Performance Pay: Maryland

Analysis of Maryland's policies

Maryland does not support performance pay. The state does not have any policies in place that offer teachers additional compensation based on evidence of effectiveness. 

Recommendations for Maryland

Support a performance pay plan that recognizes teachers for their effectiveness.
Whether it implements the plan at the state or local level, Maryland should ensure that performance pay structures thoughtfully measure classroom performance and connect student achievement to teacher effectiveness. The plan must be developed with careful consideration of available data and subsequent issues of fairness.

Consider piloting performance pay in a select number of school districts.
This would provide an opportunity to discover and correct any limitations in available data or methodology before implementing the plan on a wider scale. 

State response to our analysis

Maryland asserted that it meets this goal. The state noted that as part of Race to the Top, a Performance Compensation Work Group has been convened to develop guidelines for compensation and incentives for local school systems. These guidelines and structures will encourage pay-for-performance at the local level. The workgroup is comprised of representative stakeholders including local school systems and union members. Opportunities to implement and examine models of compensation based on performance are a part of the pilot evaluation process.

Last word

While Maryland's efforts are a step in the right direction, these efforts only "encourage" districts to consider offering teachers performance pay.