At A Glance

SEDL’s New Study Teacher Resources in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas Tells Us That Teacher Pay Matters

Education and Experience: Primary Drivers of Pay

• The vast majority of teachers in all three states are paid based on experience and education.
• Teacher experience and education has little impact on student achievement.
• A teacher’s effectiveness cannot be predicted based on one or two criteria.

Teacher Pay and Student Achievement

• The lowest paid teachers were in rural schools with high student poverty rates and low student achievement.
• In Arkansas and Texas, there was a connection between teacher salary and student achievement, while in Louisiana there were no differences.

Thinking Differently About Teacher Pay

• Teacher pay must take into account such factors as differences in local or regional economies, the needs of schools with low-income students, and the competencies and credentials of the teacher pool.
• Models of new compensation programs provide excellent examples of the rationale, implementation strategies, and evaluation of new pay systems.

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