It is widely believed that starting public school teacher salaries are too low, and student loan burdens are too high. If true, we could be facing a situation in which recent college graduates cannot afford to go into teaching because they will be unable to repay their college debts. Public policies are already being formulated on the basis of that conclusion.

Unfortunately, the only major analysis of teacher salaries and student debt published to date is based largely on borrowers' subjective feelings about debt manageability. Likewise, more traditional methods of determining how much debt is too much offer little help because they are based primarily on general risks of default predicted by debt-to-income ratios rather than the ability of specific borrowers to handle their debts and other expenses.

To provide legislators with a more objective basis for policymaking, this paper assesses first year teachers' ability to pay back college loans given their actual salaries and expenses. This method eliminates both the subjectivity of determining debt burdens on the basis of debtors' feelings, and the imprecision of using correlations between debt-to-income ratios and overall default rates.

The findings presented here reveal that first year teachers in even the least affordable of the 16 districts examined can easily afford to pay back their debts. Indeed, with just some basic economizing, a first-year teacher could not only pay back average debt, but could handle debt levels nearly three times the national average. This does not mean that current teacher salaries or student debt burdens are "right" -- only markets can determine that -- but it does mean that there is no need for policymakers to intervene in either teacher pay or student aid to assure that college graduates can afford to become public school teachers.

It is widely believed that starting public school teacher salaries are too low, and student loan burdens are too high. If true, we could be facing a situation in which recent college graduates cannot afford to go into teaching because they will be unable to repay their college debts. Public policies are already being formulated on the basis of that conclusion.

Unfortunately, the only major analysis of teacher salaries and student debt published to date is based largely on borrowers' subjective feelings about debt manageability. Likewise, more traditional methods of determining how much debt is too much offer little help because they are based primarily on general risks of default predicted by debt-to-income ratios rather than the ability of specific borrowers to handle their debts and other expenses.

To provide legislators with a more objective basis for policymaking, this paper assesses first year teachers' ability to pay back college loans given their actual salaries and expenses. This method eliminates both the subjectivity of determining debt burdens on the basis of debtors' feelings, and the imprecision of using correlations between debt-to-income ratios and overall default rates.

The findings presented here reveal that first year teachers in even the least affordable of the 16 districts examined can easily afford to pay back their debts. Indeed, with just some basic economizing, a first-year teacher could not only pay back average debt, but could handle debt levels nearly three times the national average. This does not mean that current teacher salaries or student debt burdens are "right" -- only markets can determine that -- but it does mean that there is no need for policymakers to intervene in either teacher pay or student aid to assure that college graduates can afford to become public school teachers.

It is widely believed that starting public school teacher salaries are too low, and student loan burdens are too high. If true, we could be facing a situation in which recent college graduates cannot afford to go into teaching because they will be unable to repay their college debts. Public policies are already being formulated on the basis of that conclusion.

Unfortunately, the only major analysis of teacher salaries and student debt published to date is based largely on borrowers' subjective feelings about debt manageability. Likewise, more traditional methods of determining how much debt is too much offer little help because they are based primarily on general risks of default predicted by debt-to-income ratios rather than the ability of specific borrowers to handle their debts and other expenses.

To provide legislators with a more objective basis for policymaking, this paper assesses first year teachers' ability to pay back college loans given their actual salaries and expenses. This method eliminates both the subjectivity of determining debt burdens on the basis of debtors' feelings, and the imprecision of using correlations between debt-to-income ratios and overall default rates.

The findings presented here reveal that first year teachers in even the least affordable of the 16 districts examined can easily afford to pay back their debts. Indeed, with just some basic economizing, a first-year teacher could not only pay back average debt, but could handle debt levels nearly three times the national average. This does not mean that current teacher salaries or student debt burdens are "right" -- only markets can determine that -- but it does mean that there is no need for policymakers to intervene in either teacher pay or student aid to assure that college graduates can afford to become public school teachers.

This report presents the outcomes from the final year of the Performing Arts Workshop Artists-in-Schools (AIS) program evaluation, conducted from 2003 to 2006. The AIS program offers public schools weekly artist residencies lasting between 8 and 30 weeks in theatre arts, creative writing, creative movement, music and world dance. While AIS classrooms range from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, the evaluation focused on elementary classrooms. AIS residencies emphasize problem-solving and critical-thinking while engaging in the creative process. In 2006, the Workshop employed 26 artists who provided AIS residencies to 183 classrooms from pre-Kindergarten to 12h grade in 20 schools in 7 school districts. The report includes a foreword by Richard Siegesmund of the University of Georgia on key data findings; the Artists-in-Schools program methodology; the evaluation methodology; cumulative findings from this three-year project on critical thinking in the arts, arts and academic performance, the pedagogy for teaching at-risk youth, the arts and pro-social behavior and institutionalizing the arts in school settings; and recommendations. The appendices to this report include data collection instruments and informed consent forms.

This report presents the outcomes from the final year of the Performing Arts Workshop Artists-in-Schools (AIS) program evaluation, conducted from 2003 to 2006. The AIS program offers public schools weekly artist residencies lasting between 8 and 30 weeks in theatre arts, creative writing, creative movement, music and world dance. While AIS classrooms range from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, the evaluation focused on elementary classrooms. AIS residencies emphasize problem-solving and critical-thinking while engaging in the creative process. In 2006, the Workshop employed 26 artists who provided AIS residencies to 183 classrooms from pre-Kindergarten to 12h grade in 20 schools in 7 school districts. The report includes a foreword by Richard Siegesmund of the University of Georgia on key data findings; the Artists-in-Schools program methodology; the evaluation methodology; cumulative findings from this three-year project on critical thinking in the arts, arts and academic performance, the pedagogy for teaching at-risk youth, the arts and pro-social behavior and institutionalizing the arts in school settings; and recommendations. The appendices to this report include data collection instruments and informed consent forms.

This report presents the outcomes from the final year of the Performing Arts Workshop Artists-in-Schools (AIS) program evaluation, conducted from 2003 to 2006. The AIS program offers public schools weekly artist residencies lasting between 8 and 30 weeks in theatre arts, creative writing, creative movement, music and world dance. While AIS classrooms range from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, the evaluation focused on elementary classrooms. AIS residencies emphasize problem-solving and critical-thinking while engaging in the creative process. In 2006, the Workshop employed 26 artists who provided AIS residencies to 183 classrooms from pre-Kindergarten to 12h grade in 20 schools in 7 school districts. The report includes a foreword by Richard Siegesmund of the University of Georgia on key data findings; the Artists-in-Schools program methodology; the evaluation methodology; cumulative findings from this three-year project on critical thinking in the arts, arts and academic performance, the pedagogy for teaching at-risk youth, the arts and pro-social behavior and institutionalizing the arts in school settings; and recommendations. The appendices to this report include data collection instruments and informed consent forms.

A selection of available applied and academic research, this publication is designed as a tool that can help address the kinds of questions local government, business, and community leaders might ask about arts education. It provides concrete information on topics from student achievement and perceptions to the status of arts education.

Of the 49 reports, articles, and dissertations described in the following pages:

• Six are evaluation studies of broad-based arts programs.
• Seventeen are smaller-scale targeted studies.
• Nine present compilations, or overviews, of research.
• Twelve describe attitudes among students and parents and public opinion.
• Five highlight the status of arts education and the arts' economic impact at the local level.

A selection of available applied and academic research, this publication is designed as a tool that can help address the kinds of questions local government, business, and community leaders might ask about arts education. It provides concrete information on topics from student achievement and perceptions to the status of arts education.

Of the 49 reports, articles, and dissertations described in the following pages:

• Six are evaluation studies of broad-based arts programs.
• Seventeen are smaller-scale targeted studies.
• Nine present compilations, or overviews, of research.
• Twelve describe attitudes among students and parents and public opinion.
• Five highlight the status of arts education and the arts' economic impact at the local level.