Teacher pay-for-performance in Texas: an analysis of teacher involvement in and understanding of the GEEG program and its subsequent impact on teachers

Abstract

Texas’ recently completed Governor’s Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) went against the grain somewhat by encouraging participating schools to design their own merit pay plans within state-provided parameters. Seldom have schools and teachers played key roles in the design and development of pay-for-performance plans. This study utilizes teacher and principal interviews, school proposal documents, and teacher survey data to address two fairly broad questions: 1) What occurred in schools from the time they were notified of inclusion in GEEG until their pay-for-performance applications were approved by the state? 2) What changes occurred within participating schools once their pay-for-performance plans were implemented? Teachers generally reported heavy involvement in plan design, although some delimiting factors appeared to subvert full participation. Similarly, teachers reported understanding their school’s plan, although GEEG program and school plan details not related to student achievement directly were often unclear to them. Teachers generally believed their merit pay plans to be fair but reported little change in effort, enthusiasm, and teaching practices. In conflict with much of the previous research literature, teachers frequently indicated that merit pay in the form of GEEG had a positive impact on their professional learning communities and collaborative settings. Possible reasons for these divergences are explored.