Iowa’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation Program: Findings From 2015–16

Martyna Citkowicz, Melissa Brown-Sims, Ryan Williams, and

The Iowa Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) system was designed to provide career pathways and compensation structures to attract, retain, and reward effective teachers; to promote continuous improvement in Iowa’s teaching workforce; and to increase student academic achievement. The TLC program was rolled out in three successive district cohorts, each covering approximately one third of Iowa’s students: Cohort 1 in 2014–15, Cohort 2 in 2015–16, and Cohort 3 in 2016–17.

This report presents AIR's findings on implementation progress; these are mainly based on teacher and administrator surveys, although additional information from interviews and focus groups is occasionally presented. These findings are considered interim because the evaluation is in progress, and additional data on TLC implementation and student achievement will be collected and analyzed over the next two years.

Key Findings on Program Implementation

Teacher Leadership

Respondents in TLC districts were more familiar with teacher leadership roles compared to respondents in non-TLC districts.
Respondents in TLC districts reported greater availability of teacher leadership roles compared to respondents in non-TLC districts, but teachers in TLC and non-TLC districts had similar perceptions about opp ortunities to assume teacher leadership roles.
More respondents in TLC districts perceived teacher leadership roles as effective compared to respondents in non-TLC districts.
Teacher leaders were more aware of and had more positive perceptions about teacher leadership roles compared to other teachers.
Early career teachers were less familiar with teacher leadership roles compared to veteran teachers but perceived these roles as more effective.

Supports for Teachers

More teachers in TLC districts indicated that professional development supports were available compared to teachers in non-TLC districts.
More teachers and teacher leaders in TLC districts indicate d that the professional development supports provided were useful and of high quality compared to other teachers.

Teacher Collaboration

More respondents in TLC districts reported opportunities for teacher collaboration compared to respondents in non-TLC districts.
More teachers and teacher leaders in TLC districts reported greater satisfaction with teacher collaboration compared to other teachers.

Perceived Outcomes

Most respondents in TLC districts reported that TLC is effective in improving instruction.
Most respondents in TLC districts reported that TLC had a positive impact on their professional work climate.
Teacher leaders were more likely to report positive impacts about TLC outcomes compared to other teachers.
Early career teachers were more likely to report that TLC is effective in improving instruction compared to veteran teachers.

Findings on Program Impact

In the first year of implementation, TLC districts improved slightly less in achievement compared to non-TLC districts.
In the second year of implementation, TLC Cohort 1 districts improved slightly less in achievement compared to non-TLC districts.
Differences in achievement between TLC districts and non-TLC districts varied by district size.
Differences in achievement between TLC districts and non-TLC districts varied slightly by grade band.
Achievement gaps decreased slightly for most student subgroups between TLC districts and non-TLC districts.
Differences in achievement between TLC districts and non-TLC districts did not vary by NYCLA participation.