The following section details state funding factors for TIA designation amounts, as well as the spending plan for TIA at Pasadena ISD.

Funding

There are three funding factors that will determine the amount that designated teachers will be eligible for. The total dollar amount that LEAs would receive from the state for their designated teachers will depend on the designation level of the teacher, whether the school that the educator works at is rural, and the level of socio-economic need at the campus. The funding that LEAs are eligible for per designation are: 

• Recognized: $3,000 - $9,000 
• Exemplary: $6,000 - $18,000 
• Master: $12,000 - $32,000 

Spending

• Designated teachers receive 90% of the amount associated with the designation (82% in compensation and 8% to TRS). Pasadena ISD retains 10% for TIA implementation support. 
• Payment to designated teachers will be made in the form of a stipend once yearly in late summer.

In order to be considered for a TIA designation level of Recognized, Exemplary, or Master, one of two pathway options are available to teachers at Pasadena ISD. The following details state requirements for teacher eligibility for TIA designation.

• Only teachers with a PEIMS role ID of 087 are eligible to participate in TIA and be set forth for designation. The teacher must meet the minimum instructional time requirements by teaching students directly for at least 90 days at 100% of the day or 180 days at 50% or more of the day.
• The teacher must be assigned to teach at a TIA-eligible campus at the district prior to the first observation walkthrough in order to qualify for earning a designation that school year.
• The employee must be continuously employed as a teacher at a TIA-eligible campus at the district through winter roster verification.
• The teacher must be supervised and appraised by the Principal, or other designated appraiser, of the campus where they instruct students. 
• Any teacher (regardless of a PEIMS role ID of 087), whose duties do not directly impact student learning, is not eligible for earning a designation under TIA. 
• The teacher must be evaluated using an unmodified Texas Teacher Evaluation & Support System (T-TESS) rubric and must score at least a three (3) in all dimensions for Domains 2 and 3. The teacher’s student performance results must also reach the required threshold scores to be considered for any designation level. 
• Teacher performance scores for T-TESS and student growth are compiled and used to determine whether the designation thresholds have been met by each teacher. 

There are two primary pathways for teachers to earn designation and additional compensation through TIA: 1) earn National Board Certification, or 2) through Pasadena ISD’s local designation system. National Board Certification is an intensive process taken on by teachers in addition to their normal instructional responsibilities. 

The district also wanted to create a pathway for teachers to have the opportunity to earn TIA designation through their regular instructional work, which is why we developed a local designation system. By providing two pathways, teachers can determine which option is best for them.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has determined teachers who earn National Board Certification will automatically earn a teacher the Recognized designation. Earning National Board Certification, on average, takes two to three years. Teachers interested in pursuing this pathway are encouraged to learn more about TIA and the National Board Certification process by clicking here and a guide to National Board Certification by clicking here. Financial assistance may be available to cover fees for teachers successfully completing the certification process. The district is investigating additional options to provide support to teachers pursuing National Board Certification. Please click here to access the district’s National Board Certification webpage.

Local Designation System

As a part of the local designation system, Pasadena ISD intends to expand access to earning a designation through the Teacher Incentive Allotment to all teachers by phasing in additional teacher groups over the next five years. The plan, outlined below, will scale teacher eligibility by adding more teacher groups each year, beginning with those with current assessments, and provides adequate time to develop and test high quality student growth measures for courses without current assessments or other standard measures. See the illustration below. 

Scaling Teacher Eligibility for TIA at Pasadena ISD

Percent of Pasadena ISD Teachers Eligible Each Year

After gathering feedback from campus leaders and teachers, Pasadena ISD has thoughtfully decided to pivot from applying to TIA Cohort E (April 2022) to Cohort F (April 2023). In order for us to do this right, we’ve decided to add a Continued Development Year to our timeline to ensure that we get all elements of our new TIA local designation system right.  This additional year of planning will enable us to:

• Strongly position ourselves to do what’s best for the kids we serve, even if that means starting slowly to go faster later
• Operationalize and test key components of the TIA system before they become final and impact teacher ability to earn more money annually
• Begin calibration on T-TESS district-wide to support campus leaders and teachers ensure consistency on what high-quality instruction looks like (e.g., level 4 and 5 looks the same across T-TESS domains across each campus)
• Ensure district-wide understanding of student growth measures and importance in assessing instructional quality and effectiveness
• Address cultural shifts associated with ensuring a fair performance pay process

The following table depicts the timeline and key aspects of our Continued Development Year. 

The following section depicts the timeline for phase one of TIA at Pasadena ISD (the initial teaching assignments eligible for designation). The timeline will be duplicated annually until all teacher groups at the district are eligible for designation by the 2027-28 school year.

2021-22 and 2022-23 School Years: Pasadena ISD will develop and test a TIA local designation system and a plan for phasing teacher eligibility.

2021-22 SY: Initial planning for TIA local designation system at Pasadena ISD

• Ongoing opportunities to gather meaningful feedback from key stakeholders (i.e., district-wide TIA surveys, TIA Design Committee, and Focus Group meetings)
• Initial education and training around refining observation processes, observer calibration, and student growth measures
• Development of the plan for supporting teachers through National Board Certification and phasing teacher eligibility through the local designation system

2022-23 SY: Continued development year to operationalize and test key components of the TIA local designation system 

• Implement refined observation process
• Measure student growth via value-added measures for phase one teacher group(s)
• Collect data to assess congruence between teacher observation scores and student performance
• Leverage lessons learned to finalize Pasadena ISD’s TIA local designation system

April 2023: Submit a final TIA local designation system plan and application to TEA and TTU for approval

June 2023: Receive notification of system approval from TEA/TTU 

July - August 2023: Inform all eligible teacher groups entering their data capture year for the 2023-2024 school year (phase one)

2023-24 School Year: Pasadena ISD will formally begin the Data Capture Year for phase one eligible teachers and begin planning for phase two teacher group(s). 

Pasadena ISD administrators will compile all TIA designation data between August and June of each school year in preparation of submitting the data and a list of teachers up for designation to TEA/TTU in the fall of each year.  Here is the detailed timeline for phase one: 

August 2024: Pasadena ISD will submit all TIA designation data and a list of teachers up for designation to TEA and TTU

September 2024: Notify all teachers put forth for a designation

April 2025: TEA/TTU will verify and finalize teacher designations for the 2022-23 school year

May 2025: Pasadena ISD will recognize all teachers confirmed of earning a designation

Summer 2025: Pasadena ISD will pay teacher designation allotments 

August 2025: Pasadena ISD will receive TIA allotment funds from TEA

As a reminder, the timeline detailed above will be duplicated annually until all teacher groups at Pasadena ISD are eligible for designation by the 2027-28 school year.

More information can be found on our TIA webpage at pasadenaisd.org/hr and please send any questions or concerns to TIA@pasadenaisd.org.

• Explore options for the district to support teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification as a TIA eligibility pathway
• Develop our district-wide education and training plan around student growth measures to instill confidence in this new teacher appraisal component 
• Finalize the teacher observation schedule for the 2022-23 school year and ongoing calibration activities among appraisers to ensure fairness and consistency 
• Continue gathering feedback from campus leaders and teachers before finalizing the final TIA local designation system which will launch during the 2023-24 school year

If you have any questions, please email tia@pasadenaisd.org.

Is the TIA funded by the state or district?

• TIA is funded by the State of Texas as part of House Bill 3.  As a result, the state has established specific criteria and guidelines regarding how the funds can be earned and distributed.

Will all teachers earn some kind of compensation through the TIA?

• The State of Texas designed the Teacher Incentive Allotment to “ensure top teachers have a realistic path to a competitive annual salary and to attract and keep effective educators in the classroom and incentivize teaching at challenged campuses.”  In addition, the state designates that only teachers who are coded as an 087 in PEIMS are eligible for designations.  Therefore, the system is not designed to compensate all teachers/staff.

How will the district determine which teachers receive the designation?

• The state mandates that Teacher Observation and Student Growth or Performance be utilized to determine TIA designations.  In addition, other components may be considered.  The district is currently determining the weighting of Teacher Observation and Student Growth components. 

Do teachers have to participate in the Teacher Incentive Allotment?

• TIA metrics will be calculated for ALL teachers in PISD.  The name of any PISD teacher who meets the criteria for recognition will be submitted to Texas Tech University as part of the data validation process.  Once the state approves, teachers will be notified of their TIA designation.  A teacher may choose not to accept that designation.  

What is National Board Certification?

• The National Board Certification process is designed to collect standards- based evidence of accomplished practice. In all 25 certificate areas, candidates for National Board Certification must complete four components: three portfolio entries, submitted online, and a computer-based assessment, which is administered at a testing center. 

Computer-based assessment

• Component 1: Content Knowledge  

Portfolio Entries

• Component 2: Differentiation in Instruction
• Component 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment
• Component 4: Effective and Reflective Practitioner

Learn more about the National Board Certification by clicking on the link.

What is the difference between National Board Certification and the TIA?

• National Board Certification is a designation teachers across the United States can obtain.  Once the certification is earned, it can be transferred anywhere in the nation.  The Teacher Incentive Allotment is a program initiated under HB3 by the State of Texas.  As such, the designations earned can be transferred across districts only in the state of Texas. 

Will earning a National Board Certification automatically earn a teacher the recognized designation?

• Yes.

Will the district provide any monetary assistance to teachers wishing to pursue National Board Certification?

• The district is still investigating options regarding National Board Certification.  The district is investigating possible funding sources to support teachers in this endeavor. More information will be provided once details become available.

How will designated teachers be compensated? 

TIA Funding Allotment

• State statute requires that 90% of TIA allotment funds be distributed directly to teachers at the campus in which they are employed. 
•  Of the 90% required to be spent on teacher compensation, TIA designated teachers at Pasadena ISD will receive a direct payment equal to 82% of the 90% required to be spent on teacher compensation. 
• The remaining 8% will be used to cover Teacher Retirement System (TRS) costs related to the TIA compensation as a part of the teacher’s total compensation. The remaining 10% of TIA allotment funds generated will go directly to Pasadena ISD and be utilized for training and support, expansion of the system, administrative expenses, and professional development.

What is the TIA Compensation timeline?

TIA allotment funds will be distributed directly to designated teachers annually via stipends in the late-summer following a teacher earning their designation, demonstrated in the figure below.

After gathering feedback from campus leaders and teachers, Pasadena ISD has thoughtfully decided to pivot from applying to TIA Cohort E (April 2022) to Cohort F (April 2023). In order for us to do this right, we’ve decided to add a Continued Development Year to our timeline to ensure that we get all elements of our new TIA local designation system right.  This additional year of planning will enable us to:

• Strongly position ourselves to do what’s best for the kids we serve, even if that means starting slowly to go faster later
• Operationalize and test key components of the TIA system before they become final and impact teacher ability to earn more money annually
• Begin calibration on T-TESS district-wide to support campus leaders and teachers ensure consistency on what high-quality instruction looks like (e.g., level 4 and 5 looks the same across T-TESS domains across each campus)
• Ensure district-wide understanding of student growth measures and importance in assessing instructional quality and effectiveness
• Address cultural shifts associated with ensuring a fair performance pay process

The following table depicts the timeline and key aspects of our Continued Development Year. 

What is the minimum score required to receive a TIA designation? 

Given the State’s aim to ensure fairness and consistency in TIA designations, they have established minimum performance standards for all TIA designated teachers.

As such, a designated teacher must score at least a 3 in all T-TESS dimensions for Domains 2 and 3 and at least 55% of their students must meet or exceed the predicted growth estimate.

To access the state’s Performance Standards for Teacher Observation click here, and for Student Growth click here.

How will TIA scores be calculated? 

Pasadena ISD plans for calculating TIA evaluation scores is to have the teacher observation component weighted at 40% (two walk-throughs and a formal observation) and the student growth component weighted at 60%. T-TESS scores on Domains 2 and 3 will be leveraged to calculate the observation component score, and the percentage of students that meet or exceed their individual growth estimate on NWEA MAP Growth assessments will be used as the student growth component.

Why are we doing a TIA local designation system?

Pasadena ISD is working to develop a teacher incentive program that will allow the district to become more competitive in recruiting effective teachers while rewarding top-performing teachers with more money annually.

Is TIA funded by the state or the district?

TIA is funded by the State of Texas as part of House Bill 3. As a result, the state has established specific criteria and guidelines regarding how the funds can be earned and distributed. To that end, Pasadena ISD will only move forward with TIA so long as it continues to be state-funded.

How can teachers earn funding through TIA? 

Designated teachers earn additional compensation that is associated with their designation level at their campus. See below for ranges provided by TIA but specific amounts are determined after data is submitted to TEA:

• Recognized: $3,000 - $9,000 
• Exemplary: $6,000 - $18,000 
• Master: $12,000 - $32,000

For specific funding information by campus, click here to review the TIA Allotment Funding Interactive Map. Be advised that higher need campuses have higher allotments.

How long is a teacher’s designation valid? 

A teacher's designation is valid for five years and is reflected on the teacher’s SBEC. Based on performance during the 5-year designation, a teacher can be recommended for a higher designation but not a lower designation. 

Do teachers have to participate in the Teacher Incentive Allotment? 

During the initial data capture year, all TIA eligible teachers will participate in teacher observations and measuring student growth in alignment with Pasadena ISD’s local TIA designation system. Additionally, anyone eligible for TIA is ineligible for a waiver from formal observation, even if they are not put forth for a TIA designation. 

What are the next steps for Pasadena ISD in developing a TIA local designation system? 

The district will continue gathering input from stakeholders (e.g. teachers, school leaders, TIA Design Committee, TIA Focus Groups) to inform the development of PISD’s local designation system. Pasadena ISD will also develop criteria for how and when TIA funds will be distributed to designated teachers.

Will all teachers earn some kind of compensation through the TIA?

The State of Texas designed the Teacher Incentive Allotment to “ensure top teachers have a realistic path to a competitive annual salary and to attract and keep effective educators in the classroom and incentivize teaching at challenged campuses.”  In addition, the state requires that only teachers who are coded as an 087 in PEIMS and provide direct instruction to students at least 50% of the school day are eligible for designations. Therefore, the system is not designed to compensate all teachers/staff.

Are there any other pathways to TIA designation at Pasadena ISD?

Yes! Another pathway to TIA designation at PISD, which includes all teachers, is an active National Board certificate. All eligible National Board Certified teachers will automatically receive a TIA “Recognized” designation. 

Will earning a National Board Certification automatically earn a teacher a designation? 

Yes! The State has determined earning a National Board Certification will automatically earn a teacher the Recognized designation. The district is still investigating options to provide support to teachers pursuing National Board Certification.

The district encourages interested teachers to learn more about TIA and the National Board Certification process by clicking here and a guide to National Board Certification by clicking here.

Will an advanced degree substitute as National Board Certification? 

Post-graduate degrees (e.g. a Masters degree or PhD) will not substitute National Board Certification.

Will the district provide any monetary assistance to teachers wishing to pursue National Board Certification?

The district is still investigating options to provide support to teachers pursuing National Board Certification. The district is investigating possible funding sources to support teachers in this endeavor. More information will be provided once details become available.

What if I have a waiver or am planning to obtain one? 

Waivers from formal observation will no longer be an option for TIA-eligible teachers as they begin their data capture year. For example, eligible teachers at the eight participating campuses in Phase One of TIA (Richey, Garfield, Hancock, Burnett, De Zavala, Morris, Shaw, and Schneider) will no longer be eligible for waivers from formal observation beginning in 2023-24. 

Ultimately, waivers from formal observation will be discontinued in Pasadena ISD once all teacher groups have gone through their data capture year in order to prioritize the ultimate objective of TIA, which is to correlate teacher practice and student outcomes.

Will T-TESS be used as the Observation rubric?

Yes! The full T-TESS rubric will be used for teacher observations. While the district is only submitting scores from Domains 2 (Planning) and 3 (Learning Environment) for the purposes of TIA, Pasadena ISD deeply believes in the value of T-TESS holistically. Therefore, each teacher will continue to receive an overall T-TESS score across the 4 domains in order to provide feedback and coaching for continued growth and success as a teacher.

How many observations will teachers receive?

In the first year of the TIA process, all eligible teachers in the initial 8 participating schools will participate in a minimum of 3 observations per school year, two formal scored walkthroughs as well as a formal scored observation. As other teachers become eligible, they will participate in a similar process. 

Formal walkthroughs will be similar to what you’ve experienced in the past, but they will be closer to 15-20 minutes in duration and will be scored.

Formal observations will be approximately 45 minutes in duration or one complete lesson cycle.

How will each T-TESS Domain be weighted in my Observation score?

Domains 2 and 3 from your first formal walkthrough will count for 20% of your overall T-TESS component of TIA; the second formal walkthrough will count for 30%; and the formal observation of will count toward 50% of your overall T-TESS component of TIA.

How will I know that my T-TESS score is fair and equitable? 

It is critical to ensure that observation scoring is fair and equitable across grade levels, content areas, and campuses. To achieve this goal, campus administrators will participate in an ongoing calibration process that includes both calibration certification and calibration activities throughout the year.  Additionally, district and campus administrators will regularly analyze teacher observation trends across campuses, teaching assignments, and appraisers to look for and address potential rating discrepancies.

How will Pasadena ISD ensure student growth assessments are valid and reliable?

• Validity is how well a test measures what it is supposed to measure (i.e. student understanding of the academic standards).
• Reliability is a measure of consistency (i.e. student results are the same when taking the same test on different occasions at a similar time of year).
• To ensure validity and reliability, Pasadena ISD is committed to continue monitoring MAP and STARR reports on validity and reliability. 
• You can learn more about what makes student growth assessments valid and reliable by clicking here.

How will student growth be calculated for Special Education resource teachers?

As of February 2022, the district is currently investigating this topic with the VAM vendor. 

Why is student growth part of our TIA local designation system when we haven’t been using it for the district’s performance evaluation system? 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires all districts applying to TIA to include student growth as a component in their TIA Local Designation Systems. The district will be assessing individual student growth based on students’ historical performance on assessments, and the performance of students with similar demographics (e.g., race, ethnicity). Pasadena ISD sees the value in leveraging student academic growth outcomes to assess the effectiveness of teacher classroom instruction. 

What do you mean by student growth? Is that the same thing as proficient or on grade level?

Student growth measures evaluate a change in a student’s performance over time, e.g., from the beginning of the school year to the end of the year. These measures focus on students’ growth and not proficiency or whether or not they passed a test.

What assessment(s) will be used to measure student growth? 

Based on educator feedback, the district has decided to start off using the NWEA MAP Growth assessment for reading and math in grades 2 through 6. Pasadena ISD will leverage value-added measures (VAM), or statistical analyses used to understand the impact of a teacher’s instruction on individual students’ learning growth. 

What are Value-Added Measures?

Value-added measures (VAM) use statistical analyses to understand the impact of a teacher’s instruction on their students’ learning growth. Value-added measures can be calculated using data from many different assessments and will allow us to use the same measure for different groups of teachers over time.

Are Value-Added Measures the same as the NWEA MAP Growth projections?

No. Value-Added Measures calculate an individual growth estimate for each student based on that student’s prior testing history, which can include adjustments for student demographics and other business rules determined by the district (i.e. student attendance, etc.).

Do Value-Added Measures advantage teachers with high-performing students?

No. Value-Added Measures take a student’s starting score and past test scores into account and create individual growth estimates for each student. Teachers of both high performing students and students who are scoring below grade level have equal opportunities to demonstrate student growth as measured by Value-Added Measures. For an assessment to be used for calculating Value Added Measures, it must have sufficient stretch - meaning that it must have enough questions to be able to differentiate student performance at both the highest and lowest ranges.

Do Value Added Measures advantage teachers of students who are behind or below grade level?

No. Value-Added Measures take a student’s starting score and past test scores into account and create individual growth estimates for each student. Teachers of both high performing students and students who are scoring below grade level have equal opportunities to demonstrate student growth as measured by Value-Added Measures.

For an assessment to be used for calculating Value Added Measures, it must have sufficient stretch - meaning that it must have enough questions to be able to differentiate student performance at both the highest and lowest ranges.

Who exactly is eligible for TIA? 

Eligible to earn a TIA designation through Pasadena ISD’s local designation system must meet each of the four criteria below: 

• Be a teacher coded as 087 in PEIMS,
• Meet the instructional time requirement of teaching students directly for at least 90 days at 100% of the day or 180 days at 50% or more of the day,
• Have classroom observations with an unmodified T-TESS rubric and have student growth data directly linked to teacher instruction, and
• Have been employed by Pasadena ISD at the time of Winter Roster Submission (e.g. the last Friday in February).

Are Instructional Coaches eligible for TIA? 

Given that Instructional Coaches do not meet all four of the TIA eligibility criteria above, they are ineligible for TIA.

Are Resource teachers eligible for TIA? 

The timeline for teacher group eligibility for TIA (beyond the criteria above) is currently driven by what assessment data is available. For resource teachers that are observed using an unmodified T-TESS rubric, they will be eligible when an assessment that their students participate in becomes eligible for general education teachers. 
For example, resource teachers who teach 1) reading and math in grades 2-8 and 2) whose students take the MAP Growth assessment, will become eligible for designation in 2025-26, based on the current Plan for Scaling Teacher Eligibility. For resource teachers whose students do not participate in standardized assessments, they will become eligible with other non-tested grades and subjects teachers in 2027-28.

Are Social Studies and Science teachers eligible for TIA? 

Social Studies and Science teachers in grades 4-6 who co-teach with an English or Math teacher, may be eligible for TIA in Phase One using the same student growth measure assessment data (i.e. MAP) as their co-teacher. The feasibility of this is being discussed with potential value-added vendors and more information will be available in the next few months.

Which Pasadena teachers and which schools are currently eligible for TIA in year one? 

The new TIA system will launch the 2023-2024 school year with grades 2 through 6 Reading and Mathematics teachers at four elementary campuses and four middle school campuses with areas for targeted improvement.  The elementary schools are Richey, Garfield, Hancock, and Burnett. The middle schools are De Zavala, Morris, Shaw, and Schneider.

What is the rationale for selecting these teacher groups and schools?

These teacher groups and campuses were selected because:

• The campuses have areas for targeted improvement in the district and will benefit from being able to recruit and retain top-performing teachers at those campuses, 
• They have students with NWEA MAP Growth assessment data, which is available during the year, from multiple administrations, and 
• The district aims to ensure high student achievement across all campuses and believes it’s important to start with students at campuses with areas for targeted improvement.

Why can’t we make all teachers eligible in year one?

• The district is working to determine the correct evaluation and scoring criteria to assess all teachers’ performance accurately and fairly. This includes, but is not limited to, administering district-wide surveys and intensive stakeholder engagement (such as the TIA Design Committee and Focus Groups) to determine evaluation criteria for each eligible teacher group. 
• Currently, about half of Pasadena ISD teachers are on a waiver from formal observation. Given that TIA-eligible teachers are not permitted to be on a waiver from formal observation, phasing teachers into TIA-eligible categories eliminates the use of a waiver from formal observation. To that end, Pasadena is committed to being thoughtful and intentional about teacher eligibility to ensure fairness.