Retaining Excellence: Unpacking the TIA’s Impact on Retention

Sharolyn D. Chitwood, Ed.D.

Fort Worth ISD

Numerous studies have shown that teachers are the most critical factor in student achievement and positive student outcomes (Alger, 2014; Allegretto & Mishel, 2018; Cater, 2017; Swain et al., 2019). Nonetheless, increasing teacher turnover and low enrollment in teacher preparation programs have created a shortage in districts across the United States, especially in high-need subjects and schools (Carver-Thomas & DarlingHammond, 2017; Pellerin, 2020; Podolsky et al., 2016; Podolsky et al., 2019; Sutcher et al., 2016, 2019; Wiggan et al., 2020). Schools struggle to attract, hire, and retain teachers, particularly in highpoverty urban and rural schools serving historically marginalized populations (R. M. Ingersoll & May, 2012; Rude & Miller, 2018; Sutcher et al., 2016, 2019).

The National Center for Educational Statistics (2023) identified 37% of public schools have teaching vacancies. In 2024, 74% of K-12 Schools reported hiring challenges (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2024). A Gallup Poll conducted in 2022 showed 52% of K-12 teachers are burned out. The 2022 Texas Teacher Poll administered by the

Charles Butt Foundation revealed teachers felt undervalued, underpaid, and overworked. Of the teachers randomly surveyed, the percentage of teachers who seriously considered leaving the profession was 77%, and 93% of those who considered leaving took at least one step to go, such as searching online for other jobs, updating their resumes, interviewing for different positions, and enrolling in classes to prepare for another career (Charles Butt Foundation, 2022). The national teacher turnover rate is 16%, and Texas’s turnover rate is 17.7%, which clearly identifies the struggle to retain teachers in Texas.

In response to an open-ended Merrimack College (2022) survey question, a teacher declared,

We are at the tipping point. . . . We are tired, we are underpaid and worried about the valuable staff we need, such as paraprofessionals, who are paid even worse. We cannot continue in this way. . . . We are tired. (p. 5)

High teacher turnover and a pervasive teacher shortage has the education industry investigating new ways to attract and retain talent. Texas, specifically, has invested in compensating teachers for performance in hopes of retaining top teachers in the classroom through the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), which was established and authorized by the 86th Texas Legislature (Texas Education Agency [TEA], 2022c). The intent behind TIA is to recognize and reward teachers for the work already being done and at the same time encourage them to work in schools that need them most (Lee et al., 2021; TEA, 2022c).

Teacher Salaries

Teachers are typically paid on a step-and-ladder salary schedule focused on years of experience rather than on student performance or teacher specialization. This leads to a wage gap between teachers and comparable college-educated professionals. In fact, American teachers are paid about 20% less than comparably skilled college graduates in the workforce (Hanushek & Policy Ed, 2019). Along with other factors, low salaries have led to a loss in attractiveness in the education profession, and thus, universities are offering fewer preparation programs. This creates a cycle of districts having to hire less qualified individuals to teach, and the schools that suffer most are those serving students of color and of poverty.

Teacher Turnover

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2024), about 1 in 6 teachers are leaving their school or profession annually. Teacher turnover impacts three main areas: student and school performance, social and professional culture, and district finances and resources.

Financial Impact to Districts

Many school districts in Texas are experiencing decreased enrollment, which affects the districts operating budget. Turnover impacts district operating budgets directly. The cost of replacing a teacher includes expenses and human capital hours related to processing separation, recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers. Many new teachers need additional professional learning and induction support.

Using the Learning Policy Institute’s interactive tool, “2024 Update: What’s the Cost of Teacher Turnover,” districts can determine an estimate of how turnover is costing a district. For example, a large district (more than 50,000 students) may have a turnover of 300 teachers. The estimated cost of turnover would be nearly $7.5 million dollars; thus, cutting turnover in half could save the district nearly $3.7 million dollars.

A medium sized district (10,00050,000 students) who turns over 75 teachers would expect to pay $1.2 million, and a small district (under 10,000 students) who turnover 10 teachers would expect to spend $118,600 in turnover costs.

Interactive tool: https:// learningpolicyinstitute.org/ product/2024-whats-cost-teacherturnover

Changing attrition would reduce the projected shortages more than any other single factor (Sutcher et al., 2016, p. 2).

Why Teachers Leave

Public school districts determine their teachers’ salaries, and teachers are typically paid based on the salary schedule regardless of teaching assignment or content area (Alger, 2014; Blackburn,

2021). A 5th-year monolingual Pre-K teacher earns the same salary as a 5th-year bilingual high school physics teacher. Neither student performance nor teaching specializations are considered in the traditional step-and-lane salary schedule (Alger, 2014; Blackburn, 2021).

Dissatisfaction with low salaries is often cited as a reason for teachers leaving the profession (Blackburn, 2021; R. M. Ingersoll, 2003; R. M. Ingersoll & May, 2012; R. Ingersoll et al., 2019; Merrimack College, 2022; Podolsky et al., 2016; Sutcher et al., 2016). In a study by Ingersoll and Purda, dissatisfaction was the reason identified by 48% of teachers leaving the profession, followed by family or personal issues.

Teacher salaries directly impact the attractiveness of the teaching profession (Adamson & DarlingHammond, 2012; Sutcher et al., 2016, 2019); they influence decisions to enroll in teacher preparation programs, to become teachers post-graduation, to return after career interruptions, and to remain in the teaching field (OECD, 2021). Between 2010 and 2018, teacher preparation programs experienced a 36% decline in enrollments and an approximate 28% decline in completion rates (Elsayed & Roch, 2023; Partelow, 2019). Furthermore, high school students are less interested in pursuing a career in education (Elsayed & Roch, 2023). Teacher salaries also influence teacher attrition and turnover, which impact the teacher shortage (Adamson & Darling-Hammond, 2012; Loeb et al., 2005; Podolsky et al., 2016; Podolsky et al., 2019; Sutcher et al., 2016, 2019). Podolsky et al. (2019) stated 67% of public school teachers who left education identified an increase in salary as one of the top influencing reasons. In the 2022 Voices from the Classroom Survey (Educators for Excellence, 2022),

78% of respondents believed a higher salary would improve teacher retention. Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond (2017) posited earning potential was the primary indicator in reducing teacher attrition. Higher-paying public school districts were approximately 31% more likely to retain teachers than lower-paying districts (Carver-Thomas & DarlingHammond, 2017).

The Teacher Incentive Allotment

House Bill 3 (HB3) was a historic school finance bill passed by the 86th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 11, 2019 (TEA, 2022b, 2022c). HB3 authorized the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), which was designed to provide a realistic pathway for Texas’s top-performing teachers to earn a six-figure salary. The stated goals of the TIA are to attract and retain highly effective teachers in hard-to-staff schools in rural and high-poverty areas (TEA, 2022c, 2022d). Rather than encouraging teachers to “work harder,” the TIA is designed to identify the highest-performing teachers and substantially reward them, which is directly aligned with the incentive motivation theories outlined earlier in this chapter (Lee et al., 2021; TEA, 2022c, 2022d). The TIA funds are written into statute, which allows for sustainable funding. TEA (2022d) stated there are no caps on teacher designations or allotment funds.

The TIA provides three designation levels: Recognized, Exemplary, and Master. Recognized teachers represent the top 33%, exemplary the top 20%, and master teachers the top 5% teachers in Texas. There are 1,270 school districts in Texas, which employ over 380,000 school teachers. As of December 2024, about 6.5% of Texas teachers are TIA Designated. Last year, $290 million dollars was paid to teachers in additional compensation through the TIA.

LESSON LEARNED: WHY TEACHERS STAY

In a 2024 dissertation study (Chitwood, 2024), designated teachers in a large urban district were interviewed to understand what impacts their decision to stay in the classroom, on their campus, and in the district. The teachers serve students of varying socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds. Because the study occurred after the first year payout year, the participants were limited to the district’s first cohort, which were teachers in middle and elementary levels who taught reading or math (there were no high school teachers in the study). Additionally, most of the participants had more than 10 years of experience in the classroom. Three major themes developed: connectedness, administrative support and compensation.

Connectedness

Connectedness included teacherstudent relationships, community connections, campus engagement, and peer relationships. Teachers expressed a love and true joy working with students. One participant stated, ““The thing I love the most are the kids. Why would I take myself away from that?”

Teachers felt their peer and community relationships were rooted in a shared vision of student outcomes as well as a genuine desire to see each other succeed. One of the participants shared, “These are my people. This is who I was meant to be a part of and to serve.”

Administrative Support

Some participants described administrative support as developing a positive school culture focused on improving teachers and student outcomes. Another participant described administrative support as having a kind leader with a passion for students who coaches and provides instructional leadership that inspires them. Other participants described administrative support as trust in the form of more autonomy to do what she believed would best benefit her students. While described differently by each teacher, the support provided was focused on doing what is best for students.

Compensation

The previous themes, connectedness and administrative support, underscored why teachers stay in the classroom and in their schools, but the initial attractiveness to the district and what has encouraged them to remain has been competitive compensation. The teacher participants gave conflicting answers as it related to the TIA and its influence on their motivation to remain in the district. However, they all expressed an appreciation for the allotment and that it has helped “ease” their minds when considering future financial decisions, such as helping their own kids attend college or retirement.

Additional studies are recommended to determine if the TIA is having a broader impact on retention, especially in teachers earlier in their careers and in districts of different sizes.

Retention Strategies

Teachers tend to stay where the feel valued, connected, and supported. Districts should prioritize supporting teachers and building positive cultures that nurture connects, relationships, and professional growth. Additionally, Districts need to involve teachers in decisions that affect the school community. The private sector consistently uses incentive pay as a retention strategy (Gerhart & Fang, 2015). The TIA was designed to recognize and reward the highest performing teachers in Texas and is available, with application and approval, to any Texas school district to utilize as a recruitment and retention tool (TEA, 2022c 2002d). For a well-rounded retention strategy, the TIA should be integrated with the other influencing factors to strengthen retention efforts.

*Citations available upon request