Thanks for mentioning our work [TQ Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 6], but I don't think it's fair to complain about the release of annual reports. We note clearly in our report on Chicago TAP that the impacts pertain to the startup period, during which implementation may not be the same as the steady state. However, the program is expensive and policymakers have a right to know whether the expense of the first few years has any early return. It was especially important to make these findings public just as the U.S. Department of Education opened a new competition for a much larger Teacher Incentive Fund. Districts around the country are currently preparing applications and deserve to have all the best evidence in front of them while formulating these plans. Holding back information from policymakers would have been irresponsible.

Also, to correct a couple of errors in your item: First, this report covered two years, not one year, of implementation. Second, the study was sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, not the U.S. Department of Education.

Steven Glazerman

Mathematica Policy Research