Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Accountability Comparison topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Task force reviews six‑state accountability and performance‑funding models
Summary
Legislative researchers reviewed Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland and Mississippi report‑card systems and performance‑pay or incentive programs, prompting questions from legislators about teacher incentives, report‑card coverage and how awards were funded or folded into base formulas.
Nicole Bergman of the Kansas Legislative Research Department told the task force she and colleagues examined six states’ accountability systems and any performance‑based funding tied to report cards.
"States that receive federal Title I funds under ESSA are required to prepare and disseminate an annual report card," Bergman said, then outlined how Arizona uses A–F achievement profiles and how Arkansas and Mississippi use A–F scales with growth indicators. She described Arkansas’ 2023 Merit Teacher Incentive Fund, which rewarded more than 4,200 educators in 2024–25.
Members pressed for details. Representative Williams asked whether Arizona’s letter grades apply to charter or private voucher recipients; Bergman said the Arizona report cards do include charter schools but not private schools outside department oversight and offered to follow up on vouchers. Director Rooker asked if Arizona’s growth measures accounted for socioeconomic adjustments; Bergman offered to research the interpretation of some of the statutory language.
Legislators also focused on funding mechanics. Bergman said Arizona’s results‑based awards began at about $34 million in 2017 and grew to $68 million by 2023 before being removed from the budget in FY2024; reporting suggested the award was rolled into base funding. Chair Goetz and Director Rooker asked whether long‑term costs and policy intent were documented; Bergman said local news reporting and some legislative material suggested political decisions drove changes, and she offered to supply sources and links from the slide deck.
The presentation concluded with committee members asking staff for additional follow‑ups on how states notify parents about report cards, how growth indicators are calculated, and whether merit or incentive pay systems include noncore teachers. Bergman promised to return with clarifications and links to the statutes and dashboards cited in her slides.
