Jefferson County Public Schools on Thursday joined the national experiment in paying teachers differently, winning a $32.8 million federal grant for a five-year pilot in the district’s highest-poverty schools, Education News Colorado reports.

The plan, called Jeffco Strategic Compensation, is one of 62 proposals from 27 states to share in $442 million in Teacher Incentive Fund grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

A second Colorado district – Colorado Springs 11 – won $15.1 million for its proposal. The two join several districts across the state, including Denver, Douglas and Eagle counties, and Harrison District 2, trying alternative pay plans based on factors other than years worked and college credits earned.