Teacher pay is overwhelmingly based on educational background, training and experience, rather than performance. Yet variations in teacher effectiveness (measured as the ability to generate student learning gains) can be substantial, even across different classrooms in the same grade in the same school. In this context, a growing number of school systems are adopting reforms to link teachers’ compensation more directly with their performance. This impact evaluation of a school-based teacher bonus program in Brazil has found that setting and rewarding specific annual targets for improvement in school results can stimulate significant increases in student learning and graduation rates. However, researchers are continuing to track the reform for signs of diminished impact over time and/or possible adverse effects (teaching to the test, cheating, etc).

About the presenter:
Barbara Bruns is the Lead Economist in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region, World Bank, responsible for education. She is currently co-managing several impact evaluations of teacher pay for performance reforms in Brazil and is lead author of Achieving World Class Education in Brazil: The Next Agenda (2011). She is also co-author of the new HDN publication Making Schools Work: New Evidence on Accountability Reforms (2011) with Deon Filmer and Harry Patrinos. As the first manager of the Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund (SIEF) at the World Bank from 2007-09, Barbara also oversaw the launch of more than 50 rigorous impact evaluations of health, education and social protection programs. Barbara has degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Chicago.