Evidence-Based Interventions to Leverage MSFF Funds

Evidence-Based Interventions to Leverage MSFF Funds Mississippi First | Evidence-Based Interventions to Leverage MSFF Funds | page 1

ABOUT Driven to change the fact that Mississippi has historically been last, our founders set a bold vision: a Mississippi first in education nationally. Mississippi First champions transformative policy solutions ensuring educational excellence for every Mississippi child. We are a leading voice for state-funded pre-K, high-quality public charter schools, access to highly effective teachers, and rigorous state learning standards and materials.

TEAM Grace Breazeale, Author Director of Research and K-12 Policy Rachel Canter, Editor Senior Advisor Heather Bruce, Designer

Copyright and updates © 2025, by Mississippi First.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

INTRODUCTION In 2024, the Mississippi Legislature replaced the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) with the Mississippi Student Funding Formula (MSFF), changing the manner in which public schools are funded. The MSFF provides funding for school districts based on the needs of each student in a district or charter school. It includes a base student amount, which is the amount that a district or charter school receives for each student they enroll. On top of this base student amount, the formula includes weights that provide additional funding for students in special populations, including low-income students, English language learners (ELLs), special education students, gifted students, students enrolled in career and technical education programs (CTE), students in school districts or charter schools with concentrated levels of poverty, and students enrolled in sparsely populated districts or charter schools.

The structure of the MSFF ensures that the school districts and charter schools with the highest-need student populations receive the largest amount of per-student funding from the state. The vast majority of public schools receive more funding under the MSFF than they did under the MAEP. The purpose of this brief is to provide information about evidence-based interventions that school districts or charter schools can consider when spending the additional funds they receive under the MSFF. Before turning to this brief, school leaders should evaluate the challenges they wish to address and proceed accordingly. As all public schools and communities are different, we do not intend for our recommendations to be prescriptive; rather, we aim to provide an overview of various evidence-based options. Please note that the interventions we outline must be implemented consistently and with fidelity to have the maximum impact.

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INCREASE TEACHER SALARY SUPPLEMENTS Description and Potential Impact While the state of Mississippi requires a minimum salary for teachers based on their degrees and years of experience, individual school districts can pay teachers a salary supplement on top of this minimum. School districts should consider using their additional MSFF funds to increase the salary supplements that they offer to teachers. Raising teachers’ salaries through increasing their salary supplements could positively impact teacher retention.

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Evidence In surveys Mississippi First administered to public school teachers across the state in 2021 and 2022, Mississippi teachers reported that pay is one of the top factors impacting their future career decisions.1 The survey results demonstrated that financially struggling teachers were more likely to consider leaving the classroom than financially stable teachers. Increasing teachers’ pay could incentivize those who are at risk of leaving to stay in the classroom.

Numerous studies have mirrored our findings that teachers’ salaries can be a driving force behind their desire to leave the classroom.

A 2024 survey from the RAND Corporation, for example, found that teachers who received larger pay increases between the 2022-2023 school year and 2023-2024 school years were less likely to consider an exit from the classroom compared to teachers who received no pay increases or smaller pay increases.2

Example in Mississippi (if applicable) Jackson Public School District announced in July 2024 that it was increasing its salary supplements from between $2,222 and $3,400 to $5,000 for teachers with 0-20 years of experience, between $3,328 and $3,515 to $5,250 for teachers with 21-30 years of experience, and $3,515 to $5,500 for teachers with more than 30 years of experience.3 This salary increase took effect during the 2024-2025 school year.

Jackson Public School District Teacher Salary Supplements $6,000 $5,000 $4,000 $3,000

$5,500

$5,250

$5,000

$3,515

$3,328 $2,222

$2,000 $1,000 0

0-20 years of experience

21-30 years of experience

Previous salary supplement

More than 30 years of experience

2024-2025 salary supplement

1 Toren Ballard and Grace Breazeale, “Eyeing the Exit: Teacher Turnover and What We Can Do About It,” Mississippi First, January 10, 2023, accessed February 21, 2025, https://issuu.com/mississippifirst/docs/eyeing_the_exit_2023.

2 Elizabeth D. Steiner, Ashley Woo, and Sy Doan, “Larger Pay Increases and Adequate Benefits Could Improve Teacher Retention: Findings From the 2024 State of the American Teacher Survey,” RAND, November 20, 2024, https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-13.html.

3 Torsheta Jackson, “Jackson Public Schools District Uses $18-Million Funding Boost for Pay Raises,” Mississippi Free Press, September 10, 2024, accessed February 22, 2025, https:// www.mississippifreepress.org/jackson-public-schools-district-uses-18-million-funding-boost-for-pay-raises/#:~:text=The%20district%20increased%20its%20local,than%20 31%20years%20of%20service.

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IMPLEMENT HIGH-DOSAGE TUTORING Description and Potential Impact High-dosage tutoring is an intensive form of tutoring that has emerged as a promising strategy to improve the achievement of students who are far behind their peers.

According to a 2021 report out of Brown University, high-dosage tutoring programs should include the following elements to be maximally effective:4

3x

High Frequency: Tutoring should occur at least three times per week.

Small Group Size: One-on-one tutoring is ideal, but larger tutoring groups should include no more than four students.

Consistent Tutor: Students should meet with the same tutor over time, as this allows them to build relationships and trust with the tutor. It also allows the tutor to grasp the learning needs of the student.

4 Carly Robinson et al., “Design Principles for Accelerating Student Learning With High-Impact Tutoring,” EdResearch for Action, February 2021, accessed February 21, 2025, https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/EdResearch_for_Recovery_Design_Principles_1.pdf.

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Aligned Curriculum: The curricula used in tutoring sessions should be aligned with the students’ classroom content.

Regular Measurement: Tutors should track students’ progress over time and adjust instruction accordingly.

Scheduled During School: If possible, tutoring sessions should occur during the school day. This format is the best way to ensure that students are consistently available to attend their tutoring sessions.

Note that some interventions, such as the state’s partnership with the virtual platform Paper, have been incorrectly classified as highdosage tutoring. While this type of intervention may have its own merits, it will not have the same impact as a high-dosage tutoring program that fits the criteria laid out above and is implemented with fidelity.

Evidence Chicago Public Schools (CPS) launched a high-dosage tutoring program in 2021 known as the CPS Tutor Corps. It offers literacy tutoring for students in grades K-5 and math tutoring for students in grades 6-12. A 2024 study out of the University of Chicago indicated that students who participated in tutoring during the 2022-2023 school year experienced gains in math achievement, though results were inconclusive for reading achievement.5 A pair of 2024 studies from Johns Hopkins University examined how high-dosage virtual tutoring can have a positive impact on students, if it is implemented correctly.6 The first study, conducted on first-grade students in high-poverty Massachusetts schools, found that students using a one-on-one virtual tutoring program called Ignite Reading made significant progress in reading. Students participating in the program showed around 5.5 months of additional progress compared to students not participating. The other study was conducted on elementary school students in Texas. It found that students participating in a virtual tutoring program called Air Reading outperformed their peers on a standardized assessment, with first-graders experiencing the largest gains.

Example in Mississippi (if applicable) To our knowledge, there has not been a school district in Mississippi that has implemented a true high-dosage tutoring program. However, let us know if we have overlooked great work by emailing us at contact@mississippifirst.org.

5 Monica Bhatt et al., “National Study Finds In-School High Dosage Tutoring Is Successfully Accelerating Student Learning, Reversing Pandemic-Era Learning Loss,” University of Chicago Education Lab, March 2024, accessed February 21, 2025, https://educationlab.uchicago.edu/2024/03/national-study-finds-in-school-tutoring-programs-are-successfully-accelerating-student-learning-reversing-pandemic-era-learning-loss/.

6 Greg Toppo, “New Research: Done Right, Virtual Tutoring Nearly Rivals In-Person Version,” The 74 Million, January 15, 2025, accessed February 22, 2025, https://www.the74million.org/article/new-research-done-right-virtual-tutoring-nearly-rivals-in-person-version/.

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PILOT A STRATEGIC STAFFING MODEL Description and Potential Impact The term “strategic staffing” describes a school staffing structure in which effective teachers are given an opportunity to take on more responsibility for higher pay.7 For example, under Opportunity Culture, which is a common strategic staffing model, teachers can apply to become “multi-classroom leaders.” Teachers who are selected for this role split their time between teaching their own classes and coaching newer or less effective teachers. These mentor teachers receive a sizable salary increase for taking on this additional responsibility.8 Strategic staffing models could positively impact student achievement through expanding the reach of high-performing teachers. It could also improve teacher retention through providing teachers with career advancement opportunities.

7 Jeff Murray, “How Some Schools Are Changing Staffing Styles Due to Shortages,” Thomas B. Fordham Institute, May 2, 2024, accessed February 22, 2025, https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-some-schools-are-changing-staffing-styles-due-shortages.

8 “Opportunity Culture Initiative,” Public Impact, n.d., https://publicimpact.com/opportunity-culture-initiative/.

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Evidence of Effectiveness A 2018 meta-analysis from researchers at Harvard and Brown examined the impact of teacher coaching. It found that this could have strong positive effects on the instructional practices of the teachers being coached (and smaller positive effects on student achievement).9 An evaluation of Opportunity Culture (described at the beginning of this section) in North Carolina found a positive impact on math scores. The evaluation also included data from a survey in which many teachers indicated having the opportunity to lead other teachers was one of the reasons they were still in the classroom.10

Example in Mississippi (if applicable) To our knowledge, there has not been a school district in Mississippi that has implemented a true strategic staffing model. However, let us know if we have overlooked great work by emailing us at contact@mississippifirst.org.

9 Matthew Kraft, David Blazar, and Dylan Hogan, “The Effect of Teacher Coaching on Instruction and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence,” Review of Educational Research 88, no. 4 (2018): 547–88, https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mkraft/files/kraft_blazar_hogan_2018_teacher_coaching.pdf.

10 Michael Hansen and Benjamin Backes, “Reaching Further and Learning More? Evaluating Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Initiative,” CALDER Center, 2018, https://caldercenter.org/publications/reaching-further-and-learning-more-evaluating-public-impacts-opportunity-culture.

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UPDATE SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE Description and Potential Impact A 2021 analysis found that Mississippi schools face an annual shortfall of $619 million in school infrastructure investments.11 Consequently, many school districts across the state have lacked the resources to make necessary repairs to their facilities. School infrastructure updates can include a wide range of improvements, from HVAC system replacements, to roof repairs, to bathroom renovations in a school building. This type of intervention is not only important for the health and safety of students but can also have a positive impact on student achievement.

Evidence A 2017 report from Harvard provides an overview of why schools should prioritize facility updates. The report classifies the school building as the “foundation for student health and success.”12 Through synthesizing decades of research on the importance of environmental factors for student learning, it outlines how well-maintained school buildings can optimize the performance of students and teachers alike.

Example in Mississippi (if applicable) An analysis from the think tank FutureEd found that higher-poverty districts, such as Cleveland School District and Clarksdale Municipal School District, spent substantial portions of their ESSER dollars on improvements to school facilities.13

11 “Mississippi Public School Facilities Overview,” report, State of Our Schools (Well Certified, 2021), https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a5ccab5bff20008734885eb/t/619c0708efa84d1c4da37c5c/1637615369461/State+Profiles+2021+-+MS.pdf.

12 Jisung Park, “Temperature, Test Scores, and Human Capital Production,” Harvard University, February 26, 2017, https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jisungpark/files/temperature_test_ scores_and_human_capital_production_-_j_park_-_2-26-17.pdf.

13 Bella DiMarco, “Mississippi School Districts Break the Mold on Pandemic-Recovery Spending - FutureEd,” FutureEd, April 3, 2024, accessed February 22, 2025, https://www.future-ed.org/mississippi-school-districts-break-the-mold-on-pandemic-recovery-spending/.

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INCREASE FUNDING FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES Description and Potential Impact It is common for teachers to spend their own money on school supplies for their classrooms. Though the state provides teachers with a limited amount of funds to purchase supplies, it is rarely enough. Additionally, high inflation in recent years has increased the amount that teachers have had to spend on classroom materials.14

Evidence Data released in 2018 from the US Department of Education showed that over 90% of teachers spent their own money on school supplies for their classrooms.15 This issue is especially acute in districts with large populations of low-income students, as these students have less of an ability to purchase their own supplies, leaving teachers to fill in the gaps.

A 2022 report from the National Education Association outlined research demonstrating how a lack of adequate supplies can impact teachers’ effectiveness in their classrooms. Moreover, when teachers have to spend their own money on supplies, it can lower morale and contribute to their decisions to leave the classroom.16

Example in Mississippi (if applicable): During the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school year, Forrest County School District purchased all students’ school supplies. This removed the financial burden of purchasing supplies from students as well as teachers.17

14 Elizabeth Heubeck, “Most Teachers Spend Their Own Money on School Supplies. Should They?,” Education Week, August 25, 2023, https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/ most-teachers-spend-their-own-money-on-school-supplies-should-they/2023/08.

15 Amanda Litvinov, “Why Are Educators Still Buying Their Own School Supplies? | NEA,” August 21, 2023, accessed February 22, 2025, https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-newsarticles/why-are-educators-still-buying-their-own-school-supplies.

16 “Elevating the Education Professions” (National Education Association, October 2022), accessed February 22, 2025, https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/29302solving-educator-shortage-report-final-oct-11-2022.pdf.

17 Mia Monet, “Forrest County School District Paying for Students’ Supplies,” WDAM, July 7, 2021, https://www.wdam.com/2021/07/07/forrest-county-school-district-payingstudents-supplies/.

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INCREASE FUNDING FOR HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS Description and Potential Impact Instructional materials include textbooks, lesson plans, assessments, and more. Districts have the power to decide which instructional materials they will use in a given school year.18 The quality of instructional materials schools use can have a significant impact on student achievement: the most effective materials are easy to use, content-rich, and closely aligned to grade level standards.19 In recent years, Mississippi has taken concrete steps to help districts to adopt high-quality instructional materials, though it allows districts to make the final decision about which materials they use.

Evidence A review of the literature by researchers at Johns Hopkins University sheds light on the impact of high-quality instructional materials. The researchers concluded that curriculum is a “critical factor” in students’ academic achievement. Moreover, the review indicated that high-quality materials can have a cumulative effect on student achievement when used year after year. According to the authors, switching to high-quality instructional materials can often be more cost-effective than other interventions.20 18 Corinn O’Brien and Charity Gardner, “High-Quality Instructional Materials,” A+ Policy Portal, 2022, accessed February 22, 2025, https://policy.aplusala.org/rigorous-curriculumengaging-instruction/high-quality-instructional-materials/.

19 “Curriculum Matters: How States and Districts Can Foster Strong Curriculum” (Chiefs for Change, August 10, 2017), accessed February 22, 2025, https://www.chiefsforchange.org/ wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Hiding-in-Plain-Sight__Chiefs-for-Change__August-2017.pdf.

20 David Steiner, Jacqueline Magee, and Ben Jensen, “What We Teach Matters: How Quality Curriculum Improves Student Outcomes” (Learning First, November 2018), accessed February 22, 2025, https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/050bc165-4c10-4808-8959-e4e29f6c8880/content.

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Another study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that high-quality curriculum has a particularly large impact in classes with less-effective teachers. In other words, high-quality instructional materials can help narrow the gap between students with effective and ineffective teachers.21

Example in Mississippi (if applicable) In 2020, Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) worked with a variety of experts and stakeholders to launch an initiative focused on ensuring that all students had access to high-quality instructional materials and instruction.22 As part of this initiative, the MDE developed rubrics for districts to use in evaluating the quality of their instructional materials. Working in partnership with Mississippi First, the MDE launched Mississippi Instructional Materials Matter, a central source for districts to review state-adopted high-quality instructional materials, evaluate their current materials, and find other tools to ease their adoption of new materials.23 In describing the impact of Mississippi’s high-quality instructional materials initiative, an educator from Simpson County School District noted that she saw “positive results…within months” of using these materials in her district.24

21 C. Kirabo Jackson and Alexey Makarin, “Can Online Off-The-Shelf Lessons Improve Student Outcomes? Evidence From a Field Experiment,” NBER, July 1, 2016, https://doi.org/10.3386/w22398.

22 Brock Turnipseed, “High-Quality Instruction: Initiative Closing Student Gaps Through Better Materials,” Mississippi State University, 2021, accessed February 22, 2025, https://issuu.com/rcumedia/docs/sf_2021_winter_web/s/11938701.

23 “High Quality Teaching Materials,” Mississippi Instructional Materials Matter, accessed February 22, 2025, https://msinstructionalmaterials.org/.

24 “Change Comes to Mississippi: Materials Matter and the Results Show It,” EdReports, February 2, 2021, accessed February 22, 2025, https://edreports.org/resources/article/changecomes-to-mississippi-materials-matter-and-the-results-show-it.

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PROGRESS MONITORING Regardless of the initiatives that a school district or charter school chooses to implement, it is vital for school leaders to monitor the impact of individual interventions. For instance, if a school implements a high-dosage tutoring program, it should closely monitor how students’ achievement changes over the course of their participation. Moreover, schools should be intentional about soliciting feedback from students and teachers, in order to gauge how initiatives may be impacting culture and morale.

CONCLUSION The shift to the Mississippi Student Funding Formula is a significant opportunity for public schools to invest in students and teachers.

School leaders must be intentional about maximizing the impact of these dollars through implementing evidence-based initiatives. Once leaders determine the needs and priorities of their student populations, they should consider which, if any, of the initiatives outlined in this brief could target these needs.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Allegretto, Sylvia. “Teacher Pay Penalty Still Looms Large: Trends in Teacher Wages and Compensation Through 2022.” Economic Policy Institute, September 9, 2023. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-in-2022/.

Ballard, Toren, and Grace Breazeale. “Eyeing the Exit: Teacher Turnover and What We Can Do About It.” Mississippi First, January 10, 2023.

Accessed February 21, 2025. https://issuu.com/mississippifirst/docs/eyeing_the_exit_2023.

Barrett, Peter, Alberto Treves, Tigran Shmis, Diego Ambasz, and Maria Ustinova. “The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning: A Synthesis of the Evidence.” World Bank Group, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1378-8.

Bhatt, Monica, Terence Chau, Jon Guryan, Jens Ludwig, Matteo Magnaricotte, Fatemeh Momeni, Philip Oreopoulos, and Greg Stoddard.

“National Study Finds In-School High Dosage Tutoring Is Successfully Accelerating Student Learning, Reversing Pandemic-Era Learning Loss.” University of Chicago Education Lab, March 2024. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://educationlab.uchicago.edu/2024/03/national-study-finds-in-school-tutoring-programs-are-successfully-acceleratingstudent-learning-reversing-pandemic-era-learning-loss/.

Branham, David. “The Wise Man Builds His House Upon the Rock: The Effects of Inadequate School Building Infrastructure on Student Attendance*.” Social Science Quarterly 85, no. 5 (December 1, 2004): 1112–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0038-4941.2004.00266.x.

Chicago Public Schools. “CPS Tutor Corps.” Accessed February 21, 2025. https://www.cps.edu/campaigns/tutor-corps/.

“Curriculum Matters: How States and Districts Can Foster Strong Curriculum.” Chiefs for Change, August 10, 2017.

Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.chiefsforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Hiding-in-Plain-Sight__Chiefs-forChange__August-2017.pdf.

DiMarco, Bella. “Mississippi School Districts Break the Mold on Pandemic-Recovery Spending - FutureEd.” FutureEd, April 3, 2024. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.future-ed.org/mississippi-school-districts-break-the-mold-on-pandemic-recovery-spending/.

Edgell, Holly. “Teachers Still Spend Their Own Money on School Supplies, Despite Efforts to Help Stock Classrooms.” NPR, August 19, 2024. https://www.kcur.org/2024-08-19/teacher-school-supplies-classroom-resources.

EdReports. “Change Comes to Mississippi: Materials Matter and the Results Show It,” February 2, 2021. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://edreports.org/resources/article/change-comes-to-mississippi-materials-matter-and-the-results-show-it.

Eitland, Erika, and Joseph Allen. “School Buildings: The Foundation for Student Health and Success.” State Education Standard 19, no. 1 (January 2019): 35–38. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1203431.

“Elevating the Education Professions.” National Education Association, October 2022. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/29302-solving-educator-shortage-report-final-oct-11-2022.pdf.

García, Emma, and Lora Engdahl. “It’s the Beginning of the School Year and Teachers Are Once Again Opening up Their Wallets to Buy School Supplies.” Economic Policy Institute, August 22, 2019. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.epi.org/blog/teachers-are-buying-school-supplies/.

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Hansen, Michael, and Benjamin Backes. “Reaching Further and Learning More? Evaluating Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Initiative.”

CALDER Center, 2018. https://caldercenter.org/publications/reaching-further-and-learning-more-evaluating-public-impactsopportunity-culture.

Heubeck, Elizabeth. “Most Teachers Spend Their Own Money on School Supplies. Should They?” Education Week, August 25, 2023. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/most-teachers-spend-their-own-money-on-school-supplies-should-they/2023/08.

Jackson, C. Kirabo, and Alexey Makarin. “Can Online Off-The-Shelf Lessons Improve Student Outcomes? Evidence From a Field Experiment.”

NBER, July 1, 2016. https://doi.org/10.3386/w22398.

Jackson, Torsheta. “Jackson Public Schools District Uses $18-Million Funding Boost for Pay Raises.” Mississippi Free Press, September 10, 2024. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/jackson-public-schools-district-uses-18-million-fundingboost-for-pay-raises/#:~:text=The%20district%20increased%20its%20local,than%2031%20years%20of%20service.

Kraft, Matthew, David Blazar, and Dylan Hogan. “The Effect of Teacher Coaching on Instruction and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence.” Review of Educational Research 88, no. 4 (2018): 547–88. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mkraft/files/kraft_ blazar_hogan_2018_teacher_coaching.pdf.

Litvinov, Amanda. “Why Are Educators Still Buying Their Own School Supplies? | NEA,” August 21, 2023. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/why-are-educators-still-buying-their-own-school-supplies.

Mississippi Instructional Materials Matter. “High Quality Teaching Materials.” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://msinstructionalmaterials.org/.

“Mississippi Public School Facilities Overview.” Report. State of Our Schools. Well Certified, 2021. https://static1.squarespace.com/ static/5a5ccab5bff20008734885eb/t/619c0708efa84d1c4da37c5c/1637615369461/State+Profiles+2021+-+MS.pdf.

Modaffari, Jamil, and Akilah Alleyne. “Federal Investments in K-12 Infrastructure Would Benefit Students Across the Country.” Center for American Progress, September 8, 2022. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/2/2022/09/FedFundingK12-report.pdf.

Monet, Mia. “Forrest County School District Paying for Students’ Supplies.” WDAM, July 7, 2021. https://www.wdam.com/2021/07/07/ forrest-county-school-district-paying-students-supplies/.

Murray, Jeff. “How Some Schools Are Changing Staffing Styles Due to Shortages.” Thomas B. Fordham Institute, May 2, 2024.

Accessed February 22, 2025. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-some-schools-are-changing-staffing-stylesdue-shortages.

O’Brien, Corinn, and Charity Gardner. “High-Quality Instructional Materials.” A+ Policy Portal, 2022. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://policy.aplusala.org/rigorous-curriculum-engaging-instruction/high-quality-instructional-materials/.

Papay, John, Eric Taylor, John Tyler, and Mary Laski. “Learning Job Skills From Colleagues at Work: Evidence From a Field Experiment Using Teacher Performance Data.” National Bureau of Economic Research, February 1, 2016. https://doi.org/10.3386/w21986.

Park, Jisung. “Temperature, Test Scores, and Human Capital Production.” Harvard University, February 26, 2017. https://scholar.harvard. edu/files/jisungpark/files/temperature_test_scores_and_human_capital_production_-_j_park_-_2-26-17.pdf.

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Public Impact. “Opportunity Culture Initiative,” n.d. https://publicimpact.com/opportunity-culture-initiative/.

Robinson, Carly, Matt Kraft, Susanna Loeb, and Beth Schueler. “Design Principles for Accelerating Student Learning With High-Impact Tutoring.” EdResearch for Action, February 2021. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/ EdResearch_for_Recovery_Design_Principles_1.pdf.

Steiner, David, Jacqueline Magee, and Ben Jensen. “What We Teach Matters: How Quality Curriculum Improves Student Outcomes.”

Learning First, November 2018. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/server/api/core/ bitstreams/050bc165-4c10-4808-8959-e4e29f6c8880/content.

Steiner, Elizabeth D., Ashley Woo, and Sy Doan. “Larger Pay Increases and Adequate Benefits Could Improve Teacher Retention: Findings From the 2024 State of the American Teacher Survey.” RAND, November 20, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/ RRA1108-13.html.

Toppo, Greg. “New Research: Done Right, Virtual Tutoring Nearly Rivals In-Person Version.” The 74 Million. The 74 Million, January 15, 2025. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.the74million.org/article/new-research-done-right-virtual-tutoring-nearly-rivals-in-person-version/.

Turnipseed, Brock. “High-Quality Instruction: Initiative Closing Student Gaps Through Better Materials.” Mississippi State University, 2021.

Accessed February 22, 2025. https://issuu.com/rcumedia/docs/sf_2021_winter_web/s/11938701.

Van Dusen, Ray. “State-funded EEF Cards Help Teachers With Classroom Needs.” Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, August 5, 2022.

Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.djournal.com/monroe/news/state-funded-eef-cards-help-teachers-with-classroomneeds/article_41f8f81e-3ca0-582f-aacf-751586e8d856.html.

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