Human Resources

315 Churchill Road
Fort Worth, TX 76114

817-252-2031
Fax 817-738-1062

Stakeholder Presentation                

What is DATE?                         

The DATE (District Awards for Teacher Excellence) Grant is $147.5 million state incentive program created by the Texas Legislature. The aim of the program is to increase teacher performance and student achievement.

Castleberry ISD originally qualified for $150,000 in DATE Grant money. The DATE Grant requires matching funds from the district. Since other districts have dropped out of the grant, the state awards have increased, but the matching funds are capped as a percentage of the original grant amount. State and district amounts for the first three years are:

The CISD grant consists of three parts:

1.  A system of awards for Master/Mentor teachers. Teachers can annually apply to be a Master/Mentor teacher. Selected teachers will serve to implement a formal mentoring program that will offer support to first, second and third year teachers. This will give the district a pool of educators working to increase student achievement through a system that promotes collaboration and collegiality.  

Selection criteria will be taken from TAKS, TPRI, TAKS A, TAKS M, TEJAS LEE, Student Portfolios, Local Benchmark Assessments, and End-of-Year Assessments. By evaluating this wide array of measures in a rubic style manner, all teachers, regardless of grade level and subject, can be considered.  Also considered will be other factors contributing to campus academic excellence, such as years of experience, committee participation, and department team/grade-level leader. A teacher can choose to apply based on the selection criteria of the preceding school year, or an average of the three preceding years. A district wide selection committee will consist of district level personnel plus the principal of each applicant.  

            The grant will fund 55 awards of $3,000.  

2.  Also included in the grant are 7 Lead Mentor awards of $4,000 each. Selection criteria will be the same as the Master/Mentor teacher, with the addition of mentoring experience. These lead mentors will coordinate the mentor teacher program on his/her campus.  

3. A feature of the mentoring program will be time for mentor and mentee teachers to observe other educators teaching, and be observed by other teachers. Funding of $10,690 for the substitute teachers necessary for this to happen is included in the grant.  

The Contingency Plan in place is the district will redistribute un-awarded Part 1 and Part II  funds equally among all teachers in Part I that met the required plan criteria.  

The district will use the All Tests passed percentage from the AEIS reports to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant activities.

Page last updated:  04/16/2008