Fort Bend ISD is in the progress of gathering data to create its own district local designation system as part of the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment.
The Teacher Incentive Allotment, which was funded by House Bill 3 in 2019, has been implemented in districts across the state as a pathway for teachers to earn a six-figure salary, according to the TIA website.
The big picture
Teachers can receive the incentive through a local designation or National Board Certification, which automatically qualifies teachers as “recognized,” Chief of Organizational Development Stephanie Williams said at a March 9 board meeting.
A teacher's allotment amount is determined by the designation level and the percent of economically disadvantaged students at the campus, according to the TIA system.
Under the system, the:
- Top 33% of teachers, known as “recognized,” will receive a $3,000-$9,000 pay bump annually
- Top 20% of teachers, or “exemplary,” will get $6,000-$18,000
- Top 5% of teachers, or “master” designation, will get $12,000-$32,000
To qualify, Williams said teachers will be observed on multiple measures, including teacher observation performance and student growth to determine their designation. Additionally, Williams said districts can characterize their own “optional components” when creating its system.
The system’s board approved spending plan has 90% of funds being paid to the designated teacher, and the district keeping the other 10% for administrative costs and teacher support.
Who’s eligible?
FBISD teachers are assigned to four cohorts based on what subject/grade level they are in and what student growth measure is utilized, Williams said.
Community Impact previously reported Cohort 1 includes:
- Elementary school: math (kindergarten-fifth grade), English language arts (kindergarten-fifth grade), science (third-fifth grade)
- Middle school: math, English language arts, science
- Secondary: ELA I, ELA II, Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry and biology
- Special education teachers with students rostered to them who have Measurements of Academic Progress tests as the student growth scores
The district is working on an application for a revised local designation system to include Cohort 2 teachers this April, Williams said. However, details for cohorts 3 and 4 are still being finalized.
What they’re saying
While Williams said special education teachers of record for Cohort 1 courses are eligible for incentives, paraprofessionals are not.
“I would like to see us do it differently in Fort Bend and start putting our money where our mouth is, so to speak,” board President Kristin Tassin said. “Where we value those paraprofessionals and the work they do with our kids every single day.”
In similar news
In 2025, House Bill 2 was signed into law, allowing the State Board for Educator Certification to monitor the national board certification and see if it is going to be part of the TIA moving forward.
Additionally, a fourth category was introduced to the national board certification called "acknowledged,” which replaces “recognized” as the first one teachers can qualify for.
As of now, the certification places teachers in three separate categories: recognized, exemplary and master. The potential pay raise opportunities start at $3,000 and can reach $32,000.
Williams also said the pay will increase for each designation with the latest funding structure to be released in April.
What’s next?
In October, the district will turn in the data for state review and validation.
By February 2027, FBISD will find out if they acquired full system approval with Cohort 1 teachers to receive bonuses by August 2027.
