Education

Comparing Teacher Compensation: Looking Beyond the Averages

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Simply comparing average teacher salaries for all full-time teachers across states can provide a misleading picture of the relative financial incentives teachers have for working in different states.  In over 90 percent of districts in the United States, teaching salaries are based upon a salary schedule that uses experience and education (degrees or credit hours/courses completed) to determine teacher salary. Because of these schedules, average teacher salaries are partly a function of the relative age, … Continued

Utah’s Education Funding Effort: State Faces Long-Term Challenges

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Each gubernatorial election year, Utah Foundation identifies the public policy issues Utahns find most important through our Utah Priorities Project. In that research, Utahns consistently rank education as one of the most important issues. In the 2010 election cycle, when voters were asked their level of concern on various education topics, funding ranked highest among all education issue areas. Because of this, information about current education funding and historical trends is vital knowledge for voters … Continued

United Way of Salt Lake Community Assessment 2010

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

In 2009 and 2010, Utah Foundation worked as a consultant to the United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) to assist with its Priority Area and Capacity Assessment Process. This work led to the publication by UWSL of this Community Assessment document which identifies and measures critical community needs in education, income, health, and basic needs. The assessment also helps UWSL focus its work in these critical areas to create community-level change.

School Testing Results: How Utah Compares to States With Similar Demographics

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Based on comparisons to national averages in school test scores, it is commonly stated that Utah’s education system performs well, despite having low funding. However, Utah is much different than the average state, with low poverty, many college-educated parents, and a small minority population. Those factors should lead to higher-than-average test scores. Using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to compare 4th and 8th grade math, reading, and science scores from 1992 through 2009, … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Fall Survey: Voters’ Preferences for Candidates and Policy Solutions

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

The purpose of this Utah Priorities Survey is to delve deeper on five critical policy issues to better understand voters’ preferences surrounding the most often discussed solutions. Voters were surveyed about K-12 education, economy and jobs, immigration, government spending, and states’ rights. The survey also asked voters about whom they plan to vote for in the upcoming election.

Spending Your Tax Dollars: An Update on State Spending Trends and the Impact of the Economic Recession

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

The April 2010 Utah Priorities Survey conducted by Utah Foundation indicated government spending ranked number two of the top ten issues and concerns among Utah voters. While government spending has been a concern for Utahns in past surveys, it is likely that the recent economic recession contributed to the topic’s continuing relevance and Utahns’ continuing concern for how governments utilize tax money.

United Way of Salt Lake Priority Area and Capacity Assessment

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

The purpose of this assessment is to prioritize the specific needs, objectives, and strategies on which UWSL will focus its community impact work. UWSL contracted with Utah Foundation to conduct this assessment, which is a year-long project involving focus groups, surveys, data collection, research, and analysis. During the first stage of the assessment, Utah Foundation held focus groups with UWSL’s Change Councils, main funders, and staff to determine and gain consensus about what the vision … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey of Party Delegates and Voters

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

As part of the 2010 Utah Priorities Project, Utah Foundation, KSL Television and Radio, Deseret News, and the Hinckley Institute sponsored a ground-breaking survey of Utah voters and delegates to the major party conventions. The survey shows distinct differences between party delegates and voters, with delegates usually taking more zealous positions than their party’s voters. The strongest distinctions are, as expected, between the two major parties. The survey also provides insight on Republican delegates’ opinions … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey: The Top Issues and Concerns of Utah Voters for the 2010 Election

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

In this special election year, Utahns are less confident that the state is heading in the right direction than they were two years ago. Their concerns about some issues, like energy and transportation, have eased since 2008. However, other issues are now of greater concern, including the economy, government spending, the ethics of elected officials, and states’ rights versus the federal government.

Preparing Utah’s Workforce for 21st Century Jobs

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Because workforce quality is directly related to labor productivity and output, it is a key determinant of economic growth. Therefore having a well-prepared, knowledgeable, and skilled workforce is a necessary component to ensuring positive economic growth in Utah. Preparing Utah’s workforce for high-growth, high-wage jobs is also critical to maintaining both the competitiveness and standard of living of Utah’s workers. With the economy shifting and the presence of global competitors increasing, Utah workers must understand … Continued