T-TESS Rubric Domains Overview

What are the components of the rubric?

1. Planning*
2. Instruction
3. Learning Environment
4. Professional Practice and Responsibilities

There are sixteen total dimensions within those four domains, five in Instruction, four in both Planning and Professional Practice and Responsibilities, and three in Learning Environment.

The full rubric is available on our website:  TeachForTexas.org

*Planning has two rubric options:

• Domain 1: Planning

OR

• Alt. Domain 1: Planning

The Alt. Domain 1 Planning rubric is an optional rubric for teachers who are using preplanned or HQIM materials, which require lesson internalization vs. lesson creation.

Understanding the T-TESS rubric

• T-TESS strives to capture the holistic nature of teaching – the idea that a constant feedback loop exists between teachers and students, and gauging the effectiveness of teachers requires a consistent focus on how students respond to their teacher’s instructional practices.  For those reasons, each of the observable domains in T-TESS focuses on both teachers and students rather than separating them out into separate domains, as under PDAS.
• In order to capture a better distribution of teaching practices, T-TESS has five performance levels.  All teachers, regardless of their relative effectiveness, should be able to see within the performance levels of T-TESS some practices that they can strive toward in their goal setting and professional development plan.
• The descriptors in T-TESS articulate different practices between performance levels. T-TESS strives to show that accomplished and distinguished teachers often do different things than developing teachers rather than simply doing the same practices more frequently.
• T-TESS also strives to capture feedback built into the rubric itself.  Any teacher can, after self-assessing on the rubric or getting feedback from their appraiser, find practices in the performance levels above their level that they can work toward in professional development.