Journal Facts

Journal
Journal of Collective Negotiations
ISSN
2167-7816 (print) 2167-7824 (electronic)
Volume
24
Issue
3
Date
9/1/1995

Article Facts

Title
ARE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS PAID ACCORDING TO THEIR PERFORMANCE AND WORKING CONDITIONS?
DOI
10.2190/131L-R705-4EGL-LPVD
Author
HARRIS L. ZWERLING AND TERRY THOMASON
Online Date
05/09/2002

Article Links

ARE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS PAID ACCORDING TO THEIR PERFORMANCE AND WORKING CONDITIONS?

HARRIS L. ZWERLING AND TERRY THOMASON

DOI: 10.2190/131L-R705-4EGL-LPVD

Abstract

Using a nationwide sample of 292 public high schools taken from the Administrator and Teachers Survey (ATS) of the High School and Beyond study, we find that the main determinants of principals' salaries are the maximum teachers' salary, the principals' experience, and factors relating to district size, wealth, and cost of living. We find evidence that principals are paid according to their working conditions, but no evidence that public high school principals are paid according to student performance indicators. These results should be interpreted with caution. Better measures of performance are essential to advancing this line of research, as is longitudinal data. In addition to these methodological concerns, environmental conditions determining principals' salaries may have changed. The ongoing ferment in public education that has occurred since the ATS was conducted in 1984 has led some school districts to attempt to implement various forms of performance-based pay. The impact of these changes on principals' salaries remains to be determined.

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