What is the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)?

The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) was created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 is dedicated to recruiting, supporting and retaining highly effective teachers in all schools, with particular emphasis on high-needs and rural schools. 

The TIA provides funding for compensation to pay highly effective teachers whose students show measurable improvement in academic growth.  

From TEA...

Check out the the Texas Education Agency TIA webpage at  https://tiatexas.org/ as well as this short video to understand the overall focus of the Teacher Incentive Allotment Plan. 


Collaboration and Input

District leaders began investigating this program in 2021. A steering committee, consisting of teachers, campus leadership, and district leadership, came together to begin exploring the process for bringing the TIA to Lufkin ISD. During the planning phase, the district collected input from teachers and staff to help determine TIA grading rubrics, incentives and more.

The "Big 3" Questions

This input from teachers, the steering committee and subcommittees will be used to help Lufkin ISD develop a plan to answer three big questions:

TIA Overview Presentations & Lufkin ISD TIA Handbook

Spring 2022 

This presentation was the initial communication shared with staff and stakeholders in April 2022. 

Lufkin ISD TIA Presention.mp4

Fall 2022 

This presentation was shared with all district and campus levels to share the components of the Lufkin ISD TIA Plan and future planning for a National Board Certification Cohort within the District. 

Fall 2023 TIA Video CDavis.mp4

Fall 2023

This presentation was shared with all district and campus levels to provide updates to the local TIA Plan as we move from the Data Capture (Year Two) into the Data Submission (Year Three). 

2024 BOY TIA Presentation with narration.mp4

Fall 2024

This updated presentation was shared with all district and campus levels to provide updates to the local TIA Plan. 

We are now entering our 2nd Data Capture cycle beginning Fall 2024. We had the first group of TIA designees allotted TIA funds in Summer '24.  

State Criteria and Timeline

The Texas Education Agency has developed criteria for the components of the TIA and has selected the Texas Tech University to assist in the selection of districts. 

This is a rigorous process for districts to gain approval for TIA funding. Teacher evaluations, observations and student outcomes must align. 

Lufkin ISD was accepted for the TIA Cohort E; a timeline for Cohort E is shown below. 

TIA Designations & Funding Allocations

Lufkin ISD teachers may receive one of three ratings based on T-TESS and Student Growth Measures: recognized, exemplary, or master. Teachers who hold or obtain National Board Certification will automatically enter the TIA designation system at the recognized level. Look for future information about a local NBC Cohort opportunity.

Once district criteria has been developed, a teacher's T-TESS and Student Growth measures will be evaluated based upon the developed rubric.

Texas Tech University will verify the process and the validity of the data. If approved, that teacher will receive one of the three ratings listed above, along with the additional state determined compensation for that campus. Also, the designation will be placed on their teaching certificate. The TIA funding map may be accessed on the TIA webpage at https://tiatexas.org/funding-map/ 

A teacher's designation is valid for five years, at which time that teacher will be re-evaluated. Based on performance during the five-year designation, a teacher can be recommended for a higher designation but not a lower designation. However, if a teacher experiences significant negative changes in performance or employment during this time, compensation can be affected.  

TTESS & Student Growth References

Link to Lufkin ISD TTESS Webpage  https://sites.google.com/lufkinisd.org/ttessresources/home 

Link to TEA Student Assessment for information on Student Progress Measure https://bit.ly/STAARProgressMeasure