A look at existing emerging alternative approaches to the single-salary teacher compensation structure found in most school districts in Canada

This book discusses various pay and compensation initiatives in use nationwide, highlighting: (1) How Are Teachers Compensated?" (current status of teacher compensation and the changing context of teaching); (2) "What Have We Learned from Attempts at Change?" (three approaches to compensating teachers, recent short-lived reform efforts, and other factors supporting compensation reform); (3) "The Elements of Pay and Compensation" (traditional pay, new approaches to pay, pay for behaviors or outcomes, and benefits as part of compensation); (4) "What Is the Relationship between Pay and Motivation?" (theories of motivation, implications of motivation theories for compensation, applications to education, and compensation factors motivating teachers); (5) "Rewarding Individual Teachers for Developing and Deploying Needed Knowledge and Skills" (knowledge- and skill-based pay and examples of such pay structures); (6) "School Bonuses for Improved Student Performance" (group-based performance awards, examples of performance awards, and gain-sharing programs); (7) "Designing and Implementing Alternative Teacher Compensation Systems" (compensation and school improvement, three design strategies, and stakeholder roles); and (8) "Compensation To Enhance Teacher Quality and Supply" (staffing and compensation challenges, issues, and innovations). Two resources present generic models of knowledge- and skill-based pay and principles for implementing change in compensation. (Contains approximately 335 references.) (SM)

This presentation is based on the following principles: 1. The key accountability for schools is to improve student performance. 2. Teachers in the classroom (including those in hard-to-staff fields such as math and special education) and their instructional practice are the single most important factors that will lead to improved student performance. 3. Teacher compensation is the single biggest part of the education budget (often more than 60%). 4. Therefore, linking pay to teacher performance â instructional practice that produces student learning gains is the best way to expend money in a way that ultimately improves student performance. This book shows how the connections among those principles are playing. [Web, ed].

This report presents information regarding the patterns of variation in the salaries paid to public and private school teachers in relation to various personal and job characteristics. Specifically, the analysis examines the relationship between compensation and variables such as public/private schools, gender, race/ethnic background, school level and type, teacher qualifications, and different work environments. The economic conceptual framework of hedonic wage theory, which illuminates the trade-offs between monetary rewards and the various sets of characteristics of employees and jobs, was used to analyze The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) database. The national survey was administered by the National Center for Education Statistics during the 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1993-94 school years. Findings indicate that on average, public school teachers earned between about 25 to 119 percent higher salaries than did private school teachers, depending on the private subsector. Between about 2 and 50 percent of the public-private difference could be accounted for by differences in teacher characteristics, depending on the private subsector. White and Hispanic male public school teachers earned higher salaries than their female counterparts. Hedonic wage theory would predict that teacher salaries would be higher in schools with more challenging, more difficult, and less desirable work environments. Schools with higher levels of student violence, lower levels of administrative support, and large class sizes paid higher salaries to compensate teachers for the additional burdens. However, some of the findings contradict the hypothesis. For example, public school teachers working in schools characterized by fewer family problems, higher levels of teacher influence on policy, and higher job satisfaction also received higher salaries. In conclusion, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that a complex array of factors underlie the processes of teacher supply and demand and hence the determination of salaries. Teachers are not all the same, but are differentiated by their attributes. At the same time, districts and schools are differentiated by virtue of the work environment they offer. Seventeen tables and two figures are included. Appendices contain technical notes, descriptive statistics and parameter estimates for variables, and standard errors for selected tables. (Contains 84 references.) (LMI)

"This is a good and needed book. I would buy it, and recommend it to a wide range of educators." -Kenneth D. Peterson, Author Professor, Portland State University "The authors have amassed a tremendous amount of information and assembled it into a very readable book that is an excellent resource." -Randel Beaver, Superintendent, Archer City School District, TX Attract and retain the highest-quality teachers through competitive compensation programs! While many working in the teaching profession cite intangible rewards as reasons for staying in the profession, concrete rewards such as salary, benefits, and working conditions are inextricably linked to attracting, developing, and retaining highly-qualified teachers. This timely text examines the fundamental link between teacher pay and teacher quality as well as the extent to which compensation can be aligned with student achievement. A range of existing compensation models are reviewed in order to provide a balanced, practical, research-based approach for developing a comprehensive, best-practice teacher compensation system. School administrators can use these synthesized, innovative findings to Determine the most practical compensation model for achieving their school′s objectives Examine different pay options used across the country Connect their school′s compensation program to organizational goals Discover how to attract and retain high-quality teachers Advance student achievement and improve teacher retention by developing a deeper understanding of the connection between teacher pay and teacher quality.

For both aspiring and experienced education leaders in school budgeting, finance, and resource management courses, Money and Schools explains and demonstrates the relationship between money and equality of educational opportunity. Grounded in research and best practices, this book provides a broad overview of school finance, budgeting, and resource allocation, as well as a detailed examination of day-to-day funding operations. This accessible and engaging book offers strong connections to real-world experiences and detailed information on pre-K–12 funding history, concepts, and current operations. New to this edition: • Cutting edge research on the relationship of money and student learning outcomes, alterations to state aid distribution formulas, new federal education initiatives, and a changing landscape in school finance litigation. • New concepts that have gained traction since the last edition of the book, including school choice and privatization, Common Core State Standards, value-added teacher evaluation, and growth of online options at the K–12 level. • Updated end-of-chapter activities and additional resources that are aligned with the key concepts and content of each chapter. • Online instructor resources