TIA Informational Updates
Teacher Incentive Allotment Updates
May 6, 2024--Link to Video Update
August 18, 2022--TIA's Impact on T-TESS
As the district takes the next steps in implementing the recently approved TIA Plan, there will be some adjustments in T-TESS procedures. Four adjustments are listed below.
Shift Away from Self-Assessment
When Forney ISD implemented T-TESS in 2016, district leaders made the decision to incorporate the practice of self-assessment into the protocols for teacher appraisals. The goal in implementing this practice was to foster coaching/mentoring relationships as opposed to focusing on specific scores/ratings. When conducting conferences, appraisers made efforts to collaborate with teachers regarding areas of refinement and reinforcement. While district administrators retained the responsibility of final scoring, the approach was to emphasize specific techniques for improvement and reinforcement of effective strategies--even to the point that appraisers would likely not adjust a teacher's self-assessment score/rating if it were within one overall rating of how the appraiser would score a particular dimension. With the implementation of TIA and the need for a high level of validity, district appraisers will no longer be implementing a self-assessment approach in post-observation and end-of-year T-TESS conferences. While self-assessment is still valued as a recommended strategy, it will no longer be directly included in T-TESS conferences.
Appraiser Calibration
District administrators will periodically be scheduling small group walkthroughs this year where multiple administrators will visit a class for a short observation (likely 15-20 minutes). These appraisers will then go through activities to calibrate their application of the T-TESS rubric to the classes which were observed. These activities are being conducted in order to maximize the reliability and validity of the T-TESS appraisal process and will involve appraisers visiting classrooms on campuses other than their home campus.
Formal Observation Waiver Limited to Teacher Assignments Not Eligible for TIA Designations in 2022-2023
The district will continue to allow teachers in assignments not eligible for earning TIA designations in 22-23 to pursue waivers from formal T-TESS observations as long as the teachers meet the eligibility requirements. This would be for areas such as (but not limited to) social studies, CATE, Fine Arts, Physical Education, etc. which are not eligible to be recommended for a designation based on performance in 22-23. Click here to access the T-TESS Observation Waiver Request.
The district is required to submit T-TESS ratings on teachers assigned to areas eligible for designations:
- Math-Grades 1-8,
- Reading and Language Arts-Grades 3-8
- Spanish Language Arts-Grades 3-6,
- Algebra I, English I, and English II.
- Science 5-8 (added in 2023-2024 with Phase 2)
- Biology I (added in 2023-2024 with Phase 2)
As a result, the district will not allow a waiver from formal T-TESS observations for teachers assigned to these areas.
Potential Adjustments in Student Learning Objectives for T-TESS
As the use of Student Learning Objectives continues to expand, appraisers may make some adjustments in expectations for the use of Student Learning Objectives as part of the T-TESS process. Student Learning Objectives are a means of assessing student growth and a possible tool to utilize as preparations are made to include more teachers in TIA in 2023-2024. Teachers may see some adjustments in this process in preparation for Year 2 of the TIA implementation.