Hamilton Project Ideas in Education

The core concepts from several Hamilton Project discussion papers have influenced education proposals being discussed by the Obama administration. The President’s newly announced "College Scorecard," which will allow prospective college students and their parents to compare the value and affordability of colleges and universities, draws directly from a joint Hamilton Project and Center for American Progress proposal by Bridget Terry Long. In her proposal, Long called for the federal government to expand the types of information that are available and allow users to compare indicators like cost, financial aid, student debt, employment outcomes, and average salaries following graduation, across peer institutions.

The Hamilton Project’s influence can also be seen in the Department of Education's focus on improving teacher quality through incentives to hire and retain the best teachers. A 2006 paper by Robert Gordon, Thomas J. Kane and Douglas O. Staiger would eliminate requirements for teachers to hold a master's degree and would provide teachers with good evaluations bonuses to teacher in high-poverty schools. A more recent proposal by Derek Neal would create a new student assesment to evaluate teacher performance.