Awards for Knowledge and Skill
All teachers at Vaughn Next Century Learning Center are scored on a 4-point scale based on observations carried out twice a semester by an administrator and a “peer evaluator.” Teachers also rate themselves, and the three scores are averaged to yield a final result. Bonuses are given out twice a year.
A score of 2.5 or higher earns the following annual amount: $1,300 for literacy instruction; $1,300 for developing limited- English-proficient students’ command of the language; $400 for use of instructional technology; $300 for efforts to mainstream special education students; and $200 for classroom-management and lesson-planning ability.
Fully licensed teachers with at least an overall score of 3.0 in those areas also earn another $3,500. They are eligible to win additional awards for scoring a 3.0 or better for demonstrating their skills in teaching particular subjects: $1,000 for mathematics, $800 each for social studies and science, $2,500 for providing advanced support for students learning English, and $500 for arts instruction.
Finally, any fully licensed teacher whose average on all of the areas above is 3.5 or higher earns a “Distinguished Teacher” award of $4,000.
The maximum in bonuses that a teacher can earn by getting top scores on every part of the knowledge and skills evaluation is $13,100 a year.
Contingency-Based Awards
Teachers can earn a total of $1,000 a year for achieving certain goals in the areas of student attendance, discipline, parental involvement, and for working in teams with other faculty members.
Schoolwide Bonuses
All teachers and administrators get an annual bonus of $1,500 if the school as a whole meets certain student- performance objectives. Noncertified staff also earn $1,200. The bonus is prorated for part-time staff members.
