MemphisCitySchools
EffectivePracticeIncentiveFund(EPIF)

TheEPIFisdesignedtorewardhighlyeffectiveteachersandprincipalswhohavedemonstrateddramaticgainsinacademicachievementinexchangeforacommitmenttosharewithothereducatorswithinthedistrict,state,andnation.EPIFisdesignedtomaximizeprincipalandteachereffectivenessby(1)exploringtheimpactoffinancialincentivesonteacherandprincipaleffectiveness,academicachievement,andretentionofhigh-performingeducators;and(2)buildingacommunityofhigh-qualityeducatorswhocommittosharetheinformationinasystematicway.

NeedsAssessmentResultsandGeneralInformation

Theprojectwillimpact17schoolsintheMemphisCitySchools(MCS),17principalsandassistantprincipals,655teachers,andmorethan10,000students.Theparticipatingschoolswillhaveatleast50percentofstudentslivingbelowthepovertylevel.In2005,77percentofstudentsinMCSscoredproficientoradvancedonthestatewideassessments;and65.5percentofhighschoolstudentsgraduatedinthatsameyear.Seventy-onepercentofstudentsareeligibleforfreeandreducedlunchinMCS,andthepopulationis92percentminority.Thecityhasahighstudentmobility rate (27 percent),14 percent of students receivespecialeducationservices,andthereisagrowingstudentpopulationofEnglishlanguagelearners.

MCShashadhighprincipalturnoverduringthepast3years,changingorreplacingmorethan50percentoftheirprincipals.

Background

EPIFwillcreateanewdifferentiatedcompensationsystemthatwill(1)identifypracticesthatpromotehighachievinganddramaticimprovement;(2)recognizeandretainexemplaryeducators;and(3)spreadeffectivepracticestoabroadernetworkofschoolslocallyandnationally.TheEPIFsystemis
basedonasmall-scaleincentivefundestablishedin2004inschoolsthatwerenotmakingadequateyearlyprogress.Theoriginal five“FreshStart”schoolsappointeda new principal,restaffed all positions,and providedallstaffwithadditionalprofessionaldevelopmentandsupport.Theprogramfocusedoneightareasincludingstudentachievement,discipline,attendance(studentandemployee),professional development participation,andparentinvolvement.Awardsrangedfrom$500perpersonforthelowestperformancelevelto$3,000perpersonforLevel1achievement.Threemoreschoolswereaddedtotheprogramin2005.

Incentives

High-performingschoolswillbeidentifiedas“Gold”or“Silver,”and principals in those schools will receiveawardsof$15,000and$10,000,respectively;Assistantprincipalswillreceiveawardsof$10,000,and$7,500.Exemplaryteachersinaward-winningschoolsareidentifiedbasedonschoolandclassroom-levelachievementsandtheirwillingnesstodocumentandsharebestpractices.TeachersinGoldschoolswillbeeligiblefor$7,500inyear1.Additionalincentiveswillbe madeavailableforeducatorswhosematerialsandbest practices havebeen usedwidely onthe NationalOnlineCommunityofEffectivePractices(NOCEP).AwardswillbegiventoallteachersinGoldand
Silverschools,intheamounts$1,000and$750,respectively,torecognizetheachievementsoftheschool.Allschoolawardsaregivenontopoftheindividualteacherandprincipalawardsof$175/$125perstudent.Additionally,exemplaryteachersandprincipalswhohaveparticipatedinanonlinecommunitywillberewarded.Retentionbonusesmay alsobeofferedtoeducatorswhowillremaininahighpovertyschoolforatleast3years.

Evaluation

MPRwillconducttheinitialidentificationofhigh-needschoolsandclassroomsthataremakingdramaticgainsinstudentachievement.EffectivePracticeTeamswillconduct reviews basedonobjectivecriteriaandrubricsco-developedwithMCS.MCSwillthenworkwithpartnerstoidentifythepromisingpracticesattheseschools and provide professional developmentbasedonthosepracticestodedicatedprincipalsandtheirteams.

Resources

InadditiontotheTeacher IncentiveFundgrant,MCSwillmatch$2,659,123over5years.NLNShassecured$17.3millioninprivatesupport.Teachscapewillofferanin-kindcontributionamountingto$25millionofservicesover5years.

Data Systems

DataatMCSarecollectedthroughtheChancerySMSdata systemthatmanages studentachievementdata,graduationdata,climatesurveyfeedback,studentenrollment,attendance,conduct,andotherdata.MCSplanstointegratespecialeducationandEnglishasasecondlanguagedata,which arecurrentlymaintainedseparately,intothissystem.