About TIA An Overview
Established in 2019 with House Bill 3, the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) allows highly effective teachers to earn recognition and gain access to a higher salary.
Designations are distinctions awarded to highly effective teachers. TIA established three levels of designation: Recognized, Exemplary, and Master. Teachers may earn a designation either through a district local designation system or by being a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT).
TEA maintains a public Designated Teacher Registry. For certified teachers, the designation is also displayed on their Texas teaching certificate.
Once a designation is awarded, it remains active until the expiry date. Locally issued designations expire after five years. Designations issued to NBCTs are valid until the July following expiry of the National Board Certificate.
Districts will receive an annual allotment when they employ eligible designated teachers. TEA tracks designated teacher movement between school years and determines campus placement using Fall PEIMS data. Districts employing designated teachers are notified and receive training and resources to prepare them for verifying, receiving, and spending the allotment.
Allotment Funds for Designated Teachers
Annual Allotments Allotment Funds for Designated Teachers
Districts receive the TIA allotment funds through the Foundation School Program (FSP). Annual teacher allotments range from $3K to $32K per designated teacher and are based on their campus of employment. Campus allotment values are determined based on the campus’ rural status and student socioeconomic demographics. Allotment values are updated each year to reflect the current student demographics.
Criteria for Annual AllotmentsEligibility Criteria for Annual Allotments
Designated teachers who meet the criteria below may generate an annual allotment for their employing school district:
- Hold an active TIA designation
- Employed and compensated by a Texas school system in a teacher role (087 role ID in PEIMS) for at least 90 days at 100% of the day or 180 days at 50–99% of the day
- Reported by the above Texas school system in a teacher role (087 role ID in PEIMS) during that year’s Class Roster Winter Submission in February.
Guidance for Spending the Allotment
Allotment Requirements Guidance for Spending the Allotment
Districts must spend at least 90% or more of the allotment on teacher compensation on the campus where the designated teacher works. Up to 10% may be used for costs associated with implementing a local designation system or supporting teachers in earning designations. All allotment funds must be spent by August 31 of the same calendar year they are awarded. Districts without a local designation system are not required to submit a formal spending plan to TEA.
90% Allowable and Prohibited Spending Examples
- Designated teacher stipends of salary increase
- Other teachers’ stipends or salaries at the campus
- Other staff – whose primary responsibility is instructing students – compensation at the campus
- Benefits and retirement contributions for teachers
- School leader compensation
- Other non-instructional staff compensation (including instructional coaches that do not teach)
- Central staff or staff at a different campus
10% Allowable and Prohibited Spending Examples
- Any professional development for teachers
- TIA assessment costs
- Rubric costs, appraiser rater training, or certification
- Other student growth costs
- Central supports (funding for TIA coordinator or HR needs)
- Compensation for staff associated with TIA needs or with professional development (e.g. school leaders or instructional coaches)
- Benefits and retirement contributions for teachers
- General administrative expenses
- Compensation for staff not associated with TIA needs nor with professional development
Spending Calendar Timeline for Districts Employing TIA Designated Teachers
This timeline applies if the district has hired a designated teacher by mid-school year.
Ongoing:
- Establish TIA points of contact (best practice is human resources and finance) and submit contact information to tia@tea.texas.gov
- Confirm if candidates and new hires have an active TIA designation or National Board certification
- Monitor designated teacher assignments, campuses, and progress toward year of service
- Develop or refine a TIA spending plan if needed (not required to submit to TEA)
- Communicate spending plan and timeline with designated teacher(s)
February – March
- Attend TEA training for Class Roster Winter Reporting
- TEA contacts districts employing a designated teacher with training invites
- Ensure eligible designated teachers are accurately reported in the Class Roster Winter Submission
By April
- Request access to the Strategic Compensation Operations Management System (SCOMS) and attend allotment verification training
April – May
- Verify and confirm annual allotment in SCOMS
August 31
- Deadline to spend previous school year’s allotment.
September
- Previous school year’s allotment is reflected in Summary of Finance report
FAQs
FAQs
How can districts use the allotted funds?
Districts must spend at least 90% of the allotment on teacher compensation on the campus of the designated teacher, while up to 10% can be used to support the local designation system.
Within these parameters, districts may choose to split the allotment funding in several ways. Some districts choose to give the full 100% of funding to their designated teachers. Other districts choose to split the funding to reward other eligible educators who contribute to student success, such as instructional paraprofessionals.
Districts may use funds from the 10% to provide additional professional development opportunities to designated teachers and teachers who may be eligible for designation in the future.
Learn more about how districts are allowed to use the allotted funds.
Is the allotment for the teacher or the campus?
Funding for teachers designated as Recognized, Exemplary, and Master under TIA are awarded to districts, which in turn must spend at least 90% of the funds on teacher compensation on the campuses where the designated teachers work.
TEC Section 48.112 (i)(1)(A): A district shall annually certify that funds received under this section were used as follows: At least 90% of each allotment received was used for the compensation of teachers employed at the campus at which the teacher for whom the district received the allotment is employed.
If a district does not have a local designation system as part of the Teacher Incentive Allotment, but employs designated teachers, will the district receive allotment funds for those teachers?
Yes. Districts that employ teachers who have earned designations will receive funding for those teachers based on the TIA formula, even if the district does not have an approved designation system in place.
For example, a district that does not have a designation system in place could employ a teacher that earned a designation in another district or a teacher who automatically earned a Recognized designation for having achieved National Board Certification. Districts need to develop a plan for how to spend allotment dollars that they receive, in accordance with the statutory requirements.
