NYC Adopts Incentive Compensation Plan

It's news when the nation's largest school district--New York City--announces a teacher incentive plan that would give cash bonuses to teachers at some of the city’s high-needs schools that raise student test scores. Union officials supported the plan because it gives the incentive bonus to the whole school and not just to individual teachers who raise student test scores. NYC's move comes in the midst of much discussion in D.C. about performance pay for teachers. Notably, House education committee Chairman George Miller included performance pay in his committee’s discussion draft for renewal of NCLB.

Those interested in this policy topic are advised to visit the National Center for Performance Incentives , a national research and development center for state and local policy at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Under the leadership of Matthew Springer, this center sets out to answer one of the most contested questions in public education today: Do financial incentives for teachers, administrators, and schools affect the quality of teaching and learning? The Center is hosting a national conference on this topic in late February 2008, which promises to be very, very interesting.