T-TESS Orientation
for New FWISD Teachers

What is T-TESS?

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 teachers and students rather than separating them out into separate domains. Ultimately, T-TESS is a process that seeks to develop habits of continuous improvement, and the process itself best leads to that outcome when appraisers and teachers focus on evidence-based feedback and professional development decisions based on that feedback through ongoing dialogue and collaboration.

All teachers who meet the following criteria must attend T-TESS Orientation for New Teachers:

1.  A teacher who is new to Fort Worth ISD

2.  A teacher who is returning to the District after a break in service 

3.  A teacher who has never been appraised under T-TESS