Case Studies: Overview | Eagle County | ProComp | Q Comp | TAP
In 2001 Eagle County Schools (ECS), Colorado, initiated a comprehensive education reform aimed at improving the quality of instruction district wide. After reviewing several models for accomplishing this, ECS settled on the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) and, by 2004, had implemented performance-based compensation and other key elements in all district schools. In 2006, ECS was awarded a Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant to build upon the solid foundation set by TAP. In 2008, led by a Performance-Based Compensation Steering Committee, which unanimously voted not to return to the traditional lock-and-step salary system, Eagle County Schools overhauled their existing performance pay program by increasing incentive award amounts, implementing a more rigorous teacher evaluation system and improving their data management systems.
ECS’ Teacher Accountability and Excellence Program consists of four main elements – Instructionally-Focused Accountability, Performance-Based Compensation, Multiple Career Paths, and Ongoing, Applied Professional Growth:
Instructionally-Focused Accountability
Eagle County Schools measures effective teaching and student learning in three ways:
- Individual Teacher Evaluation Scores. Teachers receive an annual evaluation score based on a weighted average of two separate official observations. The unannounced principal observation accounts for 65% of the rating while the announced master teacher observation accounts for 35% of the total score.
- School-wide Student Achievement Index. Student achievement is calculated at the school level through two separate assessments – the annual Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) and the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA). Schools (1) receive a “Catch Up/Keep Up” score for the percentage of students who reach (catch up) or maintain (keep up) proficiency on the CSAP, and (2) use the SAS© Educational Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) to calculate a school-wide growth score based on the Northwest Evaluation Association’s (NWEA) assessment.
- District-wide Student Achievement Index. Student achievement is calculated at the district level through two separate assessments – the annual Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) and the ACT exam. (1) The district receives a “Catch Up/Keep Up” score for the percentage of students who reach (catch up) or maintain (keep up) proficiency on the CSAP and (2) a score based on the percentage of eleventh graders who meet or exceed the state average on the ACT exam.
Performance-Based Compensation
The performance pay program offers teachers three forms of incentive pay based on both their evaluation scores and student progress results:
- Salary Increase. Educators can earn a salary increase of between 0-4% for receiving evaluation scores ranging from unacceptable to exceptional.
- Annual End of Year School-Wide Bonus. Educators are eligible for year-end bonuses of between 0-4% of their salaries based on an index of school-wide student achievement results. Student achievement is calculated at the school level through two separate assessments – CSAP and NWEA. (1) Teachers working in schools who beat their three year “Catch-Up/Keep-Up” percent average on CSAP earn up to a 1% bonus, and (2) teachers working in schools that show value-added results that are “not distinguishably different” or “above” expected growth on the NWEA receive an index increase between 0-1%.
- Annual End of Year District-Wide Bonus. Educators are eligible for year-end bonuses between
0-4% of their salaries based on an index of district-wide student achievement results. Student achievement is calculated at the district level through two separate assessments – CSAP and ACT. (1) The district receives a “Catch Up/Keep Up” score between 0 and 100% based on CSAP performance, which then translates into an index increase between 0 and 1%, and (2) teachers in the district receive an index increase based on their students’ performance on the ACT relative to the state average.
Learn more about the Performance-Based Compensation Plan.
Multiple Career Paths
The three categories of teachers – career, mentor, and master – allow opportunities for teacher leadership without leaving the classroom.
- Career Teachers. Seventy-five percent of teachers in the ECS system remain classroom teachers and carry a full teaching load. These teachers receive professional development from the master and mentor teachers.
- Mentor Teachers. Mentor teachers spend approximately 70% of their time teaching in classrooms and spend the remainder of their time leading cluster group meetings and coaching and evaluating a small group of teachers. Mentor teachers, accounting for 20% of the teacher workforce, are awarded a $5,000 stipend for their extra responsibilities.
- Master Teachers. Master teachers teach roughly 30% of the day, but spend the majority of their day overseeing cluster group meetings and coaching and performing consequential evaluations for a larger group of teachers. Master teachers receive a $10,500 stipend for their service. Five percent of ECS teachers are selected to serve in the Master teacher role.
Master and mentor teachers go through a rigorous selection process and are chosen for their instructional expertise and ability to coach adults.
Ongoing, Applied Professional Growth
All teachers participate in weekly cluster groups meetings, led by master and mentor teachers that focus on using student data to make instructional decisions. Teachers also receive individual coaching from master and mentor teachers and classroom-based support, including observations, team teaching, and model lessons. These professional development sessions are guided in large part by the Professional Practices Rubric.
The following resources provide additional information on Eagle County’s compensation steering committee, budgeting, and data management:
Compensation Steering Committee
Any district interested in the design or redesign of a performance-based compensation program must consider how district officials will engage many stakeholders and communicate with key constituencies about the compensation program. Eagle County officials accomplished this task by forming a Compensation Steering Committee charged with overhauling their existing pay for performance plan.
- The Compensation Committee Charge provides an overview of the function of the performance-based compensation steering committee and the many constituencies and subgroups that should be represented on such a committee.
- The Compensation Committee Report shows the results and conclusions of the steering committee’s work, all of which were adopted by the school district and union local.
- The Compensation Steering Committee PowerPoint Presentation accompanies the committee report that highlights the results of the committee’s work and provides an overview of the new performance-based compensation program.
Budgeting
- Long Term Budgeting Model. This budget analysis addresses the costs and sustainability of compensation reform. Districts interested in overhauling their compensation systems would benefit from reading the considerations and conclusions of this report.
- The Initial Placement Scale and the Fiscal Impact Report. Any district interested in compensation reform must analyze district spending and make determinations about salary minimums and maximums, salary increases, and maximum bonus awards. This report highlights the rationale and budget considerations used by Eagle County Schools when crafting their performance pay system. It serves as a useful guide for districts interested in making changes to their existing compensation and salary schedule.
Data Management
- Data Quality Plan. A major consideration for any district interested in undertaking a performance-based compensation program is the collection and warehousing of student and teacher data. Data management can be a difficult and expensive task. This plan provides one example of a district’s approach to managing the collection and reporting of teacher evaluation, student achievement, and payroll data.