Research has shown that the quality of teachers and leaders are the most important school-based factors in driving student achievement and success. Aurora Public Schools (APS) recognizes that the success of its students will depend on the district’s ability to recruit, develop, promote, and retain the highest-quality teachers and leaders. Recent declines in enrollment (and subsequent budget pressures), rising cost of living, and reductions in teacher graduates throughout Colorado have driven intensified human capital challenges in recruitment and retention in Aurora, particularly in staffing high-need subjects like math and science and supporting equity across classrooms.
As part of its human capital strategy, the district has already adopted an evaluation system, which is often a critical component in developing a new compensation strategy. APS continues to improve its evaluation system through its partnership with the state to revise the teacher rubric along with increasing expectations to reach the highest ratings. Furthermore, the district has developed a performance-based compensation program for principals. While the following scope focuses on the opportunities for a revised teacher compensation system, much of it could be augmented to also assess the effectiveness of the current principal compensation program and identify design and implementation strategies in parallel.
With a newly passed mill levy override, APS wants to develop and implement a strategic compensation system as a tool to address these talent challenges.
Statewide