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Next week during Thanksgiving the people who pay the bills at North Branch Schools might express a word or two of appreciation for Minnesota's Quality Compensation program; which is sending $1 million to North Branch Schools this 2008-2009 school year. Q Comp is a legislative incentive for districts that are instituting a specific approach for enhancing teachers' skills, accountability and academic improvement.

The students too should be thankful for the North Branch teachers' group that created the district's plan. They worked many extra hours creating what Minnesota Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren last week called one of the most comprehensive Q-Comp proposals her department has received.

Commissioner Seagren visited North Branch Middle School to extend congratulations and present the district with funding.

Q-Comp allows for bonus pay and support for teachers to improve their skills and their students' achievement. In 2005 Governor Tim Pawlenty proposed Quality Compensation and the state legislature appropriated $86 million for districts that successfully applied. Applications must show in detail how a district will meet benchmarks in career advancement and academic achievement.

Seagren commended North Branch for participating. She added that the program was developed through administration in St. Paul as the direct result of hearing that teachers wanted a system that encouraged more time for teachers to hone their skills, and time with fellow instructors to improve effectiveness in the local classroom.

North Branch Superintendent Dr. Deb Henton, in addressing Commissioner Seagren before a gymnasium filled with students, said that joining Q-Comp is "evidence we are with you" (state officials) in developing methods for improving public education.

North Branch joins 43 other Minnesota districts enrolled in the Q-Comp system. Chisago Lakes is also one of the participating districts and it too initiated Q-Comp this school year.

Dona yetter, Q Comp Advisor in North Branch, explains that the big hurdle in implementing the plan is scheduling time within the existing school year to allow collaborative relationships to thrive. The meetings required to get this operational and running over the year needed to happen on non-student contact days, so that teachers "are in the classroom when they need to be."

Yetter also said 50 instructors were interviewed to act as career ladder leaders and 38 were chosen.

The funding goes to many areas. Some highlights are:

~ There's a $10,000 salary augmentation for the person who serves as the district's Q Comp Advisor.

~ An implementation coach and strategies person will be a halftime position who works directly with the district and advisors to ensure consistent Q Comp procedures and protocol. This position and the advisor works with 230 licensed staff and 13 administrators.

~ About $3,000 goes towards learning community leader(s); or one for every six to seven teachers. These positions do observation and planning and prep work for the school sites.

~ Collaborative Coaches provide peer observations in class. Each tenured teacher will be observed at least three times yearly. An evaluation team will score the teacher on the Pathwise rubrics system. Teachers will achieve 80 percent at the competent level after completing the three observation.

~ Teacher bonuses will be $500 for 25 percent schoolwide gain; $500 for student achievement measures and $500 based on the teacher's own evaluation.

The learning goals call for an increase of two percent in scores that "meet or exceed expectations" for the student age group in MainStreet ECFE classes, Primary and Sunrise River classes and at the middle school and high school.

In North Branch, for example, the percentage of students who attain proficient status on the Reading MCAII exams will increase by two percent. (In spring 2007 this was 54.15 percent. The next testing round the score will go up to 56.15 percent.) North Branch's distance learning and Northgate and ALC students will also make similar gains.

To achieve this the schools will have teams of six to eight members who will meet at least semi-monthly during the school day. There will be at least one half- day on the monthly calendar for Q Comp discussions, strategy setting, review of student performance, etc.

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