Resource Campus Designation

What is a Resource Campus?

• The Resource Campus designation is a turnaround school model established in HB 1525 during the 87th Texas Legislative Session. Resource Campuses utilize the Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) Restart Model to improve student outcomes by incentivizing the most impactful teachers to serve on highest-need campuses, implementing evidence-based academic programming, and extending learning time. 
• This designation provides an opportunity to build a comprehensive plan for school turnaround that leverages existing and complementary school improvement actions focused on talent identification and strategic staffing (Teacher Incentive Allotment), the use of instructional time (Additional Days School Year), and rigorous and research-based curriculum (High-Quality Instructional Materials), all of which have demonstrated significant gains in student outcomes across Texas districts (in growth and proficiency).
• Campuses eligible for the Resource Campus designation may also generate additional revenue for the district to sustain the innovation. 

What are the Resource Campus Eligibility Criteria?

• A campus with at least four unacceptable performance ratings in the last 10 years is eligible for potential additional and sustained state funding if the campus implements a whole-school Resource Campus model including:
  • ACE plan implementation;
  • Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) - 60% campus requirement;
  • Additional Days School Year (ADSY) - if elementary;
  • High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM); and
  • Staffing Requirements - 
    • Principals, assistant principals, and teachers must apply or reapply;
    • All campus teachers must have 3 years teaching experience; and
    • 1 counselor per 300 students and 1 appropriately licensed mental health professional.

Does it Work?

By utilizing comprehensive and proven strategies and initiatives, Resource Campuses strengthen student outcomes. The goal is to reach A or B accountability status within the first two years of implementation. 

• ACE has been implemented at over forty campuses, impacting more than 50,000 students. 
  • According to the TEA 2023 Annual Report, ACE campuses see substantial progress in accountability ratings, often transforming from F-rated to B-rated schools in a single year.
• ADSY students see more growth in reading and math than those who do not participate. 
  • In 2024, students attending ADSY saw a 3ppt higher growth rate on Math STAAR at Approaches or better (+1ppt for ADSY vs. -2ppt statewide) and 4ppt higher growth rate in Reading STAAR (+5ppt for ADSY vs. +1ppt statewide).
  • In 2023, ADSY programs offering 25 or more additional days saw an 11ppt growth in STAAR Math Meets level from 2022 to 2023, as compared to a 4ppt growth for ADSY programs offered fewer than 25 days, and a 2ppt growth for non-ADSY campuses statewide.
• TIA provides outstanding teachers with an accessible pathway to a six-figure salary. 
  • A recent TEA study conducted during the 2023-24 school year showed that designated teacher retention exceeded the statewide teacher retention rate by eight percentage points. 
• HQIM are SBOE-approved, aligned to academic standards, content-rich with clear learning outcomes, reflect evidence-based practices, and provide a full suite of teacher and student materials.
  • In 2024, a TEA CRIMSI pilot program utilizing HQIM found that teachers were four times as likely to show strong instruction and three times as likely to meet the expectations of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in comparison to national baseline data.

What is the Designation Process?

TEA expects to open the Resource Campus designation process in the fall of 2025 using the following process:

• Submit Letter of Intent
• Submit designation application
• TEA review and due diligence
• Designation acceptance

How does the Funding Work?

Resource Campuses are eligible for potential additional state funding as provided under Sec. 48.252. Each campus designated as a Resource Campus is entitled to receive the greater of either:

• The amount of state funding to which the district would be entitled, or
• the amount of state funding to which an open-enrollment charter school would be entitled.

Use the *state aid template to estimate the amount for a specific campus (amounts for estimation purposes only).

More Information

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