Worksheet 6: Selecting the best public policy solution

Date: Based on February and March 2006 Meetings

Group Members: V. Johnson, M. Blount-Davis, T. Dao, K. Kavouras, K. Matos

Your problem (phrase):

Students display unsatisfactory academic achievement.

List the three public policy alternatives from Worksheet5. Create a short word or abbreviation to summarize each policy and write it at the end of each policy (see example).

1) Develop a more regular and visible system of student rewards. (Paychecks for Performance)

2) Assign Disruptive Students to a Separate Room. (A Separate Space)

3) Assign Advisors to Students. (Informal Advisory)

4) Assign School Service Tasks. (Service Tasks)

Use the format in the example to complete the matrix below:

EFFECTIVENESS	FEASIBILITY
		HIGH	MEDIUM	LOW
	HIGH			Informal Advisory
	MEDIUM	A Separate Space	Paychecks for Performance	Service Tasks
	LOW

Discuss the reasons for your decisions in the matrix.

Paychecks for Performance: Medium Effectiveness since students respond well to being acknowledged. For most students this is sometimes reward enough; however, for other students the tracking results are not a motivator. Medium Feasibility since, although teachers had already been using a form of tracking sheet, this system also requires regular issuance of paychecks as well as items/activities that can be purchased with these paychecks.

A Separate Space: High Feasibility since teachers have the time to service the room. Medium Effectiveness since, while teaching will proceed more smoothly in the regular room, we’ve decided on a maximum of ten students in this space, so there likely will still be some disrupters in the classroom. (Highly Effective for the students assigned to this space since they receive small group instruction.)

Informal Advisory: High Effectiveness since students will feel like they have a “go to” person who looks out for them. Low Feasibility since there are not enough adults to go around.

Service Tasks: Medium Effectiveness since students might behave while performing tasks but not in the classroom. Low Feasibility since it would require staff to have a fairly steady level of tasks that need to be performed.

Discuss why your group prefers one alternative over the other alternatives.

We prefer the Separate Space since the most disruptive students are assigned and the consequence is fairly immediate. This solution also does not require additional expenditures from the school’s budget. The Paychecks for Performance solution would be ranked second.

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