The Pasadena Independent School District was awarded 17 Texas Education Agency Texas Educator Excellence Award grants to help continue the cycle of continuous student achievement.

Freeman, Gardens, Jessup, Kruse, Pomeroy, Red Bluff, Richey, L. F. Smith, South Shaver, Williams, McMasters, Young, Sparks and Morales elementary schools received the awards, along with South Houston and Southmore intermediate schools. South Houston High School also received one of the grants.

The purpose of the Texas Educator Excellence grant is to provide a system of financial incentives to award educators who demonstrate the ability to achieve higher levels of student academic achievement. The schools were chosen to participate based on their 2004-2005 high level of educationally disadvantaged students and a high level of academic achievement or growth in student achievement.

To receive the grants, each school has completed an extensive collaborative process with staff to design a program of incentive awards based on student academic achievement during the 2006-2007 school year. Beginning October 6, each participant, eligible for an incentive award, will strive for their students to reach the academic goals established by their school. If a teacher’s students meet the academic goals and the teacher participates in collaborative instructional activities, he/she can be eligible for up to a $1,500 - $3,000 incentive award that will be distributed by October 15, 2007.

The awards will provide these schools with a total of $2,075,000 to provide their staff with incentive awards.