The question for this brief is whether education leaders can use value-added measures as tools for improving schooling and, if so, how to do this. Districts, states, and schools can, at least in theory, generate gains in educational outcomes for students using value-added measures in three ways: creating information on effective programs, making…

This study was conducted in order to examine how and to what extent the implementation of the performance-based bonus program in South Korean schools has motivated teachers to improve their behavior, as well as to identify any other positive or negative effects of the program. Interviews with teachers indicated that a large percentage of teachers…

Created by the U.S. Congress in 2006, the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) represents the first federal initiative targeted directly at state and district efforts to introduce performance measures into educator compensation. TIF responds to a growing body of evidence that existing pay structures do not respond to labor force realities or adequately…

Nations around the world are experimenting with ways to use salary incentives to recruit and retain teachers, fill vacancies in hard-to-staff areas, and improve student learning. These experiments come at a time when qualified teachers are in short supply and when teaching appears to be a less popular professional choice for young people. Programs…

While there has been substantial research studying the factors that influence teachers' career decisions, there is far less literature on the relationship between teacher effectiveness, mobility, and attrition. In the paper "Teacher Effectiveness, Mobility, and Attrition in Florida: A Descriptive Analysis," Martin West and Matthew…

In 2007, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began implementing a schoolwide reform called the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) using funds from the federal Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) and private foundations. Under the TAP model, teachers can earn extra pay and responsibilities through promotion to mentor or master teacher as well as annual…

Lead teachers, a "second-wave" reform concept aimed at professionalizing teaching and decentralizing educational decision-making, might overcome technical and political problems that merit pay, career ladders, and mentor teacher plans have failed to resolve. Lead teachers are motivated by intrinsic rewards and opportunities to exercise…

Examines new institutional forms that support teachers' professional growth. Examines how existing arrangements can be redesigned to support reformers' visions and teachers' professional growth. Considers aspects of the larger education policy context that foster or impede teachers' incentives and ability to acquire new knowledge, skills, and…

This review paper, prepared for the forthcoming Russell Sage volume Changing Poverty, considers the ability of different education policies to improve the learning outcomes of low-income children in America. Disagreements on this question stem in part from different beliefs about the problems with our nation's public schools. In our view there…

Summarizes the Southern Regional Education Board's findings concerning 1980s teacher improvement reforms. Salaries doubled in 15 southern states, with pay increases tied to increased teacher accountability. However, available state funding covered evaluations, not staff development; pay-for-performance programs generated heated debates; and…

"First wave" educational reform has resulted in various state and local incentive and pay-for-performance programs, such as Tennessee's career ladder program offering extended contract opportunities for teachers and administrators achieving a certain performance status. While the intent was to reward excellence, offer supplemental pay…

Evaluates the UK government's performance-management initiative for teachers. This measure, which aims to modernize the teaching profession, raise standards, and provide financial rewards for individuals, teams, and whole-school performance, has been soundly criticized. However, the initiative is flawed, as it neglects some important school…

Leading-edge states, districts, and unions are beginning to implement knowledge- and skills-based pay systems for teachers. PRAXIS and other performance assessment tools are described, along with sample assessment and salary schedule combinations. Effective principal leadership and yearly bonuses between $1,500 and $3,000 ensure sufficient…

Reports and discusses data on incentives being considered to improve the quality and quantity of science in precollege institutions. Incentives (organized into several categories) focus on bringing new individuals into science teaching and upgrading those with science teaching assignments who are not trained to teach science. (JN)

When Shanahan, Meehan, and Mogge (1994) reviewed the issue of professionalization, they characterized previous discussions and debates as controversial, negative, and heated, marked more by discord than unity. A key point of disagreement was whether or under what conditions certification could be considered necessary or desirable. They found only…