Recent Reports and Articles on Teacher Incentive Programs

Recent Reports and Articles on Teacher Incentive Programs

Recent Research

n  Susan Moore Johnson and John Papay just released a comprehensive report, Redesigning Teacher Pay: A System for the Next Generation of Teachers, incorporating two studies: one analyzing the current pay for performance plans of four large, urban districts and the other proposing a “Tiered Pay-and-Career Structure”, targeting strong teaching candidates by building instructional skills and offering higher pay to those “who perform well and assume broader responsibility for improving instruction beyond their classroom.” http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/book-redesigning_teacher_pay/[i]

n  Using 11 years of student data in North Carolina, researchers have found that most value-added achievement gains are attributed to the make-up of teacher teams, not the traits and characteristics of individual teachers. Drawing on sophisticated analyses of this large database, C. Kirabo Jackson and Elias Bruegmann reported in a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research that peer learning among small groups of teachers seems to be the most powerful predictor of student achievement over time. http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/book-redesigning_teacher_pay/[ii]

n  The National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt completed its second year of evaluating performance pay in Texas. Working under a grant called the Governor’s Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) from the Texas Education Agency, the Center found that “when teachers design performance pay programs they tend to be egalitarian, offering everyone a little bit of money.” http://www.performanceincentives.org/data/files/news/BooksNews/GEEG_Year_2_Report.pdf[iii]

n  The researchers in a study of Portuguese teacher pay reforms found that “increased focus on individual teacher performance, with focus on student test scores, caused a sizable and statistically significant decline in student achievement.” They conclude, however, that “future research should move from the question of whether performance-related pay has any effects” to one that focuses on the “specific performance-related pay setups generat(ing) the best results for students.” http://www.nber.org/papers/w15202.pdf[iv]

n  Economist Tim Sass, who in previous papers recommends the use of performance pay, raises questions about the stability of value-added measures to determine who is an effective teacher and who is not. Sass' recent analyses show that in Duval County, Florida almost 20 percent of those who scored in the bottom quintile of teachers in year one scored in the top quintile the next. http://ftp.iza.org/dp4051.pdf[v]

In the News

n  Toledo teachers are pleased that they offset classroom supply costs with Teacher Incentive Fund grants, which are based on Ohio’s state report card system. In one school, 28 staff members received bonuses after following through with goals they were able set on their own. http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090922/NEWS16/909220336/0/READERSERVICE05[vi]

n  Under a new agreement between the Massachusetts state teachers union and a Boston charter school, a team of teachers and administrators will meet to determine performance criteria for their own strategic compensation plan. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090915006793&newsLang=en[vii]

n  In Wisconsin, state union president Mary Bell makes clear her support for the removal of statutes that prevent comprehensive teacher evaluation, while opposing the use of a single test score to evaluate teachers. In fact, as long as the local units retain their right to negotiate pay, the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) is very much open to change. http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/460554[viii]

n  Stephen Sawchuk of Education Week reported that Congressman George Miller (D-CA) was pleased with the NEA’s shift in their stance on pay programs. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2009/09/_interesting_because_of_the.html[ix]

n  NEA president Dennis Van Roekel clarified his union’s stance on “merit pay” in a PBS debate with Garry Ritter in April 2009: “The first question you must ask is what is meant by ‘merit pay?’ If it means paying for test scores, then NEA does not support it. NEA does support creative alternatives and enhancements that build on a strong salary schedule with a $40,000 base salary. The key question for any compensation system is whether it is designed to improve teaching and learning or advance short-term political goals.” http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/518/merit-pay-debate-print.html[x]

n  Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said the following in response to Obama’s plea for innovations in teacher pay: “[President Obama] talked about competitive salaries for teachers with innovative ways to reward teachers and experiences. We have been advocating those things atthe PFT for a number of years.” http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/3993323.php?[xi]

[i] Moore Johnson, Susan and John P. Papay. (2009). Redesigning Teacher Pay: A System for the Next Generation of Teachers. Economic Policy Institute Series on Alternative Teacher Compensation Systems No.2. Retrieved October 5, 2009 from http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/book-redesigning_teacher_pay/

[ii] Jackson, C. Kirabo and Elias Bruegmann (2009, July). Teaching Students and Teaching Each Other: The Importance of Peer Learning for Teachers. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series. Retrieved September 2, 2009 from http://www.nber.org/papers/w15202.pdf

[iii] Podgursky, Michael J., Elhert, Mark W. and Taylor, Lori L. (2009, July 27). Governor’s Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG): Year Two Evaluation Report. National Center on Performance Incentives Policy Evaluation Report. Retrieved August 21, 2009 from http://www.performanceincentives.org/data/files/news/BooksNews/GEEG_Year_2_Report.pdf

[iv] Martins, Pedro S. (2009, March). Individual Teacher Incentives, Student Achievement and Grade Inflation. Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA): Discussion Paper No. 4051. Retrieved September 19, 2009 from http://ftp.iza.org/dp4051.pdf

[v] Sass, Tim R. (2008, November). The Stability of Value-Added Measures of Teacher Quality and Implications for Teacher Compensation Policy. Urban Institute Policy Brief. Retrieved September 24, 2009 from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001266_stabilityofvalue.pdf

[vi] Romaker, Janet. (2009, September 22). Performance shows up in TPS’ teachers paychecks: Employees given $1.5M in bonuses. Toledoblade.com. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090922/NEWS16/909220336/0/READERSERVICE05

[vii] (2009, September 15). Public Charter School in Boston Reaches Historic Agreement with State Teachers Union. Business Wire. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090915006793&newsLang=en

[viii] Pitsch, Mark. (2009, August 3). Doyle going after student performance, federal money. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/460554

[ix] Sawchuk, Stephen (2009, September 30). Rep. George Miller and the NEA: Round Two. Teacher Beat. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2009/09/_interesting_because_of_the.html

[x] (2009, April 30). Issue Clash: Merit Pay. PBS.org. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/518/merit-pay-debate-print.html

[xi] (2009, March 10). Obama Backs Merit Pay for Teachers; Phila Union Chief Receptive. KYW News Radio. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/3993323.php?