What Is the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)?
The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), is a state-funded program that rewards teachers' impact on student success. Established by the Texas Legislature, TIA provides a realistic pathway for top-performing teachers to earn higher salaries--up to six figures--while staying in the classroom.
Who Is Eligible?
For the current data-capture year, the following "Teacher of Record" roles are eligible to receive a local district designation and participate in the TIA program:
Core Content Areas
- Grades K-1 (Reading data will be used for the growth component)
- Elementary/Middle School English Language Arts (Grades 2-8)
- Elementary Spanish Language Arts (Grades 2-5)
- Elementary/Middle School Mathematics (Grades 2-8)
- English Language Arts (English I and English II)
- Mathematics (Algebra I and Algebra II, Geometry)
- Science (Grade 5 and Grade 8, Biology)
- Social Studies (Grade 8 and US History)
Specialized Support Roles
- Dyslexia Specialists and Reading Interventionists
- Inclusion/Co-Teach Teachers: Special Education teachers who provide direct support in the eligible content areas listed above.
Note: To be eligible, teachers must be coded as a Role ID 087 (Teacher) in PEIMS and meet the district's "Creditable Year of Service" requirements (90 days at 100% or 180 days at 50% or more).
How Do Teachers Earn Designations?
With state approval, the District awards designations based on a composite score of teacher performance throughout the school year. Castleberry ISD uses a data-capture model designed to be fair, transparent, and rigorous.
The 40/60 Data Split
40% T-TESS Observations: A teacher's score is based on the average of Domains 2 (Instruction) and 3 (Learning Environment).
60% Student Growth: This measures the progress students make from the beginning of the year to the end, focusing on the value they add to every student's journey.
Designation Levels
Teachers can earn one of four state-recognized designations:
- Master (top 5% in Texas)
- Exemplary (top 20% in Texas)
- Recognized (top 33% in Texas)
- NEW for 2026! - Acknowledged (top 50% in Texas).
How is Growth Calculated?
Student growth is measured by comparing where a student starts (BOY) to where they finish (EOY). Each subject area uses a specific, state-approved tool to se these targets.
Reading & Literacy (K–5)
We use Amira (English) and Amira Lectura (Spanish) to track foundational reading skills through AI-powered assessments.
- The Target: Growth is measured using the Amira Reading Mastery (ARM) score.
- The Goal: Students are expected to show one year's worth of growth.
- Success Metric: A student meets their growth goal if they increase their ARM score by approximately 0.1 each month (e.g., a student starting at 1.2 in August should reach 2.1 by May) OR if they remain in the same percentile rank or higher in Lectura.
Math (Grades 2-5, Algebra II, Geometry) and Science (Grades 5 and 8 and Biology)
For these content areas, we utilize the NWEA MAP Growth assessment.
- The Target: MAP uses a RIT scale to track achievement.
- The Goal: When students take their BOY assessment in August, the NWEA system automatically calculates an "Expected Growth" RIT score based on national norms for students starting at that same level.
- Success Metric: A student meets their goal if their EOY RIT score is equal to or greater than their individual projected growth target.
Social Studies (Grade 8 & US History)
These grade levels utilize Exploros for data capture.
- The Target: Growth is determined using a pre-test and post-test model specifically aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
- Success Metric: Students must meet or exceed a district-defined growth target calculated between their initial performance in Exploros and their final summative results.
Reading and Math (Grades 6-8), English I and II, Algebra I
Secondary Course For secondary courses not covered by the tools above, we utilize the Texas Value-Added Model (VAM).
- The Target: VAM is a statistical model that uses a student’s past testing history across all subjects to predict how they should perform on their current year's STAAR/EOC assessment.
- Success Metric: Teachers receive credit for students who meet or exceed their "Predicted Score," demonstrating that the teacher added significant value to the student's learning trajectory.
The "95% Rule"
To ensure the data is a true reflection of your classroom, 95% of students on your verified roster must be tested during both the BOY and EOY windows for that data to be eligible for TIA submission.
Key Dates and Timeline
August 2025: Beginning of the Year (BOY) Data collection: Initial student growth measures/pre-tests
October 2025 - March 2026: Observation Window: T-TESS formal and informal observations occur
May 2026: End of Year (EOY) Data collection: Final student growth measures
June 2026 - September 2026: District data analysis and review
October 2026: State Submission: District submits designation recommendations to Texas Tech University/TEA
Winter/Spring 2027: Final Notification: TEA confirms designations
April 2027: Teacher Notification: Castleberry ISD announces new designations and re-designations
August 2027: Payout: Designated teachers receive allotment payment in accordance with the District compensation plan
Have Questions?
Visit the State Site: TIAtexas.org
Contact Talent Acquisition: Reach out to the TIA Lead at [email protected]