Henrico County Public Schools, in partnership with the Community Training and Technical Assistance Center (CTAC), was awarded a Teacher Incentive Fund grant in the amount of $16,447,775 over five years. The Learning Leaders Initiative will pilot and sustain a performance-based staff development and differentiated compensation plan. The initiative will provide teachers and principals in Henrico County’s highest-need schools with incentive pay tied directly to effective and engaging classroom instruction leading to growth in student achievement.
Learning Leaders directly addresses our nation’s greatest challenge and the Henrico School Division’s Strategic Plan focus of ensuring all children have access to a quality education by supporting the recruitment, retention and training of exceptional teachers and leaders. It is only through high quality faculty and staff creating engaging learning environments, that high levels of student learning can be ensured.
The goals for the Learning Leaders Initiative are to:
- Build teacher and principal capacity to increase student achievement by aligning and improving implementation of teaching standards to ensure effective and engaging teaching.
- Retain a community of high-performing educators in typically hard-to-staff schools to drive academic achievement in the short and long-term.
- Develop the school division’s capacity to implement and evaluate a performance-based compensation system.
Eight schools serving 5,725 students have been selected to participate in the Learning Leaders Initiative as a pilot program. They include Highland Springs High School, Fairfield Middle School, Wilder Middle School, Highland Springs Elementary School, Fair Oaks Elementary School, Laburnum Elementary School, Glen Lea Elementary School, and Adams Elementary School.
Teachers responsible for a course with an end-of-year or end-of-course Standards of Learning assessment or those responsible for the results of the PALS assessment in the primary grades are eligible for the Learning Leaders Initiative. Principals and assistant principals who supervise eligible teachers may also participate. All eligible teachers and principals will attend a Learning Leaders Academy where they will learn details of the initiative and be given the opportunity to participate. Individual teachers and administrators may choose not to participate in the Learning Leaders Initiative.
The incentive compensation for teachers includes up to $3,000 for creating an engaging learning environment based in the school division’s teaching standards and an additional $5,000 for meeting individual student learning targets on state and local assessments. Total performance incentive compensation for teachers will be up to $8,000 per year.
The incentive compensation for principals and assistant principals includes up to $4,000 for supporting teacher growth in creating an engaging learning environment and up to $6,000 for school-wide and individual student learning goals as well as stakeholder perception targets. Total performance incentive compensation for principals will be up to $10,000 per year.
The Community Training and Assistance Center has had a long history on the national stage with performance-based compensation programs. They will provide technical assistance, training, and consultation to the initiative. The Center will also be responsible for the ongoing evaluation of the project.
Linda Thompson, Assistant Director, Staff Development -