TIA Designated Teacher Spotlight
What's the Scoop on TIA
Score Card Update
TIA Bonus Payments
TIA Component Focus: Student Growth
TIA and Retirement
In this Issue
TIA Designated Teacher Spotlight
In each edition of the TIA Tuesdays newsletter, we will shine a light on a TIA designated teacher in Alief ISD. This special section will provide an opportunity for designated teachers to share their unique experiences with TIA.
This month’s spotlight is on Katina Walker a 7th grade math teacher/8th grade girls' basketball coach from O'Donnell Middle School. Ms. Walker has 26 years of experience teaching and 22 of those years have been dedicated to serving our very own Alief ISD students. She currently holds a Recognized TIA Designation.
Ms. Walker enjoys working in Alief ISD because of the diversity throughout the district and the open collaboration with her colleagues. Her strong work ethics and passion for working with students are the reason she earned a TIA designation. She has created a well-rounded classroom environment that’s respected by students and staff. The students bring ownership of learning which has converted her classroom into a student-centered environment. It is evident that Ms. Walker pours into her students daily with positive words and affirmation and her students apply them when interacting with their peers.
As always, Alief ISD appreciates Ms. Walker for her hard work and dedication to our students.
What's the Scoop on TIA
2023-2024 Data Submission
We are happy to share that the Texas Education Agency notified Alief ISD that the 2023-2024 Data Submission and Designations have been validated and accepted.
What Does TEA Say About TIA?
TIA Scorecard Update
TIA Scorecards will be sent out to teachers through Outlook on Friday, February 28th for any teacher in a TIA-eligible role during the 2023-24 school year. In the scorecard will be links to resources to help teachers understand their scores and the calculations. Please keep in mind that these scores and data were based on Alief’s 2023-2024 TIA Handbook. Any TIA-designation earned will be shown on this scorecard. This school year, 8% of the eligible teachers were awarded a TIA designation, up from 3% last school year. If any teacher has a question, they may email AliefTIAQuestions@aliefisd.net.
TIA Bonus Payments
Teachers who earned a TIA designation will be awarded a bonus payment on their last paycheck in May 2025. TEA refers to these payments as “TIA allotments”. The district does retain 10% of the TIA allotment to pay for the TIA growth assessments and employer fees associated with submitting teachers for TIA designations. The remaining 90% is subject to federal taxes and fees, including TRS contributions. TIA-designated teachers will receive email communication from TEA in May, outlining their designation status and their total allotment amount generated.
TIA Component Focus: Student Growth
Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)
Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) are student growth goals set by teachers to help them plan instruction and drive student learning throughout the year. SLOs are a component of all teacher's TIA scores regardless of the content taught. This year, we have created the SLO Expectation 2024-25 document to support teachers as they implement and collect data. At this point in the year, teachers should have administered Progress Check #5 for all students and recorded data on their student growth tracker. Information regarding how to upload the completed Student Growth Tracker in Perform will be announced next week.
TIA and Retirement
All TIA compensation is TRS eligible. TRS has limits (10% or 10,000 increase per year) on eligible salary increases in the last 3 or 5 years prior to retirement which could limit the extent to which the TIA compensation paid in those years is TRS eligible. A member can “work out of the limit” – the member will need to contact a TRS Benefit Counselor when they are ready to retire to determine if this limit will impact their retirement annuity calculation. Even though deductions and retirement may take a portion of the allotment, the gross amount is what goes toward your retirement for the top 5 years.
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TIA Contact Information
If you have questions regarding TIA, please email AliefTIAQuestions@aliefisd.net or visit the Alief ISD TIA website linked here.