Frequently Asked Questions

A: Only district employees PEIMS coded as “classroom teacher” (Role ID 087) are eligible for TIA designations. District leadership, supported by the TIA steering committee, determines which teacher categories or criteria to include in the Designation System. TEA requires that:

• Hired on or before February 26, 2027 

• Teach in a TIA Eligible Teaching Assignment 

• Must have a complete T-TESS 2 Data Set

• At least 1 student that meets student eligibility Criteria

• Meet creditable year of service during the designation year

A: Teacher Observation (T-TESS 2 Domains II and III) is one of the two required components of the Teacher Incentive Allotment.

The other required component is the Student Growth Measure as determined by the district’s local designation system and  final approval by TEA.

A: The district has developed very intentional appraiser calibration processes. T-TESS  2 and student growth data are analyzed frequently, and appraisers receive intensive training to ensure the observation system is fair, accurate, and rigorous. This include calibration activties, mid year correlation checks.

A: The student growth requirement is a growth measure and not a proficiency measure. Regardless of where students start from, the student growth target measures the teacher’s ability to have their students meet their growth targets. Through using pre-test and post-test approaches, the district has established objective criteria that can be measured and monitored. Additionally, the TEAs TIA Validation process includes checks for reliability and validity of all assessments measures used in the TIA Local Designation System.

A: The TIA is designed to recognize and reward high-performing teachers. As the TIA requires eligible teachers to be coded as classroom teachers by PEIMS, if a designated teacher were to move into an administrative role, they would no longer be eligible for TIA, not generate any TIA funding, and would therefore not receive TIA compensation. 

A: TIA Designations are good for five years once earned. Designated teachers may be put forth for a higher designation within the five-year window if they meet the district’s performance criteria. In these cases, the higher designation replaces the lower designation, and the five-year clock restarts.

Teachers earning a TIA Designation of Recognized, Exemplary, or Master will receive their designated allotment for each of the five years for the amount generated based on the campus at which they work during each year.

Their designation moves with the teacher from campus to campus or to another district should they move campuses or districts until that five-year period expires.

Teachers in TIA positions are submitted for designation each year that they remain in an eligible position. Designation levels can increase from year to year but cannot decrease during the five-year period after initial designation.

A: The funding available from the Teacher Incentive Allotment varies by designation. and campus. The exact amount of funding per teacher is determined by a formula that takes into account the level of socioeconomic need at a campus and whether the campus is rural. See the funding map. TIA funding goes to the campus where the teacher works and not directly to the teacher. 

A: Funding for teachers designated as Acknowledged, Recognized, Exemplary, and Master under TIA will flow to districts. In turn, the district must spend at least 90% of the funds on teacher compensation on the designated teachers’ campuses.  Districts can set aside the remaining 10 percent for costs associated with implementing TIA.  United ISD retains 10% to sustain the TIA Program which may include assessments, professional development, and  personnel with TIA Functions. 

Texas Education Code (TEC) Section 48.114 (i)(1)(A) says: 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. The statute states that allotment funds are not considered a property right.