fate of liberal democracy could depend on it, he says.
The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum in Pyongyang, North Korea
The United Nations has imposed increasingly restrictive sanctions on North Korea over the years. But according to a new RAND report, Pyongyang has become adept at evading these sanctions, primarily using four techniques: hard currency generation, technology acquisition, smuggling, and money laundering. Avoiding sanctions has allowed North Korea to maintain its political regime and to fund its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs.
Since COVID-19 hit, many children have struggled to cope with and understand the pandemic and its many restrictions. To help make sense of things, children need honest information from adults and an opportunity to talk about their own feelings. That's according to RAND Europe's Lucy Gilder and Emma Leenders. They outline some communication techniques that parents—who may be struggling with their own pandemic-related stress—can turn to for guidance.
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This weekly recap focuses on the trade-offs of a four-day school week, how to counter domestic violent extremism, racial disparities in who is convicted of more-serious speeding charges, and more.
