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Innovative Ideas
in Educator Compensation Reform
Principal Compensation Policies
Principal compensation policies describe the conditions under which principals (and sometimes assistant principals) are paid. Historically, principal compensation has been determined based on: 1) years of experience; 2) degrees held and 3) school level and type. For example, higher salaries are typically paid to secondary school principals under the assumption that secondary schools are generally bigger than elementary schools and are therefore more difficult to lead. Principal compensation policies that go beyond these three criteria are frequently labeled as "alternative." Examples of alternative compensation for principals include additional pay for the size of the school (irrespective of school level); the proportion of low-achieving students; the number of recent immigrants or non-English speakers; the number of highly mobile students; and, student socioeconomic status. More recently, alternative compensation systems include performance-based contracts for school principals where additional pay is tied to accountability standards and school goals such as overall student achievement. Additionally, rubric-based leadership evaluations are being increasingly incorporated into compensation decisions for school leaders.
Please revisit this page in the coming months for further information.
This page last updated on: April 28, 2008
