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Title:  Evaluation of Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago
Description: The WWC quick review of the report "An Evaluation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago" reviews a study that examined whether the Chicago Teacher Advancement Program, which provides financial incentives for teachers, leads to improved student achievement and teacher retention. The study analyzed data on more than 67,000 students in grades 4 through 8 and on more than 8,000 teachers in about 260 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools system. Academic achievement in reading and math was measured using the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, administered in spring of the second study year. Teacher retention was measured as the percentage of teachers who returned to their district and school after the second study year. Study authors found that, compared with a group of matched comparison schools, students at the 16 Teacher Advancement Program schools did not have significantly higher scores on state reading or mathematics tests. The authors reported no significant effect of the Teacher Advancement Program on teacher retention at either the school or district level. The WWC rated the research described in this report as meets WWC evidence standards with reservations but offers a word of caution to readers that the groups of students, teachers, and schools compared in the analysis may have differed from each other in ways not controlled for in the analysis.
Online Availability:
Cover Date: September 2010
Web Release: September 29, 2010
Publication #: WWC QRTAP0929
Center/Program: WWC
Associated Centers: NCEE
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Type of Product: Quick Review
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