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Roddy Theobald

@roddy-theobald.bsky.social

36 Posts375 Follower513 Folgt
SPARC Center@sparccenter.bsky.social · 2d ago

This week, we welcome Hannah Kistler to our first cohort of SPARC scholars! 🌟 Hannah's research uses quantitative methods to study how education policies affect teacher supply and student outcomes, with an emphasis on schools in historically underserved communities.

A graphic featuring a headshot of Hannah Kistler. She smiles in front of a light gray background. She is wearing a green sweater and brown hair. Above the headshot reads: “Hannah Kistler SPARC Scholar 2026-2027.” Below the headshot are text boxes with the SPARC logo, the SPARC website domain, and a text box reading “Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Policy & Leadership at the University at Albany”.
The 74@the74.bsky.social · 2d ago

Arcane language, opaque processes and inconsistent communication often leave families unable to get the special education services their children need. One parent described it as "playing a game I didn't have the rules to" buff.ly/afFX4Ki

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Gema Zamarro@gzamarro.bsky.social · 4d ago

Happy to share that our paper “Raising the Floor: Teacher Retention Effects of a Statewide Minimum Salary Increase” is now available at Education Finance and Policy: direct.mit.edu/edfp/article...

Raising the Floor: Teacher Retention Effects of a Statewide Minimum Salary Increase

Abstract. Attracting and retaining a high-quality teacher workforce is a central challenge for education policy, and higher teacher salaries are often proposed as a solution. The LEARNS Act increased ...

direct.mit.edu

Gema Zamarro@gzamarro.bsky.social · last mo.

Final version of a paper finally sent for publication after acceptance. First version of the same paper submitted to the journal in 2024!

CEEDAR Center@ceedarcenter.bsky.social · last wk.

How can workforce data strengthen the special education educator pipeline? 📊 Join CEEDARCenter + SPARC Center next week to learn how leaders are using workforce data & Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs to address shortages and build a stronger educator workforce! Bit.ly/rtapwebinar

Webinar promotional graphic titled "Leveraging Data and Apprenticeships to Strengthen the Educator Workforce," scheduled for September 24 from 2–3 pm ET, presented by the CEEDAR Center and SPARC Center. Image includes headshots and titles for four panelists: James Meadows, PhD (Founding Dean and Director, Washington Education Association Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching); Roddy Theobald, PhD (Senior Policy Researcher at RAND and Co-Director at SPARC Center); Lisa White, EdD (Apprenticeship Team Coordinator at CEEDAR); and Meghan Wills, MPP (Content Expert at CEEDAR and Senior Technical Assistance Consultant at American Institutes for Research).
SPARC Center@sparccenter.bsky.social · last wk.

Tune in to our webinar next Thursday 9/24 with @ceedarcenter.bsky.social, where leaders will share how Washington state is using workforce data to strengthen the #TeacherPipeline.

CEEDAR Center@ceedarcenter.bsky.social · last wk.

How can workforce data strengthen the special education educator pipeline? 📊 Join CEEDARCenter + SPARC Center next week to learn how leaders are using workforce data & Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs to address shortages and build a stronger educator workforce! Bit.ly/rtapwebinar

Webinar promotional graphic titled "Leveraging Data and Apprenticeships to Strengthen the Educator Workforce," scheduled for September 24 from 2–3 pm ET, presented by the CEEDAR Center and SPARC Center. Image includes headshots and titles for four panelists: James Meadows, PhD (Founding Dean and Director, Washington Education Association Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching); Roddy Theobald, PhD (Senior Policy Researcher at RAND and Co-Director at SPARC Center); Lisa White, EdD (Apprenticeship Team Coordinator at CEEDAR); and Meghan Wills, MPP (Content Expert at CEEDAR and Senior Technical Assistance Consultant at American Institutes for Research).
Aaron Ainsworth@ajainsworth.bsky.social · last wk.

I’m excited to share a new EdWorkingPaper with @andydebarros.bsky.social. Evaluations are an increasingly common way school systems globally are trying to help teachers improve, but is more always better? A 🧵 doi.org/10.26300/ms3...

Evaluation Scores and Student Learning under Compulsory Teacher Re-Evaluation

We examine how lower-performing public school teachers respond to more frequent formative evaluations. A 2011 reform in Chile required teachers rated "basic" (the second-lowest category) to be re-eval...

doi.org

SPARC Center@sparccenter.bsky.social · 2w ago

How can states use workforce data and apprenticeship programs to identify and address critical #SpecialEducator shortages? Register for our upcoming webinar with @ceedarcenter.bsky.social to hear how Washington state is making data-driven decisions to transform the educator pipeline.

CEEDAR Center@ceedarcenter.bsky.social · 3w ago

Data + apprenticeships = new possibilities for strengthening the special education workforce. 📊 Join CEEDAR Center + SPARC Center on Sept. 24 to explore how workforce data and RTAPs can help address shortages and build stronger educator pipelines. ➡️ Bit.ly/rtapwebinar

Webinar promotional graphic titled "Leveraging Data and Apprenticeships to Strengthen the Educator Workforce," scheduled for September 24 from 2–3 pm ET, presented by the CEEDAR Center and SPARC Center. Image includes headshots and titles for four panelists: James Meadows, PhD (Founding Dean and Director, Washington Education Association Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching); Roddy Theobald, PhD (Senior Policy Researcher at RAND and Co-Director at SPARC Center); Lisa White, EdD (Apprenticeship Team Coordinator at CEEDAR); and Meghan Wills, MPP (Content Expert at CEEDAR and Senior Technical Assistance Consultant at American Institutes for Research).
Gema Zamarro@gzamarro.bsky.social · last mo.

We’re hiring! The University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform is seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Education Policy. Come and work with us! uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UAF_Ex...

Assistant Professor of Education Policy

Current University of Arkansas System employees, including student employees and graduate assistants, need to log in to Workday via MyApps.Microsoft.com, then access Find Jobs from the Workday search ...

uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com

Robert Kelchen@robertkelchen.com · last mo.

I have a new Education Finance and Policy article on whether responsibility center management budget models incentivize public universities to launch new master's degree programs. The answer seems to be no, but I hope this sparks more research. Journal version linked below, open link in comments.

Do Responsibility Center Management Budget Models Encourage Entrepreneurship? Evidence from Master’s Programs at Public Universities

Abstract. More than 50 public research universities have adopted responsibility center management (RCM) budget models that are designed to encourage units within universities to become more entreprene...

direct.mit.edu

Bruce D. Baker@schoolfinance101.bsky.social · last mo.

Unpacking Racial Disparities in School Spending: Why “progressiveness” and “comparability” are not enough edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1558

Unpacking Racial Disparities in School Spending: Why “progressiveness” and “comparability” are not enough

Studies of racial and economic disparities in school funding typically rely on simple spending comparisons or "progressiveness" measures that ignore variation in the cost of achieving common education...

edworkingpapers.com

Mary Laski@marylaski.com · last mo.

🚨⬇️🚨 New working paper out!!! 🚨⬇️🚨 caldercenter.org/publications... Pleased to share this paper with Calen Clifton and @cedr.bsky.social on the impact of Next Education Workforce team-based teaching models in Arizona. We find interesting variation in impacts across grades and subjects... (1/6)

Evidence on Team-Based Teaching Models in Arizona | CALDER Center

caldercenter.org

CALDER Center@caldercenter.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New CALDER paper by @marylaski.com, Calen Clifton, & @cedr.bsky.social studies the impact of team teaching in AZ. Student achievement effects are mostly null overall, but middle school math improves. Teachers also see lower turnover & higher evaluation ratings. Read: caldercenter.org/publications...

Evidence on Team-Based Teaching Models in Arizona Mary Laski, Calen Clifton, & Dan Goldhaber CALDER Working Paper No. 343-0826 August 2026 Abstract: Strategic staffing models are scaling rapidly nationwide. We study the impacts of a team teaching model implemented in one large district in Arizona over several years. We exploit the staggered rollout over time in a difference-in-differences design to estimate effects on student test achievement. We find overall null impacts on student learning, but important heterogeneity by grade and subject. In particular, we find consistently positive effects on middle school math achievement across all specifications, but negative effects at the elementary level in some specifications. Across grades and subjects, teamed teachers also have significantly lower turnover rates and higher evaluation ratings, but the patterns of effects are not consistent with the achievement results. The student achievement findings are broadly consistent with the literature on teacher-level departmentalization and suggest that benefits to team teaching can emerge in contexts where teaming increases collaboration without disrupting established teacher-student relationships, such as in already-departmentalized middle school grades.
Gema Zamarro@gzamarro.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Glad to see Arkansas represented and that my work with @jbmcgee.bsky.social could help inform this important article 👇

Matt Barnum@mattbarnum.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New: There's been a notable and, in many cases, sustained rise in teachers leaving the classroom over the last four to five years, according to new data I collected. The uptick in any one year was modest but the cumulative loss of teachers has been substantial. www.chalkbeat.org/2026/07/30/t...