Houston Independent School District is seeking feedback as progress is made toward the district’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) application process. Here you will find key updates.

TIA Progress and Timeline

TIA was created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to support the recruitment, retention, and placement of highly effective teachers in high-need districts and schools through performance-based bonuses. HISD is excited to join other Texas districts in participating in this program because it will help to increase salaries for the district’s highest performing teachers while also ensuring students have equitable access to the most effective teachers. This aligns with the district’s strategic plan commitment to provide incentives for teachers and other staff who choose to work in our highest-need content areas and schools.

HISD announced its intention to apply for TIA in Spring 2021. Over the course of the 2021-2022 school year, the district engaged in a design process that involved key stakeholders in making recommendations and decisions about HISD’s planned local designation system. This process included the participation of two committees—one made up of HISD teachers selected through a rigorous application process and another of principals and administrators—that reviewed relevant design decisions and made recommendations that were subsequently brought to executive leadership. HISD plans to submit its TIA application to the TEA as part of Cohort F in April 2023, with initial implementation at select campuses beginning in Fall 2024.

This Fall, HISD will continue to finalize its design process and launch additional opportunities for community members to share their perspectives and provide feedback on design decisions before the application is submitted. Additional updates about TIA, along with opportunities to share your input, will be provided over the course of the academic year. You can read more about last year’s design process, including the district’s decision to move to Cohort F, here.

HISD Stakeholder Survey

As the 2022 school year begins, HISD is seeking feedback from teachers, principals, and district leaders about HISD’s TIA design process via a stakeholder survey. This will be an opportunity for district staff to provide feedback about design decisions related to how the district will spend TIA funding. Your voice is invaluable to this process, and this survey addresses those areas where your input and feedback is most needed.

Please complete this survey by October 14, 2022. Responses will remain anonymous, unless you are interested in providing additional input and feedback about how to improve HISD’s teacher evaluation process. (Note that you will need to be logged into your HISD email to access the survey link).

Student Feedback Surveys

HISD is dedicated to supporting teachers in their professional growth. In the 2022-2023 school year, HISD is introducing new Student Feedback Surveys to hear more from students about their classroom experiences. All eligible students in Grades 3-12 will be surveyed, and feedback will be provided directly to teachers.

Surveys are being implemented in conjunction with T-TESS to provide teachers with additional opportunities to gain meaningful feedback to assess and enhance their instructional practice. Beginning this fall, teachers will receive reports sharing Student Feedback Survey data from their classes.

The district’s goal is to capture the holistic nature of teaching—the idea that a constant feedback loop exists between teachers and students. Gauging the effectiveness of teachers requires a consistent focus on how students respond to their teacher’s instructional practices. 

Beginning at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, after two years of Student Feedback Survey implementation, the survey data will be included in eligible teachers’ evaluations. 

Surveys will be administered to eligible students in Grades 3-12 from October 17-28 and May 15-26. Administration will take place online, with translations available in 19 languages.

Teachers will receive additional information about the Student Feedback Surveys from their campus survey leads. Additionally, teachers will receive training later this fall on how to best interpret and use survey data to inform instruction.

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and support as we continue to implement exciting new changes that will drive student achievement and create additional opportunities for teachers throughout the district. Please contact TIA@houstonisd.org with questions or concerns.