After a wonderful conversation with my site supervisor (and Intermediate School Principal), I have settled on a topic. The purpose will be to examine the effects of Performance Based Compensation (also known as merit pay for teachers) on student achievement. In today's atmosphere of education reform, merit pay is often mentioned as a reform worthy of consideration. Some stakeholders even appear to consider merit pay a panacea that will cure all that is wrong with public education. However, what evidence is there that merit pay has any positive effect on student learning?
The implementation of non-traditional pay plans can have the benefit of improving the student learning. Some merit pay plans can, however, pit teacher against teacher and be detrimental to the collaborative atmosphere of schools. What is the best way to implement a merit pay plan that avoids some of the pitfalls?
