Teacher Perceptions of Merit Pay
Teacher Perceptions of Merit Pay

Author: Paul James Waller

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of this study is to identify and explore teacher perceptions of the merit-pay plan after six years of implementation in the Innovative School District (ISD). This qualitative case study will add to the knowledge base and provide interested school leaders with information as they consider alternatives to traditional teacher compensation. This study will provide similar districts, administrators, and scholars with insight into teacher perceptions developed after a merit-pay system has first been put into place and then remained in place for six years. As other school district leadership teams work with their teachers and boards of education to consider and develop a merit-pay system, they may be able to avoid pitfalls in the process of implementation by knowing the perceptions teachers have about this approach. This knowledge can also be incorporated into the curriculum of applicable higher education programs. This study employed a single case study approach to gain an understanding of the perceptions held by elementary teachers in grades Pre-K, one through six through semi-structured interviews. This researcher recognizes that knowledge gained from this study is relative and not absolute, but it will use empirical evidence to generate plausible claims (Patton, 2002). This approach is aligned with Merriam's purpose for qualitative research, which is to achieve a deep understanding of how people perceive what they experience (Merriam, 2009). There were four major themes that emerged from this study. These included: A significant number of teachers in ISD do not have a solid understanding of the structure of the merit-pay program. Second, trust between the teachers and the principal are vital to the success of the merit-pay program. Third, ISD's merit-pay program has been successful with a majority of teachers stating that if they had the chance to return to a traditional salary schedule, they would remain on the merit-pay plan. The final and most surprising theme revealed that teachers are concerned about the amount of time the merit-pay plan requires of the school principal. Teachers were concerned that the principal was now viewed as the "evaluator" instead of the symbolic leader of the building.

Teachers' Perceptions of Merit Pay
Teachers' Perceptions of Merit Pay

Author: Vanessa Jackson

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 53

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of the study is to show the various perceptions teachers have on merit pay. This research was designed to examine the perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards the idea of performance based pay. This topic has been an ongoing battle within school systems since the 1800s. The participants in this study were teachers from the state of Indiana. An internet search was done to find similar public school corporations in Indiana that had already implemented merit pay systems or were planning on establishing a pay scale system based on performance. Approximately 250 teachers from four school corporations were invited to complete the survey. Out of those invited, 42 teachers completed the survey, producing a response rate of 16.8%. Of the 42 teachers who participated in the survey, 25 teachers (59.5%) were not in schools with merit pay, while 17 teachers (40.5%) were in a system that used merit pay. Results indicated that there are significant differences to the questions regarding higher pay for better performance. To all other questions there are no significant differences noted. An overwhelming number of participants strongly disagreed with the concept of merit pay, arguing that teachers work to the best of their ability while seeking to sharpen the craft of teaching and additional pay will do little to enhance student achievement. Appended to this document are: (1) Study Information Sheet; (2) Teacher Survey Form; (3) Principal E-mail; (4) Secretary E-mail (with Study Information Sheet); (5) Follow-Up E-mail; and (6) IRB Approval. (Contains 19 tables.).

Teachers' Perceptions of Merit Pay in Georgia
Teachers' Perceptions of Merit Pay in Georgia

Author: Jessica Glisson Edenfield

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 124

ISBN-13:

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Author's abstract: This study explored the perceptions of implementing a merit pay plan as reported by elementary teachers in three rural Georgia school districts, one of which was participating in the Race to the Top (RT3) initiative. The study examined the perceptions of 109 elementary teachers in regard to merit pay implementation, models of merit pay, factors worthy of reward, and the impact that perceptions of school culture has on attitudes towards merit pay. The study employed a descriptive survey approach to address the research questions. An amended version of the Teacher Survey on Performance Pay was employed to explore the perceptions of participants. The majority of responding teachers worked in the RT3 district. Respondents were not in favor of the implementation of a merit pay plan and preferred raising the base salary of teachers. The majority of respondents did not favor the presented models of merit pay, although a school-based plan received a higher response of agreement than the others. Respondents indicated that a variety of factors beyond student achievement and teacher evaluations needed to be considered when awarding merit pay and reported unfavorable feelings toward Georgia's proposed formula. Concerns regarding factors impacting student achievement were expressed, along with frequent concerns for teachers of EIP and inclusion classes and how emphasis on student achievement may impact these areas. Results also indicated that perceptions of school culture have no impact on attitudes towards merit pay. Respondents reported positive views of school culture, yet were not in favor of merit pay implementation. Concerns arose regarding potential negative implications that merit pay may hold for school culture, such as decreased collaboration and increased competitive feelings. Based on comparisons, overall responses from the RT3 district were similar to those of the other two districts who were not RT3 participants. Neither district type was in favor of merit pay. The results of the study indicated an overall negative view of merit pay by teachers, with the destruction of the schools' collaborative cultures being one of the top concerns. Such feelings may be resolved if teachers are active participants when creating a merit pay plan.

Teacher Perceptions of Merit Pay
Teacher Perceptions of Merit Pay

Author: Carrie E. Ashcraft

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13:

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"This qualitative research project was employed to study the perceptions teachers have about merit pay programs while currently working in a merit pay school. It was further designed to examine the experiences that have led teachers to their current perceptions. Thirty-two teachers responded to a survey about merit pay and nine teachers were chosen randomly to take part in a more extensive interview process. The nine participants involved in this study completed individual interviews and took part in a focus group with other study contributors. Teachers responded to questions pertaining to student achievement, teacher effectiveness, program structure and work experiences as they relate to perceptions of merit pay. The data implies that teachers have complex views about merit pay, the structure of the plan is vitally important and teacher concerns must be addressed for merit plan to be successful."--Author's abstract.

Mississippi Teachers' Perception of Merit Pay
Mississippi Teachers' Perception of Merit Pay

Author: Diana Melissa Stephens

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 123

ISBN-13:

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Teachers are the center of increasing student achievement and student motivation, therefore, a way to motivate teachers must be implemented. Although most teachers are motivated intrinsically for their love of teaching, external motivation could add another component to teacher success. Merit pay is one way to provide an external motivator to change teaching strategies in order to increase student achievement. This study measured teachers' perceptions in Mississippi, who are involved in the merit pay pilot program. There are four school districts participating in the pilot program, and two of those school districts were surveyed for this study, a central Mississippi school district and a south Mississippi school district. The data showed that teachers' perception was moderate, and improvements to the program could be made to increase the positive perception of teachers' regarding the merit pay program. No statistical difference was found between low and high socioeconomic schools, veteran teachers and nonveteran teachers, or teachers who teach tested grades, and teachers who do not. Therefore, regardless of where and who the teachers teach, they do not have a different perception of merit pay. When the merit pay criteria was correlated with teachers' perception of merit pay, there was a moderate positive correlation revealing that if teachers understand and have buy-in to the criteria they are having to meet to earn merit pay they have a more positive perception of the program. Merit pay has the potential to motivate teachers to change teaching strategies in the classroom when the focus stays on the successful strategies of implementing merit pay. --Page ii.

Superintendent and Teacher Perceptions of Performance-Based Pay
Superintendent and Teacher Perceptions of Performance-Based Pay

Author: David Moyer

Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing

Published: 2015-03-03

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 9783659405778

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The current policy push in America is an intense focus on teacher effectiveness. Often, legislators and business leaders assume that merit pay in education is a means to improve teacher performance despite the fact that it has never worked and is debunked by the research. In his book Superintendent and Teacher Perceptions of Performance Based Pay, Dr. Moyer examines the concepts of knowledge and skills and group performance based pay from the perspective of Illinois school superintendents and teacher association presidents to determine the extent to which these compensation systems might be a viable alternative to the single salary schedule. The book traces the history of teacher compensation, examines the role teacher motivation plays, includes lessons from districts that were early implementers, provides a detailed analysis of the research, and yields several surprising insights, including the finding that superintendents and association presidents actually agree on several major concepts that could make moving to alternative compensation systems much more feasible than might be assumed.

A Straightforward Guide to Teacher Merit Pay
A Straightforward Guide to Teacher Merit Pay

Author: Gary W. Ritter

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2013-05-01

Total Pages: 137

ISBN-13: 1483307573

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Reward your best teachers for the great work they do! Is your school system considering teacher merit pay? Now is the time to know the potential pitfalls and learn from the experiences of other districts. Respected experts Ritter and Barnett provide a step-by-step approach to merit pay that draws on best practices from effective, successful programs. You’ll find: A user-friendly summary of existing merit pay programs and their strengths and weaknesses Six essential principles for designing a program that supports teacher professional development, schoolwide progress, and student achievement How-to’s and tools for every phase of program development, including collaborating with teachers to create balanced assessment tools