§6631 Purposes; Definitions

Summary

Helps states, school districts, and nonprofits build, improve, or expand pay and staff systems for teachers, principals, and other school leaders that reward those who raise student test scores and close gaps between strong and weak students. It also supports studying these systems to check if they work well, are fair, and give consistent results. Eligible entity: a local education agency (including a charter that acts as one), a group of local agencies, a state education agency or other state agency chosen by the state's chief executive, the Bureau of Indian Education, or a partnership of those agencies plus at least one nonprofit or for‑profit group. High-need school: a public elementary or secondary school where 30 percent or more of students come from families below the poverty line. Human capital management system: a local education agency’s system for staff decisions (like training, hiring, placement, pay, retention, dismissal, tenure, and promotion) that includes performance-based pay. Performance-based compensation system: a pay plan that sets different pay levels partly on measurable student achievement gains; it may include bonuses for hard-to-staff schools or subjects and rewards for extra duties or proven teaching and leadership skills.