Performance pay resources

Primer on Performance Pay - An examination of the origin and history of performance pay, including failures, successes and implementation plans for today’s school districts.

Oregon Performance Pay Plans - An Oregon-centered approach to knowledge and skill pay, including pay plans for both teachers and administrators based on licensing, education and performance results.

OSBA's Superintendent Performance Incentive Program outlines a model designed to tie your superintendent's pay to performance.

Additional Resources

• The Denver Public Schools performance pay plan is being considered by voters this fall. New employees will be automatically enrolled in the plan but existing staff will have the option of continuing their current pay structure.The groundbreaking compensation system is a partnership between the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and Denver Public Schools. It has received national attention because it rewards teachers for their professional accomplishments while linking pay to the school district's instructional goals.
• Minneapolis Public Schools announced it was embarking on a new pay system for teachers that places an emphasis on training and removes the automatic pay bump teachers use to receive for each year of experience. The new contract means Minneapolis will be one of the largest school districts in the country to move toward an alternative teacher compensation plan that supporters believe will help keep young teachers in the profession and may attract mid-career professionals from other fields. The plan is voluntary for teachers. 
• The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) units top research institutions in an effort to provide information for both practical application and research to improve student learning through Education Reform, policy and finance. Resources include sites pertaining to Knowledge and Skills Based Pay and School Based Performance Awards. 
• Enhancing Teacher Quality through Knowledge- and Skills-based Pay (CPRE Policy Brief) (367k ). The
• Wisconsin Policy Institute released a report on June 4, 2001 that recommends that teachers in public school be paid on the basis of student achievement rather than on the basis of experience and educational attainment. Performance-Based Pay for Teachers in Wisconsin: Options and Opportunities (160k ).
• California Certificated Staff Performance Incentive - The 1999 California State Legislature passed The Public Schools Accountability Act authorizing the creation of a new educational accountability system for California public schools.
• Iowa has created a teacher performance pay program on a state-wide basis. On May 25, 2001 the Iowa governor signed into law a teacher performance pay system costing approximately $40 million. The plan is intended to create a student achievement and teacher quality program that acknowledges that outstanding teachers are a key component in student success. 

The program's goals are to enhance student achievement and to redesign compensation strategies and teachers' professional development. Such compensation strategies are designed to attract and retain high performing teachers, to reward teachers for improving their skills and knowledge in a manner that translates into better student learning, and to reward the staff of school attendance centers for improvement in student achievement. The new system is expected to cost about $250 million after four years.

To read the bills: House File 413 and Senate File 476 from the Iowa General Assembly