Supporting Organizations

Many organizations and individuals supported the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in the creation of the Texas Evaluation & Support System (TESS):

• Teacher Steering Committee (72 KB) - The teacher steering committee provided recommendations to the commissioner regarding teacher appraisal.
   
• Principal Steering Committee (69 KB) - The principal steering committee provided recommendations to the commissioner regarding principal appraisal.
   
• Texas Comprehensive Center/Southwest Education Development Laboratory (outside source) - The Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) provided financial, logistic, and organizational support.
   
• Education Service Center (ESC) 13 (outside source) - Education Service Center (ESC) 13 provided expertise in appraisal and professional development as well as logistic support.
   
• ESC Points of Contact (73 KB) - Each ESC has an appraisal point of contact supporting TESS.
   
• National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET)(outside source) - The Natoinal Institute for Excellence in Teachering (NIET) helped develop the teacher rubric, provided training and computer support.
   
• Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)(outside source) - Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) helped develop the principal rubric and provided training.
   
• SAS Institute, Inc. (outside source) - SAS generates the student growth measure for tested teachers, as well as campus and educator preparation program measures of student growth.