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Descriptors:
Program Effectiveness; Pilot Projects; Principals; Public Policy; Administrator Attitudes; Program Implementation; Qualitative Research; Interviews; School Districts; Comparative Analysis; Research Methodology; Academic Achievement; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Evaluation; Incentives

Abstract:
The Collaborative Project (CP) began as a pilot project in five North Carolina school districts in 2007 featuring a performance incentive initiative for teachers and administrators. The objective of this study was to document principals' perceptions of the performance incentive initiative to determine challenges encountered during implementation. The researcher used a qualitative interview process to collect data from participating principals employed in the CP districts. The principals' responses were analyzed and tables were constructed to show the responses for each question. For triangulation purposes, the results were compared with survey data from a 2009 evaluation completed by the Carolina Institute for Public Policy. Overall, the majority of principals interviewed believed that some components of the teacher performance incentive criteria helped their schools. The interview process revealed some unanticipated results not mentioned in the literature review and the results of the study provided insight into anomalies encountered during implementation. (Contains 9 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Program Effectiveness; Motivation; Incentives; School Personnel; Measures (Individuals); Educational Change; High Schools; Structured Interviews; Sustainability; Student Evaluation; Case Studies; Urban Schools; High School Students; Decision Making; Student Improvement; Urban Education; Student Attitudes

Abstract:
The purpose of this case study was to discover the critical attributes of a student achievement program, known as "Think Gold," implemented at one urban comprehensive high school as part of the improvement process. Student achievement on state assessments improved during the period under study. The study draws upon perspectives on motivation as a lens for understanding the attributes of the program. The theoretical framework guiding this study emerged from a convergence of literature on high school improvement and studies on the use of extrinsic motivation to promote student achievement. These studies revealed a gap between the goals promoted for improved student outcomes and the performance results from non-consequential, large-scale assessments. Data sources included structured interviews with school personnel and students, achievement data from 2009-2011, and survey results, which were analyzed to construct a case narrative. Critical attributes of the achievement program were distilled, including the differentiated incentive system, sustainability, and personalized meaning for students between state assessments and their decision-making. This study is not an evaluation of the program, but the discussion offered of the use of extrinsic motivation to promote student achievement may prove beneficial. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Information Sources; Stakeholders; Statistical Analysis; Foreign Countries; Internet; Printed Materials; Marketing; Information Systems; Researchers; Role Models; Agricultural Production; Identification; Questionnaires; Incentives; Economics; Workshops; Agricultural Occupations

Abstract:
Purpose: To identify and review production and marketing information sources and flows for smallholder cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) growers in Tanzania and recommend systems improvements for better technology uptake. Design/methodology/approach: Two-stage purposive samples were drawn. First, two districts in the main cashew producing areas, one with significant research investment and good marketing infrastructure and the other a counterfactual. Second, two villages were purposively selected from each district to provide the maximum contrast of variables pertinent to the study. Field data were collected using a semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire complimented by field verification and a wrap-up stakeholders' workshop. The data were analysed using chi-square test and the orderly probit model. Findings: Sources of information and flows varied between districts and villages. For production, the most reliable sources were role model farmers (RMFs), extensionists, radio, on-farm demonstrations, researchers, cashew development centres (CDCs), print media and mobile phones in order of popularity. RMFs, radio programmes, extensionists, interactions with researchers, CDCs and print were the main pathways. For marketing, primary society notice boards, radio announcements, RMFs, extensionists, mobile phones and print were listed in order of popularity. Print media was the least popular due to a low level of literacy among growers. RMFs were popular actors in the information systems irrespective of social-economic background. Practical implications: Policy change and additional resources are required for improvement of existing information systems. Additionally, incentive structures that will enhance and sustain continued investment in cashew production should be emphasized. Originality and value: This is the first attempt in the Tanzanian cashew sector to analyse and link social economics of growers with information sources, communication channels and technology uptake. (Contains 7 figures, 4 tables and 1 note.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
School Choice; Predictor Variables; Incentives; Classification; Educational Policy; Academic Achievement; Scores; Comparative Analysis; Class Size; Accountability

Abstract:
We seek out the good institutional features of the European choice policies that can enhance both equity and efficiency at the system level. For causality analysis we construct the typology of 28 European educational systems by using fuzzy-set analysis. We combine five independent variables to indicate institutional features of school choice policy: availability of choice, tracking, school variability, empowerment of parents, and financial incentive schemes supporting choice policy. Findings show that the most important complements producing efficiency are "no-choice" with "no-tracking" and "choice" together with "tracking" and "school variability." "No-choice" with "no-tracking" can also lead to more equity. (Contains 5 figures, 4 tables and 5 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Financial Aid; Federal Government; Higher Education; Incentives; Eligibility; Educational Change; Tax Credits; Tuition; Student Loan Programs; Credentials; Grants; Low Income Groups; Outreach Programs

Abstract:
The federal financial aid system is no longer up to today's demands. Built in a different era, its haphazard evolution over the decades has made it inefficient, poorly targeted, and overly complicated. With the need for higher education never greater and college growing increasingly unaffordable, students deserve a streamlined aid system that is more understandable, effective, and fair. Policymakers can achieve such reforms at no additional cost to taxpayers--by rebalancing existing resources and better aligning incentives for students and institutions of higher education. Ultimately, those reforms will increase access to high-quality credentials and boost student success in higher education and the workforce. In "Rebalancing Resources and Incentives in Federal Student Aid," the authors offer more than 30 specific policy recommendations that are designed to create such a system. Nothing is off-limits. They recommend specific changes to federal grants, loans, tax benefits, college outreach programs and federal regulations to provide more direct aid to the lowest-income students, while strengthening accountability for institutions of higher education to ensure that more students are able to earn affordable, high-quality credentials. Taken together, the package of proposals in their report is "budget-neutral" over the 10-year period from federal fiscal years 2013-2022. Pell Grant Funding Sources are appended. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables, and 120 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Motivation; Incentives; Goal Orientation; Quasiexperimental Design; Montessori Method; Personal Autonomy; Mastery Learning; Student Participation; Intelligence Quotient; Academic Achievement; Student Attitudes; Elementary School Students

Abstract:
The Montessori classroom appears to be the ideal learning environment for children throughout elementary and middle school. It is based on the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori which describes an environment tailored to the Sensitive Periods of children, prepared with materials appropriate for the age and abilities of the children in a particular classroom (McCormick Rambusch, 2010). Children are observed as they choose their work and are assessed according to mastery (2010). This form of education supports the popular notion that intrinsic motivation is best developed in classrooms which incorporate autonomy, mastery and purpose. It also supports the view that extrinsic motivation is a thing of the past and does not belong in the elementary classroom. However, might Montessori teachers further foster intrinsic motivation within students? In some Montessori classrooms, there still exists a gap between measured levels of intelligence and actual academic achievement in students who have not benefited from the Montessori way from the beginning of their educational careers. When extrinsic motivation, such as grades, does not exist, what is the most effective method for cultivating intrinsic motivation in elementary children in the Montessori classroom? In an attempt to identify a method for further fostering intrinsic motivation among elementary age Montessori children, this study will follow a quasiexperimental design in which the intervention entails a goal-setting exercise intended to strengthen the sense of purpose and thus improve mastery within the children studied. Appended are: (1) Student Perception of Teachers' Goal Orientation; and (2) Student's Goal Setting Sheet. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Public School Teachers; Elementary School Teachers; Urban Schools; Academic Achievement; Elementary School Students; Grade 4; Grade 5; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Teacher Persistence; Mentors; Teacher Leadership; Teacher Salaries; Incentives; Program Effectiveness; Educational Research

Abstract:
The study reviewed in this paper examined whether the Chicago Public Schools' Teacher Advancement Program (Chicago TAP), which provides mentoring, leadership opportunities, and financial incentives to teachers, improved student academic achievement and teacher retention. The study used two designs to answer distinct research questions. Under the first design, a randomized controlled trial, the authors examined the academic achievement of more than 7,600 students in grades 4-8 from 34 public schools in Chicago. In the spring of 2007 and again in the spring of 2009, groups of schools were randomly assigned either to participate in Chicago TAP during the coming school year or to serve as a comparison group for a year and participate in Chicago TAP during the following school year. The effect of Chicago TAP on academic achievement after one year of implementation was estimated by comparing the spring math, reading, and science achievement of students in Chicago TAP schools to the achievement of students in schools that had not yet implemented the program. Using the second design, a quasi-experiment, the study examined teachers' retention rates, defined as remaining in the same school from year to year. The effect of Chicago TAP on teacher retention was assessed by comparing the retention of teachers in Chicago TAP schools with the retention of a matched sample of teachers in non-TAP Chicago public schools (sample sizes varied across years). After one year of implementation, students attending Chicago TAP schools did not score significantly differently in math, reading, or science achievement, as measured by the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), than students attending comparison schools. Sixty-seven percent of teachers who were employed in schools that first implemented Chicago TAP in the fall of 2007 were still teaching in the same school in the fall of 2010. In contrast, 56% of teachers employed in non-TAP public schools were retained during the same period. This 12 percentage point difference in three-year teacher retention rates between the original cohort of Chicago TAP and non-TAP schools was statistically significant. The analysis of student academic achievement meets the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards with reservations. The analysis of teacher retention meets WWC evidence standards with reservations. Appended are: (1) Study details; (2) Outcome measures for each domain; (3) Study findings for each domain; and (4) Supplemental findings by domain. A glossary of terms is included. (Contains 3 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Improvement; Teaching (Occupation); Teacher Recruitment; Preservice Teacher Education; Teacher Placement; Teacher Persistence; Incentives; Accountability; Unions

Abstract:
This paper outlines a set of ideas for improving teacher quality in America's schools. In it, the author proposes a combination of incremental steps and ambitious ones, designed to stimulate policymakers, practitioners, and the public to accelerate efforts to develop high-quality teachers. The paper has four main sections. First, the author provides a brief assessment of the current state of teaching in America, identifying five core challenges reformers must address if they are serious about improving teacher quality. Second, the author posits a new, broader conceptualization of the teaching profession. Third, the author provides specific recommendations for how to better recruit, prepare, place, incentivize, and hold accountable the teachers America requires. Finally, having recently lived and breathed the Chicago teacher strike, the author concludes with some thoughts about the trajectory of organized labor, and what it might do to support the development of a stronger teacher workforce in America. (Contains 17 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Evidence; Standardized Tests; Educational Change; Mathematics Teachers; Academic Achievement; Incentives; Experiments; Scores; Middle Schools; Mathematics; Control Groups; Experimental Groups; Grade 5

Abstract:
The Project on Incentives in Teaching (POINT) was a three-year study conducted in the Metropolitan Nashville School System from 2006-07 through 2008-09, in which middle school mathematics teachers voluntarily participated in a controlled experiment to assess the effect of financial rewards for teachers whose students showed unusually large gains on standardized tests. The experiment was intended to test the notion that rewarding teachers for improved scores would cause scores to rise. It was up to participating teachers to decide what, if anything, they needed to do to raise student performance: participate in more professional development, seek coaching, collaborate with other teachers, or simply reflect on their practices. Thus, POINT was focused on the notion that a significant problem in American education is the absence of appropriate incentives, and that correcting the incentive structure would, in and of itself, constitute an effective intervention that improved student outcomes. This executive summary presents the findings from the Project on Incentives in Teaching. [For the full report, "Teacher Pay for Performance: Experimental Evidence from the Project on Incentives in Teaching," see ED513347.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Motivation; Prior Learning; Alternative Assessment; Expertise; Evaluation Methods; Mathematics Instruction; Middle School Students; Incentives; Motivation Techniques; Learning Processes; Computer Assisted Instruction; Educational Technology; Comparative Analysis; Intelligent Tutoring Systems; Video Games; Instructional Design

Abstract:
Educational Badges are touted as an alternative assessment that can increase learner motivation. We considered two distinct models for educational badges; merit badges and videogame achievements. To begin unpacking the relationship between badges and motivation, we conducted a study using badges within an intelligent-tutor system for teaching applied mathematics to middle-school students. Our findings indicate that badge earning could be driven by learner motivations and that systems with badges could have a positive effect on critical learner motivations. However, badge acquisition patterns were different across learners with different levels of prior knowledge. Different badge types also affected different learners motivation. Additionally, we believe that our findings are compatible with the research finding that extrinsic motivators have a negative influence on learning. The implication for educational badge designers is that they must consider the ability and motivations of learners when choosing what badges to include in their curricula. We believe our findings exist as one piece of the large research base needed to understand educational badges. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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