David Denslow

Economic Analysis and the Design of Alternative-Route Teacher Education Programs

Few studies have addressed the effects of teacher education generally, no less the specific program elements necessary to prepare competent and caring teachers. As a result, to address teacher shortages in science, mathematics, and special education, alternatives to traditional preparation have been proposed, and their development has proceeded apace. In the absence of guidance from research, alternative program designs have dramatically varied, even on such fundamental considerations as program length and the amount of preparation trainees require before becoming teachers of record. However, research on teacher education is only one potential source of guidance for program design. In this article, the authors use economic research and theory to identify principles of effective design. Considerations include program location, candidate selection, program cost, financial support, program requirements, practice teaching, and mentorship. They use these principles to compare and contrast fast-track programs and programs for midcareer changers.

Cost Effectiveness of Alternative Route Special Education Teacher Preparation

In this study, the authors estimated costs of alternative route preparation to provide states a basis for allocating training funds to maximize production. Thirty-one special education alternative route program directors were interviewed and completed cost tables. Two hundred and twenty-four program graduates were also surveyed. The authors describe program characteristics, including costs; program content; and participant demographics, including employment history and future plans. Four program types are identified that vary by length, employment status, and cost, although all programs cost less than traditional preparation. Regardless of program type, participants were older than traditional college age, were likely to make more money teaching than in previous jobs, and expressed intent to remain in the field. The authors argue that paraprofessional step-up programs in particular hold great promise for special education.

Perspectives on poverty and income inequality in Brazil

Abstract Exploratory analysis of the advance tabulations of the 1980 Brazilian demographic census suggests the proportion of the population in poverty fell during the decade 1970–1980. The degree of inequality of the distribution of the income of individuals apparently remained about the same from 1970 to 1980, after rising in the 1960s. This near-constancy of the overall inequality of income distribution resulted from two offsetting changes: a narrowing of the gap between rural and urban incomes, and greater inequality within the rural sector.

Consumer attitudes toward trade liberalization

This paper fills an existing gap in the international trade literature by empirically modelling consumer attitudes regarding trade liberalization efforts. Data are taken from the policy response section of a monthly consumer confidence survey, with estimation accomplished using a trinomial logit methodology. Results indicate that uncertainty, import competition risk, cyclical, educational, and demographic factors play significant roles in determining consumer beliefs with respect to trade policy.

The link between output and contracts under hyperinflation

In the conventional Keynesian model, nominal wage contracts (acting as a friction) transmit monetary shocks to real variables. In contrast, the new classical or real business cycle theory claims that firms and workers ignore the behavior of the actual real wage and instead generate an efficient level of employment (hence, output) based on a shadow real wage. Using Brazilian data covering a period during which the economy suffered hyperinflation and wage contracts were indexed by the government, results show that these fixed nominal wage contracts did not generate a nonneutrality of money as proposed by the Keynesian model. Instead, results support the view that contracts cannot propagate nominal shocks.