The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) is an optional Texas initiative established through House Bill 3 (HB 3) to recognize, reward, and retain highly effective teachers. Based on student growth and teacher performance, TIA allows school districts to identify outstanding educators through locally developed designation systems and receive additional state funding tied to those designations. This program creates a clear pathway for teachers to earn a six-figure salary while strengthening instructional quality and improving student outcomes. Under Texas Education Code (TEC) Section 21.3521, allotment amounts vary based on campus designation and compensatory education poverty tiers, with higher funding awarded to teachers serving students in high-needs and rural campuses.

Lamar CISD’s local TIA designation system was accepted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in May 2025. During the 2025–2026 school year, the district will participate in Data Capture and submit data for validation in October 2026. Upon successful validation, Lamar CISD anticipates full system approval in Spring 2027, with TIA funds awarded to designated teachers beginning in August 2027.

Teachers can achieve a designation under the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) through two parallel pathways:

1. A locally developed teacher designation system, or
2. National Board Certification

To learn more about statutory requirements for locally designated TIA plans, teacher eligibility requirements, and Statewide minimum performance standards, please visit the TIA website.

For the 2025-2026 school year, the locally designed designation system (LDS) for Lamar CISD includes the following teaching assignments:

• Pre-K Reading & Math
• Kindergarten Reading & Math
• 1st-8th Reading & Math
• English I, English II, & English III
• Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry
• Resource/Inclusion Teachers that serve as alternative teachers in courses listed above

Earning a designation is a two-year process. Teacher data is collected the first year, which is referred to as the “data capture” year. The following school year is the “data submission year” when the data is submitted to put forth teachers for an initial or higher designation. Teachers must remain employed with Lamar CISD in a designated position for both the data capture year and the data submission year to earn a TIA designation. Teachers who leave the district before earning a credible year of service during the data submission year will forfeit their eligibility.

Eligible teachers, including designated teachers, must participate in TTESS and the student growth measure component annually and may not opt out. Lamar CISD is committed to expanding eligibility through the district’s LDS, as outlined in the recommendations below.