Although multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems have gained popularity in the United States,... more Although multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems have gained popularity in the United States, few studies have examined their implementation or how they are shaped by organizational context. New Orleans provides a strategic case to examine the enactment of a state teacher evaluation policy in a highly decentralized setting with variation in organizational context. Utilizing a multiple case-study approach, we analyzed documents and interviews in eight case study schools. We found that schools varied in their responses to teacher evaluation—in ways that were reflective, compliant, and/or distortive—and that the type of response was not associated with governance model, school authorizer, or level of autonomy. Instead, shared instructional leadership and structures for frequent collaboration appeared to facilitate more reflective responses.
This study examines the importance of the design of incentives on the effectiveness of performanc... more This study examines the importance of the design of incentives on the effectiveness of performance-based pay for teachers. Data come from the largest incentive pay program in the US, which provided state funds for Texas school districts to develop and implement locally designed incentives for teachers. Although the average effect of implementation is zero, this is largely explained by heterogeneity in contract design. Contracts vary across bonus size, performance measures, difficulty of achieving goals, and other characteristics. Analysis of the heterogeneous effects of contract characteristics suggests that the type and size of incentive goals significantly influenced the success of the program. Recommendations are made to inform the design of compensation for teachers and other public sector employees.
Free primary education is promoted as a strategy to achieve universal primary enrollment in devel... more Free primary education is promoted as a strategy to achieve universal primary enrollment in developing countries by reducing costs to parents. However, many countries with policies to provide free schooling still struggle to achieve universal enrollment. The purpose of this study examine obstacles to schooling and gender equity that remain in Uganda and Nigeria, two countries that have taken different approaches to free primary education policy. This paper builds on previous research on determinants of schooling in developing countries by combining economic models of school access with parent reports of reasons that children are out of school. The comparative approach facilitates analysis of FPE across different development and policy contexts.
ABSTRACT Efforts to expand primary education have shifted from a policy focus on supply (building... more ABSTRACT Efforts to expand primary education have shifted from a policy focus on supply (building schools) to demand-side policies. Human capital theory posits that common demand-side obstacles are high direct costs, opportunity costs, and low perceived benefits—constructs that are difficult to measure empirically. This study compares strategies to estimate obstacles to schooling through revealed and stated preferences using similar household survey data from two Sub-Saharan African countries. The typical determinants of schooling model underestimates demand-side obstacles and gender differences, and additional useful information for theory testing and policy is derived from analyzing parents’ stated preferences as well.
Abstract: Girls' education has attracted the attention of researchers and practitioners in in... more Abstract: Girls' education has attracted the attention of researchers and practitioners in international development thanks to a growing body of evidence suggesting that female literacy facilitates development. Efforts to expand the supply of schooling for girls have ...
ABSTRACT College is a pathway to social mobility in the United States. Yet too often high-achievi... more ABSTRACT College is a pathway to social mobility in the United States. Yet too often high-achieving students from low-income and minorities families fail to apply to selective postsecondary institutions. Our study examines the extent to which academic undermatching occurs among high-achieving minority students by analyzing the application choices of students who undergo two distinct admissions policies. We find that minority students eligible for automatic admissions and those who undergo holistic admissions are both less likely to apply to elite flagship universities than white students, despite being equally qualified based on high school performance. Instead, minorities often opt for lower tier universities.
Although multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems have gained popularity in the United States,... more Although multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems have gained popularity in the United States, few studies have examined their implementation or how they are shaped by organizational context. New Orleans provides a strategic case to examine the enactment of a state teacher evaluation policy in a highly decentralized setting with variation in organizational context. Utilizing a multiple case-study approach, we analyzed documents and interviews in eight case study schools. We found that schools varied in their responses to teacher evaluation—in ways that were reflective, compliant, and/or distortive—and that the type of response was not associated with governance model, school authorizer, or level of autonomy. Instead, shared instructional leadership and structures for frequent collaboration appeared to facilitate more reflective responses.
This study examines the importance of the design of incentives on the effectiveness of performanc... more This study examines the importance of the design of incentives on the effectiveness of performance-based pay for teachers. Data come from the largest incentive pay program in the US, which provided state funds for Texas school districts to develop and implement locally designed incentives for teachers. Although the average effect of implementation is zero, this is largely explained by heterogeneity in contract design. Contracts vary across bonus size, performance measures, difficulty of achieving goals, and other characteristics. Analysis of the heterogeneous effects of contract characteristics suggests that the type and size of incentive goals significantly influenced the success of the program. Recommendations are made to inform the design of compensation for teachers and other public sector employees.
Free primary education is promoted as a strategy to achieve universal primary enrollment in devel... more Free primary education is promoted as a strategy to achieve universal primary enrollment in developing countries by reducing costs to parents. However, many countries with policies to provide free schooling still struggle to achieve universal enrollment. The purpose of this study examine obstacles to schooling and gender equity that remain in Uganda and Nigeria, two countries that have taken different approaches to free primary education policy. This paper builds on previous research on determinants of schooling in developing countries by combining economic models of school access with parent reports of reasons that children are out of school. The comparative approach facilitates analysis of FPE across different development and policy contexts.
ABSTRACT Efforts to expand primary education have shifted from a policy focus on supply (building... more ABSTRACT Efforts to expand primary education have shifted from a policy focus on supply (building schools) to demand-side policies. Human capital theory posits that common demand-side obstacles are high direct costs, opportunity costs, and low perceived benefits—constructs that are difficult to measure empirically. This study compares strategies to estimate obstacles to schooling through revealed and stated preferences using similar household survey data from two Sub-Saharan African countries. The typical determinants of schooling model underestimates demand-side obstacles and gender differences, and additional useful information for theory testing and policy is derived from analyzing parents’ stated preferences as well.
Abstract: Girls' education has attracted the attention of researchers and practitioners in in... more Abstract: Girls' education has attracted the attention of researchers and practitioners in international development thanks to a growing body of evidence suggesting that female literacy facilitates development. Efforts to expand the supply of schooling for girls have ...
ABSTRACT College is a pathway to social mobility in the United States. Yet too often high-achievi... more ABSTRACT College is a pathway to social mobility in the United States. Yet too often high-achieving students from low-income and minorities families fail to apply to selective postsecondary institutions. Our study examines the extent to which academic undermatching occurs among high-achieving minority students by analyzing the application choices of students who undergo two distinct admissions policies. We find that minority students eligible for automatic admissions and those who undergo holistic admissions are both less likely to apply to elite flagship universities than white students, despite being equally qualified based on high school performance. Instead, minorities often opt for lower tier universities.
Uploads
Papers by Jane Lincove