The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) provides grants to support performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals in high-need schools. The study measures the impact of pay-for-performance bonuses as part of a comprehensive compensation system within a large, multisite random assignment study design. The treatment schools were to…

The experimental evaluation of the "Tools of the Mind Pre-K Curriculum" described in this report was designed to examine the effectiveness of the "Tools of the Mind" ("Tools") curriculum for enhancing children's self-regulation skills and their academic preparation for kindergarten when compared to the usual…

This study investigated the importance and meaning of the role of observation in teachers' assessment of student achievement. Seven questions were used as a guide by the researchers: 1) What do teachers mean when they rate observation as their most important source of information for assessing student achievement? 2) What role do teachers'…

Data were collected in a teacher effectiveness study on the interaction of teachers and first grade students while the students participated in reading groups within intact classrooms. The teacher behavior variables were then related to students achievement using three units of analysis: class means, reading group means within classes, and student…

The objective of this study was to determine whether there were verbal interaction differences between junior/community college and university settings and among disciplines. Theoretically, student achievement and student attitudes are influenced by the types of verbal interactions taking place within classrooms. Forty-eight different classes…

The primary emphasis of the Texas Junior High School Study was the investigation of process-outcome relationships in 136 junior high school math and English classes. A total of 68 teachers were observed in nine junior high schools in a large urban school district. Teachers also responded to a questionnaire and an interview focusing on presage…

This book describes the results of film study of every day events in day care. It focuses on teacher and child behavior as they interact at meals, naps, and play, and proposes that minute examination of what actually happens to children in specific situations is necessary to identify the kinds of positive behaviors caregivers want to build on, as…

This volume, part of the Junior High School Transition Study which examined students' adjustment to junior high school, reports on findings related to instructional organization in elementary and junior high schools. Chapter 1 presents a brief overview of the project and outlines the theoretical framework used to describe and compare the ways in…