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Lamar CISD outlines phased plan to implement Texas teacher incentive allotment
Summary
District instructional leaders described a three-year, phased Teacher Incentive Allotment plan that would allocate 90% of generated funds to teachers, use approved assessments for growth measures and weight components 60% student growth / 40% observation.
Lamar Consolidated ISD instructional leaders presented a district plan March 18 to apply for the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) and phase in designation eligibility across three years, using state-approved assessments for student-growth measures and district observation systems for teacher evaluation.
The TIA matters because it is a state funding program that provides additional allotments to districts for designated teachers; Lamar CISD staff said the program can give high-performing teachers a path to significantly larger compensation and is designed to retain classroom teachers.
Chief Learning Officer Ms. Cottengame told trustees the district will submit an application during the 2024–25 year (application year), capture data in 2025–26 (data capture year), and submit data for validation in 2026–27 when teachers could receive designations and monetary awards. The district’s phased approach would initially include pre-K (Circle), kindergarten (TXKEA), and selected grades/subjects using MAP assessments; year two would add remaining STAAR and EOC teachers, special education and AP (excluding fine arts); year three would add remaining teaching areas that require development of pre- and post-tests and growth measures.
Under the proposed allocation the district would give 90% of funds generated by a teacher’s designation to that teacher and retain 10% at the district level for implementation support. The TIA plan presented sets component weights at 60% student growth and 40% teacher observation; TEA validates only the required components (growth and observation), though districts may add optional data aligned to local goals. Ms. Cottengame said campuses’ allotment values vary by census block group and cited sample top-earning potentials for the 2024–25 school year: Fulshear ($12,814), Randall High ($16,237) and Lamar Consolidated High School ($19,484), figures she described as illustrative of how campus census makeup affects allotment value.
Trustees asked about eligibility, appeals and calibration. Staff said teachers are eligible immediately (upon employment) based on the service code defined by state rules; observations will use the district observation system and the district will pursue calibration across instructional leaders to ensure consistency. Staff also said data validation is part of TEA’s process and that the district’s application must document calibration plans. Trustees and staff discussed transparency, timeline and that designation awards last five years and can be renewed.
No board vote was required; staff said the only board-approved element of the plan is the spending plan that will be included in the budget year funds are generated. Staff recommended continued committee work to finalize assessments, growth measures and the district application to TEA.
