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Given the paucity of state and national policy around teacher incentives, districts have very few examples of effective incentive programs to use as models. Meanwhile, hundreds of school districts in the state of Texas are eligible to participate in the state's two incentive programs. The state of Texas is poised to make a large-scale impact on teacher award programs and policy, both at the state and national levels. The primary goals of the technical assistance are to provide Texas school districts and charter schools with ongoing applied guidance in developing and implementing successful research-based educator performance award systems and to build capacity for long term support of these programs across the state. In May 2006, the 79th Legislature passed House Bill One. This bill was one of the most sweeping education reform bills in the state since the education code was re-codified in 1995. Included in this bill were two teacher performance award programs that, when fully funded at $245 million annually, create the largest investment in teacher awards in the nation. House Bill One created the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) and the District Awards for Teacher Excellence (D.A.T.E.). TEEG, first implemented in the 2006-2007 school year, provides $100 million annually to the state's most economically disadvantaged campuses that have demonstrated the highest levels of student achievement or improvement. D.A.T.E., which will begin implementation in the 2008-09 school year, makes funding available to all districts in the state to participate in the implementation of a performance award program either district-wide or on selected campuses. D.A.T.E. is funded at $147.5 million for the 2008-09 school year. The TEEG is a non-competitive grant available to a targeted group of elementary, middle, high school, all grades, and alternative education campuses in the top half of the economically disadvantaged campuses. These campuses have demonstrated the highest levels of student achievement or improvement, as measured through the state accountability system. Campuses that receive these grant funds must use 75 percent of the funds to award classroom teachers. In determining which teachers receive awards, campuses must create an award program that relies on objective and quantifiable measures for two required criteria: impact on student achievement and collaboration. Campuses may use the remaining 25 percent of funds on additional incentives, mentoring and induction, professional development, and other promising practices aimed at improving teacher quality and raising student achievement. In the first TEEG cycle, there were 1,153 eligible campuses and ninety-seven percent of those campuses chose to apply for the grant. For more information, Go to the TEEG Main Page. The grant is designed to award classroom teachers who meet, at a minimum, two required program criteria, or more, as identified in their campus incentive plan. For more information, visit the TEEG Program Description. Campuses that meet the below performance criteria are eligible to apply for the Governor's Educator Excellence Award Program--Texas Educator Excellence Grant. For more information, Visit the TEEG Eligibility Page. The 2008-2009 TEEG Cycle 3 Grant Application will be administered by the Division of Discretionary Grants through the traditional paper method. The application must be downloaded, completed, and submitted in paper to the Division of Discretionary Grants by 5:00pm on May 8, 2008. Applications may be mailed, hand-delivered, or sent via courier but must in all cases be received by TEA by the established deadline time and date. For more information, visit the TEEG Application Information.
TEEG Cycle 3 Errata Notice- March 12, 2008 Click here to complete the waiver to use TPRI within your DATE plan. Visit the TEEG Non-Regulatory Guidance Information Page.
D.A.T.E. will serve as a start-up grant to a district awards program. D.A.T.E. requires districts to develop and implement an award plan either district-wide or with a selection of participating campuses. Grant awards are divided into two parts. Part I funds make up at least 60 percent of the grant award and must be used to award classroom teachers who are the most effective at improving student performance in Texas school districts and who meet the Texas Education Code (TEC) definition of a classroom teacher. Part II funds, up to 40 percent of the grant award, can be used on teacher stipends, teacher mentors, principal incentives, awards to other campus employees and elements of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). District-level planning committees will establish goals for their district award plans that are consistent with and motivated by their district improvement strategic plan. Once the district goals have been determined, district-level planning committees will create an awards plan that is either: 1) district-wide, 2) for select participating campuses including Targeted Campuses, or 3) to implement TAP. If a district chooses to implement the program in a subset of campuses, then districts are required to target their most high-need campuses. Funding is intended to support the establishment of district award programs that accomplish the following:
For more information, go to the D.A.T.E. Main Page. The purpose of D.A.T.E. is to allow districts to create or continue a system of awards for educators demonstrating success in improving student achievement. For more information, visit the D.A.T.E. Program Description. D.A.T.E. grant amounts are based on a district's Average Daily Attendance. For the most current grant amounts, Visit the DATE grant amounts (updated February 15, 2008). The district grant award requires a match (cash or in-kind) from federal, state or local sources. Districts must explain how they plan to provide matching funds and how those funds will be used to supplement or support activities identified in the district grant application. The grant will require districts to provide a 15% match in the first year. If a district fails to adhere to matching requirements, the TEA may suspend, in whole or in part, grant funds; terminate the district's participation in the grant program; or impose other sanctions as determined by the commissioner. For more information, visit D.A.T.E. Matching Requirement information. The 2008-2009 District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE), Year 1, Grant Application Program will be administered by the Division of Discretionary Grants through the traditional paper method. The application must be downloaded, completed, and submitted in paper to the Division of Discretionary Grants. Applications may be mailed, hand-delivered, or sent via courier but must in all cases be received by TEA by the established deadline time and date. For more information, visit the D.A.T.E. Application Instructions.
Part 1- D.A.T.E. General-Fiscal Guidelines Part 2- D.A.T.E. Program Guidelines Part 3- D.A.T.E. Application Instructions Click here to complete the waiver to use TPRI within your D.A.T.E. plan To opt out of the D.A.T.E. grant, please follow visit the Notice of Removal page. If you have any problems, please contact the technical assistance team at 512-579-5050 or txeducatorawards@utsystem.edu
TAP is a comprehensive research-based reform model that provides differentiated compensation for teachers and principals based on teachers' performance in the classroom and the academic performance of their students. TAP balances a rigorous accountability system with strong support for teachers and school leaders. The program provides career advancement opportunities for teachers--including differentiated salary augmentations for increased responsibilities and duties--and time for ongoing applied professional growth during the school day. Developed in 1998 by researchers at the Milken Family Foundation, the Teacher Advancement Program is administered through the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) at the national level and through the University of Texas System at the state level in Texas. The core elements of TAP are supported by a rich body of scientific research as well as practice in the field. Further, the TAP process is consistent with successful business models, which emphasize the importance of incentives, accountability, on-the-job support and career paths in order to motivate and develop effective employees. The TAP process, currently used at more than 125 U.S. schools, impacting more than 56,000 students and 3,500 teachers, is showing remarkable promise as reported in a recent study conducted by NIET. TAP is dedicated to attracting, developing, motivating and retaining high-caliber educators in order to raise achievement levels for all students. To reach this goal, TAP provides incentives for career advancement, ongoing professional development, instructionally focused accountability, and performance pay - all of which are intended to maximize effective teaching. The TAP program seeks to create an environment where both teachers and students excel, where teachers and principals work together to improve instructional practice, and where teachers and principals are rewarded for success. For more information on TAP, visit www.talentedteachers.org or contact the Texas TAP office at (512) 499-4512.
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