<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Forwarded courtesy of a friend and fellow Viz contributor (thanks).<br><br><div>Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .</div><div><br></div><div>"Moscow Cares"</div><div><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div><div> </div><div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div class="WordSection1">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white">Announcing the new research brief,
<em><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Improving Teacher Effectiveness</span></em>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white">Email not displaying correctly?<br>
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e-news<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050">Idaho KIDS COUNT would like to share the following announcements with you.<br>
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You can also <a href="http://idahokidscount.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=a3b0b95baf99a5a67cfdfc330&id=56b454cedb&e=087753abb8" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#336699">follow us on Facebook</span></a> for more frequent updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<h2>New Research Brief on Teacher Effectiveness and Merit Pay<o:p></o:p></h2>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#575555">Teacher merit pay as a means to improve instruction is attracting attention nationally as well as in Idaho. Idaho KIDS COUNT set out to bring the best evidence available
to this policy conversation. <br>
<br>
We reviewed the three most rigorous studies we found from across the country. These studies were designed with control groups, much like clinical trials. Across all three studies, financial incentives had negligible and sometimes negative impacts on student
achievement. These findings may be counter-intuitive, but they are actually consistent with research from the private sector. The London School of Economics reviewed 51 corporate pay-for-performance plans and found that financial incentives could
<em><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">negatively</span></em> impact performance in the business world.<br>
<br>
Improving teacher effectiveness remains a critical goal. Training, evaluation, and feedback have been shown to help teachers increase student success. In our state, the Idaho Early Literacy Project, a program of the Lee Pesky Learning Center, had substantial
success in improving reading skills through training and mentorship. While the initiative trained early education instructors, it provides a model for the K-12 system. Additional research in teacher training and evaluation can help refine and guide these approaches.<br>
<br>
Please see the full research brief, <em><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://idahokidscount.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=a3b0b95baf99a5a67cfdfc330&id=6d8b304f18&e=087753abb8" target="_blank"><span style="color:#E17A2F">Improving
Teacher Effectiveness: </span></a><a href="http://idahokidscount.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a3b0b95baf99a5a67cfdfc330&id=f5907a573f&e=087753abb8"><span style="color:#E17A2F">Training and evaluation hold promise where monetary rewards fall short</span></a></span></em>,
and the related <a href="http://idahokidscount.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a3b0b95baf99a5a67cfdfc330&id=a4a1e6cfb0&e=087753abb8" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#E17A2F">news release</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2>Interview with Idaho KIDS COUNT Director Lauren Necochea<o:p></o:p></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#575555">Watch
<a href="http://idahokidscount.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a3b0b95baf99a5a67cfdfc330&id=ddb228e752&e=087753abb8" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#E17A2F">here</span></a> as Lauren Necochea discusses the research on teacher merit pay. Additional interview video clips are posted on
<a href="http://idahokidscount.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a3b0b95baf99a5a67cfdfc330&id=3f714c0bbb&e=087753abb8" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#E17A2F">www.idahokidscount.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:125%"><em><span style="font-size:8.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white">Copyright © 2012 Idaho KIDS COUNT, All rights reserved.</span></em><span style="font-size:8.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white"><br>
You are receiving this email because you have opted to receive communications from Idaho KIDS COUNT.<br>
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