T-TESS Updates: Alternate Domain I Rubric

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released an administrator letter this week addressing updates to T-TESS outlining the use and training required to implement the Alternate Domain I Rubric for lesson internalization in alignment with high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and House Bill (HB) 1605, 88th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature.

Alternate Domain I Rubric Implementation

Updates to Chapter 150 rules allow school districts to implement the newly adopted Alternate Domain I Rubric for T-TESS appraisals. The rubric may be used to appraise teachers whose instructional preparation shifts from lesson planning to lesson internalization. The rubric is designed to support school districts who have adopted HQIM to ensure instruction covers all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and aligns research-based instructional strategies in each content area to support all learners.

School districts that decide to implement the new rubric must align appraisal procedures to reflect the rubric choice before starting teacher evaluations in the 2024-2025 school year. Appraisers must also complete the new training module for Alternate Domain I prior to using the rubric to evaluate teachers. The training is designed to ensure compliance with new regulations, enhance the effectiveness of the T-TESS appraisal process, and support the effective use of the Alternate Domain I Rubric.

Training Requirements

Current T-TESS trainers must attend a two-hour Trainer of Trainers (ToT) session to review the new Alternate Domain I Rubric and updates to the three-day T-TESS appraiser certification training. Multiple training opportunities will be held in May 2024. All active T-TESS trainers will receive communication from the ESC 13 appraisal hub with more information.

Updated statewide trainings for new and current T-TESS appraisers will begin June 1, 2024. TEA has provided a T-TESS Alternate Domain I Training Flowchart to help school systems determine training requirements for appraisers. A summary is provided below:

• New appraisers must attend the required three-day T-TESS certification training which will include training on the use of the Alternate Domain I rubric.
• Appraisers required to recertify in 2024 or those appraisers not up for recertification but whose local school system plans to implement the Alternate Domain I Rubric in the 2024-2025 school year, will need to complete an asynchronous module included in the T-TESS recertification process.
• Appraisers required to recertify after 2024 whose local school system doesn’t plan to use the Alternate Domain I Rubric for the 2024-2025 school year will have no action to take for 2024. More information and guidance will be provided for these appraisers in spring 2025.

Additional Reminders

All current appraisers and district contacts for the T-TESS appraisal process should maintain updated information on their T-TESS account on the Teach for Texas website. School district T-TESS administrators should also have procedures in place to ensure appraiser certifications are reflected accurately within the local Human Resources Information System (HRIS).

For school districts that plan to transition to the new Alternate Domain I Rubric, the determination needs to be made soon so procedures can be updated, and the training process can occur for new and current appraisers under the new requirements. Additional information regarding updates to the T-TESS Alternate Domain I can be found on the T-TESS website.