Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Sep 5, 2023

Four-Day School Week: Costs and Benefits

Yesterday was Labor Day, giving students across the country a four-day school week. What if students spent one less day in the classroom every week?

In many school districts, they do. And with this idea taking off in recent years, RAND researchers have provided one of the most comprehensive looks at the potential costs and benefits of a shorter school week. Unsurprisingly, teachers and families love the extra time a four-day schedule affords them. A shorter week can also help small, rural districts attract teachers and cut costs.

But there is a big potential downside: delays in student achievement. Our study shows that kids in four-day districts fell behind their five-day counterparts a little more each year. After eight years, achievement losses were about equal to those seen during the pandemic.

Insights such as these are essential as interest in a four-day school week grows. When districts consider making the shift, it's important that they weigh the trade-offs.

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A Government-Run Amazon or DoorDash?

Millions of people rely on services like Amazon, DoorDash, and Uber Eats every day. But the companies that offer these services may be engaging in practices that limit competition and harm users and businesses. So far, policies aimed at regulating these platforms have had mixed results. According to Swaptik Chowdhury of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and RAND researcher Timothy Marler, there's another way to approach regulation: The U.S. government could offer direct services that compete with tech companies. Such a strategy would require careful steps and the right investments, but it may be worth exploring.

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Deterring Russia and Iran

The United States makes significant investments in military activities designed to deter Russian and Iranian aggression. How can Washington continue to do this effectively without crowding out investments in other priorities, including competing with China? RAND researchers examine this question in a new report (completed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine). They look at three key areas: U.S. forward presence, exercises and short-term deployments, and security cooperation.

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** Events
Infrastructure Equity, Sport, and Community: Closing the Loop
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 (Hybrid: Los Angeles and Online)
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Supply Chain Uncertainty: Building Resilience in the Face of Impending Threats
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 (Online)
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Policy Lab: Building the U.S. Workforce Through Stackable Credentials
Thursday, September 28, 2023 (Online)
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Balancing the Needs of Requesting and Producing Parties: Getting E-Discovery Right Symposium
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 3-4, 2023 (Arlington, VA)
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** About RAND
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

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