Teacher Incentive Allotment Overview

Cleburne ISD TIA Pathway: National Board Certification

HB 3 established the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) to recognize effective teachers through teacher designations. These teacher designations generate additional teacher-focused allotment funding for districts to reward and retain their most effective teachers, with a particular emphasis on high-needs and rural schools.

Teachers can achieve designations through two pathways.

First, any teacher with a valid teacher certification and three years of teaching experience can earn the TIA Recognized designation by earning their National Board Certification.
Second, Texas districts can also participate in TIA through a TEA-approved TIA local designation system.

Cleburne ISD is currently participating in TIA through the National Board Certification pathway. This document is the current board-approved guidance.

National Board Certification FAQs

What is National Board Certification?

What is required to become a National Board Certified Teacher?

The certification process is designed to collect standards-based evidence of accomplished practice. To become a Board-certified teacher, eligible candidates must demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills, and practice in their individual certificate areas by completing four components. The content knowledge component is a computer-based assessment taken at a testing center; the other three are portfolio-based and submitted through an electronic portfolio system.

Component 1: Content Knowledge

Component 2: Differentiation in Instruction

Component 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment

Component 4: Effective and Reflective Practitioner

What if a National Board Certified Teacher works in a district that is not participating in TIA through Local Designation?

Districts are not required to have a local designation plan to receive funding for Recognized NBCTs or seek reimbursement of eligible fees paid to the National Board. Eligible NBCTs earn a Recognized designation and generate annual allotment funding regardless of their district participation in TIA. Districts receiving TIA funds for NBCTs are required to abide by the spending requirements outlined in statute: 90% of allotment funds must be spent on teacher compensation on the campus where the designated teacher works.

Compensation and National Board Certification Fee Reimbursement Plan

Download the PDF document

TIA Compensation Plan

Per Statue TEC Sec. 48.112, districts must spend at least 90% of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) funds
on teacher compensation at the designated teacher's campus. The remaining 10% may be used for
professional development costs or the cost of TIA implementation and management.

For any funds received by Cleburne ISD for a designated teacher under TIA, 90% will be paid to the
designated teacher. The remaining 10% will be used for training and support of the system, expansion of the
system, teacher professional development, district surcharges, and other fringe benefits so that designated
teachers receive the benefit of the allotment funds.

Should the district receive funding for a designated teacher who has resigned or retired after the winter class
roster, the district will forward payment to the resigned or retired teacher as soon as practicable. This same
compensation plan will be used for teachers entering Cleburne ISD with a designation and distributed as
described according to their campus assignment.

Frequency of Compensation

TIA compensation is an annual allotment provided by the State and is subject to the availability of state funding allocations. Current TIA-designated teachers will receive TIA compensation based on their TIA designation and the TIA state funding for their campus of assignment when TIA funds are disbursed. For teachers who have already earned a TIA designation, the payment will be after the February Winter Class Roster and before August 31st.

Other teachers who earn the Recognized designation through the National Board Certified Teacher program
while at Cleburne ISD will receive TIA compensation before August 31st, based on TIA state funding for their
campus of assignment when TIA funds are finalized.

Compensation will be distributed before August 31st for teachers who

1. already have a TIA designation or

2. earn a Recognized designation through the National Board Certified Teacher program, provided all information is received per TEA's published timelines.

TRS Retirement Impact of Compensation

Deduction Information

National Board Certification Fee Reimbursement

The Teacher Incentive Allotment will reimburse districts up to $1,900 for initial certification, up to $1,250 for
renewal, and up to $495 for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Fees are eligible if the certification or
recertification was achieved following the passage of House Bill 3 in the summer of 2019.

Districts may apply for fee reimbursement through TIA for NBCTs certified or recertified in 2019 or later.
Districts must provide documentation of fees paid directly to the National Board and/or reimbursed to the
NBCT. The annual reimbursement request window runs from January 1st to March 31st.

Teachers who earn National Board Certification in Cleburne ISD will be reimbursed for testing fees in May or
June after receipt of the certification results in December.