Edgewood ISD's TIA System Components

Teacher Observation Instrument 

For all phases of Edgewood ISD’s Teacher Incentive Allotment rollout, the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) will be used to determine designations for eligible teachers' observation requirements of TIA.

Edgewood ISD will include the statutory requirement of using Domains 2 and 3 of T-TESS. Only T-TESS Domains 2 (D2) and 3 (D3) are considered to calculate the TIA score. Click here to learn more about the  TEA TIA Teacher Observation Performance Standards.

These two domains focus on instruction and the learning environment. Per TEA, to be eligible to earn a designation, the teacher must have a minimum score of Proficient (3) in each dimension for Domains 2 and 3. 

● Instruction (Domain 2) 

○ Achieving Expectations (Dimension 2.1) 

○ Content Knowledge and Expertise (Dimension 2.2) 

○ Communication (Dimension 2.3) 

○ Differentiation (Dimension 2.4) 

○ Monitor and Adjust (Dimension 2.5) 

● Learning Environment (Domain 3) 

○ Classroom Environment, Routines, and Procedures (Dimension 3.1) 

○ Managing Student Behavior (Dimension 3.2) 

○ Classroom Culture (Dimension 3.3) 

Note: Any score below a Proficient 3 in any domain (1-4) will make the teacher ineligible for designation that school year.

T-TESS Training 

Edgewood ISD does a deep dive into our teacher observation rubric at the beginning of each school year for both appraisers and teachers. The goal is that everyone involved in the appraisal process understands precisely what is being asked in each dimension's indicators and clearly understands which classroom 

behaviors (student and teacher behaviors) align with which indicators.  Appraisers are required to recertify every three years. 

T-TESS Observations for TIA Eligible Assignments 

●One 45-minute observation that includes a scheduled pre and

   post-conference. The observation will be done in the TIA-eligible course. 

● Two  15-20 min walkthroughs per school year.

● No opt-outs or waivers are allowed for teachers in a TIA-eligible teaching assignment. 

How will teacher observations be used to determine designations? 

Edgewood ISD’s designation system will ensure that teacher observation ratings are aligned with the Texas State Performance Standards for the Teacher Incentive Allotment. The following shows the minimum average scores across T-TESS domains 2 and 3 to achieve each designation level (Recognized, Exemplary, and Master). The minimum average scores were derived from an analysis of T-TESS observations across the state with scores on a 1 to 5 scale. 

The minimum average for a Master teacher shows the 95th percentile score, the minimum average for an Exemplary teacher shows the 80th percentile score, and the minimum average for a Recognized teacher shows the 67th percentile score. 

T-TESS Composite Score 

The T-TESS score averages the summative scores for the Instruction (D2) and Learning Environment (D3). Each of the five performance levels of distinguished, accomplished, proficient, developing, and improvement needed is scored on a 1-5 

scale, with five being the highest. Teachers must receive at least a 3 (Proficient) on the average of all scores for each dimension in Domains 2 and 3 to have their data captured for a designation. 

Edgewood ISD requires:

•  1 formal (45 minutes) observation

•  2 walkthrough (15-20 minutes) observations

The following table is an example of a T-TESS Composite score calculation.