ED 501: Case StudyUniversity of Mount Union Kourtney Betler & Melissa Shuttic Case Study Information Effects of a Teacher Incentive Program on 4th Grade State Assessment Scores Journal of Case Studies in Education Texas A&M University -- Kingsville Background - Purpose of Incentive Program to increase: ● Student performance and achievement ● Teacher quality -$100 million teacher incentive grant to economically disadvantaged districts with highest levels of student performance - Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) -Analysis on relationship between 4th grade student academic performance and duration of grant (in years) - Individual teacher compensation based upon two criteria Problem “Performance incentive pay systems in Texas and the effects on student academic performance” (p. 2) Purpose of the Study: “To determine the effectiveness of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) Program’s Teacher Incentive Programs on TAKS student performance at selected low-performing schools” (p. 2) Implemented steps -Criteria to participate in TEEG: 1) Top half of Texas Public Schools in economically disadvantaged percentage 2) An exemplary or recognized rating according to the Texas State accountability rating or performed within the top quartile of Comparable Improvement in math or reading -225 Elementary Schools -Results from 3 TAKS tests: Reading, Writing, Math -Participation in TEEG can be done in 3 cycles with some schools only doing 1 or 2 cycles (Cycle 1, Cycle 2, Cycle 3, Cycles 1 and 2, Cycles 1 and 3, Cycles 2 and 3, and Cycles 1, 2, and 3) -23 schools: eligible but never implemented TEEG represented control group -52 schools: implemented Cycle 1 of TEEG only -11 schools: implemented both Cycles 2 and 3 of TEEG Solution (Outcome) Results: -Schools that participated in Cycles 1 and 3 has highest mean percentage on all TAKS tests while schools that participated in Cycle 2 only had the lowest Findings: -Support the implementation of pay incentive programs (schools that participated for duration of 2 years proved more effective than those that just participated 1 year) Recommendations from Study: -Ensure financial resources for duration of entire incentive program -Gather input from teachers in development process -Rewarding teachers for high student achievement as well as collaboration, professional development, etc. School’s Mission & Vision Mission of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) To provide leadership, guidance, and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students and prepare them for success in the global economy. Involvement in community ● State Board of Education named the following Texas employers as recipients of the 2013 Employers for Education Excellence (EEE) Award. ● EEE promotes community involvement in the public schools. ● Gold Award = encourages conferences, volunteering, supporting teachers and mentoring programs in the schools. ● Silver Award = volunteer in school boosters, endowments and school committees Gold Awards ● Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) – El Paso ● Capital One Bank – San Antonio ● City of Austin ● DATCU – Denton ● Electric Reliability Council of Texas – Taylor ● H-E-B – San Antonio ● National Instruments – Austin ● North Side Baptist Church – Weatherford ● Rackspace Hosting ● State Farm Insurance – Danny Humphreys & Andrea Walton – Red Oak ● Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) – Austin Silver Award ● The law firm of Shulman, Lopez & Hoffer, LLP of San Antonio Impact on School ● Teachers: ○ Putting in more time ○ Teach to the test ○ Paid incentives ● Students: ○ Stressed ○ Too much emphasis on the standards *Inferences based off of the article Connection to teaching & learning ● Testing scores increased ● All schools should be involved ● Money money money money ○ To keep the program going ● Is it really an improvement? ○ Incentives for teachers ○ High quality teachers ○ Student learning