TIA Handbook

In June 2019, the Texas Education Agency launched the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program, creating the opportunity for districts to offer monetary incentives for educators. I am excited to announce that AISD is taking advantage of this available state funding to financially reward our highest-performing teachers. Atlanta ISD students deserve the best and most committed teachers in Texas. The TIA program will help us recruit and retain top-tier educators, while also bringing well-deserved recognition to this noble profession. Our teachers’ dedication is not only seen through the exceptional teaching and learning that take place every day, but also through the relationships that are built with students, the mentoring and support that are offered, and the daily encouragement that leads to student success. TIA provides a standard evaluation to measure the impact of teachers across the state, and I know ours will lead the way.
While teachers did not choose this profession for the salary they would earn, it is exciting to be able to supplement their earnings and reward their commitment. I am honored to work among some of the very best educators in our state and nation. I look forward to celebrating AISD staff members as they benefit from this program.

 
Respectfully, 

Jason Harris
Superintendent of Schools 
Atlanta ISD
 

The Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and retaining highly effective teachers in all schools, with particular emphasis on high-needs and rural schools. Our implementation began during the 2022-2023 school year. This program provides a pathway to financially recognize top teachers and serves as a great opportunity to honor the hard work and proven success of our Atlanta ISD teaching staff. 

For those who earn a distinction based on both teacher observation and student growth data, it will be an additional state stipend separate from the current Atlanta ISD pay structure. However, this stipend is credited in the Teacher Retirement System and will be used in retirement benefit calculations. 
 

Designations are distinctions awarded to highly effective teachers. TIA established four levels of designation: Acknowledged, Recognized, Exemplary, and Master. Designations are awarded to teachers either through their district’s local designation system or by achieving National Board Certification. Teachers with an active National Board certification may be designated as Acknowledged by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Once a teacher is designated, they may generate an annual allotment for their employing school district based on their campus of employment for five continuous years. Staff interested in pursuing National Board Certification are encouraged to consult the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards site for more information.

• Year 1: Data capture 
• Year 2 Fall: Data submitted to Texas Tech for validation and TEA review. 
• Year 2 Summer: August payout 
   

Atlanta ISD teachers are eligible to earn a designation by meeting the requirements detailed below: 

• teaching in an eligible teaching assignment at a TIA eligible campus at the time of snapshot and at the winter class roster submission (See Appendix A for eligible courses); 
• remaining in an eligible teaching assignment the following school year at the time of data submission; 
• earning a creditable year of service in Atlanta ISD in a position with a Public Education Information Management (PEIMS) role ID code of 087 for at least 50% of the day; and 
• must be a full-time Atlanta ISD employee.

The District will use teacher evaluation and student growth data to determine which teachers qualify for designations. Part of the validation process will include a holistic review of how accurately district systems align their designations to the statewide performance standards. The data validation process will confirm the validity of the reported teacher evaluation scores and student growth measures.

The TIA score is a weighted combination of: 

• Student Growth Component - 60%
• Educator Evaluation Component - 40%
   

To ensure that all students have the opportunity to perform to their full capacity on the student growth measures, all testing will be treated as state standardized testing. All teachers will participate in a campus security training, which will cover testing irregularities, active monitoring, distribution of test materials, and proper handling of secure materials. Students will receive the allowable accommodations, as required by Admissions Review Dismissal (ARD), Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC), 504, Dyslexia, RtI/EIT, etc., documentation. Throughout the school year, teachers use the initial measures to ensure that students are making the needed progress. Atlanta ISD ensures that teachers are aware of the standards that are used to measure student growth. The district ensures that the growth measure standards are aligned by adhering to the guidance from TEA.  Metrics are used to track and monitor student growth on all district assessments. All student growth measures are aligned to the state standards and follow the accountability cut points and targets. All pretests and posttests must be administered within the District’s assigned testing assessment window in order to count toward the student growth calculation score. Students must participate in both the pretest and the posttest with the same teacher and be assessed within the testing window to be calculated in the student growth measurement score.

Student Growth Instrument 
Student Growth will count for 60% of the overall TIA score. Student growth will be calculated for all students who have a designated fall and spring assessment. Student growth performance will be associated with teachers based on the following PEIMS criteria: 

• Unique ID of the teacher of record as of the October snapshot date 
• Main Service ID(s) for Observation and Growth 
• Main Content Area(s) for Observation and Growth 
• Main Grade Level(s) for Observation and Growth 

Student Growth Component – 60% - Calculated for each eligible teacher with student growth results across assigned students and content areas. The percentage is calculated based on the number of students meeting growth expectations divided by the number of students tested. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percent. The instrument used to measure student growth depends on the grade level and subject area taught.
 
    
Calculating Student Growth 
Student growth is calculated as the percentage of students who meet or exceed expected growth from the fall/ BOY administration to the spring/EOY administration using the following grade levels, subjects, and assessments.

• PK - Circle Reading Test
• K-2 Life Skills Reading - Unique Assessment
• Life Skills 4-10 STAAR ALT growth measure
• Grades K-8 Reading & Math - MAP Growth Assessment
• Grades 5-8 Science, Biology - MAP Growth Assessment
• IPC, Chemistry, Physics, Pathophysiology, Scientific Research and Design, Government, Economics, World Geography, World History, Anatomy & Physiology, Financial Math, Precalculus, Prin. of Technology, Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Digital Art & Animation, Graphic Design and Illustration, Professional Communications, Personal Financial Literacy and Economics, Lifetime Nutrition & Wellness, Technology Applications - Curriculum Based Assessments
• Social Studies 6-7 - Curriculum-Based Assessments
• Grade 8 - Social Studies - Released STAAR/Spring STAAR
• English 1, English 2, English 3, English 4, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry - MAP Growth
• U.S. History - Released STAAR/Spring STAAR
• CTE Courses: Audio Video Productions, Practicum of Health Science - Patient Care Tech, Agricultural Equipment & Design & Mechanics,  Livestock Production, Equine Science,  Principles of Construction, BIM 1, BIM 2, Medical Terminology, Career Prep 1 & 2, Prin of Business, Marketing & Finance, Entrepreneurship, Digital Media, Dollars & Sense, Interpersonal Studies, Culinary Arts, Principles of Applied Engineering,  - ICEV Exams and IBC Exams
   

The Texas Teacher Evaluation & Support System (T-TESS) is the state-adopted teacher appraisal instrument. T-TESS includes two components aimed at capturing the holistic nature of instruction and learning. Domains 2 and 3 will be evaluated and calculated on a 5-point scale. The educator evaluation component will count for 40% of the Final TIA Score.

T-TESS Dimension & Domain Scores 

Instruction (Domain 2) 

Dimension 2.1 – Achieving Expectations 
Dimension 2.2 – Content Knowledge and Expertise 
Dimension 2.3 – Communication 
Dimension 2.4 – Differentiation 
Dimension 2.5 – Monitor and Adjust 

Learning Environment (Domain 3) 

Dimension 3.1 – Classroom Environment, Routines, and Procedures 
Dimension 3.2 – Managing Student Behavior 
Dimension 3.3 – Classroom Culture 

Each dimension is scored on a scale of 1-5: 

1– Improvement Needed 
2– Developing 
3– Proficient 
4– Accomplished 
5– Distinguished  

TIA is calculated using the average of each domain.
 

To be eligible for a TIA designation, TEA has established minimum performance standards for Educator Evaluation (T-TESS Teacher Observation) and Student Growth components. 

Student Growth Minimums 

To be eligible for a TIA designation, teachers must earn a minimum student growth outcome. TEA established minimum expectations based on statewide performance expectations.  

• Acknowledged designation > 50%
• Recognized designation > 55%  
• Exemplary designation > 60%  
• Master designation > 70% 

T-TESS Teacher Observation Minimums 

TIA establishes priority emphasis on the Instruction (Domain 2) and Learning Environment (Domain 3) domains of the T-TESS evaluation. To be eligible for a TIA designation, teachers must earn a rating of proficient or higher on each of the eight dimensions measured across Domains 2 and 3. If a teacher scores lower than 3.0 in any dimension on a summative evaluation, they cannot receive a score for that Domain; therefore, they do not qualify for the Teacher Incentive Allotment. 

In addition, based on an analysis of statewide T-TESS observation data, TEA has identified minimum score averages across Domains 2 and 3 of T-TESS: 

• Acknowledged > 3.5
• Recognized  > 3.7
• Exemplary designation > 3.9  
• Master designation > 4.5 

Atlanta ISD policy requires at least one formal observation of a minimum of 45 minutes. This data will be included in T-TESS summative scores.
 

Student growth and teacher observation scores are used to determine annual teacher eligibility for a TIA designation. The following end-of-year data analysis steps will be completed at the district level to generate a final TIA Score that can potentially impact the designation level after minimums are met. Scores will be calculated based on the weighted calculations of the following two components: 

• Student Growth Component - 60% 
• Educator Evaluation Component - 40% 

The final TIA score is calculated using 40% of the T-TESS composite score and 60% of the student growth composite score. T-TESS ranges from 1 to 5, and Pre-test and Post-test range from 0 to 100. 
 

Eligibility minimums must be met in both Educator Evaluation and Student Growth for a TIA designation to be submitted to the state. The base payout amount will be at the designation level where both categories have qualifying scores. Annual data analysis will be conducted to determine if final TIA scores can increase a designation level. As long as program integrity can be preserved, final TIA scores may advance designations a maximum of one level.

The Educator Evaluation Component and Student Growth Component will be entered into a TIA Teacher Scorecard and shared with each eligible teacher the component scores and the final TIA calculation: 

• If minimum performance criteria are not met for Educator Evaluation and Student Growth, then a TIA designation is not recommended to the State. 
• A review of district scores by Texas Tech (per TEA) for data validation may influence the award of a TIA Designation.
• TIA designations are attached to the teacher’s teaching certificate for a period of five years. 
   

Each year of the TIA evaluation cycle, teachers will be provided with an annual scorecard. The purpose of the  scorecard will be to provide transparency within AISD’s TIA system. TIA scorecards will provide teachers with an individualized report of the annual TIA outcomes based on their performance. Scorecard data elements will include: 

• TIA designation level, as appropriate 
• T-TESS performance
• Student growth outcome
• TIA final calculation
   

Teachers who qualify for a TIA designation and remain in an eligible teaching assignment will maintain their designation of Master, Exemplary, Recognized, or Acknowledged for five continuous years. Teachers who achieve one of the four TIA designations and meet performance standards and District qualifications may be put forth for a new designation within the five-year period. Once the designation expires, it will be removed from the SBEC certificate, and TIA funding will stop. TIA designations will be placed on the teacher’s SBEC certificate and will not specify a certification area subject/grade level. A teacher may change teaching assignments and still generate the allotment funding. The same applies to NBCTs. Positions not eligible for TIA designations include Instructional Coach, Academic Interventionist, Dyslexia Reading Interventionist, and any position that does not have a PEIMS coding of 087, including paraprofessionals and administrators.

The T-TESS evaluation cycle will be critical to ensuring that teachers receive sufficient support to achieve and maintain high levels of instructional effectiveness. Therefore, the following evaluation cycle provides the structure necessary for an efficient feedback structure:

The TIA program is available to all Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The amount of TIA funds generated is determined by a formula that considers campus characteristics, including student socioeconomic status and campus location. 

For more information about TIA funds generated by designated teachers at every campus across the state, visit TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment Funding Map. 

The District will collect data to determine teacher TIA designations during the data capture year. TIA data and designation recommendations will be submitted to Texas Tech and TEA for validation of all eligible TIA teachers in October following the data collection year. To have TIA data and a designation recommendation submitted to TEA, the teacher must continue to be employed in a teaching role (087) position in Atlanta ISD and remain in an eligible teaching assignment. Upon approval, TEA will notify the District in the spring of the specific allotment amounts by designation level at each campus in the District. The District will notify the teachers if their recommended designations have been approved or denied by the State in the spring. TIA compensation will be awarded to teachers in August. 

Distribution of Compensation 
State statute requires that 90% of TIA funds be distributed directly to the teachers as follows: 

✓ 90% of TIA funds must be used for Designated Teachers. 
✓ TIA dollars will be distributed directly to the individual TIA Designated Teacher. 
✓ The district shall retain 10% of the TIA dollars to help support program costs.

Atlanta ISD Distribution of Compensation

• The individual TIA-designated teacher will be allocated 90% of the TIA dollars earned
• The remaining 10% of TIA Funds will be reserved by the district to be used for:
  • To provide professional development for teachers
  • To support the TIA program
  • To purchase student growth measurement programs
  • To pay the employers’ portion of employee benefits on TIA payouts

This same compensation plan will be used for designated teachers entering the district with a designation and distributed as described according to their campus assignment.

Compensation
TIA compensation is an annual allotment provided by the State and is subject to the availability of state funding allocations. TIA-designated teachers will receive TIA compensation annually based on their TIA designation and TIA state funding for their campus of assignment by August 31 of each year. Given that a school’s student enrollment changes yearly, the campus’s socioeconomic tier will be recalculated annually. There will be set points in time at which TEA will calculate the allotment for a teacher based on the teacher’s designation and school characteristics (including socioeconomic tiers). 
 
TIA compensation stipends will be included in the annual wages reported to the Teacher Retirement  System (TRS) and will be used when calculating retirement benefits within TRS rules. 

Deduction Information
TIA compensation amounts received will include typical reductions from the allotment received to cover the cost of TRS, Medicare, Federal Income Tax, and any other pertinent deductions.
    
Teachers Leaving the District
Designated Teachers who retire after Winter Roster submission will be awarded a one-time payout based on their TIA designation. Those who leave Atlanta ISD for reasons other than retirement will not receive a TIA payout; those funds will be used for teacher compensation on the campus that earned the designation.

Atlanta ISD has collaborated with district leaders, campus leaders, and teachers to communicate the Teacher Incentive Allotment designation system. Atlanta ISD will conduct faculty presentations about the TIA plan and share the eligibility requirements, eligibility assignments, the required T-TESS teacher appraisal system observations, and the student growth measures that will comprise the final TIA score. The final TIA score is calculated using 40% of the T-TESS score and 60% of the student growth score. Any updates to the district’s TIA plan will be communicated to stakeholders throughout the school year.

The Atlanta ISD TIA Steering Committee will ensure that there is a system of ongoing support through the Human Resources Department for the TIA plan. The district is committed to ensuring district appraisers remain calibrated across the district. In addition, the district's finance team will play a role in the TIA system to ensure the budget is aligned with managing the allotment of funds the district receives from the State. The School Improvement and Assessment & Evaluation Department will provide support in the areas of student growth measures. The Technology Department will play an integral part in the communication process. The TIA Steering Committee will ensure a tracking system is in place to track the teacher observation data along with the student growth measurement data. The district’s goals are to recruit, retain, and reward the best teachers at our campuses with the highest needs and to encourage the professional growth and development of teachers. The district will continue to meet regularly with the AISD TIA Steering Committee members to reflect upon the yearly participation and to progress monitor TIA implementation. Atlanta ISD values each educator within the district and will continue to provide opportunities for stakeholders input. Atlanta ISD thanks all educators for the continued dedication to the teaching profession and to the students in Atlanta ISD.
 

Data Collection Eligible Course Name  -  PEIMS Service-ID 
The Service-ID codes listed will be used to determine if a course is eligible for TIA designation. Contact your campus administration if you have any questions related to TIA course eligibility.