Preview

Teacher Performance Pay

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3408 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Teacher Performance Pay
Position Paper: Teacher Performance Pay
John Filutze
November 15, 2011
Jeff Abbott, Ph.D.

Performance-based pay has been a hot topic among conversations regarding public education over the past several years. Performance-based pay, pay-for-performance, or merit pay, are all synonymous with pay programs “whereby teacher bonuses are tied to improvements in students’ performance” (Cissell, 2010, p. 119). Some programs even determine teacher pay, not just bonuses, based on student performance. Many states have already passed legislation which includes language for performance-based pay for teachers. This idea, however, is not new to education. When A Nation at Risk was published in 1983, many schools and districts experimented with flexible compensation plans in an effort to improve student achievement (Podgursky and Springer, 2007). The charge has been led by the Obama administration for the past three years, as evidenced by budget proposals. The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), established by Congress in 2006 to implement performance-pay programs in high-need schools, was put into the 2009 stimulus package at $300 million. Subsequently it was put into the 2010 budget at $487 million and the 2011 budget at $950 million (Smarick, 2011). In President Obama’s Race to the Top (RTTT) questionnaire, a comprehensive approach to improve teaching, 28% of the points were assigned based on whether or not an applicant established some commitment to a merit pay system (Smarick, 2011; Tienken, 2011; Woessmann, 2011). Sixteen states did make a commitment on their application. Since a push for merit pay has been established, it makes sense to look at the different types of programs with which experiments have been performed. There are programs which are on an individual-level, school-level, and district-level. The Milken Family Foundation has established the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), Florida has its E-Comp, Texas joins with the Governor’s



References: Cissell, G. (2010). Kentucky and Education Reform: The Issue of Pay-for-Performance. Journal of Law & Education, 39(1), 119-27. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Donlevy, J. (2008). Pay-for-Performance: Problematic for Schools?. International Journal of Instructional Media, 35(3), 245-7. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. |Eberts, R., Hollenbeck, K., & Stone, J. (2002). Teacher Performance Incentives And Student Outcomes. The Journal of Human Resources, | |37(4), 913-27 Goodman, S., & Turner, L. (2011). Does Whole-School Performance Pay Improve Student Learning. Education Next, 11(2), 66-71. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Gratz, D. (2011). Performance Pay: Path to Improvement. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(4), 156-61. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Podgursky, M., & Springer, M. (2007). Credentials Versus Performance: Review of the Teacher Performance Pay Research. Peabody Journal of Education, 82(4), 551-73. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Smarick, A. (2011). Diplomatic Mi$$ion. Education Next, 11(1), 56-63. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Stevens, L., & Piazza, P. (2010). Adolescent Literacy Policy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 53(6), 512-15. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Tienken, C. (2011). Pay for Performance: Whose Performance?. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(4), 152-4. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Woessmann, L. (2011). Merit Pay International. Education Next, 11(2), 72-7. Retrieved from Education Full Text database.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    Rwt 1

    • 3982 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Stillwell, L. (2002, December 16). Performance-based compensation increasingly popular. The business review, Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com…

    • 3982 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mr. Zaboschuk

    • 2303 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Ferracone, R. A., & Borneman, J. P. (2001). Putting pay for performance back into incentive programs. Compensation & Benefits Management, 17(4), 29.…

    • 2303 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Procter, S. J., McArdle, L., Rowlinson, M., Forrester, P. & Hassard, J. (1993). Performance related pay in operation: a case study from the electronics industry. Human Resource Management Journal, Vol.3, No.4, pp.60-74.…

    • 4200 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Teacher Tenure

    • 4287 Words
    • 18 Pages

    Sawchuk, Stephen. "Pay-for-Tenure Swap for D.C Teachers under Debate." Education Week 27 Aug. 2008. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Sept. 2010.…

    • 4287 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teacher Merit Pay

    • 1705 Words
    • 7 Pages

    There has been a huge debate on whether or not teacher pay or performance pay is a positive thing because there are no real guidelines. Many good points are brought into this debate as there are bad points. In theory, performance and merit pay sound great and solve all problems, but this is where the argument begins. What teachers are considered eligible to receive merit pay? Are standardized tests a good way to indicate improvement? Should students with learning disabilities be a contributing factor to merit pay? As a result to all these questions, all of them have some sort of error. One cannot give a school merit pay based on a certain criteria. There should be a lot to consider when determining whether or not merit pay is a good idea.…

    • 1705 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Merit Pay Hypothesis

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    While one would think it is based on a teacher going above and beyond on with students actives or something benefiting students more then teachers. Although more often than not it is based on students achieving higher scores on standardized testing. Merit pay systems today care more about students achievement and their success that the teacher has with them, while not taking into account veteran teachers who have impacted and succeeded more students in the past then the new teachers who only produce students who can pass standardized testing with high scores. Looking at this side and opinion of the merit pay system really opens my eyes to how the system works and how some view it. True teaching shouldn’t be judged off of test scores, it should be based off of bettering the students as a whole, to receive merit…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Action Inquiry EDA 555

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages

    There are mixed emotions in regards to merit pay in the Chesapeake School district especially those that are new to the district or just graduated from college. The district’s goal for implementation of merit pay is that it gives others the opportunity to learn from their colleagues. The other downfall of merit pay is that teachers will be penalized if they fail to meet the goals of merit pay and this could be cumbersome for those just embarking on a new teaching career. The positive aspect of merit pay is that it rewards teachers for their performance and it provides job security for keeping their student scores high in their classrooms. Motivation is also a key aspect to merit pay, because several teachers in the district feel this is a better evaluation on their performance versus the traditional evaluations they have had in the past. Recruitment has also plagued the district and merit pay can be an alluring factor to qualified teachers looking to move into the district. Retention of qualified teachers has also presented issues with the district so the incentive of a bonus entices many teachers to remain in their positions. The profession of teaching has had the black cloud over its head due to the low salary that many of our teachers face in the public school systems; merit pay can entice…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fred Maiorino Case

    • 8426 Words
    • 34 Pages

    Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. (2006). What 's wrong with pay-for-performance. Industrial Management, 48(2), 12-17,5. Retrieved September 11, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.…

    • 8426 Words
    • 34 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine this: you're a teacher at a very prestigious school, with an exceptional group of students. Your students try their hardest, but some subjects of the curriculum are more difficult than others. Most kids do well on the tests, with a few slipping through the cracks, and the only thought you have is, “how will this affect my paycheck?” Merit pay, according to google, is the raise in pay based on a set of criteria set by the employer. Merit pay is nothing but pernicious to not only the teacher, but the student and school as well. Pay for performance leads to no improvement in teaching by stripping teachers of their motivation to teach. It also leads to a narrower curriculum and ultimately more test prep and money. Additionally, it ultimately leads to corrupt incidences, such as the situations in Atlanta, North Carolina and New York.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spending at one school can make a huge difference on the quality of education than from another school. The school spending difference is often significant because teacher’s salaries are based on their experience and approval or college degrees they might have earned. Low poverty schools have more experienced and higher paid teachers, than a high poverty school where the teachers can be inexperienced, low salaries and a high turn over rate. Research in Baltimore found teacher’s at one school in a high poverty neighborhood were paid on average $36,600 a year, where at another school in the same district the average teacher’s salary was $57,000 a year in a low poverty neighborhood. If both schools have twenty teachers the difference in dollars available for the two schools is over $400,000 a year. Think about how much equipment, supplies, and higher quality teachers that much money can provide for a school. School funding in most states is tied to the wealth of the neighborhood. Communities and students that are at an economic disadvantage often need the most help and are unable to receive the quality of education provided by other schools. Every state across the country needs to expand school funding improvements to ensure that every student gets the highest quality education no matter what school district or neighborhood they happen to live…

    • 1392 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    As an educational institution, merit pay is designed to encourage high effort by rewarding productivity. However, there are times that merit pay is overly awarded, which cause…

    • 2323 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Merit Pay Ravits

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The goal of merit pay is to facilitate competition by tying pay to performance; the goal I to attract high quality teachers with the incentive of higher compensation. According to Ravitch the notion that merit pay is an effective way to motivate and award teachers is wrong. Most teachers don’t like merit pay and believes it put unnecessary pressure on teachers along with taking away job security. According to Ravitch, merit pay does not increase student achievement scores and in fact has never have in the past. This I because merit pay may cause bitterness and discord among teachers instead of competition. All in all, Ravitch cited several studies of merit pay across the country that failed to produce the desired result of higher test score and harder…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Nclb Pros And Cons

    • 1526 Words
    • 7 Pages

    "Nothing helps a child learn as much as a great teacher," said Secretary Spellings (October 8, 2008, press release). "Yet we often find our most experienced and effective teachers in our least challenging settings. Until this trend is reversed, we will not be able to solve our education system 's - and our country 's - biggest challenges. We must do a better job of treating teachers like the professionals they are and rewarding those who take on tougher work and get results." By encouraging effective professional development this encourages teachers to better themselves to better educate our children. This also provides funds for programs that encourage teachers to remain current on educational trends. With these provisions a significant portion of this money is often spent to help teachers better prepare students for standardized testing. NCLB receives grants for excellence in teaching. This money is provided to reward successful teachers and principals. The downside is that the success of teachers and principals is often measured through the same flawed instrument of students ' test scores on the standardized tests. In 2006 President Bush created the Teacher Incentive Fund, which supports districts in rewarding teachers and principals who have increased student achievement and helps to recruit and retain high quality teachers and principals in the neediest…

    • 1526 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Variable Pay

    • 3778 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Jeffrey P. & Robert I. S. (2006). What 's Wrong with Pay-for-Performance? Industrial Management. 12-17.…

    • 3778 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Money vs. Education Value

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Schools should not give into to paying students for their performance. It is understood that in order to keep a school in good academic standings you have to make sure students do well on the standardized test. The test scores not only reflect the school but also represent each student as an individual. So you can see why it is important for students to do well but should that really mean at all cost. For many years teachers have been teaching the material for the long term knowledge now it seems as if they are just beginning to teach just for testing.…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics