For the last two decades, Ohio has given its new public school teachers choices among retirement plans. Early in their employment, they are handed a form that allows them to opt for a traditional pension plan, a 401(k)-style defined-contribution (DC) plan, or a plan that combines elements of each. If they make no affirmative decision at all--that…

Policymakers know that improving teaching in our schools requires a systemic look at many policies related to educator effectiveness. For example, teacher preparation programs need to be dramatically improved and strengthened, but without accompanying reform in compensation, even highly effective and innovative schools of education are unlikely to…

In this article, we explain how overly prescriptive, rigid state statutory and regulatory policy frameworks regarding teacher evaluation, tenure and employment decisions outstrip the statistical reliability and validity of proposed measures of teaching effectiveness. We begin with a discussion of the emergence of highly prescriptive state…

"Seizing the Future: How Ohio's Career and Technical Education Programs Fuse Academic Rigor and Real-World Experiences to Prepare Students for College and Work," demonstrates Ohio's progress in developing strong policies for career and technical education (CTE) programs to promote rigor, including college- and career-ready graduation…

Purpose: This study makes a distinction between a school having high attrition and one having difficulties in hiring. It does so by exploring the relationship between definitions of hard-to-staff schools, school demographics, and school conditions that are often associated with a school being hard-to-staff. Research Design: The study relies on a…

In the era of No Child Left Behind, principals are increasingly held accountable for student performance. But are teacher labor agreements giving them enough flexibility to manage effectively? This study answers this question and others. It examines how much flexibility school leaders enjoy on key dimensions of management in America's fifty…

The purpose of this study was to compare secondary agricultural educators' perceptions of the benefits and problems associated with teaching agricultural education and being involved in other part-time employment activities. The sample consisted of 107 agricultural educators nonrandomly selected from three states. Sixty-nine usable questionnaires…

This second report of the Commission on Public School Personnel Policies in Ohio is concerned with teacher tenure in the state of Ohio and need for changes in the tenure law. The basic positions of the commission are that teachers should be protected against arbitrary and unwarranted action by their employers but that professional incompetence…

Discusses Ohio's experience with public employee collective negotiation in the absence of comprehensive statutes governing such negotiation. (JF)

Empirical evidence of tax shelter usage is sparse. These data add weight to earlier concerns about whether tax incentives to save for retirement benefit upper-income groups more than middle- and lower-income groups and present the importance of different sources of income in providing retirement funds for this group. (Author/RC)

Although states have maintained a focus on recruiting and retaining teachers, many schools and districts still face daunting challenges in ensuring a qualified and competent teaching corps. It is particularly difficult for schools considered hard to staff-those with high concentrations of low-performing, low-income students; high teacher turnover;…

Key findings from the 1996 Ohio Education Supply and Demand Study are presented, covering the areas of current educator employment; enrollment and population; population projections; gender; race; age and experience; employment prospects; and long-term supply and demand outlook. Analysis of the data indicated: (1) the number of school-age children…

The nature and characteristics of part-time faculty members in the state of Ohio were studied, based on a survey of 22 institutions, including four-year public and private and two-year or community colleges. Questionnaire responses were analyzed from 1,590 part-time faculty members and 335 administrators. Case studies also were conducted to obtain…

This manual is intended to aid school board members in developing an organizational structure within the school district management team that will facilitate efficient and effective response to teacher strikes. In addition to discussing the development of an appropriate organizational structure, the manual also provides tactical advice, presents…

Addresses the issue of substitute teacher shortages in Ohio schools. Describes three studies conducted to determine the availability of substitute teachers and the impact of shortages. Poses solutions, including hiring more permanent substitutes, rescheduling teacher meetings to work around substitute availability, and increasing substitute…