Teachers Attitudes About Teacher Bonuses Under School-Based Performance Award Programs

The present study examines several attitudes of teachers working under school-based performance award programs in which they received monetary bonuses if their school met or exceeded measurable student achievement goals. Teachers in Kentucky and Charlotte-Mecklenburg rated the desirability of receiving a bonus and sixteen other extrinsic and intrinsic outcomes. Factor analysis collapsed these into factors labeled Goal Attainment Rewards (includes the bonus outcome), Learning, Sanctions, and Stress. Outcomes in the first two factors received high desirability ratings while outcomes in the latter two factors were rated low in desirability. In separate analyses, Kentucky teachers reported a relatively low level of motivation by the bonus program and a low desire to see the program continue but were neither more, nor less, likely to want to withdraw from the program through turnover or job transfer. Regression analyses revealed these attitudes to be a function of degree of satisfaction with base salary, the likely value of the bonus, and several aspects of the fairness of the bonus itself and of the bonus program. It was concluded that while bonuses for goal achievement have high motivational potential, this could be offset by the occurrence of multiple undesirable outcomes from the program and by a lack of careful program planning, design, and administration.