Merit pay to pay for contribution: New developments in teacher performance pay

This paper explores working models of pay for performance schemes, discussing their relative advantages, disadvantages and effectiveness for promoting quality teaching and producing improved student learning. Whilst more work needs to be done to test and refine pay for contribution policies and practices, this seminar paper concludes that the current evidence suggests appropriately structured pay for contribution schemes have the potential to become a key strategy for improving the teacher workforce and for lifting the performance of schools