Study Questions Success Of Teacher Bonus Program

Published: Dec 17, 2007

GAINESVILLE - Facing a growing budget crunch, lawmakers are beginning to question a $70 million annual program that pays 10 percent bonuses to teachers who earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

The nonprofit agency reviews teacher-submitted portfolios of instruction methods and tests them on their subject area knowledge. The board estimates the process takes one to three years.

A Florida study commissioned by the board this year was unable to link national certification to student performance. That conflicted, though, with results from another study in North Carolina.

"We found very little evidence that, on average, the board-certified teachers were better at boosting test scores," said Tim Sass, a Florida State University economics professor who conducted the Florida study. "I think at a minimum it certainly gives people pause to think, 'Is this the best way to spend those funds in terms of trying to reward better teachers?'"

State Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, the chairman of the Senate appropriations committee that writes budgets for Florida's public schools, said the panel will look into the bonus program during the Legislature's 2008 session.

"I just want to make sure we're getting good results in terms of young people doing better," Wise said.

Lawmakers are under pressure to find ways to reduce spending throughout the budget because of shortfalls in anticipated tax revenue. They already have cut $1.1 billion from the current budget and are looking at another $2.5 billion reduction for the rest of the budget year, which ends June 30.

Neither Sass nor a Duke University researcher who is co-author of the North Carolina study could explain why they came up with different results, but each said his study was scientifically conducted.

"We would say that those who are board certified are having better success in raising students' performance," said Charles Clotfelter, a professor of public policy studies, economics and law at Duke. "Whether it's the board certification process and not just the type of people they are was not determined."

The national certification bonus is 10 percent of Florida's average teacher salary. This year that bonus is $4,270, plus $747 for retirement and payroll taxes. The bonus doubles if the teacher also mentors other teachers.

The certification lasts 10 years, during which the bonus is available every year.

Florida led the nation with 1,675 teachers obtaining certification this year. The rising state and local numbers were part of the largest one-year gain in the history of the national board, which started awarding certifications in 1994-95.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards said Hillsborough has 134 new teachers who earned the certification, third highest in the nation behind Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Hillsborough also saw a leap in numbers of teachers in its highest poverty schools.

"One of the reasons for that is Florida is among several dozen states that recognizes the impact of national board certification and offers the incentives to do it," said James Minichello, spokesman for the board.

Besides the annual bonus, Florida pays 90 percent of each teacher's $2,500 national board assessment fee and a $150 stipend for portfolio expenses.

Susan Harner, a teacher at Littlewood Elementary School in Gainesville, said she appreciates the bonus but said the certification process also helped her improve her teaching methods.

"I am a firm believer in helping teach children to become lifelong learners," Harner said. "I'm leading by example."

She compared the bonus to the salary increase that she received for earning a master's degree.

No analysis, though, has been made of how national certification compares to an advanced degree or to the state's $147 million merit pay program, which requires all such bonuses to be based mainly on student test scores.

Reporter Marilyn Brown contributed to this report.