Brevetti, M. (2014). Reevaluating narrow accountability in American schools: The need for collaborative effort in improving teaching performances. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 81(1), 32-35.
The author describes the warnings of researchers and teachers regarding the use of merit-pay systems as a key way to evaluate teaching performances and argues that schools should emphasize a shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and community. The author further claims that even though teachers should be held accountable for their impact on student achievement, the practice of basing merit pay on high-stakes testing undermines the essence and art of collaboration among teachers, parents, and community in schools. The research concludes that schools
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The author lists the following eight reasons for this view: (1) Very few people anywhere in the labour force are paid on the basis of measured outcomes, (2) No other professional group is paid based on a measured outcome, (3) Most teachers oppose such schemes, (4) Pay based on student achievement is highly likely to lead to displacement of other important education purposes and goals, (5) There is no consensus on what the measures of merit should be, (6) The measurement of merit in teaching inevitably involves a degree of error, (7) The details of merit pay schemes vary widely, yet these details have great impact on how such plans are received and their effects on teachers and schools, and (8) The evidence for merit pay for teachers is weak, and many schemes have been tried but do not last. The author concluded that merit pay is a new pay plans that can’t be summarily imposed on teachers and that teachers need to be part of the process of development, and they need to own the pay plan that emerges. This article reveals some critical problems that could develop during the implementation of merit pay. It also severs as valuable information for merit pay policy …show more content…
This research reveals that while many school districts in California have economic incentive policies targeted at teachers with specific skills or credentials, most incentive policies are focused more on teachers with rough proxies for "quality." Limited evidence was found that particularly "hard-to-staff" districts with high proportions of minority and poor students and those with low academic achievement-are more likely to implement economic incentives that target teachers with specific subject credentials and are less likely to focus their efforts on attracting and retaining "high-quality" teachers. The authors find it will be critical to consider other possible characteristics that explain how and why districts use incentives. The limitation of the research reveals that only California’s context is explored and that these districts might be implementing other sets of policies to recruit and retain teachers. The use of these incentive policies will be a fruitful avenue for future research to determine if districts' use of economic incentives succeeds in increasing teacher recruitment and retention, especially to high-need schools and
In 2010, Charlotte Danielson wrote an article, “Evaluations That Help Teachers”, for the magazine The Effective Educator. The purpose of this article was to explain how a teacher evaluation system, such as her own Framework for Teaching, should and can actually foster teacher learning rather than just measure teacher competence, which is what most other teacher evaluation systems do. This topic is especially critical to decision-making school leaders. Many of the popular teacher evaluation systems fail to help schools link teacher performance with meaningful opportunities for the teachers to reflect on and learn from in order to grow professionally. With the increased attention on the need for more rigorous student standards, this then is an enormous opportunity missed. Students can only achieve such rigorous expectations if their teachers can effectively teach them, and research has shown that teachers who are evaluated by systems that hold them to accountability and provide them for continuous support and growth will actually teach more effectively.
With the low expectations of teachers, students are limited in their ability to learn. As discussed before, it is difficult to predict how well a teacher will do at their job before they begin working. This creates doubt when hiring anyone, and employers may not know if who they are hiring is the right choice. If teachers are judged by not only the basic requirements met, but also their interpersonal skills and how well they are able to teach in a positive manner, there will hopefully be less mediocre teachers hired. In the same way, both an advanced teacher and an average teacher are paid the same wages, which creates a flaw in education. Even more, there should not be average teachers in the workforce if all teachers are paid the same. Though this harms the advanced teachers, who deserve more than they earn, it also harms the students, as they are taught at a lower level by the inadequate teachers. Gladwell mentions these flaws in his article, but he also explains the traits good teachers should have, which brings a strive forward in this issue. Because of this, it is clear America must be more selective and strict when hiring
It is hard to measure the productivity of teachers and, therefore, it is important to use a single salary schedule in their compensation. In other professions such as engineers,
The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
Since the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. Though these tests were put in place to create equality, experts note that they have created more inequality in the classroom. In efforts to explore this issue further, this essay reviews two articles on standardized testing. This essay reviews the sentiments of the authors and their insight into standardized examination. The articles provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that standardized tests are not effective at measuring a teacher’s competency because they do not take into account the school environment and its effect on the students.
Nelson, S. W., McGhee, M. W., Meno, L. R., & Slater, C. L. (2007). Fulfilling the promise of educational accountability. Phi Delta Kappan, 88(9), 702-709. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218481883?accountid=32521
Some people believe merit pay creates competition and favoritism. They seem to think school systems will pay some teachers more than others and create a “battle” for money. In Merit Pay: Good for Teachers? By Gary Drevitch, one interviewee states, “I know it’s worked in some places, but I shudder at the idea of teachers being in competition with each other.” None of these problems will occur if school districts implement a successful, unbiased system. Another issue society presents when it comes to merit pay comprises of differentiating a “good” teacher from a “bad” teacher. School districts can easily evaluate a teacher’s ability to educate students by the work teachers put into helping students. Student’s reactions to a teacher’s class can also help evaluate teachers. More often than not, students will love a class where the teacher clearly demonstrates lessons, explain procedures, and adds elements of fun. On the other hand, students typically dislike classes where the teacher only comes in for a paycheck. This attitude is displayed by their lackadaisical teaching style. Other people argue that money should not be the reason why people go into teaching. Richard Barbieri, author of Merit Pay? argues that money is not an external motivator, but the substance of a teacher’s motivation. Financial incentives will cause employees to work harder
The issue of standardized testing has been a highly debated issue in the United States for many years and shows no sign of being resolved any time soon. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 was an effort to standardize and improve our education system, but 13 years later it is still in shambles. While many people agree there is a need for some sort of measure for quality education, there is much disagreement about the effectiveness of standardized tests. Some even say federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have gone too far in using test scores to evaluate teachers (Gordon 2013). Unfavorable results from these tests seem to generate more punitive consequences for the teachers and schools than help for the students. The words “high-stakes” are used often in numerous sources to describe the current testing system and refer to decisions that will make a significant impact on both students and teachers. These decisions include repeating a grade or not receiving a diploma for the student and possible loss of a job for the teacher. Standardized testing is an ineffective and expensive way to measure student achievement.
Performance related pay is a financial reward given to employees whose work is considered to have reached a required standard or is above average. “PRP criteria can relate to the individual employee, to work groups or to the organization as a whole” (Armstrong, 2002). It is fair to provide people with financial rewards as a means of paying them according to their contribution (Armstrong 1993:86). The primary purpose of performance related pay in any organization is to recruit, retain and motivate the workforce. It also helps in focusing employees’ minds on particular goals (Protsik, 1966); communicate to employees an organization’s core values, and change the culture of that organization (Kessler and Purcell, 1991).
Some locations in the United States are trying to improve their education by adding quality teachers. A major reason why there is an achievement gap in education is because there exist a gap in teachers as well. Research has shown that teacher quality counts. Some states are seeking ways to keep quality teachers and ways to attract them. In New York City, the schools will not hire teachers that are not certified. Also, New York and California are adding some sort of incentive in public schools, to attract quality teaching to minority schools. Sometimes school add annual bonus up to $10,000 for qualify teacher to work in public school, with low achieving schools. Also, many state provide some sort of tuition assistance for teacher, but of all of the states only seven target the candidates to commit to the lower achieving schools (Olsen, 2003).
Andes, Scott. “Getting Serious About Education: Why Can We Measure Students But Not Teachers?" Progressive Fix Website. 28 July 2010. .16 November 2010
There is no more critical role in our current society than that of a teacher’s. Teachers help shape the minds of the future. Tomorrow 's engineers, scientists, politicians, and educators are all greatly influenced by today 's Instructors. Without teachers society would not be anywhere near where it is now, and only a select few would have access to learning. Sadly however important teachers are in human civilization, they are still drastically understated, unrecognized and under paid. Although some people may argue that performance pay is good, performance/merit pay is bad because it will result in teachers doing much less personalizing of the curriculum, and spending that time doing only what things need to teach in order to keep their student’s
When it comes to performance-related pay or in other words, merit pay, I believe that most people are familiar with this concept. This method of payment means that with more labor, better performance, and results, people can get a higher salary in return. It is very common in many industries, such as in sales or on production lines. However, whether it should be applied to the teaching profession is always a controversial issue. Some people think that it would be unfair for teachers, but others think that this can help increase competition, thereby improving the quality of teaching. These two completely opposite views both seem sensible. However, in my opinion, merit pay for teachers is necessary because it can improve teachers’ motivation,
The state’s new evaluation system was in response to administrators who produced, “superficial and capricious teacher evaluation systems that often don't even directly address the quality of instruction, much less measure students' learning” (Toch, 2008). Too often, the “good-ol-boy” attitude would insure mediocre educators would remain employed. Realizing this was often more the rule then the exception, the governor created educational mandates to focus, “on supporting and training effective teachers to drive student achievement” (Marzano Center, 2013). Initially, they expected the school districts and the teachers would have issues and experience growing pains, but in the end the goal was, “to improve teacher performance, year by year, with a corresponding rise in student achievement” (Marzano Center, 2013).
There is considerable debate over merit pay and the effect it has on employees within an organization. Psychologists believe merit pay is related to the incentive theory of psychology; people respond to rewards and with the proper motivation, it increases performance (Cherry). Employers consider merit pay an effective tool and a form of competition strategy for motivating employees to achieve positive performance outcomes. Many employers ignore the fact that incentive plans may motivate some individuals while others have high work ethics and do not need motivation. The intent of this paper is to discuss merit pay used by companies, the motivational factors on employees to reach high achievement, and the challenges that employees face due