A New Model of Performance Pay: A Report to the Eagle County Schools Board of Education Presented By: The Performance-Based Compensation Steering Committee

Members of the Committee Meredith Deem – EES Mitch Forsberg – GES Ruth Moroney – BCES Kristen Sheidegger – EVMS Kirk Drager – BMHS Wade Hill – RCHS Amy Niswanger – EVHS Erika Donahue – EES Janet Hester – Technology Greg Moch – Maintenance Mark Conlin – Community Tim Lybarger – Community Mike Gass – ECS Heather Eberts – ECS John Kuglin – ECS Phil Onofrio – ECS Traci Wodlinger – ECS Jason E. Glass – ECS

Reasons for Formation It was time to evaluate. Voices from teachers, support staff, and administration called for change. A new administration handling performance pay identified several concerns.  Reliability issues in the evaluation.  Arbitrary nature of evaluation cut scores.  Inferring too much specificity from evaluation scores.  Multiple systems and different rules for different employees (including teachers).  Technical problems in the student/teacher association.  Strategic “Gaming” resulting from the student/teacher association.  Mysterious and confusing processes in the use of assessments for pay.  Reliance on assessments and record systems not designed for this purpose.  An inordinate (and perhaps inappropriate) use of district resources (human and otherwise).  A damaged culture resulting (in part) from the initial implementation.

Process A broad stakeholder group. Sought “First to Understand.” Evaluated current system. Studied national thinking, policies, and research on performance pay. Studied numerous other performance pay systems. Worked using a consensus model. Held true to our “Charge,” our “Norms” and our “Guiding Principles.”

Determinations We could not continue with the current model. We would not go back to the step and level system. No one else in the country has come as far as we have. No where else is someone doing this any better/worse. Pay-for-Performance must continually evolve to stay alive. We must put more money on the table. We must unify the systems. We must simplify the process. We must communicate much better than we have.

Recommendations Implement a performance compensation system based on a percentage of contract salary rather than a fixed dollar amount for all employees. Standardize performance compensation across all employee groups (especially teachers). Create a lump sum annual bonus (not added to salary) based on an index of assessment results and abandon the individual teacher-to- student association for compensation purposes. Determine salary for next year using an individualized evaluation and a “negotiated inflationary component.” Improve the reliability and validity of staff evaluations and alter their use to better acknowledge professional competency. Continually evaluate and refine this model going forward.

The New Model in Practice

Closing Comments We are committed to Performance Pay. We believe this can work. We believe we can continue to lead the nation in this area. Thank you. –For letting us do this. –For taking the concerns seriously. –For being open to this evolution, this next step. We are hopeful.