Research

Unintended Consequences

The unintended consequences of performance incentives are an oft-debated issue in the field of education research. It is appropriate and necessary that NCPI closely and systematically evaluate these phenomena. Prior research on accountability and high-stakes testing policy has documented a spectrum of unintended consequences, including teachers focusing excessively on a single test, schools increasing special education placements and engaging in preemptive grade retention, and administrators and teachers altering test scores. In designing the Center’s research initiatives, NCPI purposefully seeks both to minimize and to examine any adverse effects stemming from the implementation of pay-for-performance programs.

Learn more about our research initiatives and findings in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools