Performance pay schemes for individual teachers

The author outlines the main types of performance pay schemes for individual teachers. There is increasing recognition, nationally and internationally, that career paths and pay systems can be, and need to be, linked to evidence of increasing capacity to promote valued student learning outcomes and, thereby, stronger levers for ensuring professional development and quality learning outcomes for all students. While much of the recent debate on performance pay relates to schemes for individual teachers, there have also been significant developments in group-based performance pay schemes in which bonuses are provided to all school staff, or staff teams, in schools that meet pre-set performance improvement targets. There is no simple typology of performance pay schemes as applied to individual teachers, but common categories that appear in the literature include merit pay, knowledge and skills-based pay, and professional certification. A brief description of each of these categories is given in the article.