TIA Boosts Salaries and Retention Across Dallas County

Texas continues to lead the nation in efforts to recognize and reward the state’s top teachers. Created in 2019, the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) was designed to keep highly effective teachers in the classroom – and in front of students who need them most – by significantly raising their salaries and aligning salaries to student growth.  

More than five years since its passage, TIA has become a key strategy for school systems across the state: 69% of Texas public school students attend TIA-participating school systems¹, and more than 26,000 teachers have earned a TIA designation of Recognized, Exemplary or Master². Moreover, TIA has proven effective in realizing intended program outcomes:

• Significant increases in teacher salaries, providing an average increase of over $11,000 for designated teachers annually, making the profession more financially competitive.³  

• Higher student achievement, as school systems implementing TIA have outperformed non-TIA systems in math and reading.⁴ Specifically, early adopters saw less pronounced pandemic-induced declines.

• Stronger teacher retention, as the state faces a 12.2% teacher attrition rate⁵, TIA-designated teachers are eight percentage points more likely to stay in a teaching role in their district than non-TIA teachers.⁶

• With the greatest impacts on retention and student outcomes for teachers with three to five years of experience—an especially critical period in early career development.⁷

In Dallas County, ten of the 14 traditional school systems are participating in the Teacher Incentive Allotment program. It takes approximately three years to establish a state-approved evaluation system and begin receiving TIA funding. Participating Dallas County districts fall into two phases:  

• Fully Approved (FA). School districts with full approval are awarding teachers with designations and receiving funding to supplement their compensation. Dallas County school districts in this stage are Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Cedar Hill ISD, Dallas ISD, DeSoto ISD, Garland ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Lancaster ISD, and Richardson ISD.  

• System Approved (SA). The school system’s local evaluation application has been accepted by the Texas Education Agency and they are piloting the system to collect data on identified teachers in order to reach full approval. Coppell ISD and Duncanville ISD are System Approved districts in Dallas County.  

Additionally, the following charter schools in Dallas County are participating in TIA:  

• A+ Academy (FA)

• Academy of Dallas (SA)

• Advantage Academy (FA)

• Cityscape Schools (FA)

• Evolution Charter School (SA)  

• Inspired Vision Academy (FA)

• International Leadership of Texas (FA)

• La Academia de Estrellas (FA)

• Legacy Preparatory (FA)

• Life School (FA)

• Manara Academy (SA)

• Trinity Basin Preparatory (FA)

• Universal Academy (SA)

• Uplift Education (FA)

• Village Tech Schools (FA)  

• Winfree Academy Charter Schools (FA)  

To see the TIA status for any district in Texas, visit Commit’s HB 3 Implementation dashboard.  

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[1]Includes all school systems granted System Approval and Full Approval from theTexas Education Agency.

[2]^[1]Texas Impact Network. (2024). Students- First Policy Implementation inTexas: the 2024 Texas Impact Network Annual Report.

[3]Texas Education Agency. (2024).Senate Education Committee Interim Hearing Presentation September 18, 2024, TheState of Education.

[4]Kirksey, J. J., Lansford, T., Crevar,A. R., & Mansell, K. E. (2024). Fromincentive to impact: The Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment’s path to improvedretention and achievement. Texas Tech University [White paper]. Center for Innovative Research inChange, Leadership, and Education.

[5]Texas Education Agency. (2024). Teacher Employment, Attrition, and Hiring.

[6]Texas Education Agency. (2024). Teacher Incentive Allotment Annual Report 2024.

[7] Kirksey, J. J.,Lansford, T., Crevar, A. R., & Mansell, K. E. (2024). From incentive toimpact: The Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment’s path to improved retention andachievement. Texas Tech University [White paper]. Center for InnovativeResearch in Change, Leadership, and Education.