Q Comp was enacted through a bipartisan agreement in the Minnesota Legislature in July 2005. It is a voluntary program that allows local districts and exclusive representatives of the teachers to design and collectively bargain a plan that meets the five components of the law. The five components under Q Comp include Career Ladder/Advancement Options, Job-embedded Professional Development, Teacher Evaluation, Performance Pay, and an Alternative Salary Schedule.
 
Approved school districts receive up to $260 per student ($169 per student in state aid and $91 per student in board-approved levy) for the program. Charter schools, integration districts, intermediate districts and the Perpich Center for the Arts receive approximately $243 per student in state aid through an equalized levy since these entities do not have authority to impose local tax levies.
 
Currently, 60 Minnesota school districts and 62 charter schools have implemented programs or have been approved to implement Q Comp for the 2012-13 school year. These programs serve over 540 school sites made up of approximately 19,587 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) licensed staff and 280,689 students. Many additional districts have indicated plans to submit an application for future years.

 

Application

• Q Comp Application Guidelines 2012-13 
  Guidelines for completing the application for Quality Compensation.
• 2013-14 District Letter of Intent 
  This form should be submitted to MDE one year in advance of when a district wishes to implement Q Comp to secure preliminary levy authority and to inform MDE that the district is working on the application. This will allow MDE to provide the necessary levy authorization and to identify what professional development opportunities might need to be provided for interested districts.
• 2013-14 Charter School Letter of Intent 
  This form should be submitted to MDE one year in advance of when a charter school wishes to implement Q Comp to inform MDE that the charter school is working on the application. This will allow MDE to to identify what professional development opportunities might need to be provided for interested charter schools.
• Q Comp Application Form 
  This is the document districts, sites and charter schools are asked to complete to apply for Q Comp. The deadlines for 2012-13 Q Comp applications are November 15, 2012; February 15, 2013; and May 15, 2013.

Implementation

Goals and Data: Other Standardized Assessments - 9 minutes - This presentation examines measuring growth using standardized assessments (not MCA) and communicating it in a SMART goal.

• Q Comp Annual Report 
  Q Comp Annual Report Form description: This form must be used by all implementing districts as a means of providing an annual report on Q Comp implementation to MDE. The deadline for submitting the report is June 30, 2013.
• Q Comp Model Plan for Rural Districts 
  The Model plan includes a planning process outlined that may be used by any district interested in applying for Q Comp to determine what existing structures on which the plan might be built. It also includes examples of many plan components to assist rural districts in developing an application.
• Aligning Q Comp and Teacher Growth and Evaluation Requirements 
  This planning process will assist district teams to blend the requirements of Q Comp and the Minnesota teacher evaluation statutes. The process will inform the design of the district’s three-year professional review cycle.
• Q Comp Activity Funds 
  This document outlines the ways Q Comp can be used in each implementing district
• 2012-13 Q Comp Participants 
  This file includes a list of all districts and school sites that are approved and implementing Q Comp programs for the 2012-13 school year.
• Q Comp Plan Change Form 
  This plan change form must be used by all implementing districts as a means of providing information to MDE regarding changes to a districts Q Comp program; deadlines for submitting Q Comp plan changes for the next school year are January 15 and April 15.

Program Review

• Q Comp Program Review Memo 
  This document was sent to all districts to announce the beginning of the Q Comp Program Review Process and outlines the timelines and overall requirements for the process.
• Q Comp Program Review Guidelines 2012-2013 
  This document provides detailed information on all steps in the Q Comp Program Review Process, including information and directions for using the Q Comp Program Review SharePoint site.
• Q Comp Program Review Rubric 2012-13 
  This feedback tool is used in the Q Comp Program Review process by Site Review Teams to rate the site on various program standards. The Proficient column reflects the minimum program standard for each element outline in the Rubric.
• Q Comp Program Review Interview Questions 2012-13 
  This document is to be used by Site Review Teams when conducting the licensed staff and teacher leader interviews as part of the Site Review portion of the Q Comp Program Review Process. Use of the interview questions as a script in the review process will ensure that the necessary information is collected to rate the site on the rubric.
• Q Comp Document Review Report 2012-2013 
  This form is provided as information only. MDE will complete this form following the desktop review of all materials submitted by the district as part of the Document Review portion of the Q Comp Program Review process.
• Site Review Report-2012-13 
  This form is to be used by Site Review Teams to report how they rated each reviewed site on the Q Comp Program Review Rubric as part of the Q Comp Program Review process.