How to identify effective teachers who improve student achievement despite diverse student populations and school contexts is an ongoing discussion in public education. The need to show communities and parents how well teachers and schools improve student learning has led districts and states to seek a fair, equitable and valid measure of student growth using student achievement. This study investigated a two stage hierarchical model for estimating teacher effect on student achievement. This measure was entitled a Classroom Effectiveness Index (CEI). Consistency of this model over time, outlier influences in individual CEIs, variance among CEIs across four years, and correlations of second stage student residuals with first stage student residuals were analyzed. The statistical analysis used four years of student residual data from a state-mandated mathematics assessment (n=7086) and a state-mandated reading assessment (n=7572) aggregated by teacher. The study identified the following results. Four years of district grand slopes and grand intercepts were analyzed to show consistent results over time. Repeated measures analyses of grand slopes and intercepts in mathematics were statistically significant at the .01 level. Repeated measures analyses of grand slopes and intercepts in reading were not statistically significant. The analyses indicated consistent results over time for reading but not for mathematics. Data were analyzed to assess outlier effects. Nineteen statistically significant outliers in 15,378 student residuals were identified. However, the impact on individual teachers was extreme in eight of the 19 cases. Further study is indicated. Subsets of teachers in the same assignment at the same school for four consecutive years and for three consecutive years indicated CEIs were stable over time. There were no statistically significant differences in either mathematics or reading. Correlations between Level One student residuals and HLM residuals were statistically significant in reading and in mathematics. This implied that the second stage of the model was consistent for all students. Much is still unknown concerning teacher effect on student achievement, especially when confined to teacher activity within one school year. However, results indicate the utility of using statistical modeling of student achievement within the context of teacher accountability.

Um dos grandes desafios brasileiros é a melhora do sistema educacional. Embora um avanço considerável tenha ocorrido no que diz respeito ao acesso a escola nas últimas duas décadas, a qualidade do ensino ainda se encontra num nível muito aquém do desejado. Uma das alternativas de política para se alterar esse quadro consiste na responsabilização dos educadores pelo desempenho dos alunos, seja por meio apenas de divulgação pública dos resultados dos estudantes ou adicionando prêmios ou sanções como incentivo ao esforço. A maioria dos trabalhos que avalia programas de responsabilização em diversos países indica efeito positivo sobre o desempenho escolar, mas esse resultado não é um consenso, já que alguns trabalhos não encontraram impacto desse tipo de política. Para o caso brasileiro, ainda existem poucos estudos empíricos que procuram avaliar as políticas de responsabilização. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho é fazer uma avaliação do efeito do programa de bonificação de professores do estado de São Paulo sobre o desempenho escolar dos alunos. Os métodos de Propensity Score Matching e Diferenças em Diferenças foram utilizados para medir o impacto do programa sobre as notas médias das escolas. Foram encontrados efeitos positivos e significativos para Matemática (6 pontos na escala SAEB) e Português (3 pontos na mesma escala) para a quarta série do ensino fundamental. Não foram encontrados efeitos para a oitava série. Os resultados se mostraram robustos a especificação de diferentes grupos de controle. / One of the biggest brazilian´s challenges is the improvement of educational system. Although considerable progress has occurred with regard to access to school in the last two decades, the quality of education is still very low level compared to other countries. One of the alternatives of policy to change this situation is the responsibility of educators for the student performances whether through public disclosure of the results or giving bonuses or penalties as an incentive to effort. Many studies of accountability programs in several countries indicated a positive effect on student grades, but it is not a general agreement, since some studies found no impact of such policy. In the brazilian case, there are few empirical studies measuring accountabilities programs. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the bonus program for teachers in the state of Sao Paulo over proficiency of students. Methods of Propensity Score Matching and Difference in Differences were used to measure the program\'s impact on the average scores of schools. We found positive and significant effects on tests of Math (6 points in Saeb scale) and Lecture (3 points in the same scale) for the fourth grade. We didn´t find any effects for eighth grade of elementary school. These results are robust to different control groups.

Um dos grandes desafios brasileiros é a melhora do sistema educacional. Embora um avanço considerável tenha ocorrido no que diz respeito ao acesso a escola nas últimas duas décadas, a qualidade do ensino ainda se encontra num nível muito aquém do desejado. Uma das alternativas de política para se alterar esse quadro consiste na responsabilização dos educadores pelo desempenho dos alunos, seja por meio apenas de divulgação pública dos resultados dos estudantes ou adicionando prêmios ou sanções como incentivo ao esforço. A maioria dos trabalhos que avalia programas de responsabilização em diversos países indica efeito positivo sobre o desempenho escolar, mas esse resultado não é um consenso, já que alguns trabalhos não encontraram impacto desse tipo de política. Para o caso brasileiro, ainda existem poucos estudos empíricos que procuram avaliar as políticas de responsabilização. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho é fazer uma avaliação do efeito do programa de bonificação de professores do estado de São Paulo sobre o desempenho escolar dos alunos. Os métodos de Propensity Score Matching e Diferenças em Diferenças foram utilizados para medir o impacto do programa sobre as notas médias das escolas. Foram encontrados efeitos positivos e significativos para Matemática (6 pontos na escala SAEB) e Português (3 pontos na mesma escala) para a quarta série do ensino fundamental. Não foram encontrados efeitos para a oitava série. Os resultados se mostraram robustos a especificação de diferentes grupos de controle. / One of the biggest brazilian´s challenges is the improvement of educational system. Although considerable progress has occurred with regard to access to school in the last two decades, the quality of education is still very low level compared to other countries. One of the alternatives of policy to change this situation is the responsibility of educators for the student performances whether through public disclosure of the results or giving bonuses or penalties as an incentive to effort. Many studies of accountability programs in several countries indicated a positive effect on student grades, but it is not a general agreement, since some studies found no impact of such policy. In the brazilian case, there are few empirical studies measuring accountabilities programs. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the bonus program for teachers in the state of Sao Paulo over proficiency of students. Methods of Propensity Score Matching and Difference in Differences were used to measure the program\'s impact on the average scores of schools. We found positive and significant effects on tests of Math (6 points in Saeb scale) and Lecture (3 points in the same scale) for the fourth grade. We didn´t find any effects for eighth grade of elementary school. These results are robust to different control groups.

No / Many current threats to security arising from terrorism, 'rogue' states and civil wars are highly complex and often transnational in nature and effect. Such threats can no longer be meaningfully addressed at the national level alone but require an international response. Since the end of the Cold War, the use of force under international auspices (UN, NATO, EU) has increased substantially. However, such actions have not necessarily been accompanied by improvements in their democratic accountability. Pre-existing problems and inadequacies of parliamentary oversight of armed forces and use of force at the national level of many democratic states are mirrored, and even magnified, at the international level. The effect of imperfect democratic controls at the national level and the challenges to provide transparent and accountable multilateral responses results in the so-called `double democratic deficit¿ of the international use of force. Each chapter in this innovative work analyses the challenges of parliamentary and democratic supervision of international security structures and puts forward proposals on how to improve democratic accountability of multinational responses to complex security challenges.

This study conducts research to investigate whether Nigeria gaining Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) compliance status in 2011 has, in practice, improved transparency practices in its oil and gas industry. Its findings are the result of applying an accountability theoretical framework to the disclosure practices of the oil and gas industry. Although other studies have been published on the activities of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, they did not relate specifically to the issue of improved transparency practices in Nigeria after it achieved EITI compliance status. In line with many studies in the field, this study has adopted a mixed methods approach to analysing the issues. This study uses a questionnaire to gather perceptions from the responses of key stakeholders from seventeen different organisations in Nigeria. These data are then used to test various hypotheses. It also conducts follow-up in-depth interviews in order to gain further insights from experts in Nigeria to help interpret the results obtained. Anecdotal commentaries from the popular press in Nigeria had suggested that, despite gaining EITI compliance status there were still major shortfalls in what might be described as acceptable standards of disclosure relating to oil and gas revenue transparency. This study’s findings to a certain extent provide evidence that this is the case. In addition, it finds that there appears to be no corresponding improvement in accountability for the use of the said revenue for the good of Nigerian society. This study found out that there was information about oil revenue and other activities of the oil and gas industry, in addition to an increase of oil revenue to the Government. Further, this study discovers that there is a need for the Government and its related agencies to improve, in the management of oil and gas revenue. The Government should also allow the remedial actions to be made appropriately in the oil and gas industry, as recommended by the NEITI audit reports. This study also recommends Nigerian Government to allow civil societies and NGOs to act independently, in the activities of oil and gas industry. They should also be involved in the decision making on how to use the oil and gas revenue received. There is also a need for consultation or a group discussion among the key stakeholders of the oil and gas industry, including the government officials and those that were not accessing enough information of the oil and gas revenue, to discuss on how the Government, related agencies and the oil and gas companies will improve and maintain effective processes in providing sufficient and accurate information of the oil and gas revenue at the appropriate period. The results of this study have importance to the policy and also the body of literature.

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