Teacher designations generate additional teacher-focused allotment funding for districts to reward and retain their most effective teachers. Teachers earn designations through two different routes. First, National Board Certified teachers are eligible to earn a Recognized designation. Second, districts may designate their effective teachers when they are approved for a local teacher designation system. The approval process is multi-step and includes the submission of a system application to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and then a data validation process through Texas Tech University.

Who Can Be Designated?

Any number of teachers may be put forth for designation under a local designation system if they meet the district’s designation criteria and the eligibility requirements under the rules defined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). TEA does not cap or limit the number of designations a district may issue. 

Teachers with an active National Board Certification may automatically be designated as Recognized if they meet the eligibility requirements under the rules defined by TEA.

How the Teacher Incentive Allotment Works

Districts can develop a local designation system and designate high-performing teachers (Master, Exemplary, or Recognized).

TEA will approve local designation systems, in partnership with Texas Tech University.

Districts are not required to create a local designation system. All Texas school systems can employ designated teachers and receive allotment funds.

Districts will receive additional funding ($3–32K per year) for every designated teacher they employ.

Districts will receive greater funding for designated teachers who teach at rural and/or high-needs campuses.

At least 90% of TIA funds must be used on teacher compensation on the campus where the designated teacher(s) works.

Local Designation System Requirements

House Bill 3 provides districts with local control and flexibility in choosing how to evaluate teachers and assign designations. Developing a local teacher designation system requires significant planning, robust stakeholder engagement, adequate time to prepare all necessary materials for rollout and a strong communication plan prior to the first implementation year. Once a local designation system is approved, districts may recommend their effective teachers for designation. There is no limit to the number of teachers that a district may designate as long as their teachers meet the district’s designation criteria and the eligibility requirements under the rules defined by TEA.

At minimum, the designation system must include both a teacher observation and a student performance component:

• Teacher observation based on T-TESS; a third-party rubric, such as the NIET TAP, Marzano, or Danielson rubric. District application must show evidence of validity and reliability.
• T-TESS Rubric
• Student growth measures determined by district. Can include pre- and post-tests, value-added measures, student learning objectives (SLOs), and portfolios. District application must show evidence of validity and reliability.
• Districts can use other factors in determining the teachers eligible to receive a designation, such as student surveys, teacher leadership responsibilities, teacher mentorship responsibilities, family surveys, demonstration of district core values, teacher peer surveys, and contributions to the broader school community.

The systems must be submitted to TEA for approval and undergo a data-validation process, which will be conducted by Texas Tech University. As part of the validation process, Texas Tech will:

• Review alignment between teacher observation ratings and student performance ratings.
• Review alignment between student performance ratings and value-added ratings for applicable teachers.
• Review data validity by appraiser/rater, by campus, across campuses in a district, and by teaching assignment.
• Compare district data to state data by comparing the percentage of teachers a district puts forth for designation to overall district performance.