Eddie Curran, the district's chief of human resources, said this is because these educators' student performance data earned them a designation tied to incentive funding from the state, under the Teacher Incentive Allotment.
About the program
The Teacher Incentive Allotment is a program that was created by the state in 2019 to keep teachers in the classroom by increasing teacher pay as a performance-based mechanism. Per the Texas Education Agency, qualifying teachers were awarded a total of $145.2 million in incentives in 2023.
Under the district's local designation system, educators can receive varying amounts tied to their performance level:
- Recognized: $3,000-$9,000
- Exemplary: $6,000-$18,000
- Master: $12,000-$32,000
What you need to know
In the 2023-24 school year, kindergarten, first and second grade teachers at nine Title I schools in the district had their performance data analyzed and were awarded designations under the TIA system.
The turnaround from application to payment takes about three years, Curran said.
RRISD expanded its TIA program to include the five remaining Title I elementary schools, as well as three Title I middle schools as a whole in the 2024-25 school year, according to the district. The district also added teachers in kindergarten through second grade and math teachers in sixth through eighth grade to its TIA program in this school year.
The district anticipates it will receive about $800,000 in funds for these incentives, with 90% going directly to teachers, according to RRISD. The 10% will pay for eligibility costs, payroll taxes and potential administrative needs as the program grows.
How it works
Teachers who will receive the incentive this summer earned their designation prior to and during the 2024-25 school year, with campuses receiving notifications of teacher qualification starting in April, Curran said.
What's next
Curran said the district will soon submit an application to further expand the program and include more teachers.
