104 results found
In March 2023, Arkansas passed the Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking and School Safety Act (LEARNS). A recent research brief from the University of Arkansas analyzes how LEARNS has influenced...
New research found measurable differences in teacher quality between different generations of teachers—with Baby Boomers being least effective.
The skyrocketing price of health insurance impacts both teachers and school districts. Here's how some education leaders are keeping health insurance affordable for teachers.
NCTQ's Teacher Quality Bulletin distills the latest education research into clear, actionable information for education leaders. From topics like effective reading instruction to teacher diversity, here are the posts that...
Districts nationally are struggling to build strong pools of substitute teachers. Yet in 40% of the large districts we analyzed, entry-level substitute teachers are paid less than what they would...
New Research Reveals Surprising Long-Term Effects of Teacher Performance Pay on Students.
Despite robust research that shows that teachers of color increase positive academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for all students, particularly students of color, new data and analysis from the National...
Little is know about paraprofessionals in the classroom, but a recent study in Washington sheds some much-needed light on these important players.
Filling those hard-to-staff teacher vacancies doesn't have to be so hard. Making a few straightforward adjustments to compensation, incentives, and partnerships can change the game.
A new study examines a program in Dallas—Accelerating Campus Excellence or ACE—that sought to boost teacher pay for stellar educators willing to teach in high-poverty schools. Compared to similar schools...
Lack of affordable housing exacerbates the teacher staffing challenges that many school districts face.
The answer (perhaps less satisfying than policy wonks would like) is that It depends on the school context.
The most popular District Trendline posts of 2022, with topics ranging from pay increases for substitutes to building a positive school climate
A new RAND Corporation survey asked teachers what would be the most effective strategies to recruit and retain more teachers of color.
A focus on teacherrecruitment without appropriate attention to retention is like trying tocollect water in a sieve.
We examine if and how 148 large U.S. school districts use strategic pay to recruit and retain teachers.
Salaries are one of the most powerful policy levers states and school districts can use to attract qualified, effective, and diverse teachers. However, strategic pay remains underutilized as a tool...
A new working paper provides evidence that newly credentialed teachers earn higher salaries if they enter the classroom, rather than pursuing other job opportunities.
Beyond the important areas outlined in the Secretary's remarks, we see two big challenges to the goal of access and equity to quality teachers that have yet to be addressed.
An examination of incentives offered by states and large school districts.
Every now and then, conventional wisdom gets it wrong.
An in-depth look at whether teacher salary increases have kept pace with rising consumer prices.
How several large school districts are revisiting policies surrounding pay and health benefits to attract prospective substitute teachers.
Our nation's educators and students are exhausted and embattled, but not beaten.
Teachers faced many difficulties last year due to the pandemic. Concerns about teachers not returning for the 2021-22 school year weren't unfounded. We looked at the incentives that 148 large...
An analysis of state rules on collective bargaining for teachers and the content of school districts' policies across 148 districts nationwide.
Tenure, a hotly debated education policy lever, is often viewed as a component of a teacher's overall compensation package.
A new analysis by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) examines salary data and related compensation materials from 90 large school districts to determine lifetime earnings trajectories for teachers...
To attract teachers to rural areas we either have to come up with a significant and steady infusion of cash—or life in rural America needs to become a more attractive...
For school district leaders, a crucial strategy for hiring a strong, effective teacher workforce is to offer competitive salaries.
We examine the extent to which beginning teachers are receiving any form of compensating differentials that would help increase teacher retention during the first few years in the classroom.
A new meta-analysis finds a positive and significant relationship of performance pay on student learning outcomes.
As we close in on one year of the COVID-19 lockdown, we examine how resources are being used to recruit and retain effective teachers.
Teacher turnover has proven to be not only costly for schools, but also detrimental to teacher effectiveness and student learning. Still, some teacher attrition is not always a bad thing,...
Although Brexit and Megxit may be dominating headlines, politics and the royal family aren't the only issues worth reading up on from across the pond.
What do substitute teacher pools look like across the largest school districts in the country and how can districts use strategic compensation and other innovative practices to ensure a strong...
This month, the District Trendline looks at the role of advanced degrees in how teachers are paid.
Our drum is beating for both better base pay and much more strategic use of compensation dollars by school districts to purchase what they most need and value.
Districts report the most difficulty not only filling STEM and special ed vacancies but keeping them filled with strong, effective teachers. Given these shortages, what can districts do to recruit...
If we want to increase the number of teachers who believe that the teaching profession is valued by society from the current abysmal 36 percent, one place to start is...
This month, the District Trendline takes the teacher salary conversation back to the basics. We take a look at how teacher salaries are structured, how much teachers make, and investigate...
In spite of a federal law requiring states to take action to ameliorate the inequitable distribution of teacher talent, many states (and consequently their districts) aren't doing much.
I know teacher evaluation is now considered toxic, but I've never been one to shy away from tilting at windmills.
How can we fix well-documented disparities in the education experiences of children living in poverty?
Peppered with plenty of advice from practicing teachers, Start Here to Become a Teacher provides advice to people interested in teaching and allows aspiring educators to more wisely "comparison shop"...
A new study confirms, yet again, the positive benefits of students of color having a teacher of the same race.
Teacher evaluation systems, when implemented well, are coinciding with real and measurable benefits for students and teachers alike.
A new working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research compares two approaches to incentivizing teacher performance and highlights the value of initiatives aimed at rewarding ability and...
The right incentives can motivate a student to do homework, an employee to hit a quota, and even a child to finish her vegetables.
In most job sectors,employers use their compensation dollars to purchase what they most value.
The past decade has been marked by rapid changes in teacher evaluations. While many districts and states announced their intention to install better systems, they faced political and structural challenges....
Pay matters. The importance of pay generally isn't disputed, except when it comes to teachers.
Coverage of teacher shortages tells of real struggles faced by districts, but it only tells part of the story.
Take your eyes off the pounding surf for a moment to read my top three interesting developments worth noting.
Among the largest districts in the country, 88 percent offer an increase in pay to teachers who earn master's degrees.
Time and again research has failed to find evidence that earning a master's degree make a teacher more effective.
Paying teachers more to work in high-need schools and subjects—known as "differential pay"—is one of the most powerful tools school districts have on hand to secure the teachers they need.
Teachers who had been getting a particularly bad deal stood up to advocate for change in their states, but while the first strikes set off others, it hasn't really gone...
Teachers' demands in strikes across the country have varied, but there's no question that low salaries are one of the chief complaints. To provide some additional insight into what's motivating...
NCTQ's Strategic Teacher Compensation Databurst is a study of states' strategic teacher compensation policies which includes a snapshot of all 50 states' and the District of Columbia's teacher compensation policies...
About 20 school districts have adopted new staffing models known collectively as Opportunity Culture, each designed to maximize the impact of great teachers. Makes sense, but does it work? Thanks...
In light of new research regarding performance pay, this month's Trendline takes a look at how a teacher's evaluation rating affects salary in some of the largest districts in each...
A new study suggests that offering performance bonuses to a smaller segment of high performing teachers than is typical in schools using performance pay may be a smart move.
See how states fared on our policy goals for differentiated pay in 2017.
Explore district-level data on differentiated pay from NCTQ's Teacher Contract Database.
NCTQ has long supported teacher pay for performance in school districts. Better pay can encourage the best teachers to stay in the classroom and prompt talented people to enter the...
Permit me to draw my inspiration from scripture, referencing the basic human needs of clothes on our backs, food to eat, and a shelter over our heads. How better to...
In 80 percent of the largest school districts, a teacher with an MA and five years' experience cannot comfortably afford housing payments.
Teacher salaries are always in the news, but in the last few months we've noticed that housing affordability for teachers is in the spotlight, with many school districts exploring ways...
As a growing number of states across the nation look for ways to recognize and reward excellent teachers, a new study from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) reveals...
In 2011, Florida's legislature passed an ambitious performance pay policy that requires districts to pay their most effective teachers the district's highest annual salary awards. Recognizing the importance of this...
Backing the Wrong Horse: The Story of One State's Ambitious But Disheartening Foray Into Performance Pay is part of the tenth annual publication in the State Teacher Policy Yearbook report...
This month, District Trendline asks the question "Just how common is differentiated pay for teachers?" To answer, we look at two common types of differentiated pay: more compensation either for...
How can we evaluate the effectiveness of pay-for-performance compensation systems if those systems are implemented only half-heartedly? That continues to be the prevailing question, as we review yet another expensive...
Eight school districts just became the nation's first-ever Great Districts for Great Teachers. This new honor, developed by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), recognizes districts for their exceptional...
No school district wants to lose their most effective teachers. But pension systems, which are under the purview of state legislatures, are one roadblock to retention. These pension systems often...
What happens in DC has the potential toimpact districts across the entire nation.
The 2015 State Teacher Policy Yearbook is our ninth annual Yearbook report. Comprised of a National Summary and State-specific reports for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, this...
This month, the Trendline takes a look at the role of student growth in evaluation ratings and how districts connect evaluation ratings with compensation and dismissal policies.
This report presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date policy trends on how states are evaluating teachers. It also breaks new ground by providing a look at the policy landscape on...
This month's Trendline updates NCTQ's analysis in Smart Money: What teachers make, how long it takes and what it buys them and estimates how much a teacher can make over...
An NCTQ follower on Twitter, @mescamilla1980, recently challenged our take on what'sbehind the disproportionately high grades earned by teacher candidates,suggesting that only those majors which will lead to highly paid...
What teachers are paid matters. Many factors play a role in making the decision to become a teacher, but for many people compensation heavily influences the decision not only to...
This report examines teacher quality policies and practices Pittsburgh Public Schools and provides Pittsburgh with a tailored analysis of the teacher policy areas most in need of critical attention, as...
We're excited to bring back the Trendline series with one of our most popular topics: teacher salaries.
In our monthly newsletter for school districts, we look at how districts are tying eval ratings, pay and layoffs to teacher performance.
This is a follow-up study of teacher policies in Springfield Public Schools as a complement to the original report which was released in October 2011. The follow-up study focuses primarily...
In this month's Tr3 Trends newsletter, we compare teacher pay in suburbs and cities.
This report examines teacher quality policies and practices in the Dayton Public Schools and provides Dayton with a tailored analysis of the teacher policy areas most in need of critical...
A new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds that although teachers continued to get raises following the recession, there was a noticeable slow-down in teacher salary...
This report examines teacher quality policies and practices in the School District of Philadelphia and provides Philadelphia with a tailored analysis of the teacher policy areas most in need of...
This report breaks down how some of the nation's largest districts adjusted their pay schemes to account for tightened budgets. The report finds that teacher raises for experience and market...
In 2012-13, the average salary in Tr3 districts for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree is about $39,000. For teachers with master's degrees the salary scale tops out, on...
This study looks at the policies and practices shaping teacher quality in the Oakland Unified School District. It is part of a series of analyses by the National Council on...
This month we look at changes in how teacher performance is evaluated and factored into pay and layoff decisions. Much of the shift on these issues has been driven...
This study looks at the policies and practices shaping teacher quality in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). It is part of a series of analyses by the National Council on...
The proposal by the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for its new teachers' contract is an excellent first step in improving the quality of teachers in the school district. In this...
The State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides detailed analysis of any and every state policy that impacts the teaching profession. The Yearbook is a 52-volume encyclopedia (51 state reports including the...
NCTQ's advice to states on what they can do to improve their shot at getting a portion of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds.
NCTQ Square-Off: Are Teachers Underpaid? Two economists tackle an intractable controversy Two economists -- Michael Podgursky, currently Middlebush Professor and Chairman in the Department of Economics at the University of...