Paying teachers based on student success - Will Canada be influenced by a US trend?

VANCOUVER - Tying teachers' pay to the academic results of their students will result in higher standards and outcomes according to US president Barack Obama in his remarks on Education March 10, 2009. Will this renewed commitment in the US to performance-based incentives affect schools in Canada?

The Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education investigates this question in Beyond the Grid: A Canadian look at the terrain of teacher compensation released in December 2008.

This research report examines six models of performance-based pay in US jurisdictions with a view to assessing their design, implementation, and effects. This is followed by a snapshot of opinions held by Canadian parents, teachers and principals on the issue. The study explores both the potential and challenges associated with altering the standard "grid," currently in use in Canada to a model that would consider factors beyond seniority and educational attainment when determining a teacher's pay.

The findings of this investigation do not conclusively link alternative pay plans with student achievement. Many US programs offering forms of performance pay are quite new, or have undergone significant changes within the past few years and the data is limited. As well, many programs have experienced sizeable implementation challenges. This report shows the challenges of reforming pay systems and measuring the effects of teaching on student achievement experienced in six different program models currently in use.

Many US teachers' unions have spoken out strongly against performance pay, yet the issue remains on the forefront of the reform agenda in the US. The opinions of Canadian teachers align with those of their colleagues to the south. However, the views held by parents and school principals do not always correspond with those of teachers on this issue, which points to the likelihood of ongoing dialogue, questions, and debate in both countries.

Beyond the Grid: A Canadian look at the terrain of teacher compensation (Raham, H., Guppy, N., Phillips, S. M. & Bennett, K. 2008) is available through the Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education www.saee.ca.