Report: Teacher pay program on target

By ELIZABETH DUNBAR , Associated Press

Last update: February 2, 2009 - 7:39 PM

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Lawmakers looking at whether to expand Minnesota's voluntary program that links teacher pay with performance will soon have two new reports analyzing how the program is doing.

The Minnesota Department of Education released its analysis Monday afternoon, and officials said the report by independent research firm Hezel Associates, LLC, shows Q Comp is on the right track.

The Office of the Legislative Auditor planned to release its report on Q Comp Tuesday morning before a Senate education committee. That report will compare districts that participate in the program with districts that don't.

According to the analysis released by the Department of Education, Q Comp has been perceived as having a positive impact on schools.

The report couldn't statistically link Q Comp to greater student achievement, but the analysis said teachers in the program seem to have more support when it comes to their roles in improving achievement.

"While the Q Comp program is relatively new, this initial analysis on its progress indicates that Minnesota is on the right track to reform how we compensate and train our teachers," Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said in a statement.

Forty-four school districts participate in Q Comp, representing nearly a third of Minnesota students. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has proposed increasing funding for the program and expanding it to all public and charter schools in the state.

Besides setting up a pay structure that rewards performance, Q Comp includes professional development and evaluation components for teachers in the participating districts.

While the education department reports that schools participating in Q Comp have praise for the program, the state's teacher's union has been skeptical about performance-based pay — especially if it's tied to student test scores.

Education Minnesota spokesman Doug Dooher said union leaders hadn't yet reviewed the report, which was released late Monday afternoon.