The Pearland ISD school board awarded $463,650 to teachers across the district at the Oct. 11 regular board meeting in 2015-16 STAAR incentive pay following the release of the statewide testing scores, which were released Aug. 15.

The district awards the payments to teachers whose students achieve certain benchmarks on the tests, including meeting or exceeding required growth in the tested area and achieving special distinctions that the STAAR testing recognizes.

“As a board, we believe in recognizing success—from our students who win state and national awards to teachers who stand out for exceptional classroom achievement,” PISD board of trustees President Rebecca Decker said.

STAAR testing affects students in third through 12th grade, and teacher incentives range from $200-$1,000 based on the distinction earned. Jamison Middle School received the most in total awards, earning $63,100 across 76 teachers.

“While they focus on educating and challenging young minds, our teachers consistently demonstrate student academic improvement and growth through some of the highest STAAR scores in the region," Decker said. "We are proud to reward them with incentive pay for their hard work.”

Top 5 campus totals:
Jamison Middle School—$63,100 (76 teachers awarded)
Berry Miller Junior High School—$39,500 (49 teachers awarded)
Glenda Dawson High School—$34,700 (44 teachers awarded)
Pearland Junior High School West—$30,800 (39 teachers awarded)
Silvercrest Elementary School—$27,400 (33 teachers awarded)