Teacher Incentive Allotment

Is TIA funded by the state or the district?  

TIA is funded by the State of Texas as part of House Bill 3. As a result, the state has established specific criteria and guidelines regarding how the funds can be earned and distributed. To that end, Clear Creek ISD will only move forward with TIA so long as it continues to be state-funded. 

How can teachers earn funding through TIA?  

Designated teachers earn additional compensation that is associated with their designation level at their campus. See below for ranges provided by TIA but specific amounts are determined after data is submitted to TEA: 

• Recognized: $3,000 - $9,000 
• Exemplary: $6,000 - $18,000 
• Master: $12,000 - $32,000 

For specific funding information by campus, click here to review the TIA Allotment Funding Interactive Map. 

How will designated teachers be compensated?  

The statute requires that 90% of TIA funds be distributed directly to teachers and no more than 10% of the funds be spent on supporting elements of TIA. Clear Creek ISD has distributed TIA funds as follows: 

• 90% of the teacher TIA allotment will be distributed directly to the individual TIA-designated teacher, minus TRS contributions and fringe benefits.  The allotment is TRS eligible.   
• 10% of the teacher TIA allotment will be reserved at the district level to support the implementation of TIA and the ongoing development of TIA resources and professional development. 

What is the timeline for compensation?  

TIA allotment funds will be distributed directly to designated teachers annually via stipends in the late summer following the year in which a teacher earns their designation, as shown in the figure below. 

Will the campus socio-economic tier data be recalculated every year?

Yes. Given that a school’s student enrollment changes yearly, the campus’s socioeconomic tier will be recalculated annually. Allotment funds for each designated teacher will be based on the campus, and not the individual students assigned to the designated teacher.

For specific funding information by campus, click here to review the TIA Allotment Funding Interactive Map.

If more teachers qualify to earn a designation, doesn’t that mean that teachers will each receive less money?

No, designation amounts are based on the TIA-designation level and the campus's socio-economic need. Campuses with higher socio-economic need generate higher allotment amounts. The number of teachers that earn an acknowledged, recognized, exemplary, or masters rating does not change the amount of each allotment. All teachers of the same TIA-designation level on the same campus earn the same allotment. Campus allotment amounts are posted on the TIA funding map and updated end of April each year.

How long is a teacher’s designation valid? 

A teacher's designation is valid for five years and is reflected on the teacher’s SBEC record. Based on performance during the 5-year designation, a teacher can be recommended for a higher designation.  

What happens after the 5-year designation period expires?

Designated teachers who meet performance standards and district qualifications can be put forth for a new designation in their final year of designation. Once the designation expires, it will be removed from the SBEC certificate and allotment funding will no longer be generated.

Are designations attached to a particular grade level or subject? 

Unlike certificates, designations are general. The designation will be placed on the teacher’s SBEC certificate and will not specify a certification area or subject/grade level. A teacher may change teaching assignments and will still generate allotment funding. The same applies to National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs).

How will TIA Scores be calculated?  

For Clear Creek ISD, the Summative T-TESS Observation Score for Domains 2 and 3 will weigh 30% and the Academic Growth Scores will weigh 70% when determining designation eligibility. 

How can a teacher earn a higher qualification, once they have already been designated?

Once a designation is earned, it is valid for 5 years. Teachers may only have one active designation at a time. Acknowledged, Recognized and Exemplary teachers who meet an approved district’s performance criteria may be submitted for a higher level of designation. In these cases, the five-year clock restarts, and the lower designation becomes inactive. Teachers may not be submitted for an equal or lower designation.  

If a designated teacher moves campuses from one school year to the next, will the allotment that teacher generates be recalculated?  What if a teacher leaves in the middle of the year? 

Yes. There is a specific time that TEA will calculate the allotment for a teacher based on the teacher’s designation and school characteristics (socioeconomic tiers and rural status). The allotment amount they generate will be based on the campus on which they are teaching at on the last Friday in February.

Are there limits on the number of teachers that can receive a TIA designation? 

The state does not set a limit on the number of teachers that can receive TIA. 

How long is a teacher’s designation valid?  

A teacher's designation is valid for five years and is reflected on the teacher’s SBEC record. Based on performance during the 5-year designation, a teacher can be recommended for a higher designation.   

Who is eligible for TIA?  

To be eligible to earn a TIA designation through Clear Creek ISD’s local designation system employees must meet each of the criteria below: 

• Be a teacher coded as 087 in PEIMS. 
• Meet the instructional time requirement of teaching students directly for at least 90 days at 100% of the day or 180 days at 50% or more of the day, 

• Teaching in an eligible teaching category per the local designation plan

• Have classroom observations with an unmodified T-TESS rubric and have student growth data directly linked to teacher instruction, and 
• Have been employed by Clear Creek ISD at the time of Winter Roster Submission (e.g. the last Friday in February).

Does being TIA-eligible mean I am receiving a TIA designation? 

No. Being TIA-eligible means that your employee position in Clear Creek ISD is eligible to receive a TIA-designation. Performance data will be collected from all teachers in TIA-eligible positions to determine which meet the minimum score criteria to earn a TIA designation.

When will teachers in other content areas and grade levels be eligible to earn a TIA designation in Clear Creek ISD?  

Clear Creek ISD will continue to research ways to designate teachers in the future.  The district is working to determine valid and reliable growth measures to assess teachers’ performance accurately and fairly. 

Which Clear Creek ISD teachers and which schools are currently eligible for TIA?  

Teachers at our intermediate schools who teach 6th through 8th grade ELAR and Math, 8th grade Science, Social Studies, Algebra 1 and Biology are eligible to receive a designation.

What if a designated teacher moves to a non-teaching role? 

Designated teachers who move to a Role ID other than 087 will maintain their designation if their teacher SBEC certificate is valid. However, they will not generate annual allotment funding if they are not in a 087 teaching role for that year of service.

Do teachers have to remain in Clear Creek ISD for two years to earn a TIA designation? 

Yes, per TEA policy, teachers must remain in Clear Creek ISD for two consecutive years in a direct teaching role to earn a TIA designation. The first year is the data capture year where teacher performance data is collected. The next school year is the data submission year. The teacher performance data that was collected the prior year is used to determine a TIA designation. If the teacher meets the criteria to earn a designation, their designation is submitted for approval to TEA in October, and the teacher will be notified in the Spring if the designation is approved. If the teacher leaves the district after a data collection year, they forfeit the data collected that year and must start a new data collection year in their new district. 

Can I opt-out of TIA or T-TESS? 

No. TEA requires that all teachers teaching in grades/subjects included in a district’s TIA local designation system plan be evaluated annually and according to Board policy. Therefore, any teacher that is eligible for a TIA designation cannot waive the T-TESS process for the school year, even if the teacher does not wish to be considered for a TIA designation. All teachers in a TIA-eligible role must be submitted in the district’s fall data submission to TEA for every data-capture year the district wants to submit new teachers for TIA designations.

Why did we develop a TIA local designation system?  

To ensure all students have access to consistent high-quality instruction, CCISD will identify and expand the use of teaching practices and academic programs that have demonstrated measurable impact on student learning. Through Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), CCISD will recognize and incentivize educators who effectively implement and model these proven strategies, creating a culture of continuous improvement and shared excellence. 

Will T-TESS be used as the observation rubric?  

Yes! The full T-TESS rubric will be used for teacher observations. While the district is only submitting scores from Domains 2 (Planning) and 3 (Learning Environment) for the purposes of TIA, Clear Creek ISD believes in the value of T-TESS holistically. Therefore, each teacher will continue to receive an overall T-TESS score across the 4 domains in order to provide feedback and coaching for continued growth and success as a teacher. 

How many observations will teachers receive?  

All eligible teachers will participate in a minimum of 1 formal scored observation and two informal walkthroughs per school year.  

Formal observations will be approximately 45 minutes in duration or one complete lesson cycle. 

How will I know that my T-TESS score is fair and equitable? 

It is critical to ensure that observation scoring is fair and equitable across grade levels, content areas, and campuses. To achieve this goal, campus administrators will participate in an ongoing calibration process that includes both calibration certification and activities throughout the year.  Additionally, district and campus administrators will regularly analyze teacher observation trends across campuses, teaching assignments, and appraisers to look for and address potential rating discrepancies. 

How will Clear Creek ISD measure student growth?  

Clear Creek ISD will utilize the Transition Tables as determined by TEA to measure student growth on STAAR.  Student academic growth on STAAR is provided in ELAR and Math grades 6-8. The district will utilize expected growth targets set by Texas VAM for 8th grade Science and Social Studies.