Q CompTeacher Support :

Quality Compensation for Teachers (Q Comp)

Q Comp was proposed by Governor Tim Pawlenty and was enacted by the Legislature in July 2005. It is a voluntary program that allows local districts and exclusive representatives of the teachers to design and collectively bargain a plan that meets the five components of the law. The five components under Q Comp include: Career ladder/Advancement Options, Job-embedded Professional Development, Teacher Evaluation, Performance Pay, and an Alternative Salary Schedule. (See Program Components for more information.)

Approved school districts receive up to $260 per student ($169 per student in state aid and $91 per student in board-approved levy) for the program. Charter schools, integration districts, intermediate districts and the Perpich Center for the Arts receive approximately $240 per student in state aid through an equalized levy since these entities do not have authority to impose local tax levies.

Currently, 44 Minnesota school districts and 31 charter schools have implemented programs or have been approved to implement Q Comp for the 2009-10 school year. Many additional districts have indicated they plan to submit an application for future years.

Department of Education Releases Analysis of Q Comp

Report finds “There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of years a school has been implementing Q Comp and student achievement.”

Roseville, MN – There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of years a school has been implementing Q Comp and student achievement, according to a new analysis conducted by Hezel Associates, LLC, an independent education research and evaluation firm. The analysis, conducted on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Education, is available for viewing. Read news release. View the report.

Calendar of MDE Workshops, Trainings and Meetings

The Minnesota Department of Education, in response to input from Website visitors, is pleased to announce the launch of an agencywide calendar. The calendar includes all MDE-sponsored training, meetings and events. Search and sort features allow you to find events by date, title, location and sponsoring program area. View the calendar by using the “Calendar” link at the top of this page.

Call for Q Comp Peer Reviewers

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is preparing for the Q Comp Program Review cycle. This Program Review includes both a Document Review and a Peer Review site visit. In order to conduct the site visits, MDE will is looking for Peer Review volunteers from each of the districts currently implementing Q Comp. We are asking each district to consider the contribution of two Peer Reviewers. If interested in this opportunity, please see Program Review for more information.