Bonuses could also be earned by taking advanced courses in improving classroom techniques and by improving the scores their students achieved on state tests.

These salary additions can add up to as much as $9,800 per year. In addition, teachers' pay can be docked if state testing demonstrates that their students have fallen too far below expectations (Philips & Tyre, 2007). The system has been so successful, that Denver has completely eliminated their pay scale based solely on years of experience and academic degrees (Olson, 2007b).

Denver's program collaborated with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, an NEA affiliate, to develop their plan. In addition, they've permitted teaching veterans to opt into the program, rather than force them to participate. This has helped with the acceptance of the program as teachers have not felt pressured into joining the ProComp Plan.

To help facilitate this decision, Denver's ProComp Plan has its own...
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