ITQ RTWS

Eastern Michigan News

Renaissance Partnership Members

Eastern Michigan University Colleges of Education and Arts & Sciences
Ypsilanti Public Schools and Willow Run Community Schools
Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce

Teacher Work Sample Implementation and Mentoring Continue

EMU has developed a modified version of the Renaissance TWS--The New Student Teaching Unit--to be used in the Teacher Candidate's Assessment Portfolio. The unit documents and analyzes the learning of 3-4 outcomes promoted during 2-3 weeks of instruction. Over 30 student teaching supervisors and 15 cooperating teachers attended workshops in August 2003 to learn about the new requirements. The new student teaching unit will be completed with approximately 600 student teachers in fall 2003. At this time, the scoring system for the new student teaching unit will be used and studied for reliability.

Twenty elementary and secondary student teachers will complete the June 2002 version of the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample (TWS) in fall 2003 and winter 2004. They began their preparation for the work sample in their curriculum, assessment, and field-based courses two semesters before student teaching. They continued their preparation in the reading methods courses and field experiences this past fall. During the two pre-student teaching phases and the student teaching phase, education faculty, arts and sciences professors and teachers provided mentoring support during special workshops and seminars.

TWS Exhibits for Advisory Board and Grant Participants

In April 2003 and December 2002, over 40 project school administrators, teachers, arts and sciences professors, education professors, and business partners attended a two-hour celebration event. Each of the student teachers presented their TWS to a small group at a table and discussed what they learned from the experience.

Project Participants Attend June and January St. Louis Project Meetings

Three new scorers received training at the January and June 2003 St. Louis project meetings. That brings to ten the number of trained scorers at EMU (Director of Student Teaching, three student teaching supervisors, four teachers, a math professor, a science instructor, and four teacher education professors).

Three project staff, three teachers, the Director of Student Teaching, and two student teaching supervisors attended the June 2003 project meeting in St. Louis. The Director of Student Teaching and supervisors presented the EMU version of the TWS, which was well received.

EMU Professors Share Research and Project Information at National Conferences

Several professors made presentations at the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) in New Orleans in January 2003. Some of the research presented is summarized below.

Research Linking Teacher Performance to P-12 Student Learning

During spring and summer of both 2001 and 2003 three EMU professors conducted 30-minute telephone interviews with 20 assessment coordinators and professors from all project sites. The summarized interviews describe: (a) the general characteristics of each site's program, (b) when and how assessment concepts and skills are taught, and (c) how teacher candidates were supported during the TWS process.

An education professor conducted phone interviews with three groups of student teachers: ten who had the Teacher Quality grant preparation, ten who had an older version of the assessment course, and ten who had recent training in assessment, but not the Teacher Quality preparation. The goal was to find out how these student teachers thought about and used assessment of student learning. The data will be presented at AACTE.

Another education professor conducted interviews with the selected Teacher Quality grant student teachers that she supervised during student teaching. She continues her qualitative study with them as they begin their teaching careers. This will include information from the principals who supervise these new teachers.

Accountability Systems and Teacher Candidate Assessments Moved Forward

The Associate Dean and key staff have developed the electronic infrastructure for the EMU accountability system. Each EMU teacher preparation course has a key assessment that is common across all sections and is scored using a common rubric. These assessments are aligned with program outcomes and state/national standards. This information and other data gathered as teacher candidates enter and exit the program will be available in the accountability system. A committee on Data Assessment and Accountability is now part of the input system. This group is exploring ethical issues related to the reporting and access to data on teacher candidates. It also is Contact: Pat Pokay or Georgea Langer [georgea.langer@emich.edu]

Spring, 2003

Teacher Work Sample Implementation and Mentoring Continue
Twenty elementary and secondary teacher candidates will student teach in fall 2002 and winter 2003 with project teachers in our partnership schools. These student teachers will complete the June 2002 version of the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample (TWS). They began their preparation for the work sample in their curriculum, assessment, and field-based courses two semesters before student teaching. They continued their preparation in the reading methods courses and field experiences this past fall. During the two pre-student teaching phases and the student teaching phase, education faculty, arts and sciences professors and teachers provided mentoring support during special workshops and seminars.

A second cohort of 20 future teachers will take the same sequence of courses this fall and winter (with teachers and arts and sciences mentors) and will complete the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample in 2003-2004.

EMU has developed a modified version of the Renaissance TWS-The New Student Teaching Unit-to be used in the Teacher Candidate's Assessment Portfolio. The unit focuses on the learning of 3-4 outcomes prompted during 2-3 weeks of instruction. The components are similar to the grant's TWS. Six student teaching supervisors pilot-tested the new Unit requirements with approximately 100 student teachers in fall 2002. After two fall training sessions, all student teaching supervisors are now using the new requirements with their 675 student teachers. During winter/spring, 2003, project staff are designing a scoring system to be used with the new student teaching unit.

TWS Exhibits for Advisory Broard and Grant Participants
On April 19 and December 13 2002, over 40 project school administrators, teachers, arts and sciences professors, education professors, and business partners attended a two-hour celebration event. Each of the student teachers presented their TWS to a small group at a table and discussed what they learned from the experience. This format will be repeated on April 10th 2003.

Participants Attend Summer Mentor Training
On August 21-22 2002 about 20 participants (EMU education and arts/sciences professors, teachers and student teacher supervisors) attended 9 hours of mentor training. The workshops focused on evaluating the quality of TWS exemplars and identifying common shortcomings in the TWS. After a review of "Mentoring Matters" (Lipton & Wellman, 2001, www.miravia.com) small groups role-played specific coaching strategies to help improve these aspects of the TWS.

Project Participants Attend June and January St. Louis Project Meetings
Three new scorers received training at the June 2002 and January 2003 St. Louis project meetings. That brings to ten the number of trained scorers at EMU (two teachers, a math professor, a science instructor, two supervisors of student teaching, and four teacher education professors). These project participants will score the 20 student teacher work samples generated in 2002-2003.

Three project staff and two student teaching supervisors attended the January 2003 project meeting in St. Louis. The Director of Student Teaching, Barb Gorenflo, and supervisors Donna Wissbrun and Karen Soebbing presented the EMU version of the TWS.

EMU Professors Share Research and Project Information at National Conferences
Several professors will make presentations at the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education in New Orleans in January 2003. Some of the research to be presented is summarized below.

Research Linking Teacher Performance to P-12 Student Learning
During spring and summer of both 2001 and 2002 three EMU professors conducted 30-minute telephone interviews with 20 assessment coordinators and professors from all project sites. The summarized interviews describe: (a) the general characteristics of each site's program, (b) when and how assessment concepts and skills are taught, and (c) how teacher candidates were supported during the TWS process. Participants are sending materials and resources they have found helpful for developing assessment skills and understandings required by the TWS.

An education professor conducted phone interviews with three groups of student teachers: ten who had the Teacher Quality grant preparation, ten who had an older version of the assessment course, and ten who had recent training in assessment, but not the Teacher Quality preparation. The goal was to find out how these student teachers thought about and used assessment of student learning. The data are being analyzed in summer and fall 2002.

Another education professor conducted interviews with the selected Teacher Quality grant student teachers that she supervised during student teaching. She continues her qualitative study with them as they begin their teaching careers. This will include information from the principals who supervise these new teachers.

Accountability Systems and Teacher Candidate Assessments Moved Forward
An Associate Dean and an Accountability Coordinator have been studying systems used at other grant institutions and will develop and pilot test a system for EMU in 2002-2003. Each EMU teacher preparation course has a key assessment that is common across all sections and is scored using a common rubric. These assessments are aligned with program outcomes and state/national standards. This information and other data gathered as teacher candidates enter and exit the program will be available in the accountability system.

Contact: Pat Pokay <pat.pokay@emich.edu> or Georgea Langer [georgea.langer@emich.edu]

Fall, 2002

Teacher Work Sample Implementation and Mentoring Continue

Twenty elementary and secondary teacher candidates will student teach in fall 2002 and winter 2003 with project teachers in our partnership schools. These student teachers will complete the June 2002 version of the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample (TWS). They began their preparation for the work sample in their curriculum, assessment, and field-based courses two semesters before student teaching. They continued their preparation in the reading methods courses and field experiences this past fall. During the two pre-student teaching phases and the student teaching phase, education faculty, arts and sciences professors and teachers provided mentoring support during special workshops and seminars.
A second cohort of 20 future teachers will take the same sequence of courses this fall and winter (with teachers and arts and sciences mentors) and will complete the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample in 2003-2004.
EMU has developed a modified version of the Renaissance TWS—The Student Teaching Assessment Unit. The unit focuses on the learning of 3-4 outcomes prompted during 2-3 weeks of instruction. The components are similar to the grant’s TWS and it can be scored using the June 2002 TWS rubrics. Six student teaching supervisors are pilot-testing the EMU Assessment Unit with approximately 100 student teachers in fall 2002. Revisions will be made before more student teachers are required to complete this new assessment.

April 19, 2002 TWS Exhibit for Advisory Board and Grant Participants

On April 19 2002 over 40 project school administrators, teachers, arts and sciences professors, education professors, and business partners attended a two-hour celebration event. Each of the 10 student teachers presented their TWS to a small group at a table and discussed what they learned from the experience.

Participants Attend Summer Mentor Training

On August 21-22 2002 about 20 participants (EMU education and arts/sciences professors, teachers and student teacher supervisors) attended 9 hours of mentor training. The workshops focused on evaluating the quality of TWS exemplars and identifying common shortcomings in the TWS. After a review of “Mentoring Matters” (Lipton & Wellman, 2001, www.miravia.com) small groups role-played specific coaching strategies to help improve these aspects of the TWS.

Project Participants Attend Scoring Training

One new scorer received training at the June 2002 St. Louis project meeting. That brings to eight the number of trained scorers at EMU (two teachers, a math professor, a science instructor, and four teacher education professors). These project participants will score the 20 student teacher work samples generated in 2002-2003.

EMU Professors Share Research and Project Information at National Conferences

Several professors have written proposals to make presentations at the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education in New Orleans (January 2003). Some of the research to be presented is summarized below.

Research Linking Teacher Performance to P-12 Student Learning

During spring and summer of both 2001 and 2002 three EMU professors conducted 30-minute telephone interviews with 20 assessment coordinators and professors from all project sites. The summarized interviews describe: (a) the general characteristics of each site's program, (b) when and how assessment concepts and skills are taught, and (c) how teacher candidates were supported during the TWS process. Participants are sending materials and resources they have found helpful for developing assessment skills and understandings required by the TWS.

Accountability Systems and Teacher Candidate Assessments Move Forward

An Associate Dean and an Accountability Coordinator have been studying systems used at other grant institutions and will develop and pilot test a system for EMU in 2002-2003. Each EMU teacher preparation course has a key assessment that is common across all sections and is scored using a common rubric. These assessments are aligned with program outcomes and state/national standards. This information and other data gathered as teacher candidates enter and exit the program will be available in the accountability system.

Contact: Pat Pokay <pat.pokay@emich.edu> or Georgea Langer [georgea.langer@emich.edu]

Spring, 2002

Teacher Work Sample Implementation and Mentoring Continue

Ten elementary and secondary teacher candidates started student teaching in January 2002 with project teachers in our partnership schools. These student teachers will complete the newest version of the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample (TWS). They began their preparation for the work sample in their curriculum, assessment, and field-based courses two semesters before student teaching. They continued their preparation in the reading methods courses and field experiences this past fall. During the two pre-student teaching phases and the student teaching phase, education faculty, arts and sciences professors and teachers provided mentoring support during special workshops and seminars.

A second cohort of 13 future teachers began the same sequence of courses this past fall (with teachers and arts and sciences mentors) and will do the student teacher work sample in the fall of 2002. A third cohort of 10 teacher candidates begins the sequence in winter of 2002.

Project Participants Attend Scoring Training

Two new scorers received training at the January 2002 St. Louis project meeting. That brings to six the number of trained scorers at EMU (two teachers, a math professor, and three teacher education professors). These project participants will score the 10 winter 2002 student teachers work samples in early May.

EMU Professors Share Research and Project Information at National Conferences

In February 2002 a project co-director will join a teacher and an arts and sciences professor in a presentation on the Renaissance Partnership grant at the Association of Teacher Educators in Denver. Four other project professors (and the Dean of the College of Education, Jerry Robbins) are making presentations on the project at the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education in New York in March. Some of the research to be presented at these conferences is summarized below.

Research Linking Teacher Performance to P-12 Student Learning

During spring and summer of both 2001 and 2002 three EMU professors will be conducting 30-minute telephone interviews with 20 assessment coordinators and professors from all project sites. The summarized interviews describe: (a) the general characteristics of each site's program, (b) when and how assessment concepts and skills are taught, and (c) how teacher candidates were supported during the TWS process. Participants are sending materials and resources they have found helpful for developing assessment skills and understandings required by the TWS.

One education professor conducted interviews with the five winter 2001 student teachers that completed the work sample. She continues her qualitative study with them as they begin their teaching careers. This will include information from the
principals who supervise these new teachers. Another professor is studying the use of technology in the work samples. The most recent student teachers are also being studied in similar ways.

January 24, 2002 Advisory Board Focuses on Analysis of TWS Exemplars

Twenty project school administrators, teachers, arts and sciences professors, and education professors attended a two-hour Teacher Quality Improvement Council on January 24, 2002. Participants examined a TWS exemplar and discussed past and future activities.

Accountability Systems and Teacher Candidate Assessments Move Forward

Each EMU teacher preparation course has a key assessment that is common across all sections and is scored using a common rubric. These assessments are aligned with program outcomes and state/national standards. This information and other data gathered as teacher candidates enter and exit the program will be available in the accountability system. This winter we are surveying EMU graduates and their supervisors during their first years of teaching.

Fall, 2001

Pilot Test of Teacher Work Sample and Mentoring

A second cohort of 15 future teachers is beginning the same sequence of courses this fall (with A&S mentors) and will do the student teacher work sample in fall, 2002. A third cohort of 20 teacher candidates will begin the sequence in winter/spring. Three student teaching supervisors also have selected student teachers to complete the teacher work sample this fall.

Last January, ten teacher candidates in the Elementary and Secondary Education programs began their preparation for the Student Teacher Work Sample in their Curriculum, Assessment, and field-based courses. This fall they continue their preparation in the Reading methods courses and field experiences with their Arts & Sciences mentors. These teacher candidates will student teach in January, 2002 in our partnership schools and will complete the newest version of the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample.

This winter (2001), five secondary-level student teachers are producing teacher work samples (they all took the Curriculum & Methods and Assessment courses with a field experience last fall). Their mentors, with whom they worked last fall, are the five middle school cooperating teachers: one history professor, two English professors, and one science professor plus three education professors (one student teaching supervisor, one assessment expert, and one curriculum expert).

In preparation for next year, ten teacher candidates (five elementary and five secondary) are taking the Curriculum & Methods and Assessment courses during winter, 2001. They will then move into the Reading and Methods Phase where they will practice other elements of the teacher work sample in their field placements. These ten will then student teach in the winter, 2002. Mentoring teams will then work with them in all phases.

Finally, we are recruiting an elementary cohort (ten) and a secondary cohort (five) from our Pre-Admission Phase (Human Development, Special Education, and Multicultural Field Experience). These students will enroll in the Curriculum & Methods and Assessment Phase in fall, 2001; the Reading and Methods Phase in winter, 2002; and student teach in fall, 2003. Mentoring teams will work with them in all phases.

Contact: Georgea Langer <georgea.langer@emich.edu>

First Producers of TWS Receive Scores And Serve As Coaches

Three scorers (trained at the June, 2001 St. Louis project meeting) scored the ten completed TWS from winter/spring, 2001. The EMU scorers included one teacher from Ypsilanti Public Schools, one education professor, and one math professor. The 10 participants receive their scores this fall. Two of them (a former student teacher and a teacher) will serve as coaches for the next group of TWS student teachers.

EMU Professors Continue Research At EMU And across All 10 Sites

During spring and summer three EMU professors conducted 30-minute telephone interviews with 20 assessment coordinators and professors from all project sites. The summarized interviews describe: a) the general characteristics of each site’s program, b) when and how assessment concepts and skills are taught, and c) how teacher candidates were supported during the TWS process. Participants are sending materials and resources they have found helpful for developing assessment skills and understandings required by the TWS.

An Education professor conducted interviews with the five EMU spring pilot test student teachers. She continues her qualitative study with them as they begin their teaching careers. This will include information from the principals who supervise these new teachers. Another professor is studying the use of technology in the work samples.

Fall, 2001 Training Focuses on Analysis of TWS Exemplars

In late September, all participants will attend a 3-hour session to examine the TWS Exemplars and discuss future activities. Our new partner school district, Willow Run Schools, will join us with 2 administrators and 8 new teachers.

Accountability Systems and Teacher Candidate Assessments Move Forward

Each EMU teacher preparation course has a key assessment that is common across all sections and is scored using a common rubric. These assessments are aligned with program outcomes and state/national standards. This information and other data gathered as teacher candidates enter and exit the program will be available in the accountability system. Two professors have local grant money to pursue the assessment of EMU graduates in their first years of teaching.

Advisory Board

The Eastern Michigan University Teacher Quality Improvement Council met in December 1999, April 2000, and December 2000. At our April 26 meeting, the TQ student teachers will present their work samples to the Council. The TQIC has over thirty members from the schools (Ypsilanti administrators and teachers), business community (Chamber of Commerce and Visteon), Michigan Department of Education (Office of Professional Preparation Services), College of Arts & Sciences (Associate Dean and professors), and College of Education (Special Education and Teacher Education administrators and professors).

Contact: Georgea Langer <georgea.langer@emich.edu>

Accountability and Research

Eastern Michigan University gathers information from teacher candidates before, during course work, and at the end of student teaching. In April 2001, we will collect information from our partner district on how Eastern Michigan University graduates succeed in their initial years of teaching.
Eastern Michigan University has taken the lead on investigating how all ten institutions develop and evaluate the assessment skills of their teacher candidates. We will be conducting phone interviews with all ten assessment coordinators during April and May 2001.
Two faculty members are using qualitative methods to study the five Eastern Michigan University student teachers to examine how they experience the teacher work sample and how they use technology in the teacher work sample.

Contact: Pat Pokay <pat.pokay@emich.edu>

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