The Worker Retraining (WRT) program is a key strategy in meeting the economic and workforce needs of Washington's workers and employers. Funded through the state legislature, the aim of WRT is to ensure dislocated and other unemployed workers have access to education and training that will help them reattach to the labor market in jobs and careers…

The purpose of this study is to answer key questions about the structure of certificates and their function in employability and degree attainment in the Washington State Community and Technical College (CTC) System. Specifically, this study addresses the following: (1) Do certificates play a role in helping students progress along career pathways…

Objective: This study evaluates the postgraduate earnings of students with an applied baccalaureate (AB) degree compared to the earnings of students with the same associate degree but no baccalaureate degree. The research questions include the following: For those students who earn an AB degree, does it result in higher earnings than the associate…

Most public school teachers in the United States are enrolled in defined benefit (DB) pension plans. Using administrative micro data from four states, combined with national pension funding data, we show these plans have accumulated substantial unfunded liabilities -- effectively debt -- owing to previous plan operations. On average across 49…

Gainful employment and earnings to support a family living are significant policy goals of the applied baccalaureate program. Therefore, employment is an important metric to study; however, there are limitations in the data and process used in past reports that make understanding the true impact of applied baccalaureate programs on an individuals'…

Washington's community and technical colleges (CTCs) play an important role in producing baccalaureate degree graduates in the state. They expand opportunities for both graduates and employers, build upon professional-technical associate degrees, and provide a clear pathway for students who may be place bound or have difficulty finding a transfer…

This report provides the results of analysis of more than 40,000 students who received baccalaureate degrees from the public baccalaureate institutions in Washington during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years. The purpose of this study was to follow students after graduation to determine the extent to which degree recipients were able to secure…

Reform advocates and policymakers concerned about the quality and distribution of teachers support proposals of alternative compensation for teachers in hard-to-hire subject areas, hard-to-staff schools, and with special knowledge and skills. The successful implementation of such proposals depends in large part on teacher attitudes. The current…

The concept of comparable worth is criticized for possible problems it could cause in the assessment of comparable values of different occupational categories, the cost to taxpayers, and the chaos it could cause in the economic system. (MD)

While the continuing wage gap between men and women, Whites and non-Whites has been well documented, the purpose of this study was to examine the role which discrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity as well as sex plays in the setting of wages. Whether pay equity is an effective means of remedying race-based wage discrimination was also…

Analysis of career histories of 9,756 Washington teachers using a transition probability model shows that teachers work for less time in districts that spend more for administrators or nonteachers, female teachers stay longer when teacher salaries increase relative to other local jobs, and male teachers stay longer when teachers are paid more…

The Washington State Council for Postsecondary Education reviews current faculty salaries within the context of the Council's policy recommendations in the 1975-77 biennium and in terms of comparisons with various measures of competition. Recommendations are made to the state legislature to provide funds to increase faculty and other exempt…

A review of current faculty salaries within the context of the Washington Council for Postsecondary Education policy position includes comparison with various measures of competition and the effect of past, present, and projected increases in the cost of living. Tables include listing for: average faculty salaries; consumer price index for fiscal…

An understanding of the technical aspects of comparable worth and the role of job evaluation should help college presidents and administrators to influence legislation effectively or to prepare for comparable worth in ways that preserve the integrity of their institutions. The Washington State case is discussed. (MLW)