Impact: HCISD seeks to transform learning for global achievement and inspire approximately 18,000 learners for lifetime success. To do this, HCISD needs to offer a competitive compensation plan to retain teachers and to provide ongoing professional learning experiences so that teachers feel prepared and have access to the necessary tools, skills, and resources to educate all students. Although teachers are the focus of TIA, administrators will play an essential component in teacher retention and recruitment. Thus, as aligned to the HCISD Experience Leadership definition, administrators will need to (a) be active learners; (b) collaborate with all stakeholder groups; (c) involve teachers in decision-making; and (d) meet with each teacher to set a goal(s), create a plan, implement the plan, and use valid, reliable evidence to determine progress (Fullan, Quinn, McEachen, 2018; School Reform Initiative, 2020; TASB HR Services, 2017). 

Identification: HCISD has a district transfer policy in place and, when a teaching position becomes available at any campus, any teacher, including those who are designated as an effective teacher, will have the option to request a placement transfer. An approved TIA application will provide leverage for HCISD to promote and highlight incentives to teach in a high-need campus, and these incentives may encourage effective teachers to apply for an open position. 

Participation: The World Economic Forum (2020) concluded that by 2025 future job seekers will need to be able to think critically and analytically; reason, innovate, solve complex problems; as well as show initiative, lead, socialize, use technology, be resilient, tolerate stress, and be flexible. Effective teachers often exhibit the necessary credentials, experience, and education (Kane, Rockoff, & Staiger, 2008; Walker, 2020) and possess the knowledge and skills that are necessary to help students prepare for a successful future. TIA is one avenue for HCISD to provide incentives that may entice effective teachers to remain in the classroom and not seek out other higher paying positions. 

Goals: The creation of a TIA designation system required HCISD stakeholders to revisit existing structures and processes (e.g., systemwide consistency with T-TESS observations) and determine areas to improve or strengthen. Thus, in addition to creating a TIA designation system, HCISD designed more-aligned systems (e.g., administration of valid, reliable assessments in non-standardized tested grades) with input from the HCISD Stakeholder Advisory Committee (i.e., all stakeholder groups) and HCISD TIA Stakeholder Design Teams (i.e., district- and campus-administrators, instructional specialists, classroom teachers). 

Strategic Plan: TIA addresses HCISD’s Goal 2: HCISD will attract, develop, and retain highly effective educators and provide the tools they need to maximize all students’ success. This goal includes the following actions: SR 2.1 Implement a transformed recruitment plan to attract highly effective educators, SR 2.3 Create avenues for educators to acquire new knowledge and reach high levels of success, SR 2.4 Develop clear criteria of expectations for highly effective educators for the purpose of creating a systematic approach to assessing performance, and SR 2.5 Establish a retention plan for highly effective educators. 

Professional/Instructional Leadership