MANKATO — It's a radical notion that comes with a funny name. But rest assured, you'll be hearing more about something called "QComp" in the next few years, and Minnesota State University hopes to be heavily involved.
QComp, fresh from the state legislature, is a new system for tying teacher raises to performance instead of seniority. But, as all new ways of doing things tend to be, it is complicated, and so far only a few districts are ready to take the plunge.
Locally, MSU's College of Education is working with a handful of school districts - including St. Peter and Owatonna - to help them navigate QComp.
Districts that agree to overhaul traditional pay models can qualify for $260 more per child in state aid, part of an $86 million pot statewide. Before the Qcomp incentives, districts are entitled to at least $4,783 per student in state aid for the coming year.
Under QComp, 60 percent of raises will be based on teacher evaluations and gains by students at the classroom and school levels. In participating districts, administrators and teachers will come up with local plans for measuring performance, subject to approval by the state. Teachers can never lose pay for missing their goals.
The $86 million won't cover the entire state, making the program first-come, first-served. State officials are counting on many districts requiring a year or more to transition into the program.
That transition is where MSU is taking its expertise and applying to a community concern. Beyond St. Peter and Owatonna, MSU has been in contact with school districts in Mankato, Le Sueur, Faribault, Austin and Albert Lea.
Michael Miller, dean of the College of Education, said they've tried to stay as current as possible with developments education at the state level, and he knows of no other institution working so directly with school districts to tackle the QComp challenge.
"(QComp) it really structures in professional development in a much more responsive and timely way," Miller said. "Provides for mentoring, allows schools to analyze achievement data and allows schools to plan what's really going on with kids."
The state recently held a statewide seminar on QComp. Participants came armed with questions about how to apply, how to structure raises and how to get buy-in among teachers. They left with tips on setting standards, analyzing data and going forward with negotiations.
"It's not a simple conversion," said Linda Trevorrow, the state Department of Education official in charge of the program. "It's not just about the salary change. It's more about a systematic change."
More than 800 people attended the seminar, exceeding organizers' expectations.
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