001All right. Good afternoon everyone. Thank you all so much for being here. You if you are here for the Texas Strategic Staffing for Residency Grant webinar as part of Lasso 4, you are in the right place. This is the first of two webinars overviewing this year's TSS grant or I'm sorry the 2628 TSS grant. I am Corless Funkley. I am the residency implementation specialist for our team and you know Alyssa Ree as our director. If you have questions, you will send us an email at our Texas strategic staffing box which is down there. So let's go over a few housekeeping items. Um, we're going to do an overview of LASO cycle 4, the application process and timeline, um, a Texas strategic staffing for residency grant deep dive and talk about next steps. I will not
002be answering questions during the webinar. So, if you will make sure to drop them in the Zoom Q&A, they will be sent out in an FAQ at a later date. Slides and recordings will be posted on the Lasso4 website after all of the Ebon webinars have been completed. And if you have questions about the application itself, please make sure that you email lasso tea.ex.gov for questions about the application. If you have questions about the web about the program, you can email us at texas strategic staffing tea.ex.gov. So what is the lyso lasso 4 grant? We know that um lasso is something that has been done across the state for many years. We are in cycle 4 and it is a single consolidated application that combines grants, aotments and inind supports and they're bundled together to
003over a few key strategies and initiatives. This year, it will offer 15 opportunities focused on curriculum and instruction, educator training, more time, and innovative school models. There's over $500 million in estimated supports, and all of this is bundled into one application for ease of use. It'll be anchored in four different areas. Again, curriculum and instruction focusing on rigorous rigorous highquality instructional materials materials, talent pipelines that support teachers, which is where strategic staffing comes in more time for the students most in need and then looking at in innovative school models to incorporate all aspects of the learning acceleration framework. Our portfolio shows this portfolio shows all of the a lotments and grants available in LASO4. And as you can see in this outlined orange box, the Texas strategic staffing for residency grants goes directly to districts.
004We have an estimated total of $2.9 million to offer this year. It'll be a two-year initiative like it has always been up to 58,0004 58,400 and we will give out up to 50 grants this year. So why are we looking at Texas strategic staffing? So the purpose of this grant is to offer inind technical assistance like we have always done to create a partnership between educator preparation programs and school systems that includes districts and open enrollment charter schools to make staffing and scheduling decisions that are driven by student need. It is a two-year program that will support design and implementation of a paid year-long high quality and sustainable teacher residency. The years this year are 2627 for design and 27 and 28 for implementation. This grant will give partial funding for at least one school
005system staff member to oversee the program and in that includes the coordination between the school system, the technical assistance provider and the EP. So why do we need teacher res paid teacher residencies? Well, we know that although student incl student student enrollment declined for a bit after COVID, our teacher hiring increased. So even though we have less students, we are hiring more teachers. However, our attrition rate went up quite a bit after COVID, but we are again seeing a decline. Folks are coming back into the field and they're staying. The concern is as we hire new folks and in last year we hired 49,200 new teachers in Texas. 55% of them are uncertified. So across our state, we hire 55% of our new teachers is uncertified, 24% alternatively certified, 18% traditional. And we are excited
006to see that 3% of those are residency candidates. And we know that that 3% comes from the work that has been done through TTRPR, but also in the previous year's Texas strategic staffing grants. What impact does this have on students? We know that firstear teachers who were paid residents were as effective effective as fifthyear teachers in reading courses. I'll repeat that because that's impactful. If a student if a teacher was a paid resident in their first year, they are just as effective as fifthyear teachers. If all firstear teachers had the same retention rate as paid residents, approximately 3,600 fewer firstear teachers would have left Texas public schools between 2022 and 23 and 2023 and 24. If we look at the data on the left, we know that paid residents versus uncertified teachers, their students have
007a higher rate of achievement. And that is across all programs including our traditional programs through LEAs or SC ESC's outofstate and university prep. So we know that our paid residents the students of our paid residents have greater achievement than those who go through more traditional programs and from out of state. So what is Texas strategic staffing and how does it help? It allows school systems to leverage teacher residents to meet intermediate instructional needs. So we currently have five six models that we use. Five of which um are more pre more compatible with what we do. Oh, excuse me. All right. Sorry about that, y'all. with what we do with our um strategic staffing. So, we know that because of TTRPR, a couple of our models are not eligible to be used or we'll have to
008do some tweaks with those with TTRPR and the hours requirement, but the majority of the models that we use will continue to be viable with the TTRPR requirements. We also use Texas strategic staffing to help school systems learn to reallocate and reinvest funds to sustain and scale paid teacher residencies. We want to make sure that not only are we funding them for a year, but we are able to fund them as we go forward in this process. So when we think of strategic staffing, we have to remember there's the residency model where we have a host teacher and a resident, another host teacher and a resident. But if we think about paying residents and reinvesting and reallocating funds, we are then able to use one of those residents not only as a resident in a
009classroom, but also partially as a substitute. And so that is just one of the models that we train districts on implementing. If you want to know more, please feel free to go to the TSS website and find out about the other models that we train districts on implementing. So what technical assistance comes with our TSS grants? The first year is design year. Our very well-trained TSS fellows walk through districts through setting goals, determining what type of model they want to use, what criteria and um procedures they want to put in place. In the second year, they implement it. They work with the districts to get the ball rolling and then go out and visit and work on refining and reinforcing what they're doing. And then there's the s sustainability piece. You will hear that over
010and over again. We want to make sure that again this is sustainable with the prep residency aotment. The paid piece will be sustainable but making sure that the par procedures and parameters are in place is also a huge part of the sustainability. So what does it look like? In the fall of 2026, you'll work on setting goals and models. In the winter of 2026, you'll look at the hiring process and planning. So, looking at job descriptions for host teachers and residents, what your hiring timeline looks like, and your selection and placement process. In the spring of 2027, you'll look at recruitment and placement, host teacher and resident recruitment, looking at applications and reviewing those and making selections, matching your host teachers and your residents, and then defining your communication structures. In the spring of 2027,
011it's summer training and implementation. So, making sure that your host teachers and residents are trained in what models you'll be using, what the expectations are. Um, and then planning for your implementation year. In the implementation year, there are three important components. First, you have your site visits. There are two of those, one in the fall and one in the spring. Governance and implementation your team meetings, and those are four over the span of a school year. and then sustainability and scale meetings because again the goal is you start in you start small and then you build. This is an overview of what that technical assistance looks like um some of the major activities what the TA provider is doing during this process and what our EP is doing. And again, one of the things we
012want to reiterate is that with Texas strategic staffing, we look at the needs of each district and each partnership. So even if you've done strategic staffing, which I'm sure many of you have, as you get new partners as requirements change, we want to reiterate that we tailor this to the needs of each of the district and EP partnerships that we have. If you want to know more about strategic staffing and see the work that has already been done across the state, you can visit our TSS and action page. Um there are now we have four case studies that we have um that William C, who used to be our manager of strategic staffing worked hard to get um filming done so that you can see the work that you all have done across the state.
013So let's talk about the grant specifics for Lasso 4. You're going to see this slide multiple times throughout this presentation. To apply for the Texas Strategic Staffing for Residency Grant, applicants must also apply to the PREP pre-ervice residency program. So, when you go into that application, you're going to have to apply for the PREP residency program in order to apply for TSS. So grant versus aotment lasso generally has always had just grants. School systems are selected for bun funding based on a set of priority points or tiers. Aotments like our lasso prepot program aotment all school systems are selected for funding that meet eligibility criteria and commit to statutoily based requirements. So our grant you have to go through this process. They're a tearing with our lasso program aotment. Everybody is eligible as long as
014they meet the criteria and commit to the requirements. So how can TSS help support residency program aotment? So again, with the pre-ervice residency program, all eligible applicants that meet criteria and commit to requirements are funded. Texas strategic staffing, you have to go through the application process. Now, when we think about that, you're wondering, well, can we use this grant funding to help with prep preservants residency? not initially, but in the implementation year, you will learn how to reallocate and reinvest local funds to help with that cost matching. So, this is an example, and if you attended the previous webinar on prep aotment, you saw this. So, each district gets initial funding of $12,000. There is a $10,000 funding from TEA and the school district has a $10,000 school system match. What Texas Strategic Staffing can
015help you do is learn to reallocate and reinvest funding to help meet the cost match requirement. So although it is not a direct funding stream, you learn through this process how to find funding within local funds to fund your cost match. And then this goes into a little bit more of the base funding. So we know there will be success funding and then EPS will also receive funding after teacher candidates complete their first year. So, who is eligible to apply for the TSS grant this coming year? First, you have to submit a lasso4 application for the preparing and retaining educators through partnership pre-ervice residency program. In addition to this application, you have to have a signed EP verification form from each EP partner with the state board of educator certification approved Texas teacher residency preparation
016route. If you have applied if you applied for the 2025 through through 2027 TSS grant, you are very familiar with this form. you know that you have to find your EP partner, have them certify that they are willing to enter into this partnership and then we will go back and verify it before final awards are made. If you received the 202527 Texas Strategic Staffing Grant or the 2025 sustainable residency continuation grant, you are not eligible to apply for this round of TSS grant funding. Some program assurances. The applicant will appoint a school system strategic staffing lead who will serve at least 20% of their time to oversee the Texas strategic staffing for residencies grant. Some of those duties are developing clear companion guides, sharing data with the ESC technical assistance provider, and submitting data to
017TEA on grant implementation and outcomes. Sustainable funding is another assurance. The model will be sustainably funded by the school systems cost match requirement and prep aotment residency program funds by school year 2829. And so traditionally we have you helped you work through finding the funding. We will still do that, but TSS funding won't directly be provided to fund resident stipens. You will need a model that includes sustainable cost matching, and that's where TSS will help you find funds to meet the cost match requirement of the prep residency pre-ervice allotment. School system and EP partnership asurances. You will establish a partnership with at least one EP that has been approved to offer the enhanced certificate. You must have a signed comm letter letter of commitment orou with the technical assistance provider and confirm their commitment to
018the strategic staffing process. You have to sh set shared goals with your EP partner. You'll hold structured governance meetings at least quarterly. Work collaboratively with EP partners to design a strategic staffing model and stipens. Make sure that you're adhering to all educator preparation requirements for residency based in TAC chapter 228. And if possible, provide preferential hiring to teacher residents who complete their residency in your district and earn an enhanced certificate. The technical assistance assurances, you will work with your ESC technical assistance provider to make key decisions and design structures that continue after the end of technical assistance. That's where that sustainability piece comes in. Ensure that a designated team of leaders from the school system, campuses, and EPS actively participate in the training that will begin in August of 2026. Attend with the EPA sustainability
019meetings with the technical assistance provider each year of the 2728 school year. Now, many of you may be wondering, what does the time commitment look like? This is in the slide deck, but it is also on the lasso website so that you are familiar with what folks in your district will need to commit to in order to make this process. These are some of the key players that help make the planning and the implementation of Texas strategic staffing key to the sustainability piece. So, what are some application highlights? Again, to apply for the Texas Strategic Staffing for Residency Grant, applicants must also apply to the PREP pre-ervice residency program applications will be scored into four tiers. So, our tier one group will be up to 30 awards. What TEA will do is rank applicants in
020order from greatest to fewest number of new hires with no previous experience teaching using the data from the new hire dashboard. So as you know every year TEA collects new hire information. We look at it by district and region and so we will rank that. Then from the rankings, we will select the top 30 applicants that have not pre previously participated in Texas strategic staffing and are implementing 165 or more instructional days in their school system. In the case of a tie, all school systems in the tie will be fully funded and the remaining applicants will move to the second tier of selection. Tier 2 will be up to 20 awards. Again, we will rank we will narrow the pool to those who have a new EP partner for the 2526 school year or the
0212627 school year and are implementing 165 or more instructional days. Now these applicants in tier 2 may have been previous TSS recipients except for those who according to eligibility requirements are not eligible. So that is the folks who have received the 2025 through 2027 grant and the 2425 sustainability grant. Once we have those applicants, we will rank them again based on new hire data. Again, if there is a tie, applicants will be fully funded if possible. If funding has been exhausted and is not possible to fund all applicants in the tie, TEA may split fund the ties or fund up only to 19 applicants. And you all know that we have had to do that in the past. The remaining applicants will move to the third tier of selection. In tier three, all remaining applicants
022will be in the th uh third tier of selection and those with a board of managers will be selected. Um all districts with a stateapp appointed board of managers or or with at least 5 years of unacceptable accountability ratings because we may not have the designation for board of managers in time to make the decision. Again, in case of a tie, all school systems will be funded fully if funding is available. Again, if it has been exhausted and is not able and we're not able to fund all CA applicants, we will split the funding or fund only up to the total amount available for the grant. The remaining applicants will then move into tier 4. So, all applicants who are remaining go into tier 4. They will be awarded in order of greatest to fewest
023number of new hires with no previous teaching experience regardless of their past participation in TSS programs excluding the two grants I've already mentioned or whether the school system has a new EP partner. Again, in the case of a tie, we will fund if funding is available. We may have to split funding or fund only up to the total amount available for the grant. This grant will not require any type of interview. Our approved for providers. All of our ESC's are approved to provide inind technical assistance for this grant. Every ESC has a trained TSS fellow who will walk you through this process. Our team will match school systems with the appropriate ESC and get you in contact with your TSS fellow and team. Please remember that we do have contract provider guidelines. We are required
024for equal treatment of all persons and we are not able to pro provide based on biological sex and we have to make our decisions reflective of federal and state laws. So what's next for you? First, make sure that if you need a refresher or have more questions that you come to the other webinar on October 23rd. It will be the same information, but if you attend, you may hear something new. It is important if you did not attend the prep residency preervice program webinar at 11:00 today that you attend at 2:00 on October 20th because again it is a requirement that you apply for the prep pre-ervice program in order to apply for TSS. We also have our mentorship webinar and our GIO webinars coming up. So, please make note of those um so that
025you can attend. This is an overview. Remember, our application is going to close at 5:00 p.m. Central time on December 3rd. So, we are here where we're doing our program specific webinars. We will have office hours and I'll show you those times on our next slide. We will do our scoring and vetting between December 7 12th and January 22nd. Um our anticipated announcement is February 2nd and then this grant will get then go through the egrants process between February 3rd and March 5th and we will start our NOGA process that many of you who have done this before are familiar with so that we can get you NOG good and you can begin this work. Um again you must apply by December 3rd at 5:00 pm. Um, superintendent have been have been sent the link.
026If they do not have it, please make sure that they complete the form so that they can be sent the link. A PDF is posted for you to take a look at so that if you have any questions or you need to know who is supposed to be there to complete it, you can do that before you start your application. And applications must be signed by the superintendent. If you make changes to your application from the time you started up until 5:00 p.m. on December 3rd, the last application that you submit, the last copy is what will be scored. So if you go in and you put information and somebody leaves in the district or you need to make changes, you can resubmit it, but we will only accept the last application that is submitted.
027When are office hours? So on October 30th from 1 to 1:30 we will have office hours with the Texas strategic staffing team. On October 27th and November 3rd there will be application support webinar or excuse me office hours that will just be to talk about going through and filling out the application. Again if you have questions you can either drop them in the Q&A chat or email us at Texas Strategic Staffing. you will receive an auto reply that says we are in the grant period and they will go in the FAQs just like all of our previous TSS grant. So Lasso has an informal discretionary competitive grant process which is what the TSS grant is. Declines and change requests are not advisable in the typical competitive process. If declines are requested, they will be considered
028on a case-byase basis for the school systems and could raise the school systems federal grant risk level in the coming year. Again, this is an overview of our application window application. The application opened on October 3rd. It closes at 5:00 p.m. Central time on December 3rd. Our webinars will be going up until the 24th. your next steps. Please visit the lasso4 website to familiar familiarize yourself with all of the grant material. Please communicate and share the information with your school system internal teams so that you are sure that you have a successful application. Register for all of the upcoming webinars and please take a moment to look at the resources available. There's some great one-pagers that give you a very brief overview of what each of the initiatives is about. Um, an app document to
029help you prioritize what you should apply for. Um, selection tools and then the roles and responsibilities insight tools. That is the end of our webinar. I am excited to give you 29 minutes of your time back today. Again, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Texas Strategic Staffing inbox. And I hope you all have a wonderful day.