April 2022- BoardBits

The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) was created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to provide a realistic pathway for top teachers to earn six-figure salaries and to help attract and retain highly-effective teachers at traditionally hard-to-staff schools. The TIA is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and retaining highly effective teachers (Recognized, Exemplary, and Master) in all schools, with particular emphasis on high-needs and rural schools.

Teachers earn designations through two different routes. First, National Board Certified teachers are eligible to earn a Recognized designation. Second, districts may designate their effective teachers when they are approved for a local teacher designation system.

Currently, South Texas ISD designates National Board Certified teachers only. However, the District will also participate in TIA by developing a local teacher designation system that measures teacher effectiveness based on both teacher observation and student growth data.

The approval process is multi-step and includes the submission of a system application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and then a data validation process through Texas Tech University. The TIA application was submitted to TEA for approval on Thursday, April 14, 2022. The application will undergo a data validation process, which will be conducted by Texas Tech University. The first school year (2022-2023) our district will collect teacher effectiveness data in accordance with our local designation plan, also known as the data capture year. The teacher effectiveness data collected during the data capture year will be reviewed as part of the district approval process.

STISD will begin implementing the TIA in cohorts based on the needs of the district. The first (2022-2023) cohort of teachers will include core area teachers whose teaching assignment includes at least one STAAR/EOC course. STISD plans to add cohorts each subsequent year until all district teachers are participating in the TIA program.

Teachers’ eligibility of the TIA will be measured through:

• Teacher observation (T-TESS) rubric (35%): Minimum average scores across Domains 2 & 3
  • Recognized Designation: 3.7 points out of a possible 5 points
  • Exemplary Designation: 3.9 points out of a possible 5 points
  • Masters Designations: 4.5 points out of a possible 5 points
• Pre/Post-Test (55%)
  • Pre-Test: TEA generated interim assessment
  • Post-Test: TEA STAAR/EOC assessment
• District professional development (10%).
  • Participation in district professional development
  • Evidence of professional development application in the classroom

TIA statutory TEC 48.112 requires a district to annually certify that funds received under this section are used as follows: at least 90% of each allotment received will be used for the compensation of teachers employed at the campus at which the teacher for whom the district received the allotment is employed; and up to 10% will be used for costs associated with supporting the local designation system or to support teachers in obtaining the designation. Districts must expend the funding to meet statute by August 31 each year.

For any funds received by STISD for designated teachers under the TIA Local Teacher Designation System, 65% will be allotted to the designated teacher and 25% will be allotted to other teachers or paraprofessionals who supported the designated teacher. The remaining 10% will be used for administrative expenses and professional development. Should the District receive funding for a designated teacher who has resigned or retired, the District will forward payment to the resigned or retired teacher as soon as practicable. There will be no retention requirement such as requiring a teacher to be employed on a certain date to receive the funding in order for the compensation to be TRS eligible.

For any funds received by STISD for National Board Certified designated teachers under the TIA, 90% will be paid to all the teachers on campus. The remaining 10% will be used for administrative expenses and professional development.

Should the District receive funding for a designated teacher who has resigned or retired, the District will forward payment to the resigned or retired teacher as soon as practicable. There will be no retention requirement such as requiring a teacher to be employed on a certain date to receive the funding in order for the compensation to be TRS eligible.

Note: A designated teacher public search page and virtual certificates of designation will be available on the TIA website by May 27th.