The teacher must have a valid SBEC certificate. Eligible types of the certificate include: Standard,  Professional, Provisional. Eligible classes of certificates include: Classroom teacher (Chapter 233), Reading Specialist (Chapter 239), Legacy Master Teacher. The teacher must be coded 087 (Teacher) per the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) description of codes for 90 days at 100% of the day (equivalent to four and one-half months or a full semester) or 180 days required at 50-99% of the day and compensated for that employment.

Designations are Recognized, Exemplary, and Master. Once earned, designations remain valid for a period of five years. They are determined by utilizing both teacher observation ratings and student performance data. The teacher observation component requires minimum average scores across domains 2 and 3 along with a minimum rating required for each dimension in domain 2 or 3. However, for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, teacher designations will be based solely upon student growth data. 

Phase 1: Teachers of grades 4-EOC STAAR tested subjects are eligible for consideration for TIA designations. Teachers may qualify to earn Recognized, Exemplary, or Master designations based upon student growth data for either the 2018-19 or 2019-20 school years.

Phase 2: Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year and beyond, teachers of Kindergarten-Grade 3 will become eligible for designations based on both student growth in Reading and or Math utilizing the IOWA assessment coupled with Teacher Observation (T-TESS) data. Grades 4-EOC STAAR tested subject areas will remain eligible based upon student growth with the addition of the Teacher Observation (T-TESS) data component.

Phase 3: Beginning in January 2021, eligible National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) will earn a Recognized TIA designation automatically on their Texas educator certificate for the 2020-2021 school year. The designation will expire in conjunction with the teacher’s National Board Certification. To be eligible for the Recognized Teacher Incentive Allotment designation, NBCTs must have a valid Texas teaching certificate in one of the following categories: standard, professional, provisional or one year. Teachers with a Recognized designation must be employed as a Texas teacher (087 role ID in PEIMS) and complete a creditable year of service in order to generate funding for that year. 

National Board Certification is a voluntary advanced professional certification for PreK-12 educators that identifies teaching expertise through performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment. Teachers are certified based on standards set by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) National Board Certification provides teachers an opportunity to hone their practice, demonstrate professional knowledge, and reinforce their dedication to their students and their career. The certification process is designed to collect standards-based evidence of accomplished practice, and on average takes 1-3 years to complete. To become a Board-certified teacher, eligible candidates must demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills, and practice in their individual certificate area by completing four components: three portfolio entries and a computer-based assessment. Certification is available in 23 certificate areas spanning 16 disciplines from Pre-K through 12th grade.   AISD will sponsor an annual cohort of up to 25 individuals seeking National Board Certification. The district will provide assistance and supports necessary to ensure high rates of completion and success. 

The funding available from the Teacher Incentive Allotment varies by designation.  The exact amount of funding per teacher is determined by a formula that takes into account the level of socioeconomic need at the campus and whether the campus is rural. Funding for a Recognized designation ranges from $3-9K, Exemplary designation ranges from $6-18K, and Master designations range from $12-32K.

In years one and two of a teacher’s designation, he/she will receive an amount equal to 90% of his/her earned allotment based on the current TEA funding formula. In years three through five, TIA designated teachers will receive a guaranteed annual payment equal to the minimum base for his/her designation. Designees maintaining or exceeding minimum student growth standards as prescribed by AISD for each TIA designation will receive additional compensation totaling 90% of the individual’s earned allotment based on the current TEA funding formula. All TIA compensation payments to designees are subject to and governed by TEA statute, guidance, and updates.

TEA Funding Allotment Details

TEA House Bill 3 Details

House Bill 3 (HB 3), passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in June of 2019, established an optional Teacher Incentive Allotment with a stated goal of a six-figure salary for teachers who prioritize teaching in high needs areas and rural district campuses.

For more information about the Teacher Incentive Allotment, please visit www.TIATexas.org.

TEA Teacher Incentive Allotment FAQs

National Board Certification is a voluntary, advanced professional certification for PreK-12 educators that identifies teaching expertise through a performance-based, peer-reviewed assessment. More than 125,000 teachers across all 50 states have achieved Board Certification.

Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. NOTE: Candidates for the Career and Technical Education certificates are required to hold a bachelor’s degree only if their state required one for their current license.

Candidates must have completed three years of successful teaching in one or more early childhood, elementary, middle, or secondary school.

Candidates must hold a valid state teaching license (or meet the licensure requirements established by your state for a school counselor if applying for the ECYA/School Counseling certificate) for each of the three years of verified employment. 

Candidates must provide official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) certified ratings of Advanced Low or higher from ACTFL speaking and writing proficiency assessments if registering as a World Languages candidate.

The certification process is designed to collect standards-based evidence of accomplished practice. To become a Board-Certified teacher, eligible candidates must demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills, and practice in their individual certificate area by completing four components. The content knowledge component is a computer-based assessment taken at a testing center; the other three are portfolio-based and submitted through an electronic portfolio system.

Component 1: Content Knowledge

Component 2: Differentiation in Instruction

Component 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment

Component 4: Effective and Reflective Practitioner

The initial cost for each of the four components is $475, with the total cost for the initial attempt of all four components being $1,900. Retake attempts require an additional fee. For each assessment cycle a teacher plans to take components, a $75 nonrefundable and nontransferable registration fee is required and must be paid before purchasing a component. 

For teachers who achieved certification 2017 or later, National Board Certification is active for a period of five years. National Board Certified Teachers must successfully complete the Maintenance of Certification process to extend their certification. The Maintenance of Certification will cost $495 plus a $75 registration fee.