Case Studies

The Iowa General Assembly approved $50 million for the first year of implementation of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System, a new career ladder that rewards effective teachers with leadership opportunities and higher pay. In the new system, teacher leaders take on a range of responsibilities, including helping colleagues analyze data and fine-tune instructional strategies, as well as coaching and coteaching. All 346 Iowa districts applied for planning grants, and the state selected 39 districts to participate in the first year of the system. 

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) profiled five districts, including information about their professional learning cost structures and funding strategies. Each district, funded primarily from federal and local funds, had different student characteristics, including enrollment size, operating budget, minority enrollment, and student poverty level.