TIA Monthly Newsletter - April 2021

[Stephanie Kucera]

TIA Monthly Newsletter

April 2021

Just-In-Time Tip When polishing your application, read each question carefully for CURRENT PRACTICE vs. future actions. Do your responses demonstrate actions already being taken by the district? Notice there are very few questions that ask about future plans. A few questions have a delayed time for action. For example, the spending plan will be approved AFTER the data collection year. Two other key pieces to consider when finalizing your application is the HOW and STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. Be specific about current practices in your district. It’s not just the what, but the who, when and how the work will be carried out. In addition, really dig in to ensure the voices of stakeholders are represented throughout your application.

Action Items Cohort D (and planning ahead for Cohort E) Develop your website for TIA. Use information and resources from the tiatexas.org site along with district-specific resources and information. Other local resources, manuals, plans, etc. can be posted as a way to communicate with teachers and other stakeholder groups. Evidence of the local designation system (focus groups, surveys, feedback loops) is important.  Post these items on your website and continue to use this information in the ongoing development/refinement of your system. Consider professional development around key components of the TIA application and process (walk back through the development of the local designation system, teacher observation, student growth, bringing forward more teachers for designation, etc). Now is the time to schedule summer and fall training sessions.  The teacher buy-in survey is required for Cohort D. Submit by April 15. Send your excel sheet with all teacher names and school email addresses to t...@ttu.edu by April 15. The survey will be sent to teachers within 2 days of receiving your spreadsheet. The survey will close on Mary 14. For details about the survey go to this link.  TIA applications will receive TEA feedback by the end of May. This will give 6 weeks for any application edits prior to notification. If you would like ESC 12 staff to join in your TEA zoom call please email sku...@esc12.net. By allowing an ESC team member to join in on the TEA feedback calls, this will help us best help other LEAs in future cohorts.

Resources Webinars and training resources are located at the following link.  A pre-recorded version of spending guidelines for districts receiving TIA for the first time in 2020-21 is now available on the TEA TIA website.  This is the same content presented to districts on March 4th  A pre-recorded version of how to use pre-test/post-tests as a student growth measure is now available on the TEA TIA website.  This is the same content presented to districts during the Cohort D and later convening. A pre-recorded version of the writing effective assessment items training is now available on the TEA TIA website.  This is the same content presented to districts during the cohort D and later convening.

Hot Topics / FAQs Did you know data collection isn’t just about one year? Every year that your LEA brings teachers forward for designation will be an additional year to participate in data collection for teacher observation and student growth. By submitting an application your LEA is completing Step 1 in the TIA approval process. No teachers will actually earn a designation until after the completion of the data collection year. For example, Cohort D LEAs will have their Step 1 application approved in mid-July 2021, the data collection year will be 2021-22 with notification of designations being made in February 2023 and finalized in April 2023.

Upcoming Dates March 31, 2021 - Deadline for districts to submit National Board fee reimbursement  April 15, 2021 - Cohort D Application Due April 15, 2021 - Spreadsheet with first name, last name and school email address of ALL teachers in Cohort D LEA due to Texas Tech May 14, 2021 - Teacher buy-in survey link closes Last week of May - TEA feedback sent to LEAs via email T-TESS Refresher and Calibration Practices: June 30, 9:00-12:00 - Session #241883 Mid-July - Notification of application status

Contact Us Questions or Concerns? Stephanie Kucera 254-297-1212

E-MAIL

Stephanie Kucera
Field Service Agent
Education Service Center Region 12
Ofc: 254-297-1154
Cell: 254-498-6371
Fax: 254-666-0823