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Strategic pay reform: A student outcomes-based evaluation of Denver's ProComp teacher pay initiative

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  • Goldhaber, Dan
  • Walch, Joe

Abstract

Denver Public Schools utilizes one of the nation's highest profile alternative teacher compensation systems, and a key element of Denver's Professional Compensation System for Teachers (ProComp) is pay for performance. This study analyzes the student achievement implications of ProComp utilizing matched student- and teacher-level data from 2003 to 2010. We find that student achievement increased during the years ProComp was implemented, but that these gains were observed for students taught by teachers enrolled in ProComp's alternative compensation system as well as non-participating teachers. While the findings are not consistent across grades and subjects, there is some evidence that teachers voluntarily opting into ProComp are more effective than those who do not volunteer. Finally, some ProComp bonuses were well targeted towards value-added measures of teacher effectiveness while others were not.

Suggested Citation

  • Goldhaber, Dan & Walch, Joe, 2012. "Strategic pay reform: A student outcomes-based evaluation of Denver's ProComp teacher pay initiative," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 1067-1083.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:31:y:2012:i:6:p:1067-1083
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.06.007
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    Cited by:

    1. Figlio, D. & Karbownik, K. & Salvanes, K.G., 2016. "Education Research and Administrative Data," Handbook of the Economics of Education,, Elsevier.
    2. Matthew P. Steinberg & Morgaen L. Donaldson, 2016. "The New Educational Accountability: Understanding the Landscape of Teacher Evaluation in the Post-NCLB Era," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 11(3), pages 340-359, Summer.
    3. Hanley Chiang & Cecilia Speroni & Mariesa Herrmann & Kristin Hallgren & Paul Burkander & Alison Wellington, "undated". "Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Final Report on Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance Across Four Years," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 568955b06a2a4b11b954dded8, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Balch, Ryan & Springer, Matthew G., 2015. "Performance pay, test scores, and student learning objectives," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 114-125.
    5. Brian Gill & Brittany English & Joshua Furgeson & Moira McCullough, "undated". "Alternative Student Growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Profiles of Early-Adopting Districts," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 75a6f8ad56364762acf38c648, Mathematica Policy Research.
    6. repec:mpr:mprres:8118 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Alison Wellington & Hanley Chiang & Kristin Hallgren & Cecilia Speroni & Mariesa Herrmann & Paul Burkander, "undated". "Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance After Three Years (Final Report)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports c01a81e283374843b1d4b39ce, Mathematica Policy Research.
    8. Hanley Chiang & Alison Wellington & Kristin Hallgren & Cecilia Speroni & Mariesa Herrmann & Steven Glazerman & Jill Constantine, "undated". "Evaluation of the Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impacts of Pay-for-Performance After Two Years," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 4f123c78ddb644079b88d2bb4, Mathematica Policy Research.

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    Keywords

    Teacher salaries; Productivity;

    JEL classification:

    • I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other

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