Statutory Authority: The provisions of this Chapter 150 issued under the Texas Education Code, §§21.351-21.356, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Beginning with the 1997-1998 school year, all school
districts have two choices in selecting a method to appraise
teachers: a teacher-appraisal system recommended by the
Texas commissioner of education or a local teacher-appraisal
system.
(b) The commissioner's recommended teacher-appraisal system, the
Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS), was
developed in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC),
§21.351.
(c) The superintendent of each school district, with the
approval of the school district board of trustees, may
select the PDAS. Each school district or campus wanting to
select or develop an alternative teacher-appraisal system
must follow TEC, §21.352.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1001 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) The teacher proficiencies described in Learner-Centered
Schools for Texas: A Vision of Texas Educators, approved by
the State Board of Education on February 11, 1994, shall be
the foundation for the Professional Development and
Appraisal System (PDAS).
(b) Each teacher shall be appraised on the following domains:
(1) Domain I: Active, successful student participation in
the learning process;
(2) Domain II: Learner-centered instruction;
(3) Domain III: Evaluation and feedback on student
progress;
(4) Domain IV: Management of student discipline,
instructional strategies, time and materials;
(5) Domain V: Professional communication;
(6) Domain VI: Professional development;
(7) Domain VII: Compliance with policies, operating
procedures and requirements; and
(8) Domain VIII: Improvement of academic performance of all
students on the campus (based on indicators included in
the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS)).
(c) Each domain shall be scored independently. The evaluation of
each of the domains shall consider all data generated in the
appraisal process. The data for the appraisal of each domain
shall be gathered from observations, the Teacher Self-Report
Form, and other documented sources. The data shall describe
teacher contributions in increasing student achievement,
making the whole school safe and orderly, and creating a
stimulating learning environment for children.
(d) Each teacher shall be evaluated on Domains I through VIII
using the following categories:
(1) exceeds expectations;
(2) proficient;
(3) below expectations; and
(4) unsatisfactory.
(e) The teacher evaluation in Domain VIII shall include the
following areas:
(1) efforts to enhance academic performance;
(2) efforts to enhance student attendance;
(3) efforts to identify and assist students in at-risk
situations; and
(4) campus performance rating.
(f) Campus performance rating data for Domain VIII shall be
reported (not scored) by a campus or district for the first
year of the PDAS implementation and/or during the first year
for new teachers to a campus.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1002 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) Each teacher must be appraised each school year. Whenever
possible, an appraisal shall be based on the teacher's
performance in fields and teaching assignments for which he
or she is certified.
(b) The annual teacher appraisal shall include:
(1) at least one classroom observation of a minimum of 45
minutes as identified in subsection (g) of this
section, with additional walk-throughs and observations
conducted at the discretion of the appraiser;
(2) a written summary of each observation, which shall be
given to teachers within ten working days after the
completion of an observation, with a pre- and post-
observation conference conducted at the request of the
teacher or appraiser;
(3) completion of Section I of the Teacher Self-Report Form
that shall be presented to the principal:
(A) within the first three weeks from the day of
completion of the Professional Development and
Appraisal System (PDAS) orientation as described
in §150.1007 of this title (relating to Teacher
Orientation);
(B) within the first three weeks from the day of
completion of the PDAS orientation as described
in §150.1007 of this title for teachers new to
the PDAS; or
(C) within the first three weeks of instruction in the
school years when the PDAS orientation is not
required pursuant to §150.1007 of this title.
(4) revision of Section I (if necessary) and completion of
Sections II and III of the Teacher Self-Report Form
that shall be presented to the principal at least two
weeks prior to the summative annual conference;
(5) cumulative data of written documentation collected
regarding job-related teacher performance, in addition
to formal classroom observations;
(6) a written summative annual appraisal report; and
(7) a summative annual conference.
(c) A teacher may be given advance notice of the date or time of
an appraisal, but advance notice is not required.
(d) Each school district shall establish a calendar for the
appraisal of teachers. The appraisal period for each teacher
must include all of the days of a teacher's contract.
Observations during the appraisal period must be conducted
during the required days of instruction for students during
one school year. The appraisal calendar shall:
(1) exclude observations in the three weeks following the
day of completion of the PDAS orientation in the school
years when an orientation is required as described in
§150.1007 of this title;
(2) exclude observations in the three weeks following the
day of completion of the PDAS orientation for teachers
new to the PDAS as described in §150.1007 of this title;
(3) exclude observations in the first three weeks of
instruction in the school years when the PDAS orientation
is not required pursuant to §150.1007 of this title;
(4) prohibit observations on the last day of instruction before
any official school holiday or on any other day deemed
inappropriate by the school district board of trustees; and
(5) indicate a period for summative annual conferences
that ends no later than 15 working days before the
last day of instruction for students.
(e) During the appraisal period, the appraiser shall evaluate
and document teacher performance specifically related to the
domain criteria as identified in §150.1002(b) of this title
(relating to Assessment of Teacher Performance).
(f) The appraiser is responsible for documentation of the
cumulative data identified in subsection (b)(5) of this
section. Any third-party information from a source other
than the teacher's supervisor that the appraiser wishes to
include as cumulative data shall be verified and documented
by the appraiser. Any documentation that will influence the
teacher's summative annual appraisal report must be shared
in writing with the teacher within ten working days of the
appraiser's knowledge of the occurrence. The principal shall
also be notified in writing when the appraiser is not the
teacher's principal.
(g) By mutual consent of the teacher and the appraiser, the
required minimum of 45 minutes of observation may be
conducted in shorter time segments. The time segments must
aggregate to at least 45 minutes.
(h) A written summative annual appraisal report shall be shared
with the teacher no later than five working days before the
summative conference and no later than 15 working days
before the last day of instruction for students. The written
summative annual appraisal report shall be placed in the
teacher's personnel file by the end of the appraisal period.
(i) Unless waived in writing by the teacher, a summative
conference shall be held within a time frame specified on
the school district calendar and no later than 15 working
days before the last day of instruction for students. The
summative conference shall focus on the written summative
report and related data sources.
(j) In cases where the appraiser is not an administrator on the
teacher's campus, either the principal, assistant principal,
or another supervisory staff member designated as an
administrator on the campus will participate in the
summative annual conference.
(k) Any documentation collected after the summative conference
but before the end of the contract term during one school
year may be considered as part of the appraisal of a
teacher. If the documentation affects the teacher's
evaluation in any domain, another summative report shall be
developed and another summative conference shall be held to
inform the teacher of the change(s).
Source: The provisions of this §150.1003 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200; amended to be effective April 15, 1999, 24 TexReg 2934.
(a) A teacher whose performance meets any of the following
circumstances will be designated as a " teacher in need of
assistance ":
(1) a teacher who is evaluated as unsatisfactory in one or
more domains; or
(2) a teacher who is evaluated as below expectations in two
or more domains.
(b) When a teacher is designated as a teacher in need of
assistance, the appraiser and/or the teacher's supervisor
shall, in consultation with the teacher, develop an
intervention plan that includes the following:
(1) domain(s) that designate a teacher as a teacher in need
of assistance;
(2) directives or recommendations for professional
improvement activities;
(3) evidence that is used to determine successful
completion of professional improvement activities;
(4) directives for changes in teacher behavior;
(5) evidence that is used to determine if teacher behavior
has changed; and
(6) specific time line for successful completion.
(c) In cases when the teacher's appraiser is not the teacher's
principal, the principal shall be involved in the
development and evaluation of the intervention plan.
(d) A teacher who has not met all requirements of the
intervention plan for teachers in need of assistance by the
time specified may be considered for separation from the
assignment, campus, and/or district.
(e) The intervention plan shall include options for professional
development activities designed to enhance teacher
proficiency. At least one option shall not place significant
financial burden on either the teacher or the school
district.
(f) An intervention plan may be developed at any time at the
discretion of the appraiser when the appraiser has
documentation that would potentially produce an evaluation
rating of "below expectations" or "unsatisfactory".
Source: The provisions of this §150.1004 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) A teacher may submit a written response or rebuttal at the
following times:
(1) after receiving a written observation summary, or any
other written documentation associated with the
teacher's appraisal; and/or
(2) after receiving a written summative annual appraisal
report.
(b) Any written response or rebuttal must be submitted within
ten working days of receiving a written observation summary,
a written summative annual appraisal report, or any other
written documentation associated with the teacher's
appraisal. At the discretion of the appraiser, the time
period may be extended to 15 working days.
(c) A teacher may request a second appraisal by another
appraiser at the following times:
(1) after receiving a written observation summary with
which the teacher disagrees; and/or
(2) after receiving a written summative annual appraisal
report with which the teacher disagrees.
(d) The second appraisal must be requested within ten working
days of receiving a written observation summary or a written
summative annual appraisal report. At the discretion of the
appraiser, the time period may be extended to 15 working
days.
(e) A teacher may be given advance notice of the date or time of
a second appraisal, but advance notice is not required.
(f) The second appraiser shall appraise the teacher in all
domains. The second appraiser shall make observations and
walk-throughs as necessary to evaluate Domains I through V.
The second appraiser shall use the Teacher Self-Report Form
and cumulative data from the first appraisal to evaluate
Domains VI through VIII. Cumulative data may also be used by
the second appraiser to evaluate other domains.
(g) Each school district shall adopt written procedures for a
teacher to present grievances and receive written comments
in response to the written annual report. Each district
shall also adopt written procedures for determining the
selection of second appraisers. These procedures shall be
disseminated to each teacher at the time of employment and
updated annually or as needed.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1005 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) The teacher-appraisal process requires at least one
appraiser.
(b) The teacher's supervisor shall conduct the teacher's
appraisal and must hold a superintendent, mid-management
(principal), or supervisor certification, or must hold
comparable certificates established by the State Board for
Educator Certification. An appraiser other than the
teacher's supervisor must be approved by the school district
board of trustees, hold a valid teaching certificate, and
have at least three years of prekindergarten, elementary, or
secondary teaching experience.
(c) An appraiser who is a classroom teacher may not appraise the
performance of another classroom teacher who teaches at the
same school campus at which the appraiser teaches, unless it
is impractical because of the number of campuses or unless
the appraiser is the chair of a department or grade-level
whose job description includes classroom observation
responsibilities.
(d) Before conducting an appraisal, an appraiser must be
certified by having satisfactorily completed uniform
appraiser training, including required Instructional
Leadership Training (ILT), with a trainer and curriculum
approved by the commissioner of education. Periodic
recertification and training shall be required.
(1) Educators certified as appraisers for the Texas Teacher
Appraisal System (TTAS) before January 1997 shall be
required to take only the Professional Development and
Appraisal System (PDAS) training to qualify as a
certified appraiser for the new system.
(2) Educators seeking certification as an appraiser for the
PDAS after January 1, 1997, holding no prior TTAS
certification, shall be required to complete the ILT
and the PDAS training.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1006 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) A school district shall ensure that all teachers are
provided with an orientation of the Professional Development
and Appraisal System (PDAS) no later than the final day of
the first three weeks of school and at least three weeks
before the first observation.
(1) Additional orientations shall be provided any time
substantial changes occur in the PDAS.
(2) A teacher new to the district shall be provided with an
orientation of the PDAS at least three weeks before the
teacher's first observation.
(b) Teachers' orientation shall include materials approved by
the commissioner of education. These materials shall include
all state and local appraisal policies, the local appraisal
calendar, and information on the requirements for the
completion of the Teacher Self-Report Form. In addition to
the orientation, campuses may hold other sessions sufficient
in length allowing teachers to actively participate in a
discussion of the PDAS specifics and to have their questions
answered.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1007 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) In the initial year of adoption and implementation of the
Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS),
selected teachers from each campus shall be given the
opportunity to participate in the appraisal training for
purposes of disseminating information to colleagues on their
campus and assisting, at the discretion of the principal, in
the orientation of all campus teachers. These teachers shall
be designated as appraisal-orientation facilitators.
(1) Each campus shall offer the opportunity to participate
in appraisal training to a number of teachers equal to
the number of campus administrators; however, each
campus shall have at least one teacher participant.
(2) The principal shall select representative teachers from
nominations submitted by the site-based decision making
(SBDM) committee created in accordance with Texas
Education Code, §11.251. The principal may select
representatives other than those nominated by the SBDM
committee when nominated teachers are unable to attend
appraisal training.
(3) Each school district shall pay the training fees for
its teachers attending the PDAS appraisal training.
(b) School districts and regional education service centers
shall make available additional training for teachers as
part of the district's and education service center's menu
of professional development opportunities. All teachers are
eligible to participate in appraisal and/or Instructional
Leadership Training at their own expense. Executive
directors of regional education service centers may
prescribe appropriate registration fees to offset the cost
of providing these services.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1008 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
(a) District option. Beginning with the 1997-1998 school year, a
school district not wanting to use the commissioner's
recommended Professional Development and Appraisal System
must develop its own teacher-appraisal system supported by
locally adopted policy and procedures and by the processes
outlined in Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.352. The Texas
Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS) is no longer a state-
recommended system; however, it may become a local option
governed by the process outlined in TEC, §21.352. If adopted
as a local option, the TTAS must be modified to comply with
TEC, §21.351(a)(1) and (2).
(1) The school district-level planning and decision-making
committee shall:
(A) develop an appraisal process;
(B) develop evaluation criteria, including discipline
management and performance of the teachers'
students; and
(C) consult with the campus planning and decision-
making committee on each campus in the school
district.
(2) The appraisal process shall include:
(A) at least one appraisal each year;
(B) a conference between the teacher and the appraiser
that is diagnostic and prescriptive with regard to
remediation needed in overall performance by
category; and
(C) criteria based on observable, job-related
behavior, including:
(i) teachers' implementation of discipline
management procedures; and
(ii) performance of the teachers' students.
(3) The school district-level planning and decision-making
committee shall submit the appraisal process and
criteria to the superintendent, who shall submit the
appraisal process and criteria to the school district
board of trustees with a recommendation to accept or
reject. The school district board of trustees may
accept or reject an appraisal process and performance
criteria, with comments, but may not modify the process
or criteria.
(b) Campus option. A campus within a school district may choose
to develop a local system as provided in this section.
(1) The campus planning and decision-making committee
shall:
(A) develop an appraisal process;
(B) develop evaluation criteria, including discipline
management and performance of the teachers'
students; and
(C) submit the process and criteria to the district-
level planning and decision-making committee.
(2) The appraisal process shall include:
(A) at least one appraisal each year;
(B) a conference between the teacher and the appraiser
that is diagnostic and prescriptive with regard to
remediation needed in overall performance by
category; and
(C) criteria based on observable, job-related
behavior, including:
(i) teachers' implementation of discipline
management procedures; and
(ii) performance of the teachers' students.
(3) Upon submission of the appraisal process and criteria
to the school district-level planning and decision-
making committee, the committee shall make a
recommendation to accept or reject the appraisal
process and criteria and transmit that recommendation
to the superintendent.
(4) The superintendent shall submit the recommended campus
appraisal process and criteria, the school district-
level planning and decision-making committee's
recommendation, and the superintendent's recommendation
to the school district board of trustees. The school
district board of trustees may accept or reject, with
comments, an appraisal process and performance
criteria, but may not modify the process or criteria.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1009 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.
For purposes of providing training and support, the
superintendent shall notify the executive director of the
regional education service center of the district's choice
of appraisal system(s) by a time designated by the
commissioner of education.
Source: The provisions of this §150.1010 adopted to be effective August 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 4200.