Pay for Performance

"Options for Studying Teacher Pay Reform Using Natural Experiments." Steven Glazerman, Tim Silva, Nii Addy, Sarah Avellar, Jeffrey Max, Allison McKie, Brenda Natzke, Michael Puma, Patrick Wolf, and Rachel Ungerer Greszler, March 2006. Paying teachers for their performance rather than solely on experience and education is not a new idea, but it is gaining traction in today's climate of educational accountability. Yet the research has not kept up with policy, in part because most programs do not last long enough to be studied rigorously. This report documents an effort to identify over 100 teacher pay reform programs across the nation that might be studied retrospectively using existing data, to inform policymakers about how to structure a successful teacher incentive program. The authors profile seven programs for which data exist to evaluate impacts on teacher productivity or recruitment and retention; they also outline a research design for carrying out these studies.

Fathers and Families

A new special double issue of Parenting: Science and Practice titled Early Head Start Fathers and Children, April-September 2006, addresses the nature and consequences of fathering in low-income families. Based on the national evaluation of Early Head Start, the eight articles offer insight into how fathers are involved in family life. Read more about the Early Head Start study.

Mathematica researchers co-authored the following articles:

1. "The Early Head Start Father Studies: Design, Data Collection, and Summary of Father Presence in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers.” Kimberly Boller, Robert Bradley, Natasha Cabrera, Helen Raikes, Barbara Pan, Jeffrey Shears, and Lori Roggman. This introduction provides an overview of the research and policy context for the Early Head Start Father Studies, which began in 1997. The studies addressed key questions about low-income fathers and their children (all under 3 years old), using a variety of data collection approaches. The article describes methods and response rates, father demographics, and father-child relationship status.

2. “The Meaning of ‘Good Fatherhood’: Low-Income Fathers’ Social Constructions of Their Roles.” Jean Ann Summers, Kimberly Boller, Rachel F. Schiffman, and Helen H. Raikes. To gain a better understanding of how low-income fathers of young children think about their role, researchers asked fathers of 24-month-old children what “good fatherhood” means to them. Fathers identified four broad responsibilities: (1) providing a stable environment, (2) teaching their children, (3) fostering physical interaction, and (4) giving emotional support. Overall, fathers articulated a strong sense of commitment and intentionality in their plans for interactions with their children. The findings provide opportunities for service providers and policymakers to develop strategies to support fathers’ abilities to carry out their intentions.

3. “Relation Between Father Connectedness and Child Outcomes.” Cheri A. Vogel, Robert H. Bradley, Helen Raikes, Kimberly Boller, and Jeffrey Shears. This article examines the relation between low-income fathers’ presence in their children’s lives and children’s early developmental outcomes. Children with resident or involved nonresident biological fathers showed higher levels of self-regulation and lower levels of aggression than children with unstable father connections. Children with involved nonresident biological fathers were better off than children who had transient relationships with their fathers. However, relations appear to differ by race and ethnicity, with the most straightforward relations for European Americans and Latin Americans.

4. “Two Studies of Father Involvement in Early Head Start Programs: A National Survey and a Demonstration Program Evaluation.” Helen Raikes and Jeanne Bellotti. Using data from a population survey of 261 Early Head Start programs and a father involvement demonstration of 21 programs, the authors examine the extent to which fathers participate in Early Head Start intervention programs for infants and toddlers. Fathers were present in the lives of a majority of Early Head Start children—70 percent in the national study and 76 percent in the demonstration study. Fifty-nine percent of resident fathers and 30 percent of nonresident fathers reported participating in the Early Head Start program. Nearly a quarter of the fathers had high levels of participation (attended three or more events a month).

On the Move: Staff News

Senior fellow Robert Whitaker will speak at an Institute of Medicine workshop sponsored by the National Academies Committee on the Impact of Pregnancy Weight on Maternal and Child Health, May 30 to 31, in Washington, DC. He will be a discussant for "Maternal Weight and Gestational Weight Gain as Direct Predictors and Moderators of Infant and Child Growth and Health." The workshop will examine research that (1) describes the distribution of maternal weight before, during, and after pregnancy among different populations of women in the United States; (2) informs the understanding of the effects of different weight patterns during pregnancy on maternal and child health outcomes; and (3) examines the individual, community, and health care system factors that impede or foster compliance with recommended gestational weight guidelines.

ACF Conference Presentations

Mathematica's experts will be presenting at the Administration for Children and Families Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference in Arlington, VA, from June 5 to 7. This conference serves as a forum for welfare researchers, state administrators, and federal officials to discuss the latest findings in evaluations of welfare programs and policies, strategize about ways to incorporate evaluation results into the design and implementation of these programs and policies, and develop effective strategies to ensure continued sound evaluation. See a list of Mathematica staff presenting on topics related to maximizing self-sufficiency through work, supporting healthy marriages and strong families, and exploring methodological issues.

Mathematica staff present at a host of conferences of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers during the year—stay up-to-date with our conference calendar.

For more information, please contact Publications, 609-275-2350.