AI-Powered Observations for Texas Principals
Texas evaluates teachers using T-TESS and Dallas ISD TEI.
Generate T-TESS-aligned feedback from your observation notes in seconds - trusted by principals and assistant principals across Texas districts.
Education in Texas
Education Landscape
Texas is the second-largest state education system in the country, with over 1,200 school districts and more than 320,000 teachers. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) sets statewide standards for teacher evaluation, and principals are responsible for conducting formal observations for every teacher on their campus.
Observation Requirements
The vast majority of Texas public school districts use T-TESS for teacher evaluations, though districts may also adopt locally developed systems. Principals must conduct at least one formal observation of 45 minutes or more per year. Observations primarily assess Domains II (Instruction) and III (Learning Environment), while Domains I (Planning) and IV (Professional Practices) are evaluated through other components of the evaluation cycle.
State policy facts verified 2026-06-01 against the official source. View the official policy
Framework Spotlight
Supported Frameworks in Texas
Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS)
T-TESS is the Commissioner-recommended default teacher evaluation system in Texas, used by the vast majority of Texas school districts. Designed to support teacher growth through ongoing feedback and ...
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Dallas ISD TEI Teacher Excellence Initiative
Developed by Dallas Independent School District and launched for the 2014-2015 school year, the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI) replaced the state-mandated PDAS system with a performance-based eva...
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T-TESS (Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System) is the dominant teacher evaluation framework in Texas, used by the vast majority of public school districts. Observation Copilot is purpose-built to organize your notes by T-TESS domains and dimensions, mapping evidence to the five-point rubric so you can focus on coaching conversations instead of paperwork.
Why Observation Copilot
Built for Texas School Leaders
T-TESS Aligned Out of the Box
Observation Copilot automatically organizes your notes by T-TESS domains - Planning, Instruction, Learning Environment, and Professional Practices - so your feedback matches the rubric your district requires.
Same-Day Feedback for Teachers
Texas principals using Copilot deliver feedback within hours instead of weeks, keeping the post-observation conference focused and timely.
Trusted Across Texas Districts
From San Antonio ISD to Stockdale ISD, Texas school leaders rely on Observation Copilot to speed up their T-TESS workflow and reclaim hours every week.
Walkthroughs and Formal Observations
Support both 45-minute formal T-TESS observations and 5-15 minute walkthroughs in one tool - without doubling your write-up time.
How Observation Copilot Helps
AI-powered observations for Texas
Paste your observation notes. Copilot maps your evidence to Texas's framework and drafts structured, rubric-aligned feedback - ready to review and share.
- Maps your observation notes directly to T-TESS domains and dimensions
- Generates rubric-aligned summaries with evidence from your scripting
- Suggests ratings based on observed indicators across the five-point scale
- Creates targeted next steps tied to specific T-TESS components
- Reduces post-observation write-up time from 45 minutes to under 10
- Supports both formal T-TESS observations and quick walkthroughs
What Texas Educators Say
Trusted by Texas School Leaders
Observation Copilot has helped me to streamline and speed up the teacher feedback process. I'm able to organize the notes that I take during the lesson into summaries about the different dimensions while I get straight to the work of rating the lesson on the rubric.
Jason Cunningham - Stockdale, TX
Principal, Stockdale Independent School District
Observation Copilot has allowed me an opportunity to provide feedback to the teachers within the same day versus 24 to 48 hours. Being able to have access to the tool gives me very specific feedback and it just makes it an easier process for me.
Teresa A. Pena-Rodriguez - San Antonio, TX
Assistant Principal, San Antonio Independent School District
One of the biggest benefits for me of using Observation Copilot has been the time that it has saved me in releasing or in typing up my instructional feedback. It has laid it out all for me.
Andrea Arispe - San Antonio, TX
Assistant Principal, San Antonio Independent School District
Texas Districts
Observation Copilot is used by educators in districts including: San Antonio ISD, Stockdale ISD, Houston ISD, Dallas ISD. Learn about District Partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Texas observation FAQ
- What teacher evaluation framework does Texas use?
- T-TESS (the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System) is the dominant framework, used by the vast majority of Texas public school districts, though districts may also adopt locally developed systems.
- How many observations does Texas require?
- Principals must conduct at least one formal observation of 45 minutes or more per year.
- What does a Texas T-TESS observation assess?
- Observations primarily assess Domain II (Instruction) and Domain III (Learning Environment), while Domain I (Planning) and Domain IV (Professional Practices and Responsibilities) are evaluated through other parts of the cycle.
- What is a good T-TESS score?
- T-TESS rates practice on a five-point scale - Improvement Needed, Developing, Proficient, Accomplished, and Distinguished. Proficient represents the expected standard of practice, with Accomplished and Distinguished above it.
- Can Observation Copilot generate T-TESS-aligned feedback?
- Yes. Observation Copilot is purpose-built to organize your notes by T-TESS domains and dimensions, mapping evidence to the five-point rubric so you can focus on coaching conversations.
Related Reading
Resources for Texas Principals
50 Teacher Observation Feedback Examples (Organized by Framework Domain)
50 specific teacher observation feedback examples organized by framework domain, each tied to evidence and a next step principals can use.
Read more
Planning the 2026-2027 Teacher Observation Cycle: A Summer Checklist
A principal's summer checklist for the 2026-2027 teacher observation cycle - calendars, calibration, policy updates, and the tools that hold up.
Read more
Walkthroughs vs. Formal Observations: When Each One Helps and When It Hurts
Walkthroughs and formal observations serve different purposes. Here's how principals balance both in a coaching cycle that actually grows teachers.
Read more
End-of-Year Teacher Evaluations: A Principal's Summative Review Guide
How principals can write fair, evidence-based end-of-year teacher evaluations - without the last-minute scramble or recency bias.
Read more
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