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Recovery schools plan for educator bonuses

Section: Community

Darran Simon

The Recovery School District could dole out bonuses of up to $3,000 to teachers and up to $5,000 to principals under a pay-for-performance plan largely based on test scores, officials said Wednesday.

The bonuses would apply to 34 elementary and high schools operated by the state district, which runs the lowest-performing schools in New Orleans. Staff at elementary schools would get the bonuses if the school posts a state performance score -- an academic snapshot of test scores, attendance and drop-out rates -- above 60, or a state assessment index -- derived from test scores that make up the bulk of the performance score -- above 55.

For high schools, the district sets the bar lower, at a performance score above 50 or an assessment index above 45.

Those scores represent the minimum the state expects from all schools; any school with a performance score below 60 falls into the state's "academically unacceptable" category. Last year, the state didn't award RSD schools a performance score because many couldn't produce reliable drop-out and attendance data. So the state instead released the "assessment index," based only on test scores.

The state also did not reward or sanction any schools in hurricane-affected parishes, as it had previously done under its statewide accountability system.

Under the new plan from Recovery District Superintendent Paul Vallas, principals would receive up to $5,000. Assistant principals, along with reading and math coaches, would receive up to $4,000; teachers up to 3,000; and support staff up to $1,500 if the school achieves a certain performance score or assessment index. The state also plans a slightly lower scale of bonuses for schools that show at least 10 points of improvement, but only if the gains push the school's score above 45 for elementary schools and above 40 for high schools.

The plan does not need the approval of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which oversees the Recovery District, Vallas said. District officials have yet to finalize the bonus plan, however. .

Also, some teachers may end up collecting only partial bonuses in specific situations, such as a faculty member who joined the school mid-year.

Room for improvement

While many schools in the state-run Recovery District have displayed chronic academic issues -- the reason the state took over the campuses -- officials said they believe many schools can show enough improvement to tap into the bonuses.

"I think with everything in place and the school really functioning healthy, I think they can make these scores," said Gary Robichaux, the recovery district's supervisor for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and a former principal of KIPP McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts, a charter school.

Based on last year's test scores, many schools may have a tough time meeting the standards. Several elementary schools, for instance, would have to gain more than 25 points to achieve the threshold of an assessment index of above 55. And even the improvement goal of 10 points would require substantial test score gains in schools with a history of low performance.

Further, improved scores won't guarantee individual faculty members the bonuses. Robichaux said poor attendance and "performance issues" such as unfavorable evaluations would prevent employees from collecting the money.

District officials said they are still finalizing the details, which officials plan to present to teachers when classes resume next week. One principal praised the effort to tie teacher pay to student performance, saying the high expectations were already there. "It's a great idea. I think it provides good motivation for the teachers to get back and hit the ground running," said Aisha Jones, principal of Coghill Elementary, which opened in September in modular buildings on its home campus.

Another principal, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the some schools may find the academic goal unrealistic because of factors such as shifting enrollments, substantial special-education populations or large numbers of inexperienced teachers. Vallas called the standards fair and reasonable.

"I am hopeful that the majority of schools will meet that growth this year," he said. The district will pay faculty and staff the rewards next year, based on the school's performance this year.

Similarities to TAP

The district's pay-for-performance plan loosely mirrors a more comprehensive Teacher Advancement Program, a national school reform effort that involves teacher-driven professional development, constant evaluation, opportunities for promotions, and performance-based compensation.

More than 180 schools nationwide have implemented the Teacher Advancement Program, according to the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, a nonprofit that operates the program along with the Milken Family Foundation.

Thirty-six schools in Louisiana use TAP, the most of any state in the nation, according to Teddy W. Broussard, executive director of the state's program. Robichaux -- who implemented TAP in 2006-07 while he served as principal for McDonogh No. 15 Elementary -- said the district will apply to be part of TAP in the 2008-09 school year.

Eight schools operated by the Algiers Charter School Association joined TAP, and a ninth school, the Algiers Technology Academy, will implement it in the 2008-09 school year, said Brian Riedlinger, CEO of the Algiers Charter School Association.

Riedlinger said the program also has strengthened the Algiers teaching corps through intensive coaching from "master teachers" working in each school and visiting from the state Department of Education.

"I really believe that it will work in any school," Riedlinger said.

The association expects to spend $1.6 million on performance bonuses, which teachers can earn after the second year.

If all 34 recovery district schools meet standards laid out in the plan and teachers fulfill the requirements, it could cost the cash-strapped district about $5 million for the first year, Vallas said. But the district expects to spend $1 million to $2 million.

Though the system has recently had cash-flow problems -- and may have to make cuts to programs when federal recovery financing drops off -- Vallas said the incentive program will be well worth the cost. Further, he said, the system can tap federal money earmarked for recruiting and retaining teachers in hurricane-affected regions, at least in the short term.

"I would hope to be burdened with that financial liability," Vallas said of the $5 million cost. "I would happily pay or find a way to pay that money if we could realize those types of gains. Believe me, that type of improvement would justify much greater state and federal funding."

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