A refresher T-TESS training is required annually for  teachers  who are appraised under this system. Below are the steps that teachers needs to complete.  Please note the deadlines.

Evaluation Process/Steps:

1. T-TESS Refresher Course

   • A one hour in-person update has been provided on campuses.  If you were not in attendance for the in-person T-TESS Refresher , you are required to watch the T-TESS Refresher Training video (Due by 4:30PM on August 31st) 

   • Review the T-TESS Teacher Handbook

   • Review the T-TESS Rubric

2. Goal-Setting and Professional Development Plan

   •   At the beginning of the year, teachers will engage in professional goal setting and planning for professional development.  The teacher and an appraiser will review, revise, and/or complete the professional development plan to identify professional goals for continuous growth and establish a professional development plan to affirm, challenge and enhance practices which facilitate goal attainment. 

   • Goals are submitted to the appraiser for approval within six weeks from the day of completion of the orientation.  Goals should be recorded in Frontline.

   • At the end of last school year, many teachers developed and documented goals. Please revisit these goals to ensure they are still appropriate, measurable, and have dates that align with the current school year. Evaluator and teacher will meet throughout the school year to discuss the  goals and goal progress.

   • Teachers will maintain their goals throughout the course of the school year by the teacher tracking progress in the attainment of goals and participation in professional development activities detailed in the approved plan.

   • See Goal Setting sample documents below under T-TESS Informational Resources 

3. Walk-Throughs 

   • Walkthroughs shall be conducted throughout the year.  Walkthroughs are typically brief, nonscheduled, informal observations.  Walkthroughs may begin following the teachers' T-TESS orientation.  

4. Pre-Observations Conference

   • A pre-conference is required prior to a teacher's scheduled full appraisal.   The conference is diagnostic and prescriptive in nature.  It should provide the teacher with an opportunity to share his/her thought process in developing the lesson/plan and provide additional details about the upcoming observation.  The appraiser can clarify expectations for teacher and student performance.  The pre-conference also allows the appraiser to ask pertinent questions about the lesson observation criteria that may not be directly observable. Pre-conferences should be recorded in Frontline.

   • Pre-conference questions may be accessed through the Educator Learning Path in Frontline. The Pre-conference questions should be completed prior to the scheduled preconference. A timeline of 1-3 days prior to the actual formal observation has been set.

5. Scheduled Observation

   • The assigned appraiser will schedule the formal observation.   A classroom observation will be the length of an instructional period, or a complete lesson within an instructional period, which consists of a minimum of 45 minutes of instruction.  Observations should be recorded in Frontline.

6. Post-Observation Conference

   • Following each formal appraisal, an appraiser must conduct a post-observation conference with the teacher observed.   The conference is diagnostic and prescriptive in nature; it provides opportunities for teacher to reflect on their lesson with guidance and support from the appraiser.   During the post-conference, the appraiser provides quality evidence and feedback, focusing on areas of reinforcement and refinement to enhance student learning.  

   • The Post-conference should occur within 5 days after the formal observation and will be documented in Frontline.

7. End of Year Conference (Summative)

   • An end of year summative conference will be held to review and assess goals, professional development, and evidence and data collected throughout the current school year and previous school years, if available.  During this conference, the teacher will determine if goals were met and the impact on professional practices and student performance.  The EOY Conference provides an opportunity for the appraiser and the teacher to summarize the year, to collect information that will provide evidence to score Domain 4 of the T-TESS rubric, and to discuss next year's goal(s) and professional development plan.  It is also an opportunity to celebrate success and identify areas for continued learning to refine instructional practices. 

   • The end of year conference must be conducted at least 15 days prior to the last day of school-no later than May 2, 2023.

   • Domain IV is not scored until after the end -of-year conference.

     1. 1. Complete Domain IV and Goal Reflection areas in Frontline.

        2. Please keep evidence for Domain IV all year long to document in Frontline. 

1. • LISD 2023-2024 T-TESS Appraisal Timeline 

   • 23-24 LISD T-Tess Principal Walkthrough and Visibility Information 

   •  T-TESS Refresher Training video

   • TeachForTexas.org has several resources for assisting with your T-TESS goals.

   • Goal Planning Sample Document

   • Goal Setting Template (Word document will download to your computer)

   • T-TESS Documentation Recommendation

   • Resource for documenting Domains 1-3 (Word document will download to your computer)

   • Resource for End-Of-Year Conference

   • Frontline:  Getting Started in an Evaluation Instructions