Philadelphia teacher and Principal Incentive Fund Project

Background. The overall purpose of the Philadelphia teacher and Principal Incentive Fund Project is to pilot a performance-based staff development and compensation system that provides teacher and principal incentives tied directly to student achievement growth and classroom evaluations within Philadelphia Charter Schools. The prior compensatory system was based on seniority and certifications/degrees and is not tied to student achievement. The first year of the program included approximately 175 classroom teachers and 5 school principals.

Incentives. The incentives included cash bonuses for individual teachers, principals, and instructional support staff, as well as opportunities for career advancement with salary increases. Mentor and master teacher roles were established. Bonuses for teachers were based on student achievement at the school level. For principals, 50 percent of the bonus was targeted for student achievement at the school level and 50 percent was based on an external program review of the implementation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) program. Other teachers and staff bonuses were based on school-wide performance. Opportunities for full or partial bonuses were available.

Evaluation. An external evaluator was contracted to conduct the program evaluation, in collaboration with the district’s own Office of Research and Evaluation. Student Academic Growth will be used to measure year-to-year teacher and student progress to determine school and/or teacher effects on students’ academic achievement. Valid, reliable, standards-based observation rubrics will be used to assess teacher and principal effectiveness. Implementation measures include surveys and quarterly meetings.

Design Elements. (1) Ongoing, Job-Embedded Professional Development. Yes (through the TAP Program); (2) Performance-Based Compensation. Yes. Described above; (3) Evaluation Based on Professional Standards. Yes. Also based on Student Growth Models; and (4) Career Advancement Options. Mentor and master teacher roles were established.