Researchers have released their final report on the Texas-sized performance pay experiment in, well, Texas. The legislature sent over $320 million to Texas schools annually, making it the largest investment in performance-based incentives in the nation.

Though schools weren't given much direction on how to distribute the bonus money, most took what some view as the easy way out, giving all eligible teachers in a school the same amount of money. Since the average school award was less than $3,000, qualifying teachers earned relatively small bonuses, and the bonuses were rarely connected to any tangible signs of teacher progress.

The new pay scheme also had little impact on teacher turnover. What differences could be found did seem to be shaped by the size of the bonus. Where bonuses were larger, teacher turnover was reduced.

Lastly, there was no impact on student achievement gains. In fact, even those schools that offered larger performance pay packages experienced virtually no change in student achievement levels.