Category: Working Papers

Authors: Matthew T. Hora January 2018, 35 pp. Abstract: With the increasing price tag of college and rising student debt, the employability of graduates is a dominant narrative shaping postsecondary policy and practice. Yet, completion and the acquisition of a credential alone do not guarantee employment, and research on hiring reveals its subjective aspects, particularly …

Authors: Peter T. Goff, Ellie M. Bruecker September 2017, 20 pp. Abstract: A considerable body of work has addressed teacher labor markets and the sorting of teachers within and among school districts. Many studies have focused on urban schools within teacher labor markets, but far less research has examined teacher supply and demand among rural …

Authors: Eric Grodsky, Yiyue Huangfu, H. Rose Miesner, Chiara Packard September 2017, 21 pp. Abstract: Wisconsin’s gaps between Black and white student high school graduation rates and Black and white fourth-grade math and reading scores are the largest in the nation. These inequalities have led to criticisms of Wisconsin’s schools and teachers as ineffective in …

Authors: Matthew T. Hora, Chelsea A. Blackburn Cohen July 2017, 37 pp. Abstract: The employability of college students is one of postsecondary education’s most pressing concerns in the United States and China, especially when it comes to the possible overproduction of bachelor’s-trained students and “skills gaps” where jobs go unfilled due to inadequately prepared graduates. In …

Authors: H. Gary Cook, Narek Sahakyan, Robert Linquanti March 2017, 27 pp. Abstract: The authors develop model analyses based on a U.S. Department of Education guide to illustrate procedures a state could use to compare and contrast school-level overall and English Learner accountability determinations for proficiency in reading/language arts under the options allowed by the …

Authors: Matthew T. Hora, Ross J. Benbow, Amanda K. Oleson December 2016, 65 pp. Abstract: The idea of a skills gap suggests that employers have jobs available but cannot find skilled applicants because higher education is poorly aligned with workforce needs. This idea is shaping higher education and workforce development policy at the national and …

Authors: Ahyoung Alicia Kim, Akira Kondo, Alissa Blair, Lorena Mancilla, Mark Chapman, Carsten Wilmes November 2016, 22 pp. Abstract: WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS), annually taken by approximately two million K–12 English language learners (ELLs) in the United States, is a large-scale exam for assessing their English proficiency. ACCESS measures four language domains: listening, speaking, …

Authors: Rich Halverson, Julie Kallio, Sarah Hackett, Erica Halverson October 2016, 23 pp. Abstract: This paper describes how the idea of participatory culture can provide a robust model for thinking about emerging learning practices in digital media spaces, in and out of schools. Although schools implement technologies intended to improve achievement, technologies in the wild …

Authors: Steven M. Kimball, Herbert G. Heneman III, Robin Worth, Jessica Arrigoni, Daniel Marlin August 2016, 42 pp. Abstract: In the past several years, many Wisconsin school districts have initiated transformations to their teacher compensation systems. Although some state media coverage has focused on pay changes, few sources describe the variety and scope of compensation …

Authors: Bailey B. Smolarek, Matthew T. Hora August 2016, 26 pp. Abstract: Drawing on insights from culturally responsive K-12 education frameworks and dual process theory, this qualitative study explores the situated nature of reflective practice among postsecondary faculty and calls for increased critical awareness and institutional support. Through interviews with 21 California research university faculty, …