Report Roundup
Teacher Incentives Fall Short in Chicago Study
"An Evaluation of the Chicago Teacher Advancement Program After Four Years"
The Chicago Teacher Advancement Program increased mentoring and improved teacher-retention rates in some participating schools compared with similar, nonparticipating schools—but didn't appear to raise student achievement, according to a study released last week by Mathematica Policy Research.
It is the final report
on the Chicago TAP program, a complex initiative that knits together professional development, advancement roles for "master" and "mentor" teachers, an evaluation system, and performance-based compensation. It's being used in districts across the country and has expanded significantly under the federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant program.
The Mathematica study determined that:
• More years of TAP did not seem to affect test scores;
• The program's positive impact on teacher-retention rates seemed most pronounced for the cohort that began implementing the program in 2007. The retention rate over three years for that group was 67 percent, compared with 56 percent of teachers in non-TAP schools; and
• Teachers in the TAP schools met with their mentors for a total of three hours compared with about 1 hours for teachers in the control group. Mentor teachers were more likely than non-TAP veterans to provide other teachers with literacy strategies, help in setting instructional goals, and preparing lesson plans, among other assistance.
Vol. 31, Issue 24, Page 5
Access selected articles, e-newsletters and more!
Viewed
Emailed
Recommended
Commented
Sponsored Whitepapers
• Best Practices in Information Management, Reporting and Analytics for Education
- Chief Innovation Officer
- The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®), Washington, DC
- Instructional Leadership Director
- ALBANY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Albany, NY
- Train Brilliant Math Students
- Art of Problem Solving, San Diego, CA
- Common Core Literacy Assessment Developer - Part Time
- The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, New York, NY
- MINNEAPOLIS ACADEMY Executive Director
- MINNEAPOLIS ACADEMY, Minneapolis, MN



We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.