Texas AP/IB Teacher Training Incentive

The Texas Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Incentive Program (AP/IB), originally established in 1993 by the 73rd Texas Legislature, is designed to emphasize the state’s commitment to high academic performance by recognizing and rewarding students, teachers, and schools that demonstrate success in achieving the educational goals of the state.

2023 AP-IB Teacher Training Reimbursement 

Texas students took AP and IB exams at historic levels in the 2022-2023 school year. The unprecedented increases in subsidy-eligible exams have exhausted the AP Incentive budget for FY23 leaving no funds available for FY23  teacher training reimbursements. 

2024 AP-IB Teacher Training Reimbursement Criteria

In support of the Advanced Placement Incentive Program, the Teacher Training Reimbursement (TTR) incentive includes the training Advanced Placement (AP), Pre-AP, and International Baccalaureate Programme (IB, DP, and MYP) teachers complete. The AP/IB TTR program reimburses public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools for a portion of the cost related to participating in approved teacher training up to a maximum of $450 for each eligible teacher.

To be eligible for reimbursement, a district must verify each training:

•  Is TEA approved
•  Occurred between September 1 and August 31 of the fiscal year
•  Is aligned with the course the teacher will be teaching during the upcoming school year

Important:

• Applications must be submitted by a campus or district AP/IB program coordinator. Applications from individual teachers are not accepted.
• Counselors, librarians, administrators, facilitators, and coordinators are not eligible for reimbursement.
• Copies of training certificates must be kept on file at the campus/district with one PDF of all certificates (alpha order) uploaded into the application.
• Only applications submitted utilizing the online system will be accepted. No, emailed, stamped, or faxed applications will be accepted; no exceptions. If you have questions about the process or issues with the application, please contact advancedacademics@tea.texas.gov.

TEA-approved trainings include:

• APSI College Board endorsed Advanced Placement Summer Institute, a minimum of 15 hours, in person or online.
• College Course in teacher's assigned discipline or subject with content depth and 3+ college credit hours earned, in person or online.
• IBO endorsed MYP or DP Workshop, 3 consecutive days, minimum 15 hours, in person or online.
• NMSI (National Math and Science Initiative) training, minimum 15 hours, in person or online.
• Springboard Institute, three-consecutive-days Initial workshop with a minimum of 15 hours, in person or online.
• TCU’s Institute for Teaching Excellence, in person or online.
• Rice University's AP Preparedness, in person or online.
• A three-consecutive-day institute, provided by a university that is approved to host an APSI, that will provide teachers with a depth of content and rigorous instructional strategies in AP, Pre-AP, IB DP or MYP or an Advanced course, minimum 15 hours, in person or online.
• College Board-approved online training that consists of a minimum of 15 hours of instruction.
• College Board endorsed provider training for AP Computer Science Principles
• AP Mentoring through the College Board.

*Pre-AP, IB Middle Years Program (MYP), and equivalent Advanced courses must be approved by the local district as advanced-level courses and are:  

• offered in grades 6-11,
• with participation in person or online,
• greater in depth and complexity than the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS),
• at a level of rigor to prepare students for success in a future AP and/or IB course, and
• are in a district's vertically aligned sequence of courses that end with an AP/IB course.

Eligible teachers:

• Texas public school teachers employed by the district that paid the training expense and requested reimbursement.
• The teacher participated in a TEA-approved training as identified above.
• The teacher is assigned to teach students enrolled in grades 6-12, in an AP, Pre-AP, IB, DP, MYP, or equivalent advanced course during the school year that is aligned with the training. 
• The district did not receive a training reimbursement for the prior year for the teacher.
• A teacher is eligible for reimbursement only one time in a two-year period, every other year,
  • regardless of the number of courses being taught, 
  • regardless of the number of training hours attended,
  • and regardless of the title or discipline of an additional or new course assignment.

TTR applications must be submitted through the published TEA Qualtrics survey available on this webpage during the August-September application window.

• The application requires the email address of a district/campus-appointed TTR coordinator, as well as a district business office staff member, and the superintendent.
• The coordinator is responsible for all information in the application.  The coordinator must verify the information submitted to the Texas Education Agency via the published application and certify its accuracy.

The following information will be required to complete the application:

• Designated AP/IB contact for each district/campus applying for the reimbursement.
• Business office representative for each district who will be responsible for receipt of TTR funds.
• District name and 6-digit county-district number (CDN).
• Campus name and county, district, and campus number (CDCN) on which each eligible teacher will be teaching an AP, Pre-AP, IB, DP, MYP, or an equivalent advanced course during the school year.
• Each eligible teacher’s first and last name.
• TEA-assigned 10-digit Unique Identification Number (Unique ID) for each teacher.
  • If unique IDs are unknown, contact the district’s PEIMS Coordinator. 
  • Unique ID is required for a teacher training reimbursement to be approved. 
  • The Unique ID will be used to match the teacher to the district applying for the reimbursement.
• Total registration fee paid for each training.
  • This should only reflect the cost of registration
  • No costs related to travel, meals, or lodging will be reimbursed
• Number of hours participated as printed on the training certificate.
• Type of course (i.e., Pre-AP/an equivalent course, Pre-IB/MYP, IB, AP).
• Subject name (e.g., Biology) that will be taught by each eligible teacher.
• Name of the training host/provider (e.g., APSI UT-Austin, Texas IB Schools).
• Name of the training course in which each teacher participated (e.g., AP Biology for New Teachers).

How much will be reimbursed:

Teacher Training Reimbursements (TTR) will be paid with a budget that remains after AP-IB exam subsidies have been reimbursed and In accordance with TEC §28.053 and TAC §74.29.  TTR funding priority for teacher training reimbursements will be given to:

1. Eligible teachers on public school campuses that offer new AP or IB course(s) for the first time during the school year.
2. Eligible teachers at campuses that begin new AP/IB programs during the school year, including IB candidate schools.

The remaining TTR funds will be distributed evenly among all remaining approved requests. The amount reimbursed will not be known until all applications have been received and approved. The  TTR may not exceed $450 per eligible teacher. If reimbursing the number of approved applications at $450 exceeds the available funds, TEA will reimburse less than $450 per teacher. If there are no available funds remaining after student AP-IB exam fee subsidies have been reimbursed, no application will be published for TTR.

How to expect payment:

• TTR funds will be paid with a direct deposit to each district.
• Districts determine how funds are allocated after receipt.
• An email with the URL for application approvals will be sent to each AP/IB administrator, business office staff, and superintendent whose email appears on the application.

When to expect payment:

The TTR application will contain information regarding payment dates. For information or assistance, email advancedacademics@tea.texas.gov or Kay Humes, Statewide Coordinator for Advanced Academics, Kay.Humes@tea.texas.gov.