The purpose of this survey was to identify and compare the specific factors relating to merit pay that teachers, principals, and superintendents in Central Florida would accept in the development and implementation of a merit pay plan. A questionnaire, based on an instrument that was used in a previous study on merit pay factors in 1970, was developed that consisted of 38 factors. A five-point ordinal scale was used to measure the educators' degree of acceptance for each factor. There were 14 Central Florida school districts that participated in the survey including 433 teachers, 211 principals, and 12 superintendents. The response rate was 62.6 percent. The chi square test was the primary test used for the statistical analysis. The test was utilized to compare group responses on a factor-by-factor basis. Some conclusions made based upon the analysis of data were: 1. Agreement existed by the educators in Central Florida on a majority of 38 factors. 2. Teachers and principals rejected the following factors: a. Set a quota on the number of teachers eligible for merit pay each year. b. Teacher evaluation should include summer work experiences which relate to teacher's field. c. Teacher evaluation should include as a criteria an advanced degree or certificate. d. Teacher evaluation should include college/university training beyond a degree or certificate. e. Teacher evaluation should include conference and convention participation. f. Teacher evaluation should include scores achieved on standardized tests. 3. Teachers rejected having the principal-be the primary evaluator, whereas principals and superintendents were in general agreement with this factor. 4. Teachers showed a difference on more factors when divided on the basis of experiential level (1 to 10 years versus 11 years and over). In summary, although there were statistically significant differences identified, the comparisons were more alike than different with the majority being differences in degree only.

This study was designed to discover which merit pay evaluation and implementation factors were considered important by members of the Florida Teaching Profession - National Education Association (FTP-NEA). Comparisons were made of opinions within various subgroups (district size, position within organization, sex, race, age, years teaching, highest degree earned, assignment, secondary assignment). The sample included the State Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the United Faculty of Florida CUFF-university personnel), and FTP-NEA members in two-thirds of the local affiliates. All districts with support personnel groups were included. The questionnaire was comprised of merit pay factors which were cited most often in the literature, and factors being considered for Florida's State Master Teacher Program. The instrument included 15 evaluation and 25 implementation factors. Questionnaires were distributed by local affiliate presidents. The UFF board and state FTP-NEA board members were surveyed by mail. The results of 662 surveys were analyzed, using a Chi-square test for each factor for each subgroup within the sample. Respondents felt most strongly that "teaching experience/number of years teaching" and "administrator observations/evaluations" should be used as evaluation criteria in a merit pay plan. They were most opposed to "standardized teacher test scores" and "standardized student test scores," both "by school" and "by teacher." They agreed strongly with several of the implementation factors, including "each teacher should ahve access to his/her own records" and "an evaluation instrument should stress performance on the job in the assigned area." They were strongly against the use of a quota, extra pay for tecahers in shortage or alternative areas, and the involvement of business persons and legislators in planning a merit pay system. There were several Chi-square tests which produced valid, significant differences among various subgroups. Significant differences were evidenct in 26 cases for evaluation factors, and 14 cases for implementation factors. The largest numbers of significantly different opinions were in the categories of "sex" (10 factors) and "assignment" (8 factors). There were no significant differences among respondents with various seconday assignments and one significant difference between black and white responses.