Johns, Pugh Examine Incentive Pay Models for Oklahoma Teachers
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, and Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, hosted a joint interim study Monday to explore potential incentive pay models for Oklahoma teachers. The study focused on how voluntary, performance-based compensation systems could improve teacher recruitment, retention and student outcomes. The study featured a presentation from Secretary of Education Dan Hamlin, who provided a detailed analysis of State Department of Education (SDE) data and comparisons to states that have implemented similar programs. Hamlin highlighted evidence showing that high-quality teachers have the single greatest impact on student success, accounting for as much as 80% of academic progress in a school year. "Secretary Hamlin did an outstanding job presenting the data and showing how programs like these have worked in other states," Johns said. "We’re seeing that Oklahoma could implement an incentive pay model through the State Department of Education without adding new burdens on schools or superintendents. This kind of structure would allow teachers to work together toward shared goals rather than competing against each other, while creating its own revenue stream alongside the current Teacher Empowerment Program." The study reviewed models from states such as Texas and Arkansas, where thousands of teachers have received performance-based bonuses ranging from $3,000 to $32,000 annually. These programs reward teachers for measurable student growth and classroom effectiveness, often using growth-based metrics to determine eligibility. Oklahoma’s current system, adopted in 2022 through the Oklahoma Teacher Empowerment Program (OTEP), rewards teachers who take on leadership roles and mentor peers. For the 2024-2025 school year, 89 districts participated, with more than 1,100 teachers benefiting from an average bonus of $7,750. Pugh said interest in expanding performance-based pay has grown among educators statewide. "I heard from teachers in 67 different school districts who wanted to know why their schools weren’t participating in the Empowerment Program," Pugh said. "There’s a real appetite for rewarding excellence in the classroom. I’m not afraid to pay our best and brightest teachers more than what the salary schedule calls for. What we need to work on is creating the structure that helps districts identify those teachers and gives them the flexibility to reward them for their impact." Hamlin suggested the state consider adding an incentive pay program tied to performance or value-based metrics. Under a proposed Growth-Based Teacher Compensation System for Oklahoma, teachers would be eligible for bonuses based on measurable student progress. The model would track student achievement over time, taking into account prior academic performance, demographic factors and other indicators to calculate expected growth. Teachers whose students exceed those expectations would qualify for bonus pay. As an example, Hamlin outlined a $25 million pilot program for grades 4 through 8. Teachers whose students demonstrated the highest levels of growth could earn between $5,000 and $25,000 in additional compensation. Teachers in the 67th–79th percentile could receive $5,000, with approximately 1,875 teachers recognized statewide. Teachers in the 80th–94th percentile could receive $15,000, with about 781 teachers recognized. Teachers in the 95th percentile and above could receive $25,000, with roughly 156 teachers recognized. The total estimated cost of the pilot program would be $25 million. The legislators said they plan to continue working with education leaders and stakeholders to in the Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature to evaluate how an opt-in incentive pay model could complement existing programs while recognizing and rewarding Oklahoma’s most effective teachers.