RAND Transform Me Project

Are you looking for resources to support your students’ well-being and help them develop life and social skills? Do you work in a school that serves 8th, 9th, and/or 10th grade students?

RAND, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, is conducting a research study to learn about how a new curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of adolescents can help students increase self-confidence, build and maintain healthy relationships, increase academic excellence, and find success both in and out of school. The curriculum, called Transform Me, is offered through Imagine Purpose (provided by Imagine Learning) and is designed to support adolescents as they navigate challenges, define their purpose, and set goals for success.

Transform Me is an excellent fit for supporting adolescents’ transition to high school and college and career readiness. The course has been implemented in 118 school districts across the U.S., including rural, suburban, and urban schools, and is used in a variety of ways (e.g., during advisory period, homeroom, or in other settings over one or two semesters). RAND researchers collaborate with partnering leaders and educators to develop a strategy that meets the needs and goals of each school system.

Learn more about the Transform Me course

We are looking for schools serving 8th, 9th, and/or 10th grade students to participate in this study (with any of these grade levels). Teachers in participating schools will be randomly assigned to teach the Transform Me course for at least one semester during the 2025–2026 school year or to teach as they normally would. After that, all interested teachers will have the option to use Transform Me the following semester and during the 2026–2027 school year. We would also like some background information on your students and, if possible, assessment data.

Educators will be asked to complete a 10-minute survey, administer a 15-minute survey to their students, and participate in a one-day (or two half-day) virtual professional development sessions about the curriculum.

The curriculum and professional development will be provided at no cost. Educators will receive $200 in gift cards. Schools will receive a donation of $500 to help coordinate the study with the RAND team. All educators will receive free professional development and free access to Transform Me for all students – an approximate value of $20,000 in curriculum and implementation support over the 2 years of the study

To learn more, feel free to reach out to us directly:

Project Leaders
Jonathan Schweig: jschweig@rand.org
Elizabeth D. Steiner: esteiner@rand.org

If you would like to receive more information, fill out the interest survey. Within 24 hours, a member of the study team will reply to set up a time to share more information about participation and answer your questions.

Partner Organization