Performance-Based Compensation: Design and Implementation at Six Teacher Incentive Fund Sites

Examines preliminary outcomes for student achievement, stakeholder support, recruitment and retention, and changes in school cultures; success factors; challenges; and the role of states and districts in implementation and financial sustainability

Desenvolvimento de liderança de professores: Monitoramento do progresso de um distrito durante três anos

This study tracks the progress of one Iowa school district over the course of three years through its implementation of a Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) model, designed in response to a statewide TLC system initiative. A survey administered at baseline and at the conclusion of each of three pilot years measured teacher leadership development, identified specific areas for improvements, and guided the district’s teacher leadership support efforts. Scores from the items demonstrated evidence of reliability and district leaders reported that resulting data were beneficial to an implementation plan that yielded increased planned retention and improved practice, two goals for the TLC model. Implications for the use of the survey tool, policy, and practice around teacher leadership development are discussed in the context of the collective leadership of teachers and administrators together. Este estudio monitorea el progreso de un distrito escolar de Iowa a lo largo de tres años, a través de la implementación de un modelo de Liderazgo y Compensación de Maestros (TLC), proyectado en respuesta a una iniciativa del sistema estatal de TLC. Una investigación administrada al inicio del estudio y en la conclusión de cada uno de los tres años piloto midió el desarrollo del liderazgo del maestro, identificó áreas específicas para mejoras y orientó los esfuerzos de apoyo al liderazgo docente del distrito. Las puntuaciones de los ítems demostraron evidencias de confiabilidad y los líderes distritales relataron que los datos resultantes fueron beneficiosos para un plan de implementación que resultó en mayor retención planificada y mejor práctica, dos objetivos para el modelo de TLC. Las implicaciones para el uso de la herramienta de investigación, política y práctica en torno al desarrollo del liderazgo del maestro se discuten en el contexto del liderazgo colectivo de maestros y administradores en conjunto.Este estudo monitora o progresso de um distrito escolar de Iowa ao longo de três anos, através da implementação de um modelo de Liderança e Compensação de Docentes (TLC), projetado em resposta a uma iniciativa do sistema estadual de TLC. Uma pesquisa administrada no início do estudo e na conclusão de cada um dos três anos-piloto mediu o desenvolvimento da liderança do docente, identificou áreas específicas para melhorias e orientou os esforços de apoio à liderança docente do distrito. As pontuações dos itens demonstraram evidências de confiabilidade e os líderes distritais relataram que os dados resultantes foram benéficos para um plano de implementação que resultou em maior retenção planejada e melhor prática, dois objetivos para o modelo de TLC. Implicações para o uso da ferramenta de pesquisa, política e prática em torno do desenvolvimento da liderança do docente são discutidas no contexto da liderança coletiva de professores e administradores em conjunto

The interaction of class and gender in illness narratives

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2008 BSA Publications Ltd.Perspectives on gender and identity that emphasize variability of performance, local context and individual agency have displaced earlier paradigms.These are now perceived to have supported gender stereotypes and language ideologies by emphasizing gender difference and homogeneity within genders. In a secondary analysis of health and illness narratives we explore the interaction of class and gender in individuals' constructions of gendered identity. High social class men perform gender in particularly varied ways and we speculate that this variable repertoire, including the use of what was once termed `women's language', is linked to a capacity to maintain social distinction and authority. Men's performance of conventional masculinity is often threatened by both the experience of illness and being interviewed about personal experience. Lower social class women in particular demonstrate an intensification of a pre-existing informal family and support group culture, marking successful members by awarding them the accolade of being `lovely'.ESR

Identifying and characterising price leadership in British supermarkets

Price leadership is a concept that lacks precision. We propose a deliberately narrow, falsifiable, definition then develop it, illustrate its feasibility and test it using the two leading British supermarket chains. We find both firms engaging in leading prices upward over a range of products, with the larger being initially more dominant but the smaller increasing leadership activity to take overall leadership over time. However, more price leadership events are price reductions than price increases, consistently led by the smaller firm. Nevertheless, the increases are of larger monetary amounts than the falls, so average basket price increases over time

Structure evolution of soft magnetic (Fe36Co36B19.2Si4.8Nb4)100−xCux (x=0 and 0.5) bulk glassy alloys

AbstractFully amorphous rods with diameters up to 2mm diameter were obtained upon 0.5at.% Cu addition to the Fe36Co36B19.2Si4.8Nb4 bulk metallic glass. The Cu-added glass shows a very good thermal stability but, in comparison with the Cu-free base alloy, the entire crystallization behavior is drastically changed. Upon heating, the glassy (Fe36Co36B19.2Si4.8Nb4)99.5Cu0.5 samples show two glass transitions-like events, separated by an interval of more than 100K, in between which a bcc-(Fe,Co) solid solution is formed. The soft magnetic properties are preserved upon Cu-addition and the samples show a saturation magnetization of 1.1T combined with less than 2A/m coercivity. The relaxation behavior prior to crystallization, as well as the crystallization behavior, were studied by time-resolved X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. It was found that both glassy alloys behave similar at temperatures below the glass transition. Irreversible structural transformations take place when approaching the glass transition and in the supercooled liquid region

Cryptic Eimeria genotypes are common across the southern but not northern hemisphere

The phylum Apicomplexa includes parasites of medical, zoonotic and veterinary significance. Understanding the global distribution and genetic diversity of these protozoa is of fundamental importance for efficient, robust and long-lasting methods of control. Eimeria spp. cause intestinal coccidiosis in all major livestock animals and are the most important parasites of domestic chickens in terms of both economic impact and animal welfare. Despite having significant negative impacts on the efficiency of food production, many fundamental questions relating to the global distribution and genetic variation of Eimeria spp. remain largely unanswered. Here, we provide the broadest map yet of Eimeria occurrence for domestic chickens, confirming that all the known species (Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria mitis, Eimeria necatrix, Eimeria praecox, Eimeria tenella) are present in all six continents where chickens are found (including 21 countries). Analysis of 248 internal transcribed spacer sequences derived from 17 countries provided evidence of possible allopatric diversity for species such as E. tenella (FST values ⩽0.34) but not E. acervulina and E. mitis, and highlighted a trend towards widespread genetic variance. We found that three genetic variants described previously only in Australia and southern Africa (operational taxonomic units x, y and z) have a wide distribution across the southern, but not the northern hemisphere. While the drivers for such a polarised distribution of these operational taxonomic unit genotypes remains unclear, the occurrence of genetically variant Eimeria may pose a risk to food security and animal welfare in Europe and North America should these parasites spread to the northern hemisphere

The interaction of age and gender in illness narratives

Recognition of the greater capacity of older women to draw on supportive social networks has now supplemented an earlier focus of research into gender and ageing which portrayed older men as a 'privileged gerontocracy' because of their greater access to financial resources and spousal care. This study of the experiences of cancer among people of three different age groups conducted a comparative keyword analysis of their narratives to consider the gender differentiation of a third resource: access to medical information and personnel. The analysed narratives were sampled from a large archive of research interviews. It was found that older men with cancer demonstrated a greater involvement with medicine as an expert system than younger men or women or older women. This stemmed from their social confidence when interacting with doctors and their interest in treating their illness as a 'problem' to be fixed with medico-scientific solutions. Compared with younger men and women of all ages, older men were less likely to draw on informal social and family networks for support, or to discuss in a direct style the emotional dimension of illness experience. Our findings contrast with other studies that have reported linguistic disadvantage in older people in elderly care settings, which underlines the importance of context for linguistic studies. © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Compulsive checking behavior of quinpirole-sensitized rats as an animal model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD): form and control

BACKGROUND: A previous report showed that the open field behavior of rats sensitized to the dopamine agonist quinpirole satisfies 5 performance criteria for compulsive checking behavior. In an effort to extend the parallel between the drug-induced phenomenon and human obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the present study investigated whether the checking behavior of quinpirole rats is subject to interruption, which is an attribute characteristic of OCD compulsions. For this purpose, the rat's home-cage was placed into the open field at the beginning or the middle of a 2-hr test. RESULTS: Introduction of the home-cage reduced checking behavior, as rats stayed inside the cage. After 40 min, checking resurfaced, as quinpirole rats exited the home-cage often. An unfamiliar cage had no such effects on quinpirole rats or saline controls. CONCLUSIONS: Checking behavior induced by quinpirole is not irrepressible but can be suspended. Results strengthen the quinpirole preparation as an animal model of OCD compulsive checking