The set of reports on this page comes from two evaluations of Denver's Professional Compensation (ProComp) program conducted by CADRE during the 2013-2014 and the 2014-15 school years. In year one, the study evaluated the relationship between ProComp, student achievement, teachers' professional practices and teachers’ perceptions about the incentive structures. Overall, findings from year one suggest that ProComp had a minimal effect on student achievement. Additionally, focus groups held with 47 teachers revealed that teachers feel frustrated by perceived inequities in certain incentives and for a variety of reasons, experience difficulty navigating and understanding the incentive structures.
As a result of the year one findings and to address specific concerns expressed by DCTA and DPS stakeholders, the study in year two was organized around evaluating the relationship between ProComp, incentive pay, and teacher retention. The study indicates that, overall, teacher retention has decreased over time during the ProComp era. While the report contextualizes that trend by showing that teacher retention declined across all of Colorado and in some neighboring school districts, the decline is somewhat greater in Denver than in other places. However, we also find some preliminary evidence that teacher retention rates may differ for teachers with high- medium- and low- median growth percentiles. The greatest declines in retention are concentrated among low-performing teachers, and in some specifications of the model, we find that teacher retention has increased slightly among the highest-performing teachers. In addition, though we document sizable variability in ProComp payments received by teachers from year to year, we do not find strong evidence to suggest that teachers with high variability in pay are more likely to leave the district.
ProComp Evaluation Reports
Atteberry, A., Briggs, D. C., LaCour, S., Bibilos, C. (2015) Year 2 Denver ProComp Evaluation Report: Teacher Retention and Variability in Bonus Pay, 2001-02 through 2013-2014. Center for Assessment, Design, Research and Evaluation (CADRE). [Click here for the Executive Summary.]
Briggs, D. C., Turner, M., Bibilos, C. & Maul, A. (2014) The prospects of teacher pay-for-performance. CADRE Working Paper 2014-01.
Briggs, D. C., Diaz-Bilello, E., Maul, A., Turner, M. & Bibilos, C. (2014) Year 1 Denver ProComp Evaluation Report, 2010-2012. Center for Assessment, Design, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) and National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment.