Investing in Teachers: Investing in Teachers: An Overview of Policy An Overview of Policy AlternativesAlternatives

Jennifer King Rice

University of Maryland

Costs and Effects of Class Size ReductionCosts and Effects of Class Size Reduction

UNIVERSAL TREATMENT

ESTIMATE TARGETED TREATMENT

ESTIMATE

EFFECTIVENESS

Reduction of classes to 15-18 students

0.15 – 0.27 SD

Up to 0.4 SD for 4 yrs

Effects persist through G7

Effect on minority students

Up to 0.4 SD

COST

Reduction to 18 students

$5.049 billion

($448/pupil)

Schools with more that 50% FRPL

$1.8 billion

($159/pupil)

Reduction to 15 students

$11.047 billion

($981/pupil)

Schools with more that 50% FRPL

$3.98 billion

($352/pupil)

Sources: Finn & Achilles (1999); Nye, et al. (1999); Krueger (1999); Molnar, et al. (1999); Brewer, et al. (1999)

Issues affecting the costs and effects of Issues affecting the costs and effects of class size reduction:class size reduction:

Targeting the policy to particular grades, subjects, types of schools/students

Duration of the treatment

Availability and cost of facilities

Supply of qualified teachers

Teacher Quality: Teacher Quality: Dimensions of the ProblemDimensions of the Problem

Definition of teacher quality extensive literature review

Quality of preparation Adequate pool of qualified teachers Recruitment of teachers to shortage areas Retention of teachers Ongoing professional development

Approach used here:Approach used here: Examine what teacher attributes are linked with

teacher performance (literature review)

Conduct scan of policy strategies being used in the field

Develop typology of strategies that links them with specific dimensions of the problem

Construct prototypes of “packages” of strategies that reflect multi-dimensionality of the problem

Estimate the costs of prototypes

Data: Multi-level case studiesData: Multi-level case studies Documents on teacher recruitment and

retention policies

Interviews with state, district, and school administrators about investments in teacher policies

Focus groups with teachers in selected schools to understand critical issues related to their decisions about where to work, and to assess their perceptions of the impact of state and district teacher policies

Typology of Teacher Recruitment & Retention StrategiesTypology of Teacher Recruitment & Retention Strategies

Recruitment Strategies Retention Strategies

Economic incentive

• Signing bonus• Loan forgiveness• Housing assistance• Tuition assistance• Bonus for NBC

• Higher salaries• Tax benefits• Pay-for-performance• Long terms rewards for National Board certification•Benefit packages

Changes to teacher prep programs

• Alternative/accelerated certification• Pre-college recruitment

• Alt certification (adequate duration, grow your own, relationship with districts)• Prep programs focused on specific type of school

Reform of teacher hiring process

• License reciprocity• Streamline hiring process• Job banks• Assignments for new tchrs• Public relations• Relations with H.E.

Initiatives to make schools better places to work

•Induction programs•Reasonable class size•Good leadership

• Induction programs• Long term professional development• Reasonable class size• Instructional support• Good leadership

Prototypes of policy configurations to Prototypes of policy configurations to invest in teacher qualityinvest in teacher quality

Prototype IPrototype I• Significant and sustained salary boost for qualified Significant and sustained salary boost for qualified

teachers willing to work in high need schoolsteachers willing to work in high need schools• Professional development module for teaching in this Professional development module for teaching in this

type of schooltype of school• Streamlined hiring processStreamlined hiring process• Job banksJob banks

Prototypes of policy configurations to Prototypes of policy configurations to invest in teacher quality (cont.)invest in teacher quality (cont.)

Prototype IIPrototype II• Signing bonusSigning bonus• Intensive induction programIntensive induction program• Better leadership (increased principal salary)Better leadership (increased principal salary)• Incentive for National Board certified teachersIncentive for National Board certified teachers• Streamlined hiring processStreamlined hiring process• Job banksJob banks