In its 2009 report "Teacher Compensation and Teacher Quality," the Committee for Economic Development urged business leaders to be active participants in school district deliberations about teacher compensation policies. The Committee for Economic Development (CED) noted that "business leaders can make the case to the public that…

When negotiating new teacher contracts, most districts, no doubt, are focusing discussions on averting wage freezes and massive layoffs. But prudent districts--those looking for long-term solutions to budget problems as well as those seeking to more fairly compensate the most effective teachers--are reconsidering the traditional salary schedule,…

Teacher compensation reforms have been on the rise in recent years, yet research has yet to fully demonstrate how teachers interpret these policies and how they may influence their instructional practices and professional decisions. This qualitative study of a performance pay program in an urban district in Texas drew on cognitive approaches to…

Many districts and schools have trouble recruiting and retaining teachers who have the necessary credentials and skills to meet the needs of their students. This trend is particularly severe in low-income, "high-needs" schools and districts. As such, districts and schools are implementing policies that are intended to reform compensation…

This policy brief reviews the recent experience of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) with the development and approval of Proposition A. Proposition A (also known as the Quality Teacher and Education Act, or QTEA) included a parcel tax mainly dedicated to increasing teachers' salaries, along with a variety of measures introducing…

In the era of No Child Left Behind, principals are increasingly held accountable for student performance. But are teacher labor agreements giving them enough flexibility to manage effectively? This study answers this question and others. It examines how much flexibility school leaders enjoy on key dimensions of management in America's fifty…

Although many wage theories have been proposed to explain the process whereby some agreement is reached about who is to receive what salary, none seems adequate to explain all wages in general. Even indepth studies attempting to establish a ranking of jobs for compensation purposes have not found general acceptance by school systems. Instead, a…

A study to identify determinants of administrator salaries and school district salary decision-making processes is described in this report. A three-part methodology included a telephone survey of 23 out of 27 administrators, an analysis of formal district salary schedules, and a data analysis of state personnel files. The state records analysis…

A survey of 156 institutions using television and other educational media was conducted to determine the extent and nature of contracts or specific policies defining the rights and responsibilities of teachers using educational media. The survey aimed at both discovering present trends in policies and practices and forming a compendium of…

This bulletin is an examination of the practices and procedures for the administration of a merit salary policy as part of the teacher compensation program. It analyzes the procedures for the implementation of a merit salary policy in six school districts which are prominent examples in this field: Canton, Connecticut; Ladue, Missouri; Rich…

If future contracts with school district professional personnel can incorporate salary and compensation equity and evaluation systems that are fair, then the issues of accountability and value for the taxpayers will be favorably settled. (MLF)

Identifies federal reporting obligations that govern school districts' human resources management in the following areas: (1) Internal Revenue Service filing requirements; (2) Fair Labor Standards Act recordkeeping; (3) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reporting; and (4) Family and Medical Leave Act recordkeeping. (MLF)

Teacher skill and knowledge-based pay plans in education could be related to major demarcation points in teacher career development. To illustrate the approach, career ladder programs in three U.S. districts and a pay system in Australia are described. Each plan includes career stages that qualify for pay increments. (SLD)

NINE GROUPS OF 119 BRIEF EVALUATIVE QUESTIONNAIRES ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LOCAL PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, BOARDS OF EDUCATION, AND ADMINISTRATORS WITH AN INSTRUMENT FOR COMPREHENSIVE SELF-ANALYSIS OF THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM'S OPERATION AND FOR IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS IN WHICH SPECIFIC EFFORTS AT IMPROVEMENT MIGHT BE DIRECTED. RELATED SUBTOPICS FOR…