As part of the 86th Texas Legislative Session, House Bill 3 provided the opportunity for districts in Texas to apply for funding through the Teacher Incentive Allotment. TIA provides funding for additional pay for highly-effective teachers whose students show measurable academic growth. In August 2020, Silsbee ISD leaders began investigating this program. A TIA Planning Committee, consisting of teachers, campus leadership, and district leadership, came together in a series of 10 work sessions to outline the vision, scope, and parameters of our local designation program. The district also sought feedback from staff members and worked closely with the Region 5 ESC, surrounding districts, and outside consultants to better understand the Teacher Incentive Allotment program and how it might best serve the community of Silsbee ISD. Throughout this process, the TIA Planning Committee was able to make purposeful decisions and recommendations that have been used to complete the official TIA Application for Phase 1 of the Teacher Incentive Program in Silsbee.

The Texas Education Agency has developed criteria for the components of the TIA and has selected the College of Education at 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. Our vision is to eventually have an equitable opportunity for teachers in all subject areas to work towards a TIA designation, create a culture growth opportunities for teachers, and ultimately to improve student achievement. The designation process must be accurate, reliable, impactful. Per TEA parameters we must use a combination of Student Growth Measures and Teacher Observation data to determine designations. With that in mind, we will continue to use T-TESS as our teacher appraisal system and as part of our TIA designation process. The TIA Planning Committee has collaborated with the Curriculum and Instruction department to identify accurate and reliable forms of Student Growth Measures that meet TEA’s strict guidelines. As a result, we will have improved student growth data for teachers and a more purposeful and practical teacher appraisal system for our staff.