Events and Presentations
Events
Christopher Thorn, Sara Kraemer, and Jeff Watson from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) gave a presentation entitled "When Worlds Collide—Data Quality and Program Evaluation PK–20" at the 23rd Annual MIS Conference March 3–5, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. Their presentation focused on the federal policy agenda's radical increase of requirements for data quality and data exchange between educational organizations.
Robert Meyer (WCER) gave a presentation discussing value-added models at the Center for K–12 Assessment & Performance Management Exploratory Seminar: Measurement Challenges Within the Race to the Top Agenda, December 2009. His paper, co-authored by Emin Dokumaci, "Value-Added Models and the Next Generation of Assessments" discusses some of the fundamental features of value-added models, with particular focus on the interaction between the design and interpretation of value-added models and the design and properties of student assessments. It also presents a case study using actual state and district data from Wisconsin.
Presentations by CECR Staff in the Field
CECR Partners Anthony Milanowski (WCER), Julia Koppich (Koppich & Associates), and Patrick Schuermann (Vanderbilt University) presented at the American Education Finance Association (AEFA) Annual Conference in Richmond Virginia on March 18–20. Their session focused on the nuts and bolts of designing and implementing incentive compensation plans for K–12 educators. Their paper addresses specific teacher and principal compensation initiatives that have been in operation for at least one year. They describe how the program designs were implemented, the common problems faced in implementation, and the innovative solutions program administrators and technical assistance providers developed to respond.
Steven Kimball (WCER) presented a paper co-authored by CECR partner Anthony Milanowski (WCER) and Herbert Heneman at the American Education Finance Association (AEFA) Annual Conference in Richmond Virginia on March 18–20. Their paper, "Principal as Human Capital Manager: Evidence from Two Large Districts" discusses the roles principals play in managing school personnel, and presents results from interviews/surveys conducted in two large, urban US districts.
Cynthia Prince, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University gave a presentation on financial sustainability at the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices meeting "Policy Academy on Creating New Models of Teacher Compensation."
In August, Cynthia Prince, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University gave a presentation on program sustainability at the Nashville Teacher Compensation Reform Forum 127 KB PowerPoint for the Nashville Public Schools.
In September 2009, James Guthrie, Ph.D., and Patrick Schuermann, Ed.D., of Vanderbilt University and Sabrina Laine, Ph.D., of Learning Point Associates presented at the Teacher Quality and Compensation Forum in Guilford County, North Carolina. Their presentations covered why teacher quality matters, how performance-based compensation fits into the educator career continuum, and how to design a strategic and effective program. See an announcement about this meeting on the Guilford County Schools website.
In October 2009, James Guthrie, Ph.D., and Patrick Schuermann, Ed.D., of Vanderbilt University, presented at the REL Midwest Connecting Research to Practice Event Educator Compensation: Performance Pay, Pensions, and Promising Practices. Resources from the event are available online.
