T-TESS Rubric in seconds
T-TESS (Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System) rubric generator. 4 domains — Planning, Instruction, Learning Environment, Professional Practices — with 5 performance levels.
Free · No sign-up · PDF export · Any subject or grade
Rubric total will sum to this score.
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0/5000
Tip: Include the grade level and any standard codes for tighter alignment.
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Analytic rubrics for essays and projects, holistic rubrics for writing, single-point rubrics for quick formative checks, AP-exam style rubrics for LEQs and DBQs — from a single prompt.
Analytic, holistic, or single-point structure
Criteria and descriptors matched to the assignment
Point totals that hit your target score exactly
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Argumentative essay · 10th grade · 16 points total
| Criterion | Exceeds | Proficient |
|---|---|---|
Thesis 4 pts | Clear, original, arguable | Clear and defensible |
Evidence 4 pts | 3+ sources, all cited | 2 sources, mostly cited |
Organization 4 pts | Seamless transitions | Logical paragraphs |
Mechanics 4 pts | No errors | 1-2 minor errors |
Classroom-ready output
Printable PDFs, inline-editable, standards-aligned
Paste a standard code (CCSS, NGSS, TEKS, AP) and criteria tighten to it. Everything is editable: rewrite descriptors, rebalance points, change labels — then print a clean PDF for the binder or attach to your LMS.
CCSS, NGSS, TEKS, C3, AP — paste the code and go
Inline-editable table (click any cell)
Print-ready PDF with headers and gridlines
Pairs with GradeWithAI to auto-grade against the rubric
Analytic, holistic, or single-point
Standards-aligned to CCSS, NGSS, TEKS, AP
Custom point totals (10, 25, 100, anything)
By subject or assignment type
Editable before printing
Export to PDF, print, or auto-grade
Designed for real classrooms
Every detail, handled
The small details that make an AI-generated rubric something you'd actually hand a class.
- Generated in 15 seconds
- Skip the hour-long rubric-building tax. Rewrite cells in place and you're ready.
- Standards-aligned
- Paste a CCSS, NGSS, TEKS, or C3 code and alignment tightens immediately.
- Point totals that add up
- Set a target total (10, 25, 100) and the AI distributes points across criteria cleanly.
- PDF, printable, binder-ready
- Export clean, no-watermark PDFs. No sign-up, no trial, no credit card.
About this tool
T-TESS Rubric in seconds
The T-TESS rubric is the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System — the state-mandated framework districts use to evaluate teachers in Texas public schools. Important: this is a rubric teachers are evaluated against, not one teachers use to grade students. T-TESS covers four domains — Planning, Instruction, Learning Environment, and Professional Practices and Responsibilities — each with multiple dimensions, and rates teachers on five performance levels: Distinguished, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, and Improvement Needed. Proficient is the expectation for most teachers; Distinguished is reserved for exemplary, classroom-wide practice. Our t-tess rubric generator above builds the four-domain grid with all five levels of performance descriptors so appraisers, mentors, and teachers preparing for walk-throughs can work from the same language TEA uses.
T-TESS domains, dimensions, and 5 performance levels
T-TESS is organized into 4 domains containing 16 dimensions total. Appraisers score each dimension separately on the five-level scale. Unlike Danielson, T-TESS uses five levels rather than four — the extra 'Distinguished' tier above 'Accomplished' is designed to push master teachers toward continued growth.
Domain I — Planning: Standards/Alignment, Data/Assessment, Knowledge of Students, Activities
Domain II — Instruction: Achieving Expectations, Content Knowledge and Expertise, Communication, Differentiation, Monitor/Adjust
Domain III — Learning Environment: Classroom Environment/Routines/Procedures, Managing Student Behavior, Classroom Culture
Domain IV — Professional Practices and Responsibilities: Professional Demeanor/Ethics, Goal Setting, Professional Development, School Community Involvement
Performance levels: Distinguished, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, Improvement Needed
Where teachers commonly score below Proficient on T-TESS
Appraisers most often flag the 'Differentiation' dimension (II.4) in Developing — lessons that meet grade-level standards but don't adjust for students who are ahead or behind. Second is 'Monitor and Adjust' (II.5) — teachers who push through their lesson plan without shifting based on formative checks. Third, 'Managing Student Behavior' (III.2) trips up newer teachers because the Distinguished descriptor requires students to self-monitor, which is a cultural shift rather than a rule-based system. Fourth, 'Goal Setting' (IV.2) is often thin because teachers write SMART goals that are too easy to meet.
What the T-TESS rubric generator produces
The generator builds all four domains with performance descriptors at each of the five levels — Distinguished, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, Improvement Needed — for every dimension you request. You can generate the full 16-dimension version, focus on a single domain for a walk-through, or output a mentor-facing version with question prompts. Common customizations: a self-reflection version where teachers rate themselves before their appraiser visit, a side-by-side Proficient-to-Distinguished comparison to support growth plans, and a district-branded one-page summary for pre-conferences.
How it works
Assignment in, rubric out — in under a minute
- 1
Describe the assignment
Paste the full instructions or describe it in one sentence. Include grade level, standards, and the rubric type (analytic/holistic/single-point) if you want.
- 2
AI drafts the rubric
Criteria and performance descriptors matched to the assignment, sized to the point total you picked.
- 3
Edit, print, grade
Click any cell to rewrite. Export a clean PDF, or grade student work against this exact rubric inside GradeWithAI.
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After the rubric
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The rubric generator is free forever. When you want to apply the rubric at scale, GradeWithAI scores handwritten and digital student work against it in seconds — per-criterion scores and descriptor-matched feedback.
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AI grades against the exact rubric you built here
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Per-criterion scores and feedback in every report
Graded 28 essays against rubric
Period 4 · 92% class average · 14 seconds
Ava G.
9/10
Marcus R.
10/10
Priya S.
8/10
Got questions?
Rubric generator FAQ
Answers to common questions from teachers. Still stuck? Email john@gradewithai.com — replies land the same day.
T-TESS is Texas-specific and uses five performance levels (Distinguished, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, Improvement Needed) across four domains. Danielson is a national framework with four levels (Distinguished, Proficient, Basic, Unsatisfactory) across four somewhat different domains. T-TESS puts more explicit emphasis on student ownership and goal setting; Danielson more on questioning and assessment.
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