Although downshifting from the superintendency to a principalship is an unusual career move, "Executive Educator" easily located five "born-again" principals to interview. Principals felt their job's shirt-sleeve intensity and chances to work with children compensated for lower pay and status. Four enjoyed shorter work hours. A…

Pay for performance is a popular public education reform, and millions of dollars are currently being targeted for pay for performance programs. These reforms are popular because economic and management theories suggest that well-designed incentive pay programs could improve teacher effectiveness. There is little evidence about the characteristics…

The State of Texas receives more from taxes paid by undocumented persons than it costs the state to provide them with public services, such as education, health care, corrections, and welfare. However, six Texas cities together expended more to provide services to undocumented aliens than they received in taxes. (RDN)

The Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program was federally- and state-funded and provided three-year grants to schools to design and implement performance pay plans from the 2005-06 to 2007-08 school years. GEEG was implemented in 99 high poverty, high performing Texas public schools. This report builds on the previous GEEG evaluation…

Includes "Introduction" (Ehrenberg); "Effect of the Minimum Wage [MW] on the Fast-Food Industry" (Katz, Krueger); "Using Regional Variation in Wages to Measure Effects of the Federal MW" (Card); "Do MWs Reduce Employment?" (Card); "Employment Effects of Minimum and Subminimum Wages" (Neumark,…

School systems interested in improving teacher performance, effectiveness, and job satisfaction while reducing turnover rates might do better to seek ways to enhance the intrinsic rewards of teaching rather than implement such extrinsic motivators as merit pay plans and career ladders. A review of the research literature brings several important…

This Texas edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

A study assessed the success of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs by examining current approaches, featuring operational and experimentally based measures, all using the individual as the unit observation. The research used Program Year 1990 JTPA termination and associated program participation records in Illinois and Texas. Two…

The economic impact of Texas higher education is examined in three areas: income (gross state product), payroll, and employment. Two alternative models are compared the net difference used to show the quantitative benefits of appropriations to selected public institutions rather than reduced tax rates. Impact is found to be positive, even without…

A study examined the relationship among gender, moral orientation, and pay. Although the participants were about equal in terms of gender, 48 males and 53 females, males tended to hold higher degrees. The researcher hypothesized that salaries would be differentiated based on gender and moral orientation. Assumptions were that care-oriented males…

The goal of this study was to determine the level of educational expenditure necessary to make ample provision for the education of all students, providing all students with the skills to meet long-term academic standards, pursue additional learning beyond high school, and become productive citizens and contributing members of society. This study…

A study to identify determinants of administrator salaries and school district salary decision-making processes is described in this report. A three-part methodology included a telephone survey of 23 out of 27 administrators, an analysis of formal district salary schedules, and a data analysis of state personnel files. The state records analysis…

A study examined Work Incentive (WIN) Demonstration programs in four states. The following programs were reviewed: Employment and Training Choices (in Massachusetts), Michigan Opportunity and Skills Training, the Employment Services Program (in Texas), and JOBS (in Oregon). A strict, across-the-board analysis of the programs was difficult because…

The second-year impacts of Texas' Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program for early participants were analyzed. A quasi-experimental study design was used to analyze data about 13,396 JOBS participants and 13,303 comparison group members. The analysis focused on the labor market outcomes of JOBS participants and their exits from and…

A study conducted in a rural and an urban county in Texas sought to determine factors affecting changes in occupational patterns taking place in selected Spanish American populations from each of the 2 areas. An attempt was also made to determine levels of living, income, education, and aspirations of parents for their children's futures. The…