Louay Constant

RAND Arroyo Center explored how the U.S. Army might need to adapt its personnel management policies and practices to support the Regionally Aligned Forces concept. Authors estimated the scope and scale of the requirement for regional expertise; modeled the Army s current ability to produce soldiers with the required expertise; and identified changes to the personnel management system to develop and match such soldiers with appropriate positions."

This monograph provides strategies to reemploy civil-service workers in the private sector and to increase private-sector employment in the Kurdistan Region Iraq. The research is based on a variety of methods, including analyses of survey data, analysis of Kurdistan regional and Iraqi national documents and laws, and a qualitative assessment of numerous conversations with government officials and private-sector employers."

Young teens undergo multiple physical, social-emotional, and intellectual changes, which have been viewed as setting them apart from both younger and older students. The basic concept of a separate middle school was to better focus on and serve the special needs of children in their early teens. The question is whether middle schools, as currently designed and operated, are performing that function well. Or, as some have alleged, do they unintentionally encourage poor behavior, alienation, disengagement, and low achievement? This monograph is a comprehensive assessment of the American middle school. It presents observations on a variety of very real issues troubling social climates and associated behavioral problems, teachers who lack subject-matter expertise, and parents who seem uninvolved, among others. The authors offer ways of tackling these issues: reassessing the organization of grades K-12; specifically assisting the students most in need; finding ways to prevent disciplinary problems; working with proven professional-development models; helping parents understand the school's goals and methods and how they can help their children learn at home; and exploring how other countries promote the well-being of and provide positive school climates for students of comparable age to support academic achievement. Published by the RAND Corporation. Distributed to the trade by National Book Network."

The U.S. Army invests significant resources in new soldiers. When a soldier does not complete a full contract term, the Army views this as a net loss. This report assesses whether organizational factors matter for producing attrition and generates hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which organizational factors generate attrition.

The world's 30 million refugees live in limbo waiting for solutions, while their host countries experience ever-greater strains. The authors found that only one-third of refugees return home after ten years. Returns have not kept pace with new displacement, leading to a growing total number of refugees. New solutions for safe refugee return are needed. The authors examine barriers to, and facilitators of, the safe and sustained return of refugees.

This report presents information on recent participants of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe, a quasi-military program for young people lacking a high school diploma, as required by Congress. It also documents program progress in academics, physical fitness, and other areas, as well as progress toward the goals to develop longer-term metrics to measure program effectiveness and to determine how site-level differences influence effectiveness.

To help the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia develop its private sector and generate quality employment for Saudi citizens, the authors of this report assess the potential for Saudi Arabia to develop a specific industry -- food manufacturing -- as a means of increasing the demand for Saudi labor.

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program serves young people who are experiencing difficulty in traditional high school through a 5.5-month residential program. The authors of this report document the progress of program participants in 2019 and 2020; examine progress of participants in the Job ChalleNGe program, which provides additional training to Youth ChalleNGe graduates; and analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both programs.

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is a residential, quasi-military program for youth ages 16-18 who are experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report, the third in a series of four annual reports, documents the progress of program participants in 2017-2018 in support of the program's yearly report to Congress. Data collected over the past three years indicate that participants continue to make progress in many areas.

Over 5 million Syrian refugees entered Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon due to the civil war. This report examines the labor market for refugees in these countries. In Turkey, a barrier was speaking Turkish; in Jordan and Lebanon, the refugees' arrival exacerbated existing economic slowdowns. Working legally was a challenge for all. Recommendations are tailored to each country in order to improve the socioeconomic environment for all.

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is a residential, quasi-military program for young people at risk of dropping out of high school. This report, which provides information on recent ChalleNGe participants, will be of interest to ChalleNGe program staff, personnel providing oversight for the program, and policymakers concerned with designing effective youth programs and/or determining appropriate metrics by which to track progress in youth programs.

RAND supported the Kurdistan Regional Government in its aims to restructure its Ministry of Education, develop a plan for a school quality assurance system, review effectiveness of monitoring and support of private schools, and assess the quality of in-service teacher training. RAND researchers conducted interviews, reviewed literature, examined case studies in other countries, provided analysis, and developed implementation guidelines.

With four million Syrian refugees as of September 2015, there is urgent need to develop both short-term and long-term approaches to providing education for the children of this population. This report reviews Syrian refugee education for children in the three neighboring countries with the largest population of refugees Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan and analyzes four areas: access, management, society, and quality."

This report provides a special focus on the challenges youth face in employment and education in Mongolia, using a new survey developed by the Institute for Labour Studies and RAND. Understanding the constraints to youth job-market success is critical to Mongolia s economic future. The analysis showed relatively high rates of youth not in school or work, and challenges to job-market preparation, but also improvement in job-market outcomes."

Youth unemployment in Jordan remains high, and labor-force participation low, particularly among young women. Graduates do not possess the requisite technical and soft skills needed for the jobs they prefer. Facing poor economic prospects and inadequate income, many youth are unable to marry, live independently, or support a family. This study examines the perceptions of young Jordanians on issues relevant to their transitions into adult roles.

The study addresses the question of how the Kurdistan Regional Government can improve the private-sector labor market in the Kurdistan Region Iraq. Doing so will involve creating mechanisms by which job-seekers can develop the right skills and find employers who will hire them, employers can find the employees they need, and the government can create an enabling environment in which the best matches between job-seekers and employers can be made."

The Kurdistan Region Iraq (KRI) is enjoying rapid economic growth, creating many new jobs that require a solid education and technical skills. The Kurdistan Regional Government has expanded opportunities for post-secondary technical and university education, secondary-level vocational education has lagged. Even though the region is establishing new vocational education centers, more work is needed to address current shortcomings and future needs."

RAND provided strategic priorities and recommendations for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq s in-process reform of its K 12 system. The priorities are to expand capacity to meet the growing demand for education, improve instruction quality, and strengthen stakeholder accountability and incentives. Recommendations include build new schools and classrooms, improve teacher training for both practicing and new teachers, and increase instructional time."