Mid-Career Educators’ Perceptions of Performance Pay’s Influence on Retention at Title I Campuses in a Large School District

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted on value-added pay systems in education. The bulk of these studies however have been focused on determining the effectiveness of value-added models or the types of models that districts should implement. In most of these investigations, researchers used quantitative surveys regarding compensation incentives awarded for test scores In this study, I focused on the perceptions of teachers with between five and fifteen years of experience at Title I campuses and whether they support having a value-added pay model over a traditional longevity-based salary schedule, and would it be effective for recruiting and retaining teachers. Findings can be used to implement pay changes in this district and similar districts to increase the academic success of all students. These changes could then be replicated in other school districts that struggle with teacher recruitment and retention. The research questions that guided this study were: “What are teachers’ perceptions of performance-based pay structures?” and “What are teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of performance-based pay structures on the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers?” A qualitative case study approach was used. Participants were interviewed using semi-structured, open-ended questions. Data were gathered, analyzed, and coded. Three main themes emerged: (a) career motivations, (b) compensation characteristics, and (c) recruitment/retention mechanisms. In this investigation, I found that performance-based pay perceptions are not regarded positively by teachers, and money does not serve as an adequate motivator for the recruitment or retention of high-quality teachers. Participants in this study preferred the traditional salary schedule model that was based on years of service because it was predictable, reliable, and consistent. Recommendations for further research in the area of teacher compensation should include other teacher sub-sets, campus leaders, and/or district administrators. Additionally, data should be gathered across multiple teachers to develop a more generalizable understanding of teachers’ thoughts on different pay structures.