Pay-for-performance is a popular public education reform, but there is little evidence about the characteristics of a well-designed incentive pay plan for teachers. Some of the literature suggests that effective incentive plans must offer relatively large awards to induce behavioral changes. On the other hand, the experimental economics literature…

The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) supports projects that are designed to reform teacher and principal compensation. Initially, the Department of Education (the Department) made two rounds of awards, in 2006 and 2007, to a total of 34 grantees. The specific goals of TIF were to reward teachers and principals for improving student achievement,…

The evolution and design of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln's departmental system of teaching awards are outlined. Ways of rewarding outstanding teaching are suggested, including promotion, tenure, merit pay, increasing nominations for teaching awards, faculty development leaves for teaching, provision of special resources beyond the usual…

Means of honoring teaching at the United States Military Academy (New York) are discussed. The internal debate over teaching awards within this specific academic culture, in which faculty are mostly military officers, is examined and alternatives for honoring teaching are explored. Currently, a teaching academy provides faculty development in…

An alternative to individual awards to honor outstanding college teaching is the program or departmental award for teaching effectiveness. The University of Wisconsin system's program requires department members to work together to prepare a nomination portfolio and formulate a succinct statement on teaching philosophy and goals, both valuable…

This report presents findings stemming from the first-year evaluation of the Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program, one of several statewide performance incentive programs in Texas. In the fall of 2006, the GEEG program made available non-competitive, three-year grants to 99 schools ranging from $60,000 to $220,000 per year. Grants…

Twenty award winning, teacher-developed programs, projects, courses, and materials in economic education are presented. These case study projects are designed to be used with kindergarten through college students. The case studies are organized by grade level into five chapters. Chapter I suggests ways to teach economic concepts to educable…

In this paper we examine the research literature on teacher performance pay. Evidence clearly suggests an upsurge of interest in many states and school districts; however, expanded use of performance pay has been controversial. We briefly review the history of teacher pay policy in the U.S. and earlier cycles of interest in merit or…