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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Project AIM 2014-2015 (Revised 09-30-14)

  1. What are the Eligibility Requirements for Project AIM/TIF? Do I have to participate in the Project?
    To be eligible for Project AIM/TIF, you must be a teacher, staff member or principal at one of the ten Project AIM schools and teach in an eligible position (see General Eligibility Requirements). Project AIM/TIF is optional. Teachers and staff members are not required to participate. Eligibility forms and agreements are sent to the schools. Teachers opt-in by signing the form and return it to the school. Please keep a copy for your records. A copy of this page is then sent to the district TIF office. A list of teachers per school is then generated so we know who is participating from each school.
  2. I have experienced a health condition/injury beyond my control, which has caused me to miss more than 10 days of work. Do I still qualify to receive the award?
    In the event of an extended absence due to illness/injury, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is available to employees after the tenth consecutive day of absence. Employees must apply and receive authorization for FMLA through our Human Resources Department. These absences are covered by FMLA and are held harmless in regards to TIF. Absences that may occur before or after the FMLA event count toward the 10 days of allowable absences. There is an Attendance Eligibility form to complete along with the submission of the appropriate paperwork. The deadline for Attendance Appeals is Friday, June 12, 2015.
  3. I teach Algebra I Honors and Algebra II, which produces two TVAAS scores, how am I rewarded?
    Your reward will be based on the job assignment in which you function in the majority of the workday.
  4. I am a Special Education teacher. Am I eligible for the award?
    Yes, Special Education teachers in AYP courses are considered teachers with value-added scores, if they have at least 25 students. If they don’t have 25 students, they are considered teachers without value- added scores. Teachers who teach students with portfolio are considered teachers without value-added, because these students are not counted in the value-added reports.
  5. Are the Project AIM/TIF awards taxed?
    Yes.
  6. Are the rewards we receive from the Project AIM/TIF grant a bonus on top of our regular salary schedule?
    Yes, teachers will receive the bonus pay in one payment, which will be included in a regularly scheduled paycheck. The bonus is paid out in December of the following school year.
  7. What takes so long to receive the award?
    One of the reasons it takes so long to receive the award is that, under normal circumstances, the results from state testing are not officially released until September- October. Once the scores are released, they are uploaded to the state and district website; that information is then pulled by our Research Analyst and sent to Battelle for Kids© to upload in their system. From there, teachers are asked to verify the information and report any errors to Battelle and the Project AIM/TIF team. When all information is verified, a spreadsheet is generated and then the Payout Process begins.
  8. Are Level 1 and 2 teachers eligible to receive the award?
    No, Level 1 and 2 teachers are no longer eligible to receive the award based on Federal Requirements. Since Project AIM/TIF is a federal grant, we have to abide by their rules.
  9. The district does not have a required amount of Professional Development hours; does the Project AIM/TIF Grant have a PD requirement?
    Yes, there is a 10 hour PD requirement for all schools/teachers who participate in the Project AIM/TIF Grant. These 10 hours can be met by teachers watching videos on their subject matter or Common Core (no more than 5 hours can count) and also by attending Professional Development after school hours. During school hours, PD cannot be counted because you are already receiving pay for working. This is a bonus, so the hours must be achieved outside of contracted work hours. A combination of video and real-time PD is a good option, but teachers/principals can also choose to complete all 10 hours in real-time PD. (After school Book Studies and Common Core PD are good options as well.) The purpose of the PD is to increase the effectiveness of the teacher in the classroom for their subject area.
  10. I am retiring this year. Do I still qualify for the award?
    Yes, retirees will receive the award provided they have met all other requirements. Retirees must provide the TIF Supervisor or School Leaders a forwarding address to ensure receipt of the Project AIM/TIF award during the payout period.

  11. If you have other questions, please contact the district AIM/TIF Grant Office.

    Erin Y. Luster (Project AIM/TIF Grant Manager)
    [email protected] or (901) 416-2276

    Gail Lynn (Project AIM Grant Clerk)
    [email protected] or (901) 416-1147

     

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