Texas has adopted a new state-recommended appraisal system for teachers, called the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). The system replaced the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) in the 2016-17 school year. Districts will continue to have the option to evaluate educators using either the state-recommended system or a locally developed system, but many school districts are expected to adopt T-TESS as roughly 85 percent of districts across the state used the PDAS.
T-TESS Overview
The T-TESS has three main components: the teacher and appraiser collaboration on the establishment of a goal setting and professional development plan; the evaluation cycle that consists of a pre-conference, observation(s), and a post-conference; and one or more of the four student growth measure options.
The appraisal is based on four domains and a total of 16 dimensions falling under the four domains, all of which are aligned with the Texas Teacher Standards. The TEA T-TESS information and resource clearinghouse offers a more in-depth understanding of the new system.
What is new for T-TESS
Student Growth Measure
Perhaps the most publicized new element of T-TESS was the inclusion of a student growth measure as a component of the evaluation. Student performance has long been a required element in teacher evaluations but the initial Commissioner rules required that districts utilize one or more of four specific methods. The requirement was controversial because one of the options was for districts to use value-added data based on student state assessment results. This has never been accepted as a scientifically legitimate measure of teacher performance.
In response to legal action taken by ATPE and other educator groups, the Commissioner’s rules were changed, allowing, as in the past, for a district to determine locally how it will measure student performance.
Developing and Proficient – What is the new standard?
The T-TESS introduces new performance measures. Each teacher will be given an evaluation rating of: distinguished, accomplished, proficient, developing, or improvement needed. There has been some ambiguity regarding whether a teacher performing a satisfactory job is to be rated “developing,” since nearly all professionals are developing their skills in some way or “proficient” since doing a satisfactory job would reasonably be considered synonymous with being “proficient.” The overall philosophy of the T-TESS being dedicated to professional growth rather than “gotcha” would imply that these distinctions should not be significant. But teachers used to their evaluation’s significance being tied to their job security may face a rocky transition.
Goal Setting and Professional Development Plan (GSPDP)
Every appraisal will include a teacher-submitted and appraiser approved GSPDP. For teachers new to the district or T-TESS, there must be a GSPDP conference with the appraiser before the teacher develops the GSPDP. The T-TESS guide recommends that a conference be held sometime early in the year every year to review the GSPDP but the rules do not require it. The GSPDP must be:
- Submitted to the appraiser within the first six weeks from the date of a teacher’s T-TESS orientation or, for teachers after their first year under the T-TESS, drafted in conjunction with the teacher’s end-of-year conference from the previous year, revised as needed and submitted to the appraiser within the first six weeks of instruction.
- Maintained by the teacher throughout the school year to track progress toward the goals and participation in professional development
- Shared with the appraiser before the end-of-year conference and used to determine the ratings for goal setting and professional development dimensions of the T-TESS rubric.
Observation Pre-Conference
An observation pre-conference between teacher and appraiser is required, but only for announced observations. The T-TESS allows but does not require announced observations so whether a preconference is required is going to depend on whether observations are announced under local policy or practice. Additionally, Pre-Conferences are not required for any evaluations during the 2016-17 school year.
The Pre-Conference allows the educator an opportunity to show the depth of planning and consideration in class preparations and provides time to alert the appraiser to ongoing issues or concerns about the lesson.
Observations
Like the PDAS, the T-TESS requires a 45-minute observation, which can be broken down into shorter periods by agreement. Also like the PDAS, the appraiser can perform additional formal or informal observations, commonly referred to as “walk-throughs” at the appraiser’s discretion. T-TESS rules state that observations can be announced but can also be unannounced. Unlike the PDAS, there are no “blackout” days for observations, such as the day before a school holiday, except that an observation cannot occur for two weeks after a teacher’s orientation and the observation calendar must end at least 15 working days before the last day of student instruction. Decisions on “blackout” days are now made locally.
Post-Observation Conference
A post observation conference is required after the formal, 45-minute observation but is not required for other observations. The conference must be:
- Conducted within 10 working days of the observation.
- Diagnostic and prescriptive in nature.
- Include a written observation report for each dimension observed that is only presented to the teacher after a discussion of the “areas of refinement or reinforcement” and can, “at the discretion of the appraiser,” allow for a revision to an “area of refinement or reinforcement.”
End of Year Conference
An end-of-year conference with the appraiser is required; which:
- Must be held no later than 15 working days before the last student instructional day.
- Must focus on data and evidence gathered throughout the appraisal year, the teacher’s efforts related to Domain IV, the performance of the teacher’s students and potential goals and professional development plans for the next school year. Domain IV will not be scored until this conference.
Summative Evaluation
Like the PDAS, the T-TESS appraisal includes a final performance review document, named a summative report which must be shared with the teacher no more than 10 working days following the end-of-year conference and must be shared no later than 15 working days before the last day of student instruction.
Appraisal Documentation
As noted, like the PDAS, the T-TESS includes two required written documents: the Observation Report, based on the 45-minute observation and the Summative Annual Report, based on an evaluation of the Observation Report and any other data from the school year.
In addition to these two required reports, the appraiser is required to document informal “walk-through” observations if the information could affect the appraisal. Documentation, if created, must be shared with the teacher within 10 working days of the “walk-though” informal observation.
The appraiser can also consider any other “cumulative data” documentation such as reprimands, write-ups, reminders, or other documents that touch on performance. Like the PDAS, the appraiser is required to “verify and document” any information that comes from third parties, such as students, parents, other teachers or administrators.
Less-Than Annual Appraisals
Like the PDAS, a teacher may receive a full appraisal less than annually with a written agreement and where the teacher’s most recent full appraisal had at least nine of sixteen dimensions rated as “proficient” and did not include any ratings of “improvement needed” or its equivalent.
- A teacher must have a full appraisal at least every 5 years.
- In a year that a teacher does not have a full appraisal, the teacher still must:
- Participate in the Goal Setting and Professional Development Plan (GSPDP) process.
- Monitor student performance as provided for in local policy.
- Participate in a modified end-of-year conference that addresses the current GSPDP, the performance of the teacher’s students and the next year’s GSPDP.
Teacher Response Options
A Written Response
A teacher may submit a written response or rebuttal to document their disagreement with the scores, descriptions or comments contained in any document relating to their performance within 10 working days:
- After receiving a written Observation Report or any written documentation relating to Domains I, II or III.
- After receiving a written Summative Annual Appraisal Report that contains information relating to Domain IV or the performance of the teacher’s students.
BUT (New for T-TESS):
A teacher may not submit a written response or rebuttal to a written summative Annual Appraisal Report if the ratings or information are the same as that provided to the teacher earlier in an Observation Report or other documentation and the teacher did not submit a response or rebuttal at that time.
This is a new restriction that did not exist with the PDAS. What this means is that a teacher is not going to be able to safely “wait and see” if scores improve on the Summative Report. By doing so, a teacher may lose the right to respond at all.
A Request for a Second Appraisal
A teacher may submit a written request for a second appraisal by a different certified appraiser within 10 working days:
- After receiving a written Observation Report relating to Domains I, II or III.
- After receiving a written Summative Annual Appraisal Report that contains information relating to Domain IV or the performance of the teacher’s students.
BUT (New for T-TESS):
Like the restriction placed on the written rebuttal, a teacher may not submit a request for a second appraisal after receiving a written Summative Annual Appraisal Report if the ratings or information are the same as that provided to the teacher earlier in an Observation Report and the teacher did not submit a request for a second appraisal by a different appraiser at that time.
Again, this is a new restriction that did not exist with the PDAS and means that a teacher is not going to be able to safely “wait and see” if scores improve on the Summative Report.
Each district is required to adopt written policies and procedures locally determining how second appraisers are selected.
The second appraiser must “make observations and walk-throughs as necessary to evaluate the dimensions in Domains I-III. The rules do not specifically state that a second 45-minute observation is required. The second appraiser must also review the Goal Setting and Professional Development Plan and may also review any other relevant cumulative data in completing the second appraisal.
The T-TESS rules do not define how the first and second appraisal relate to one another, for instance whether they are treated equally, one is weighted differently or if they are combined.
A Grievance
A teacher may file a grievance regarding an unsatisfactory appraisal result under the local grievance policy. The grievance option is best exercised if:
- The appraisal result is very poor;
- Irrelevant information or bias results in a negative appraisal; and/or
- Written rules and/or procedures have not been followed.
Specific rules, timelines and procedures will be found in written district policy.