TAP: More Than Performance Pay

Though known for its salary initiative, the Teacher Advancement Program emphasizes building a collaborative workplace culture to improve instruction.

If you’ve heard of the Teacher Advancement Program before, chances are it’s been mentioned during a conversation about performance-based pay for teachers.

In general, educators who work in one of the 219 schools that use TAP don’t have any problem discussing that element. Yes, they will confirm, the bonus pay is partly based on test scores. But then they will gently remind you that TAP, begun by businessman Lowell Milken in 2000, has several components, all of which work together to improve teacher effectiveness.

You might, in other words, translate their inevitable reminders into this plea: Don’t just...