Does merit pay reward good teachers? Evidence from a randomized experiment

A common criticism of merit‐pay plans is that they fail to systematically target rewards to the most effective teachers. This study presents new evidence on this issue by evaluating data from Tennessee's Career Ladder Evaluation System and the Project STAR class‐size experiment. Because the students and teachers participating in the experiment were randomly assigned, inferences about the relative quality of teachers certified by the career ladder should be unbiased. The results indicate that Tennessee's career ladder had mixed success in rewarding teachers who increased student achievement. Assignment to career‐ladder teachers increased mathematics scores by roughly 3 percentile points but generally had smaller and statistically insignificant effects on reading scores. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.     

Validation of short tandem repeats (STRs) for forensic usage: performance testing of fluorescent multiplex STR systems and analysis of authentic and simulated forensic samples

The amplification and typing conditions for the 13 core CODIS loci and their forensic applicability were evaluated. These loci are CSF1PO, FGA, TH01, TPOX, vWA, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, and D21S11. Results were obtained using the multiplex STR systems AmpFlSTR Profiler Plus and AmpFlSTR COfiler (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA), GenePrint PowerPlex (Promega Corporation, Madison, WI), and subsets of these kits. For detection of fluorescently labeled amplified products, the ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer, the ABI Prism 377 DNA Sequencer, the FMBIO II Fluorescent Imaging Device, and the Fluorlmager were utilized. The following studies were conducted: (a) evaluation of PCR parameter ranges required for adequate performance in multiplex amplification of STR loci, (b) determination of the sensitivity of detection of the systems, (c) characterization of non-allelic PCR products, (d) evaluation of heterozygous peak intensities, (e) determination of the relative level of stutter per locus, (f) determination of stochastic PCR thresholds, (g) analysis of previously typed case samples, environmentally insulted samples, and body fluid samples deposited on various substrates, and (h) detection of components of mixed DNA samples. The data demonstrate that the commercially available multiplex kits can be used to amplify and type STR loci successfully from DNA derived from human biological specimens. There was no evidence of false positive or false negative results and no substantial evidence of preferential amplification within a locus. Although at times general balance among loci labeled with the same fluorophore was not observed, the results obtained were still valid and robust. Suggested criteria are provided for determining whether a sample is derived from a single source or from more than one contributor. These criteria entail the following: (a) the number of peaks at a locus, (b) the relative height of stutter products, and (c) peak height ratios. Stochastic threshold levels and the efficiency of non-templated nucleotide addition should be considered when evaluating the presence of mixtures or low quantity DNA samples. Guidelines, not standards, for interpretation should be developed to interpret STR profiles in cases, because there will be instances in which the standards may not apply. These instances include (a) a primer binding site variant for one allele at a given locus, (b) unusually high stutter product, (c) gene duplication, and (d) translocation.     

Population data on the thirteen CODIS core short tandem repeat loci in African Americans, U.S. Caucasians, Hispanics, Bahamians, Jamaicans, and Trinidadians

Allele distributions for 13 tetrameric short tandem repeat (STR) loci, CSF1PO, FGA, TH01, TPOX, VWA, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, and D21S11, were determined in African American, United States Caucasian, Hispanic, Bahamian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian sample populations. There was little evidence for departures from Hardy-Weinberg expectations (HWE) in any of the populations. Based on the exact test, the loci that departed significantly from HWE are: D21S11 (p = 0.010, Bahamians); CSF1PO (p = 0.014, Trinidadians); TPOX (p = 0.011, Jamaicans and p = 0.035, U.S. Caucasians); and D16S539 (p = 0.043, Bahamians). After employing the Bonferroni correction for the number of loci analyzed (i.e., 13 loci per database), these observations are not likely to be significant. There is little evidence for association of alleles between the loci in these databases. The allelic frequency data are similar to other comparable data within the same major population group.     

Two Ecological Models of Academic Achievement Among Diverse Students With and Without Disabilities in Transition

School experiences can have positive effects on student academic achievement, yet less is known about intermediary processes that contribute to these positive effects. We examined pathways between school experiences and academic achievement among 117 low-income urban students of color, many with disabilities, who transitioned to other schools following a school closure. Using structural equation modeling, we tested two ecological models that examined the relationships among self-reported school experiences, school support, academic self-efficacy, and school-reported academic achievement. The model in which the relationship between school experiences and academic achievement is mediated by both school support and academic self-efficacy, and that takes previous academic achievement into account, was an excellent fit with the data. The roles of contextual and individual factors as they relate to academic achievement, and the implications of these findings, are discussed.     

The presumptive reagent fluorescein for detection of dilute bloodstains and subsequent STR typing of recovered DNA

A presumptive reagent for dilute blood detection other than luminol is fluorescein. The sensitivity of fluorescein approaches the sensitivity of detection levels of luminol. The fluorescein detection method offers the advantages of working in a lighted environment, and the reaction persists longer than luminol. A series of diluted bloodstains, ranging from neat to 1:1,000,000, was placed on a variety of substrates. Three sets were made per substrate. One set was exposed to fluorescein, one set was exposed to luminol, and one set served as an uncontaminated control. The fluorescein signal persisted longer than luminol. However, background staining for fluorescein was observed on some substrates within 30 s to 1 min, and no background staining was observed for luminol. Stains on non-absorbent surfaces were detectable at 1:100,000 dilutions, and stains on absorbent surfaces were detectable usually at no more than 1:100. The sensitivity of detection of fluorescein was comparable to that of luminol in this study. In all cases, where sufficient DNA was recovered, typeable results at all 13 core CODIS STR loci were obtained from treated bloodstains and controls. The results from STR typing indicate that there was no evidence of DNA degradation.     

Collaborative Teaching: School Implementation and Connections With Outcomes Among Students With Disabilities

Collaborative teaching is a widely used method of including and supporting students with disabilities to provide all students equal access to education. Yet, there is a dearth of research on its implementation and outcomes, and the few existing studies are limited to academic and testing outcomes. This study assesses the degree to which schools are implementing co-teaching practices and the relation between co-teaching and student psychosocial outcomes using a mixed method design. Data from 12 schools, which included 16 school leaders and staff, 13 teachers, and 56 students with disabilities, were examined. Schools achieved 0–75% of the co-teaching best-practices criteria, with the majority achieving 25%–50% of the criteria. Higher levels of teacher-reported co-teaching were related to higher levels of student-reported school belonging, school satisfaction, and self-efficacy for new experiences. The benefits and challenges of co-teaching, as well as implications for intervention and research are addressed.     

Women employment in colonial Hong Kong

Women's participation in the labour market is on the rise, and employment opportunities available to working women have increased greatly. However, working women in Hong Kong are still disproportionately underrepresented in higher status occupations. Despite general improvement in their educational attainment, women are still unequally paid. Their role in the workplace is still very much constrained and impeded by their familial role. Hong Kong women's continuing subordination in the workplace lies in the domination of the Chinese patriarchal family in industrial Hong Kong. Women experience institutional discrimination insofar as other institutions and the public at large also subscribe to culturally entrenched prejudices and discriminatory practices against women. It appears that women's subordinate status will not change in the foreseeable future.     

Teacher Turnover in the Context of Teacher-Directed Violence: An Empowerment Lens

ABSTRACT

Teacher turnover is a significant issue in education that negatively affects students’ academic performance and instructional continuity. While multiple factors impact turnover, the effects of violence directed against teachers on turnover have rarely been explored. The current study examines the extent to which (dis)empowerment applies to teachers who experienced incidents of violence and related intentions to leave their positions. The study includes 403 teachers from a national survey examining teacher-directed violence and teachers’ most upsetting experiences with violence. Using content analysis, results indicated teachers endorsed low levels of empowerment dimensions including status, autonomy and decision-making, and impact. Further, disempowerment was associated with turnover intentions and decisions. Future directions for research, practice, and policy are considered to increase empowerment and prevent turnover following incidents of violence.     

Modern Central Banking: Pressures for Change

The role of the central bank as an instrument of government economic supervision has entered a period of flux, owing to the combined forces of financial deregulation, technological advance, monetary innovation and banking globalisation. This paper discusses, with special reference to Australia, pressing areas for potential reform in the role of the central bank including greater independence, international coordination, splitting of core functions, and the creation of a 'super-regulator'.