Evaluation Reminders for Administrators and Supervisors

At the start of the school year, administrators and supervisors should begin the evaluation process with teachers and other staff to ensure all employees are aware of performance expectations for the new school year.

Teacher Appraisal Process

In Texas, school districts are required to implement T-TESS or a locally adopted system for teacher appraisals which provides a specific framework and timelines to evaluate teacher performance. The following steps are required annually for T-TESS:

• Orientation:  Schools must provide an official orientation to the T-TESS appraisal process for all teachers new to the district. All returning teachers should be provided a brief review of the process. This year, districts should include orientation to Alternate Domain I (when applicable). All teachers should receive the appraisal calendar and procedures during orientation or review.
• Goal setting: The goal setting and professional development (GSPD) plan is integral to the T-TESS appraisal process. For returning teachers, discussion of the GSPD plan should have occurred at the prior year’s summative conference. For teachers new to the district, the GSPD plan must be discussed with the appraiser and submitted within six weeks after T-TESS orientation.
• Observations: Observations provide meaningful feedback and should occur frequently for all teachers during the school year. The observation format can either be informal (coaching) or formal. All observations require a written summary, provided within 10 business days following the observation, and formal observations require both a pre- and post-conference with the teacher. The frequency and type of observations conducted are typically dictated by district procedures.
• End-of-year conference: The summative conference must be held in person, and a written summary must be provided to the teacher no later than 15 working days prior to the final day of instruction. At this conference, discussion should include next year’s GPSD plan and any professional development activities that should occur over the summer.

The T-TESS appraisal framework is vital to implementing the appraisal process with fidelity. School entities should engage in the appraisal process annually in alignment with 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 150 and local policies unless a less-than-annual option has been approved by the school board and noted in board policy.

T-TESS Alternate Domain I Option

Updates to Chapter 150 rules in response to House Bill (HB) 1605, adopted in the 88th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, provide the option for school districts to adopt high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), which may affect the T-TESS rubric used to appraise certain teachers.

Appraisers may use Alternate Domain I Rubric for T-TESS appraisals for teachers whose instructional preparation has shifted from lesson planning to lesson internalization due to using HQIM for their content area. The district must decide to adopt the rubric and determine which teachers will be appraised using Alternate Domain I. School districts opting to use Alternate Domain I must ensure appraisers are trained and the new rubric is provided to teachers before beginning the appraisal process.

More information about the Alternate Domain I option can be found at TASB News & Insights T-TESS Updates: Alternate Domain I.

Campus Administrator Appraisal Process

Campus administrators should also be evaluated annually using the commissioner’s recommended principal appraisal system, the Texas Principal Evaluation and Support System (T-PESS), or a locally approved alternative principal appraisal system. Again, timelines for orientation, goal setting, data sharing, and appraisal conferences should be followed according to the district’s T-PESS appraisal calendar.

It is important to note district funds may not be used to pay an administrator who hasn’t been appraised in the preceding 15 months (Texas Education Code (TEC) § 21.354(d)). Evaluations of campus administrators are vital to school improvement. Engaging in an active and engaging appraisal process of all administrators should be a strategic goal for district leadership.

Other Staff

All other employees should be evaluated according to district policy and procedures. Most employers require all staff to be appraised at least annually, and many school districts have a detailed evaluation process for employees other than teachers and campus administrators.

A performance evaluation system should include formal and informal observations, formative conferences to discuss feedback on job performance, and a summative conference to close out the year. Supervisors can use the process to inform employees of performance deficiencies and implement an intervention plan, if necessary. Summative conferences can also be a time when employees are recognized for their hard work and contributions to the organization.

All performance conferences should be documented. At a minimum, a formal evaluation report should be provided to employees at the end of the year.  However, ongoing feedback is a valuable tool to build strong relationships between supervisors and staff. District leaders should assess practices to ensure a valuable performance process is in place for all employees in the organization.

Resources

The Administrator’s Guide to Managing Employee Performance is a valuable resource that provides guidance for supervisors on how to effectively use the evaluation process to successfully manage and improve employee performance. This guide can be purchased in the online TASB store.

A multitude of sample evaluation forms, including a sample self-appraisal form, are available in the HR Services Resource Library, filtered for performance (member login required). It is common to include a section on the evaluation form for general skills expected from all employees and a specialized skills section specific to the job.

Additional resources for the T-TESS appraisal process can be found on the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) T-TESS website. For campus administrators appraised through T-PESS, more information can be found on TEA’s T-PESS website.