New Mexico Public Education Department: Pay for Performance Program

The purpose of the New Mexico Pay for Performance Program is to reward New Mexico’s best teachers and principals for their impact on student learning. Pay for performance systems have been shown to reduce turnover amongst high-performing teachers, maintain performance amongst those teachers that perform at a high level, and elevate student achievement. By using local expertise and negotiating with critical partners, applicants will design tailored systems to reward teachers and principals for their impact on student achievement.

Goals of the New Mexico Performance Pay Program:

• Increase retention of high performing teachers and principals
• Improve student achievement in participating schools by acknowledging that effectiveness matters and rewarding those that meet or exceed expectations
• Improve teacher and principal performance in participating districts and charters
• Enable the design and implementation of programs tailored to local contexts
• Provide research on the effects of performance pay programs for teachers and principals for broader New Mexico education community

All applications must demonstrate that their program:

• Uses the NMTEACH system to identify teachers and principals for awards
• Allows principals to obtain an award for their individual performance as well as NMTEACH group 1,2, and 3 teachers for their individual performance
• Prioritizes teacher and principal awards in low-performing schools as judged by a D or F school grade and/or by areas with teaching shortages such as special education, bilingual, and secondary math and science
• Stipulates that individual awards account for at least 2/3 of total program funds, with a minimum of at least $1,500 per individual
• Outlines other awards (high-needs bonuses, grade/school level, etc.)
• Refrains from making awards for mandatory work such as awards to principals for conducting observations

Amount: Not specified. An award worksheet is available online for applicant use.

Eligibility: School districts and charter schools.

Link: http://ped.state.nm.us/ped/rfps.html

Note: Technical assistance webinars will be held on November 22 and 29 of 2016.

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