Clarification:

The purpose of the Teacher Goal Setting and Professional Development process is to support teachers in reflecting on current professional practices to determine professional growth goals, build a professional development plan to attain those goals, and track the progress of their development over the course of the year based on the application of new learning, assessment of professional practices, feedback received during formative and summative conversations with the appraiser, and impact on students' academic and social-emotional needs. Teachers engage in goal setting, followed by ongoing, relevant and targeted professional learning opportunities that align with their professional growth goals to strengthen instructional effectiveness with the overall purpose of addressing students' needs and improving performance - teacher and student.

Teachers independently review data and reflect on their professional practices, including reviewing the domains, dimensions, and descriptors of the T-TESS rubric. As a result of this self-assessment, the teachers formulate targeted goals to discuss with the appraiser during the Goal Setting Conference. The initial goal- setting conference with the appraiser and teacher is critical to the T-TESS support system, as it ensures that both the teacher and appraiser are clear about the goals and subsequent actions to reach the desired outcomes. It is also an opportunity for the teacher to outline the support systems needed to achieve the goals.