Report: Teacher Merit Pay Needed
COLUMBUS - Introducing merit pay programs into Ohio's
existing teacher compensation system will help recruit exceptional new
teachers, retain successful teachers, and improve the overall quality
of public education, according to a new report released by the Buckeye
Institute, a Columbus-based free-market think tank.
"Common sense suggests and research proves that having good
teachers is one of the most important factors for student
achievement," said the study's co-author Matthew
Carr. "Reforming teacher compensation and increasing
teacher quality should be an important component of any education
reform initiative. Moreover, a well-designed merit pay program
can increase the quality of teachers, improve educational outcomes, and
facilitate an environment of collegiality and cooperation among
teachers."
Carr's study outlines the issues surrounding merit pay, summarizes the available research, and provides a prototype merit pay plan that can be implemented in districts across the state.
"Some merit pay plans are impractical for widespread implementation because they require an institutional capacity that does not exist in many schools," said Carr. “However, the plan we propose does not advocate a total overhaul of the current way teachers' salaries are determined. Instead, it offers a practical and efficient injection of market-based incentives through the introduction of bonuses that reward excellence."
The study offers a prototype plan in which teachers receive bonuses of
up to $10,000, $7,000, and $4,000. Variation depends upon subject
taught, professional responsibilities, supervisor evaluation and
student achievement. The plan's central feature is that the
largest portion of the potential bonuses is based on measures of
individual classroom growth and school-wide growth.
The full study is available here.
Carr is the education policy director at the Buckeye Institute and a former staff researcher on education policy issues for the Manhattan Institute for Policy. Study co-author Marc Holley is a former private school administrator and teacher. Both are doctoral fellows at the University of Arkansas.
The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions is a nonpartisan research and educational institute devoted to individual liberty, economic freedom, personal responsibility and limited government in Ohio.
-30-
