Benefit Approval Process
Step 2: The district applies to TEA for Texas Partnership benefits
Overview
After a district develops and authorizes a strong partnership, the district can apply to TEA for Texas Partnership benefits available through SB 1882. All districts applying for benefits must complete and submit the Texas Partnership Benefits Application.
Apply for Texas Partnership Benefits
Download the Texas Partnership Benefits Application to get started.
Application Submission Timeline
Deadline for Submission for Texas Partnerships benefits that begin in 2023-2024
The table below details required activities for the benefits application process. For more details, see the To the Administrator Addressed correspondence. The deadline for districts to submit their Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for partnerships beginning operation in 2023-2024 is 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Friday, December 16, 2022 (email to TXP@tea.texas.gov).
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Required Activities |
Date & Time |
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Mandatory Letter of Intent due |
Friday, September 30, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. |
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Charter Authorizing Policy, Campus Charter Application and Scoring Rubric due |
Friday, September 30, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. |
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District Training: Select one time/date option; all webinars begin at 10am and last 90 minutes. Required attendees: superintendent or cabinet member.
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Proposed or Potential Operating Partner Training: Select one time/date option; all webinars begin at 10am and last an hour. Required attendees: currently employed partner staff or partner board member. |
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Performance Contract Training: Select one time/date option; all webinars begin at 10am and last an hour. Required attendees: district superintendent or cabinet member and currently employed partner staff or partner board member. |
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Texas Partnership Benefits Application Package due |
Friday, December 16, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. |
Application Review Steps
Completeness Review
TEA will first review the application for completeness and to ensure that districts have adopted and/or utilized all relevant policies and templates as required. If TEA determines that any part of a district’s submission is incomplete, it will notify the district so it can re-submit the necessary documents.
Application Evaluation
TEA will review and evaluate relevant submissions from each district’s application for partnership benefits. TEA will formally evaluate (and approve) application resources that are applicable to the type of partnership school and type of partner organization. Required application documents will be evaluated by internal and external review teams. External review teams will be comprised of vetted individuals with expertise in reviewing charter applications.
Capacity Interviews
TEA will conduct capacity interviews with districts submitting an application that does not meet a minimum threshold in one or multiple of the steps above. During these interviews, TEA staff may ask questions to clarify specific elements of the application(s) and to assess the district’s and partner’s capacity to implement the partnership plan laid out in their application.
Texas Partnership Benefits Application
The Texas Partnership Benefits Application includes a section on district charter authorizing policies and practices. In it, districts must describe how they will implement their charter policies, including the resources available, the leadership of the district’s charter authorizing functions, and the process the district will put in place to review, monitor, and intervene at a school when necessary. TEA will evaluate the quality of those policies and practices for districts partnering with a new Texas partner, regardless of school type. Districts must also attach their board-approved charter authorizing policy.
Local Campus Partner Application
All districts must share the Local Campus Partner Applications that their partners submitted. However, TEA will only evaluate the quality of the Local Campus Partner Application for districts partnering with a new Texas partner.
Partnership Performance Contract
All districts that apply for partnership school benefits must submit an executed Partnership Performance Contract. TEA will evaluate the quality of the contracts for all partnerships regardless of school or partner type. Districts should refer to the Partnership Performance Contract Rubric when drafting and negotiating contract terms to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements. The Partnership Performance Contract Rubric clarifies contract criteria for partners’ operating authority, academic performance goals, financial goals, campus enrollment and expulsion policies, contract terms, charter exemptions, service level agreements, per-pupil funding allocations from the district, accountability for implementing an education plan, and consequences for breach of contract. TEA has also created a Partnership Performance Contract template.
If the performance contract does not meet all the criteria in TEA’s evaluation form, TEA may approve the contract contingent on the district making specific, requested modifications.
Contact Us
We’d love to hear from you. Contact the Texas Partnerships team for assistance or questions about forming a Texas Partnership.
