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Margaret Plecki Associate Professor in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies M215 Miller, Box 353600 College of Education, University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-3600 mplecki@u.washington.edu

Education Publications Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Plecki's research and teaching expertise includes: school finance, the economics of education, education policy evaluation, and the allocation of resources for school improvement. Dr. Plecki is a co-principal investigator for the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Education Finance Association.

Education

Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 1991

Publications

"Who's Teaching Washington's Children? What We Know-and Need to Know-About Teachers and the Quality of Teaching in Washington State"

Refereed Journal Articles

Plecki, M. (2006, Summer).  Reflections on the field of school finance: Enduring questions and future directions.  Education Finance and Policy 1 (2): 167-175.

Elfers, A., Plecki, M., & Knapp, M. (2006).  Teacher mobility: Looking more closely at the “movers” within a state system.  Peabody Journal of Education 81 (3), 94-127.

Killeen, K., Monk, D., & Plecki, M. (2002). School district spending on professional development: Insights from national data (1992-1998). Journal of Education Finance28 (1), 25-50.

Knapp, M. & Plecki, M. (2001, December). Investing in the renewal of urban science education.  Journal of Research on Science Teaching. 38 (10), 1089-1100.

Plecki, M.L. (2000, November). Money isn't everything: Teaching school finance in a leadership development program. Journal of School Leadership.

Killeen, K., Monk, D. & Plecki, M. (2000, Fall). Spending on instructional staff support among big city school districts: Why are urban districts spending at such high levels? Educational Considerations 28 (1), 18-25.

Plecki, M.L. (2000, July). Economic perspectives on investments in teacher quality: Lessons learned from research on productivity and human resource development. Education Policy Analysis Archives 8 (33).

Plecki, M.L. (2000, Spring). Washington's school finance reform: Moderate success and room for improvement. Journal of Education Finance 25, 565-582.

Plecki, M.L. (1998, Spring). Financing K-12 education in Washington state. Educational Considerations 25 (2), 71-75.

Plecki, M.L. (1995). Efficacy of an early intervention program for moderately handicapped infants. Economics of Education Review 14(4), 417-424.

Edited Books

Plecki, M. L. & Monk, D. H. (2003). (Eds.) School Finance and Teacher Quality: Exploring the Connections. The 2003 Yearbook of the American Education Finance Association. Larchmont, NJ: Eye on Education.

Book Chapters

Plecki, M. & Castañeda, T. (forthcoming). Whether and how money matters in K-12 education.  In Sykes, G. & Plank, D. (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Education Policy.  Washington, DC: American Education Research Association.

Plecki, M. & Loeb, H. (2004). Examining state and federal efforts to improve teacher quality: Lessons for policy design and implementation.  In Smylie, M. & Miretzky, D. (Eds). Developing the Teacher Workforce.  The 103rd Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago, IL: Univeristy of Chicago Press: 348-389.

Monk, D. H., Plecki, M. L. & Killeen, K. (2003). Examining investments in teacher professional development: A look at current practice and a proposal for improving the research base. In Plecki, M. L. & Monk, D. H. (Eds.) School Finance and Teacher Quality: Exploring the Connections. The 2003 Yearbook of the American Education Finance Association. Larchmont, NJ: Eye on Education: 137-156.

Killeen, K., Monk, D., & Plecki, M. (2002, July). Using national data to assess local school district spending on professional development. In Fowler, W. (Ed.) Developments in School Finance: Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics: 31-43.

Plecki, M.L. (2001). Washington state school finance. In C. Sielke and J. Dayton (Eds.), Public School Finance Programs of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Monk, D. & Plecki, M.L. (1999). Generating and managing resources for school improvement. In J. Murphy and K.S. Louis (Eds.), The Handbook of Research on Educational Administration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass: 491-509.

Clark, R. W. & Plecki, M.L. (1997). Professional development schools: Their costs and financing.  In M. Levine & R. Trachtman (Eds.), Making Professional Development Schools Work: Politics, Practice, and Policy (pp. 134-158). New York: Teachers College Press.

Policy, Finance, and Evaluation Reports

Plecki, M., Elfers, A., & Knapp, M. (2007).  Who’s teaching Washington’s Children? A 2006 update.  Report commissioned by the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. 

Elfers, A., Plecki, M., Knapp, M., Yeo, G., & McGowan, M. (2007). Teaching math in Washington’s high schools: Insights from a survey of teachers in high performing or improving schools. Report prepared for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

Plecki, M., McCleery, J., & Knapp, M. (2006, October).  Redefining and improving school district governance.  Paper commissioned by the Wallace Foundation. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

Plecki, M., Alejano, C., Knapp, M., & Lochmiller, C. (2006, October). Allocating resources and creating incentives to improve teaching and learning. Paper commissioned by the Wallace Foundation. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

Knapp, M., Portin, B., Copland, M., & Plecki, M. (2006, October). Leading, learning, and leadership support. Paper commissioned by the Wallace Foundation. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

Plecki, M., Elfers, A., & Knapp, M. (2006, July). Employment, retention, mobility, and career pathways of graduates from the University of Washington’s Teacher Education Program.  A report prepared for Teachers for a New Era, Seattle, WA: University of Washington College of Education.

Plecki, M., Elfers, A., & Knapp, M. (2006, June). An examination of longitudinal attrition, retention, and mobility rates of beginning teachers in Washington state.  A report prepared for the Harry Bridges Labor Research Center, Seattle, WA: University of Washington.

Elfers, A. & Plecki, M. (2006). Examining teacher retention and mobility in small and rural districts in Washington state.  A report prepared for the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. 

Plecki, M., Elfers, A., & Knapp, M. (2005, March). Teacher retention and mobility:  A look inside and across districts and schools in Washington state.  Commissioned by the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession.

Knapp, M., Elfers, A. & Plecki, M. (2004, April ). Preparing for reform, supporting teachers’ work: Surveys of Washington state teachers, 2003-04 school year.  Seattle, WA: University of Washington.

Plecki, M., Elfers, A., & Knapp, M. (2003, August). Who's teaching Washington's children? What we know-and need to know-about teachers and the quality of teaching in the state.  Seattle, WA: University of Washington.

Plecki, M., Elfers, A., Boatright, B., & Perkins, C. (2003, February). Washington's Initiative 728: Examining the first year of implementation.  Olympia ,WA: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Killeen, K., Monk, D., & Plecki, M. (2002, November). What schools spend on professional development. Teaching Quality Policy Brief No. 6, Summer 2002. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.