State Teacher Policy Database Homepage › Texas › Policy Priority: Teacher Compensation

Differentiated Pay for Hard-to-Staff Schools and Subjects

Learn more about how Texas is performing on Differentiated Pay for Hard-to-Staff Schools and Subjects in the Teacher Compensation policy area.
Go to a policy lever Differentiated Pay for Hard-to-Staff Schools and Subjects Performance Pay Pay for Prior Work Experience
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Texas's Performance

Ungraded
NCTQ evaluates whether states are effectively using this policy lever by examining whether they provide funding or incentivize differentiated pay for districts in hard-to-staff schools and/or subjects. Explore the key actions below to learn more about how Texas is implementing Differentiated Pay policies.

Why does this matter?

Research shows that better pay attracts teachers to hard-to-staff schools1 and subjects.2 Despite its potential to alleviate teacher shortages and increase students’ access to effective teachers, differentiated pay remains underused.  To be effective, research suggests that differential pay needs to be at least 7.5% of a teacher’s salary, or around roughly $5,000.3

What are the key actions Texas
should take?

    • See what these exemplars are doing in this policy area:

    West Virginia
    Utah

    Key Resources

    State of the States 2022: Teacher Compensation Strategies

    Explore NCTQ’s detailed state analysis of teacher compensation strategies.

    Explore resource

    Smart Money 2.0

    Uncover teachers' salaries across 90 districts nationwide, learn about strategies to increase pay, and discover missed opportunities for raising compensation and improving outcomes.

    Explore resource

    More districts are paying teaches strategically to meet critical needs. Is yours?

    Learn more about how some districts are implementing differentiated compensation to fill critical gaps and improve student learning.

    Explore resource

    What are the long term effects of teacher performance pay on student outcomes?

    Read more about the research behind teacher performance pay.

    Explore resource
    References
    1. Hard-to-staff schools include but are not limited to schools designated as “high-need,” which are most commonly defined as those schools with the lowest student performance or the highest rates of students living in poverty.
    2. Glazerman, S., Protik, A., Teh, B. R., Bruch, J., & Max, J. (2013). Transfer Incentives for High-Performing Teachers: Final Results from a Multisite Randomized Experiment. NCEE 2014-4003. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.
    3. Pham, L. D., Nguyen, T. D., & Springer, M. G. (2020). Teacher Merit Pay: A Meta-Analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 0002831220905580.
    4. https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/spp/
    5. Cowan, J., & Goldhaber, D. (2018). Do bonuses affect teacher staffing and student achievement in high poverty schools? Evidence from an incentive for national board certified teachers in Washington State. Economics of Education Review, 65, 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.06.010.; Swain, W. A., Rodriguez, L. A., & Springer, M. G. (2019). Selective retention bonuses for highly effective teachers in high poverty schools: Evidence from Tennessee. Economics of Education Review, 68, 148-160.
    6. Sheehy, M. (2024, June 6). More districts are paying teachers strategically to meet critical needs. Is yours? National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). https://www.nctq.org/blog/More-districts-are-paying-teachers-strategically-to-meet-critical-needs.-Is-yours
    7. Hayashi, K. (2022, January 20). Presentation on Teacher Positions Filled; 5-Year Teacher Retention Rates; and Effectiveness of Teacher Shortage Differentials in the Areas of Special Education, Hard-to-Staff, and Hawaiian Language Immersion Programs on Teacher Vacancies and Retention. https://boe.hawaii.gov/Meetings/Notices/Meeting%20Material%20Library/HR_1202022_%20Presentation%20on%20Teacher%20Positions.pdf#page=3