When school begins in August, Utah teachers will be part of a giant experiment with more than 80 different tests -- all to discover the optimal way to pay the best teachers more.

As part of a measure passed by the Utah Legislature earlier this year, each school district and charter school (more than 80 total) has developed a plan to allocate a state-wide total of $20 million earmarked for merit-pay programs for teachers and district employees. The legislation only funds the program for one year. It remains to be seen if the one-time money will make any difference in student or teacher performance.

In Utah County, the plans are as diverse as all the schools, but some say performance-based compensation is exactly what Utah's public education system needs.

"It's something I think school districts should have been doing for a decade," said Rep. John Dougall, R-American Fork, who sponsored the bill in the state House of Representatives.

The plans are meant to reward the best teachers and employees; the hard part is determining who is the best. The Legislature left it to the districts to decide how best to evaluate employees and distribute the money.

"I don't believe that we can do a one-size-fits-all at the state level," Dougall said.

In Utah County, the merit pay bonuses will be allocated based on more than just how students do on tests. Bob Gentry, director of personnel for the Provo School District, said Provo School District didn't want to create a plan based entirely on scores because they are not always the best indicator of teacher quality. A good teacher could simply get a crop of low-performing students, or vice versa.

"If you're teaching in an area that is high-risk, it makes it harder to make that judgment," Gentry said.

The three school districts in Utah County each have a different plan. In each, teachers and district employees must apply for the bonus. The amount of the bonus will be determined by how much each district is allocated and how many district employees qualify for the bonus. The district cannot award more bonuses than the money it has been allocated.

The plans

• In Alpine School District, teachers will be self-assessed as well as evaluated by a team of parents and administrators. They will also receive points for the work they do as groups of teachers. Nebo School District spokeswoman Rhonda Bromley said the collaboration helps teachers better evaluate their students and learn how to help them. In groups, the teachers create a common curriculum based on the state core.

State school board member Tom Gregory said working together really can help students.

"Collaboration is really a useful tool for increasing achievement that we want to incentivise," he said.

• Provo School District's plan has several avenues for employees to earn the bonus. Employees can apply for the award as individuals, groups or schools, and each employee can apply for the bonus award twice, but using a different means of earning it.

Provo has outlined eight "pathways" to the bonus. They include achievements such as having students do well on tests, gaining more education or training or receiving favorable reviews from superiors or patrons.

Cindy Wright, associate director of human resources, said each avenue, while not directly tied to improved test scores, can lead to better instruction.

"All of these things will lead to student achievement," Wright said.

• Nebo School District created a plan based on points that has more emphasis on test scores than other plans. For teachers to receive the bonus, they must earn a minimum of 50 points on a 100-point scale that includes points for student achievement, good evaluations and participation in professional development.

"The only way you can get the top bonus would be if you excel in every one of these areas," said Nebo School District spokeswoman Lana Hiskey.

Nebo's plan does leave room for good teachers who have a batch of students who don't improve their test scores to still receive a bonus. The money is to be allocated proportionally to teachers who earn the minimum required point value.

State school board member Richard Moss said merit pay will help teachers help students.

"I see it only as a plus for everybody, a plus for the child, a plus for the teachers," Moss said.

Still, the experiment needs more testing to know if it will work for sure.

"I think properly funded, long-term plans with buy-ins from the education community has that potential," Gregory said. "Whether these plans fall into that category or not, it's too soon to know."