When designing attractive teacher career structures, policymakers have to take a series of complex decisions. These decisions are related not only to the number of steps within the career ladder and their associated responsibilities, but also to how these positions are articulated with the salary scale and to opportunities for professional…

Among international competitors, the U.S. is an economic leader but trails in many aspects of teacher preparation, investment, and continuous improvement. To change this situation requires a multi-part and comprehensive strategy. The good news is that examples of encouraging reforms exist in many places, and strong evidence shows that these…

William Taylor, 29, a third generation Washington, D.C. resident stands out for a number of reasons. For one, he is an African American man who taught math at an elementary school for many years. Taylor excelled in the role, so much so that he now coaches his fellow math teachers at Aiton Elementary School, which is located in a high-poverty…

During the 2010, 2011, and 2012 legislative sessions, a combination of federal policy incentives and newly elected governors and legislative majorities in many states following the 2010 elections sparked a wave of legislation addressing teacher effectiveness. More than 20 states passed legislation designed to address educator effectiveness by…

This document is intended to serve as a practical guide for implementing a teacher-student data link (TSDL) that supports a range of uses at the local, regional, and state levels. The guide addresses the considerations for linking teacher and student data from multiple perspectives, including governance, policies, data components, business rules,…

After years of non-stop increases--national k-12 per-pupil spending is up by "one-third" in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1995--schools now face the near-certainty of repeated annual budget cuts for the first time since the Great Depression. In some states and districts, reductions will be dramatic--well into the double digits. And…

This study was commissioned by the State of Iowa to identify the current status and applicability of performance-based teacher compensation plans. After a review of the literature to establish the current status of merit pay and to identify districts throughout the United States that are presently using performance-based compensation plans, a…

Reports on the 1985 convention of the National Education Association noting changes in the group's politics and its efforts to present a more moderate image. One event during the convention was a march on the South African Embassy protesting apartheid. (MD)

Presents six letters discussing various aspects of a discussion on restructuring teachers' salaries in the Soviet Union. Considers such questions as who should determine skill level, evaluation criteria for the innovator, cost of living, and differences in school quality. (DK)

In 1984, Waunakee Community School District (Wisconsin) developed the Teaching Incentives Pilot Program to study teacher compensation, teacher evaluation, and staff development. The program goals were (1) to provide a system to retain and reward competent teachers, (2) to promote educational excellence through quality instructors, and (3) to link…

This paper looks at the uses and limitations of performance pay, what sorts of decisions need to be made at various points, how decisions in one area are related to decisions in others, and what practical questions need to be answered if policy makers decide to put new or revised pay-for-performance systems in place. Specifically, the paper: (1)…

The purpose of this guide, one of the nine-booklet Teacher Quality Series, is to help educational policymakers develop better policies by explaining how to use a compensation plan to improve education and how to make one work. It also encourages consideration of alternative policies to improve education. Each section introduces common positions on…

To make merit-pay plans work, a district's teacher-evaluation system must be both summative and formative--evaluating both for teacher outcomes and for progressive improvement. Only peer-mediated self-appraisal systems seem able to meet such a challenge. Fairly rewarded merit-pay plans depend on accurate teacher evaluations. However, teacher…

This report presents the Connecticut edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook." The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…

This report presents the District of Columbia edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook." The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these…