ProComp Handbook
Introduction
Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association have embarked on a bold journey to create an urban school system second to none.
u One that enables all students to achieve their full potential in a safe, secure environment
u One that builds the most professional and qualified teaching force
u One that contributes to our vision for a great city
u One that mirrors the rich diversity of our community.
u One that evokes pride and commitment among all of our citizens and stakeholders.
The Professional Compensation System for Teachers, or ProComp, is one of several education reform initiatives undertaken in recent years by the district in collaboration with DCTA. Teachers comprise the single most important factor in student achievement and growth. While curricula, facilities and other parts of a school district are important, we know that investing in our teaching work force will pay dividends for our students.
ProComp enables the district to pay teachers for their contributions to student achievement, their own professional development and their willingness to take on some of the most challenging assignments or schools. The new system gives teachers opportunities to significantly increase their career earnings and have more control over the course of their careers.
ProComp is particularly distinctive because the district and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association worked together to develop the concept, build and test the implementation details, and make modifications for continuous improvement.
Nothing as comprehensive as ProComp exists elsewhere in the nation, although the system was designed after studying the strengths and weaknesses of other efforts to create alternative teacher pay systems. Many districts and states are studying Denver’s balanced, results-based approach. Denver has been propelled to the forefront of the educational community, and the new system has been the subject of countless articles and research papers around the globe.
We are proud to bring ProComp to our educators and look forward to seeing the rewards for years to come.
Overview of ProComp
What makes ProComp unique is a design that identifies and links the central ingredients necessary to serve and teach students:
u Best practices in teaching and learning
u Tools and data for measuring student growth
u Knowledgeable and motivated professional staffs
u Fair evaluation of educators
ProComp has three primary objectives:
1. To link teacher compensation more closely with the district’s instructional goals
2. To reward and recognize teachers for meeting and exceeding expectations
3. To enable DPS to attract and retain the most qualified and effective teachers by
leading Colorado in overall teacher compensation
Eligibility for ProComp
ProComp is available to all educators whose job classification is included in the Denver Classroom Teachers Association bargaining unit. All educators hired on or after January 1, 2006, will be hired into ProComp. Teachers working for DPS prior to January 1, 2006, may decide whether to join ProComp during any opt-in period from 2005 to 2012. For these educators, the best time to join depends on several factors, the most important of which is where they are placed on the traditional salary schedule. Generally, educators who are in the earliest years of their teaching careers or those who have passed Step 13 on the traditional schedule will benefit most from ProComp. Educators who are on the middle steps may have greater financial gains by waiting to join later.
ProComp Components and Elements
Under ProComp, teachers and student services professionals (SSPs) have four ways to earn pay increases: by demonstrating the ability to help their students grow academically; by teaching in challenging schools or taking on hard to staff assignments; by advancing their own professional knowledge and skills; and by earning satisfactory performance evaluations. Detailed descriptions of each component and its elements are provided in other sections of this handbook. The following chart identifies the components, elements and their purposes.
|
Component |
Elements |
Purpose |
|
Student Growth |
Student Growth Objectives Distinguished Schools Exceeds Expectations |
Reward teachers whose students meet and exceed expectations for academic growth |
|
Knowledge and Skills |
Professional Development Units (PDUs) Tuition Reimbursement Advanced Degrees Licenses & Certificates |
Recognize and reward teachers who continue to develop and demonstrate skills and knowledge for their specific discipline |
|
Professional Evaluation |
Evaluation every three years for non-probationary teachers Evaluation every year for probationary teachers |
Recognize and reward teachers who demonstrate proficient practice through a professional evaluation |
|
Market Incentives |
Hard-to-Serve Schools Hard-to-Staff Positions |
Attract and retain teachers of demonstrated accomplishment to designated assignments and schools |
This four-part system has three major benefits to teachers.
- Balance: It ensures that no single component, including student growth, has an unreasonable effect on a teacher’s compensation.
- Opportunity: Teachers will be able to increase their salaries faster and rise to a higher level of compensation over time.
- Accountability: Elements in the new system are more closely tied to factors that increase student achievement.
Student Growth
One of the most important opportunities in ProComp comes through the annual objective-setting process where each educator sets two objectives in collaboration with their principal, manager or other supervisor. If ProComp teachers meet one objective, they earn 1% of the index as a bonus. If they meet both objectives, they earn 1% of the index as a permanent part of their salary.
The second way they can earn money under the Student Growth Component uses the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) as a yardstick. Because the CSAP is only administered to selected grade levels, the test is not applicable to all teachers as a means to earn money. ProComp teachers who meet the requirements (see Section 4C of this handbook), earn 3% of the ProComp index.
The third way that teachers can earn an increase under the Student Growth Component is by working in a distinguished school. The definition of a distinguished school and the requirements for this element are explained in detail in Section 4. All teachers and SSPs in a distinguished school who are in ProComp receive a bonus of 2% of the index.
Knowledge and Skills
This component has the elements for which ProComp teachers and SSPs can earn additional income: professional development units (PDUs), graduate degrees, national certificates/licenses, and tuition reimbursement. These elements encourage teachers and SSPs to continually improve their craft and apply new capabilities to enhance student learning. The following is a short synopsis of the the elements. For more detailed information, see Section 5 of this handbook.
ProComp educators can earn 2% of the index for one professional development unit, an approved learning plan that requires them to acquire, demonstrate and reflect on a new skill or information. Educators may be paid for one successfully-completed PDU each year. A second PDU can be earned in the same year and banked for payment in the following year.
The traditional salary schedule enables educators to advance on the salary ladder by earning advanced degrees, certifications and licenses. ProComp offers an increase of 9% of the index for these accomplishments.
The third element, tuition reimbursement, gives ProComp members $1000 to spend over the course of their DPS career for university courses, conferences and other approved external learning opportunities.
Comprehensive Professional Evaluation
Non-probationary teachers (who are evaluated every three years) earn 3% of the index when rated satisfactory. Probationary (new) teachers, who are evaluated annually in their first years of employment, earn 1% of the index for each satisfactory evaluation.
Market Incentives
The Market Incentives component enables DPS to offer a financial incentive to teachers who are willing and eligible to work in the most difficult to serve schools in the district or in the most difficult to staff positions. Both the “hard-to-serve” schools and “hard-to-staff” positions are identified by a clear set of criteria established by the ProComp Transition Team. ProComp teachers may receive one or both incentives if they are eligible. Each pays a bonus of 3% of the index . For more information, see Section 7.
Sustained Increases and Bonuses Under ProComp
Two types of salary increases can be earned under ProComp: a sustained (permanent) increase or a one-time bonus.
Permanent increases are paid for the following:
Achieving two student growth objectives
Earning a professional development unit (PDU)
Receiving a satisfactory professional evaluation
Earning advanced degrees
Earning approved advanced licenses or certificates (as long as they are maintained and current)
Exceeding expectations for student growth on CSAP scores (unless student growth on CSAP falls below expectations after receiving an increase)
Bonuses are paid for:
Achieving one student growth objective
Market incentives (working in hard-to-serve schools or hard-to-staff positions)
Working in a distinguished school
Educators who are interested in joining ProComp are encouraged to experiment with the Salary Estimator. They also can make an appointment with a representative from Human Resources to estimate their starting salary under ProComp.
History
One of the long-discussed reform movements in education is the creation of performance based salary systems for teachers. For many valid reasons, teachers and unions have been opposed to most of the ideas. In 1999, DPS and DCTA were deadlocked about a performance salary system. Both sides compromised by agreeing to create a Pay for Performance Pilot (PfP) that would assess whether student achievement could be improved by paying teachers for meeting objectives.
Under the Pilot, teachers earned $750 for meeting one objective and $1,500 for meeting two. Technical assistance and an evaluation were provided by the Community Training and Assessment Center (CTAC) from Boston. After only two years, CTAC noted a relationship between high quality teacher objectives and student growth. It was apparent that student growth could be one component of a new salary system, but should not be the only means of compensating teachers.
Since student learning is affected most by the capabilities and skills of teachers, DPS and DCTA agreed that any new salary system should include significant incentives for teachers to continue to develop their professional skills and knowledge. .They further agreed that professional development would be especially valuable if it addressed specific needs of the district or the educator’s particular students.
In 2002, the Joint Task Force on Teacher Compensation was formed to include an equal number of teachers and administrators, plus two community leaders. The Task Force first undertook a year of research and study to learn what makes a great salary system. Then they spent another year designing the framework for ProComp. That framework was rolled out in the fall of 2003 and voted into place by members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and the Board of Education in March, 2004. Since that time, hundreds of teachers, student services professionals and administrators have collaborated to create the vast details necessary for a smooth implementation.
In November 2005, Denver voters approved an increase in the mill levy, adjusted for inflation, to raise an estimated $25 million each year to fund ProComp. The money raised is placed in a trust fund (explained in Section 10 in this handbook) where it will be used to pay ProComp elements and related expenses. The system was designed with a financial model that ensures the long-term financial viability of the system.