What happens if you offer a top-performing elementary school teacher $20,000 to transfer to one of the lowest-achieving schools in his or her district for at least two years?

The results of a seven-year study, published this month, conclude that such incentives can significantly boost student achievement. 

The caveat? Not too many teachers would take advantage of the offer, an article today in Education Week highlights.

The U.S. Department of Education Study, conducted by the department’s statistical wing, looked at 10 school districts in seven states (not including Hawaii).

The incentive program was implemented at each of the school districts, identifying teachers who ranked in the top 20 percent within their subject of grade span in terms of boosting student achievement year after year. These teachers were each offered $20,000, to be paid in installments over a two-year period if they taught at schools with low average test scores.

The study found that the elementary school teachers who accepted the offer helped boost student achievement more than teachers in a control group did with their students. The transfer teachers also tended to remain at the schools at least as long as other new hires.

The gains were not, however, seen among middle-school teachers for reasons that researchers couldn’t pinpoint. Moreover, only 5 percent of teachers who qualified for the incentive program accepted the offer.

Students taught by the high-performing teachers moved up by four to 10 percentile points relative to peers in their state, according to the study. 

Check out the study in its entirety here. 

Photo: Elementary school teacher. (Courtesy of www.audio-luci-store.it via Flickr) 

— Alia Wong