How Are Districts and States Using Pay to Staff High-Need Schools and Subjects? -- Spaces4Learning

Funding

How Are Districts and States Using Pay to Staff High-Need Schools and Subjects?

05/30/18

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.

While offering a higher salary for positions in high-need schools and subjects is most compelling, it is not the only differential pay action available. A review of a sample of districts and all 50 states plus D.C. shows that some entrepreneurial education leaders have adopted creative differential pay policies, offering incentives that range from up to a $20,000 bonus in D.C. for teaching in a high-needs school to mortgage assistance for teachers in both high-need schools and subjects in Connecticut.

In working to adopt and implement differential pay policies, both districts and states should look to these examples from their peers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A review of the 100 biggest school districts in the country along with the biggest district in each state shows that two out of three districts have some sort of policy that supports additional pay for teachers in high-need schools and of high-need subjects.
For both high-need schools and subjects, the most common way that districts provide additional pay is through an annual supplement rather than by raising teachers’ salaries.
The districts in this sample are nearly twice as likely to have policies to pay teachers more to teach high-need subjects, such as STEM, ESL, and special education, than to pay teachers more to work in high-need schools.
Among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 35 have some policy regarding differential pay, leaving 16 with none. These include incentives such as loan forgiveness, mortgage assistance, and additional pay in the form of stipends or bonuses or salary awards.
States are more likely than districts to have policies encouraging teachers to work in high-need schools, but are less likely to have policies for teachers of high-need subjects.

To explore the NCTQ Teacher Contract Database, visit: https://www.nctq.org/contract-database/

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

CSU Dominguez Hills Standardizes Plumbing to Improve Restroom Maintenance and Efficiency

At California State University, Dominguez Hills, facilities leaders have taken steps to standardize restroom fixtures as part of a broader effort to improve maintenance efficiency and control long-term costs.
UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.
Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.
University of Southern Mississippi Starts Construction on Oyster Hatchery

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently announced that construction has begun on a new oyster hatchery at its Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC) Cedar Point campus in Ocean Springs, Miss., according to a news release.