T-TESS Rubric & Documentation

Domain 1.1: Standards and Alignment

Instructional planning includes:
All rigorous and measurable goals aligned to state content standards.

All activities, materials, and assessments that:

are logically sequenced
are relevant to students' prior understanding
and real-world applications
integrate and reinforce concepts from other
disciplines
provide appropriate time for student work,
student reflection, and lesson closure
deepen understanding of broader unit and
course objectives
are vertically aligned to state standards
are appropriate for diverse learners

Objectives aligned and logically sequenced to the lesson’s goal, providing

relevant and enriching extensions of the lesson.

Integration of technology enhances mastery of goal(s).

T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 1.2: Data and Assessment
Instructional planning includes:
Formal and informal assessments to monitor progress of all students, shares
appropriate diagnostic, formative and summative assessment data with
students to engage them in self-assessment, build awareness of their own
strengths and weaknesses and track their own progress.

Substantive, specific, and timely feedback to students, families and school

personnel on the growth of students in relation to classroom and campus goals
and engages with colleagues to adapt school-wide instructional strategies and
goals to meet student needs while maintaining confidentiality.

Analysis of student data connected to specific instructional strategies and use

of results to reflect on his or her teaching and to monitor teaching strategies
and behaviors in relation to student success.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 1.3: Knowledge of Students
Instructional planning includes:
All lessons that connect to students’ prior knowledge, experiences, interests
and future learning expectations across content areas.

Guidance for students to apply their strengths, background knowledge, life

experiences and skills to enhance each other’s learning.

Opportunities for students to utilize their individual learning patterns, habits,

and needs to achieve high levels of academic and social-emotional success.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 1.4: Activities
Instructional planning includes:
Opportunities for students to generate questions that lead to further inquiry
and promote complex, higher-order thinking, problem solving and real-world
application.

Instructional groups based on the needs of all students, and allows for students
to take ownership of group and individual accountability.

The ability of all students to set goals, reflect on, evaluate and hold each other
accountable within instructional groups.

Activities, resources, technology and instructional materials that are all aligned
to instructional purposes, are varied and appropriate to ability levels of
students and actively engage them in ownership of their learning.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 2.1: Achieving Expectations
The Teacher:
Provides opportunities for students to establish high academic and
social-emotional expectations for themselves.

Persists with the lesson until there is evidence that all students demonstate
mastery of the objective.

Provides opportunities for students to self-monitor and self-correct mistakes.

Systematically enables students to set goals for themselves and monitor their
progress over time.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 2.2: Content Knowledge and Expertise
The Teacher:
Displays extensive content knowledge of all the subjects she or he teachers and
closely related subjects.

Integrates learning objectives with other disciplines, content areas and

real-world experience.

Consistently anticipates possible student misunderstanding and proactively

develops teaching techniques to mitigate concerns.

Consistently provides opportunities for students to use different types of

thinking (e.g., analytical, practical, creative and research-based.

Sequences instruction that allows students to understand how the lesson fits
within the structure of the discipline, the state standards, related content and
within real-world scenarios.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 2.3: Communication
The Teacher:
Establishes classroom practices that encourage all students to communicate
safely and effectively using a variety of tools and methods with the teacher and
their peers.

Uses possible student misunderstandings as strategic points in lessons to

highlight misconceptions and inspire exploration and discovery.

Provides explanations that are clear and coherent and uses verbal and written
communication that is clear and correct.

Asks questions at the creative, evaluative and/or analysis levels that require a
deeper learning and broader understanding of the objective of the lesson.

Skillfully balances wait time, questioning techniques and integration of

student responses to support student-directed learning.

Skillfully provokes and guides discussion to pique curiosity and inspire

student-led learning of meaningful and challenging content.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 2.4: Differentiation
The Teacher:
Adapts lessons with a wide variety of instructional strategies to address
individual needs of all students.

Consistently monitors the quality of student participation and performance.

Always provides differentiated instructional methods and content to ensure

students have the opportunity to master what is being taught.

Consistently prevents student confusion or disengagement by addressing

learning and/or social/emotional needs of all students.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 2.5: Monitor and Adjust
The Teacher:
Systematically gathers input from students in order to monitor and adjust
instruction, activities, or pacing to respond to differences in student needs.

Adjusts instruction and activities to maintain student engagement.

Uses discreet and explicit checks for understanding through questioning and
academic feedback.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 3.1: Classroom Environment, Routines,
and P rocedures
Establishes and uses effective routines, transitions, and procedures that
primarily rely on student leadership and responsibility.

Students take primary leadership and responsibility for managing student

groups, supplies, and/or equipment.

The classroom is safe and thoughtfully designed to engage, challenge, and

inspire students to participate in high-level learning beyond the learning
objectives.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 3.2: Managing Student Behavior
Consistently monitors behavior subtly, reinforces positive behaviors
appropriately and intercepts misbehavior fluidly.

Students and the teacher create, adopt, and maintain classroom behavior
standards.

Notes:
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 3.3: Classroom Culture
Consistently engages all students with relevant, meaningful learning based on
their interests and abilities to create a positive rapport amongst students.

Students collaborate positively and encourage each other’s efforts and

achievements.

Notes:
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 4.1: P rofessional Demanor and Ethics
Behaves in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for
Texas Educators.

Models all professional standards (e.g., attendance, professional appearance,

and behaviors) across the campus and district for educators and students.

Advocates for the needs of all students in the classroom and campus.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 4.2 Goal Setting
Consistently sets, modifies, and meets short- and long-term professional goals
based on self-assessment, reflection, peer and supervisor feedback,
contemporary research and analysis of student learning.

Implements substantial changes in practice resulting in significant

improvement in student performance.

Notes:
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 4.3: P rofessional Development
Leads colleagues collaboratively in and beyond the school to identify
professional development needs through detailed data analysis and
self-reflection.

Seeks resources and collaboratively fosters faculty knowledge and skills.

Develops and fulfills the school and district improvement plans through
professional learning communities, grade- or subject-level team leadership,
committe leadership and other opportunities beyond the campus.
T-TESS Rubric & Documentation
Domain 4.4: School Community Involvement
Systematically contacts parents/guardians regarding students’ academic and
social/emotional growth through various methods

Initiates collaborative efforts that enhance student learning and growth.

Actively participates in school outreach activities.
Date Event

Leads students, colleagues, families, and community members toward

reaching the mission, vision, and goals of the school.
 T-TESS At-a-Glance
Distinguished Accomplished Proficient
Developing Improvement Needed
As you are observed formal and informal observations, document your current rating by coloring in each area box with
the color associated with that rating to show and remind yourself at a glance which areas may require improvement.

Planning
Domain
Instruction Learning Environment Prof. Prac. & Resp.

Standards Achieving Classroom Professional

1 and Environment, Demeanor
Expectations Routines, and
Alignment and Ethics
Procedures
Data Content Managing
Goal
and Knowledge Student
Dimension

2 Setting
Assessment and Behavior
Expertise
Knowledge
3 of Communication Classroom Professional
Students Culture Development

School
4 Planning Differentiation
X Community
Involvement

Monitor
5
X and
Adjust
X X