TIA is a performance pay teacher evaluation system that may award additional compensation to teachers based on predetermined effectiveness criteria. This means that the most effective teachers in the district have an opportunity to earn additional compensation and that the district will carve out a growth trajectory for developing teachers to aim for the same goal.

At a minimum, the teacher must have a valid SBEC certificate, be coded 087, and spend at least 60% of their time on classroom instruction.

Based on TIA requirements, the evaluation criteria must include both a teacher observation and a student performance component.  While we will create our own process for assessing observations and student performance, the state has established a set of guidelines for measuring exceptional effectiveness that we must adhere to.

• teacher observation performance standards
• teacher’s student growth performance standards

As of now the mechanisms we are considering to assess teacher observations and student growth will be T-TESS, STAAR, Student Learning Objectives, iReady/iStation, and possibly other assessments for non-tested grades and subjects.

While it is not required, we may decide to use other measures in determining the teachers’ effectiveness as well, such as student surveys.

The idea of using multiple criteria to measure teacher effectiveness, e.g. observations and student growth, is referred to as the use of multiple measures.  For every TIA eligible teacher we will track progress against these measures over the course of the school year.  Detailed TIA Texas Designation System Requirements are available on tiatexas.org.

• Teachers will receive regular development, feedback and progress updates to keep them abreast of their TIA status.
• Over the course of the school year TIA eligible teachers will receive multiple T-TESS observations and follow standardized student assessment protocol.  
• When a full year of data, e.g. T-TESS observations and student growth scores, has been collected, that information will be used to calculate a composite score for each eligible teacher.  Based on the composite score each teacher will be assigned a designation.  
• Teachers may receive performance-based incentives based on their designation.  The designation details and funding allocation have yet to be determined.  Teachers will be engaged exploring implementation options for both. Refer to this tool from TIA Texas to determine how much each Alief ISD campus is eligible to receive.  Note that the final amount actually allocated to each campus depends on a number of variables.

The work we are undertaking to secure TIA funding for the district is a multi-year process. TIA Texas established a rolling application process, whereby districts can apply in one of the cohorts. Alief ISD, along with a majority of districts across the state, is applying in Cohort E.

When it comes to TIA, this school year will be focused on gathering community input and feedback to inform the design of our TIA programing. While TIA Texas has set a number of strict requirements, we have an opportunity to customize the TIA program so that it matches the culture, goals and needs of Alief ISD. A few of our current plans for Stakeholder engagement are described below. The application we submit will reflect the preferences and priorities of Alief ISD teachers and leaders.

To complete a low stakes test run of TIA, seven campuses will pilot various elements of the program. Throughout the pilot input and feedback will be collected on the components, process, sustainability and fairness of TIA. Both leaders and teachers will provide feedback on their experience. 

Multiple surveys will be administered to pilot schools and the entire district to gauge teacher preferences on topics like TIA scoring, funding allocation and understanding of TIA and investment in the program overall.  Additionally, optional focus groups will be hosted providing a deep dive and seeking feedback on the TIA classroom observation model, student growth measures and designations & scoring.

To date, one survey was administered in Spring 2020 to gather initial stakeholder perceptions on various measures of teacher effectiveness. All school leaders, district instructional and HR staff as well as a number of teachers, e.g. STAC and teacher representatives participated. The results of this survey will be used to inform the design of the TIA program.

A TIA Planning and Announcements webpage will be launched and updated regularly to share recent information on the status of the TIA work happening in Alief ISD. At key milestones, website updates will be accompanied by a districtwide email blast. Everyone is encouraged to visit the website bi-weekly and keep an eye out for TIA mail.

No, the ‘Master’ teacher designation is not tied to the master teacher certification.  A ‘Master’ teacher designation will be based on the results of the evaluation system designed by Alief ISD.  However, National Board Certified teachers will automatically earn a "Recognized" TIA designation.

LEAs must verify that each teacher meets the following eligibility requirements before submitting them for a designation:

• The teacher must have a valid SBEC certificate. Eligible types of certificates include Standard, Professional, Provisional. Eligible classes of certificates include Classroom Teacher (Chapter 233), Reading Specialist (Chapter 239), Legacy Master Teacher http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/sbecrules/tac/index.html
• The teacher must be coded as 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

The state does not set a limit on the number of teachers that can receive TIA. However, TEA provided guidance on the percentage of teachers who should be assigned each designation.

TEA provided guidance on the percentage of teachers who should be assigned each designation.  The goal of the guidance is to ensure that there is a consistent standard used to identify the most effective teachers across the state.  So that the percentages are not used to set an arbitrary bar for excellence, they are paired with expected T-TESS and student growth performance standards/scores.  “Performance standards were designed to guide districts to identify the most effective teachers in the state.” - TEA Performance standards provide a data-driven mechanism for holding all teachers to the same standard when seeking a TIA designation.  The absence of a standard bar could lead to inequities across districts and campuses.  Every eligible teacher has an equal opportunity to access TIA funds.  The guidance should be interpreted as facilitating the identification of e.g. the top 5%, top 25%, etc. of teachers in the state, but not limiting any individual teachers’ access to TIA funding.  The performance standards that have been set are based on statewide 2018-2019 T-TESS and student achievement data, sourced from at least 50% of districts in the state.

You can view more frequently asked questions on this Alief ISD TIA FAQ webpage. For additional information on TIA, visit tiatexas.org or view the official TIA FAQ.