What is T-TESS?
What is T-TESS?
The Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) serves as the teacher appraisal framework for the state of Texas. It was initially piloted by 60 districts during the 2014-2015 school year, followed by a larger implementation involving 200 districts in the 2015-2016 school year. As of the 2016-2017 school year, T-TESS became the officially recommended system at the state level. This system is designed to assist teachers in their professional development, fostering their growth and improvement as educators.
How are teachers evaluated?
T-TESS has two components, a rubric with four domains and 16 dimensions, and the use of student growth measures to evaluate teachers.
Districts have the option to keep final ratings either at the dimension level, which would lead to a teacher receiving 16 dimension ratings and a rating for student growth, or districts can produce a single summative rating, which would require districts to weight student growth at least at 20% of the total rating.
If a district decides to produce a single summative rating for a teacher, it is recommended that the four domains on the T-TESS rubric and student growth each weigh 20%.
How was T-TESS developed?
T-TESS was developed by a steering committee comprised of teachers, principals, and representatives from higher education and educator organizations. They began their work in the fall of 2013 by updating teacher standards and, through the spring of 2014, continued with building a rubric tied to the standards. While the Texas Comprehensive Center at SEDL and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) facilitated the process, T-TESS is a system designed by educators to support teachers in their professional growth.
Are school districts required to use T-TESS?
T-TESS is the state-recommended appraisal system, but districts can create their own appraisal system as outlined in the Texas Administrative Code.
How are teacher and principal preparation aligned with T-TESS?
One of TEA’s major ongoing initiatives is to better align preparation, appraisal, professional development, mentorship and career pathways around a set of standards and practices that act as a foundation and bring the entire timeline of an educator’s career into alignment. One of the first steps was to establish the teaching standards as the curricular base of preparation for teaching candidates. In addition, TEA and the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) have revised principal preparation standards to elevate school culture and instructional leadership in the principal preparation curriculum hierarchy. TEA and SBEC will continue to seek ways to align best practices in coaching, observing, conferencing, and developing educators with preparation program requirements.