Contracting for Merit Pay

Abstract

For two years the Eastern Washington University De partment of Education has participated in a merit pay system which exhibits just these characteristics. In out line and philosophy, the system closely resembles learn ing and grade contracts used successfully by undergrad uate students at numerous universities. This is not a surprising parallel. The contract learning concept respects the individual learner's ability to balance freedom and responsibility (Berte 1975). When applied to professional endeavors, merit pay systems should also encourage self-directed activity, since the true professional educator is primarily motivated by personal, non-monetary rewards, e.g., self-esteem, peer recognition or student approval (Dickerson et al. 1984). Our merit pay system helps educators satisfy these needs while simultaneously rewarding achievement of selected goals. In our experience, the merit pay system has spurred an overall staff development effort of significant pro portions. The system operates with a high degree of faculty approval and participation. In addition, the system appears to be easily applicable to other educa tional institutions, including public schools, both elementary and secondary. For these reasons, we pro vide an overview with suggested applications.