Teacher Work Sample Coordinators

Development Process and Progress

PowerPoint Presentations

Related PDF Resources

(RTWS) Teaching Processes Prompt and Scoring Rubric (June 2002)

(RTWS) Teaching Processes Prompt and Scoring Rubric (January 2002)

(RTWS) Teaching Processes Prompt and Scoring Rubric (July 2000)

Teacher Work Sample Scoring Guide

Emporia State University Teacher Work Sample Model

Emporia State University Teacher Work Samples Produced by Student Teachers

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Renaissance Teacher Work Samples (RTWS)


Overview: What are Teacher Work Samples?

Teacher work samples (TWS) are exhibits of teaching performance that provide direct evidence of a candidate’s ability to design and implement standards-based instruction, assess student learning and reflect on the teaching and learning process. Also, teacher work samples are teaching exhibits that can provide credible evidence of a candidate’s ability to facilitate learning of all students. Teacher work samples are one source of evidence along with classroom observations and other measures to assess performance relative to national and state teaching standards.

The Renaissance Model for Teacher Work Samples that is being implemented in nine of the Renaissance Partnership Project institutions includes: 

  1. seven teaching performance standards with performance indicators, 
  2. a performance prompt or a set of teaching tasks related to the seven performance standards, 
  3. a scoring rubric for judging candidate’s performance, and 
  4. the candidate’s teaching exhibits consisting of 20 pages of narrative plus attachments that show evidence of teaching performance directly related to each student.

The Renaissance Teacher Work Sample Model requires teacher candidates to plan and teach a four-week standards-based unit consisting of seven components:

  1. Contextual Factors
  2. Learning Goals
  3. Assessment
  4. Design for Instruction
  5. Instructional Decision Making
  6. Analysis of Student Learning
  7. Self-Evaluation and Reflection

Emporia State University (Kansas) and Idaho State University have developed and are using their own model of teacher work samples. These two alternative models also have the four basic elements described above and generally address the same teaching standards but have some different exhibit requirements and scoring rubric elements.

 The Teacher Work Sample Standards Prompt & Rubric

The 01-18-02 draft of the Teacher Work Sample Standards Prompt and Rubric can be viewed and/or printed by following this link: Teaching Processes Prompt and Scoring Rubric

 

Why the Implementation of Teacher Work Samples (TWS) is a Key Objective of the Renaissance Partnership Project.
Teacher Work Samples require teacher candidates to focus their efforts on standards-based instruction and P-12 student achievement of state and local content standards. Also, TWS requires new teachers to be accountable for the learning of all students and to reflect on and evaluate teaching and learning processes. The goal of the Renaissance Partnership institutions is to measure and report on their graduates’ ability to facilitate learning of all students. TWS provides direct evidence of student teacher’s ability to facilitate P-12 learning and produce learning results.

 

What Events and Processes Have Contributed to the Development and Implementation of Teacher Work Samples in the Renaissance Partnership Project?

  • Three and one-half day work session in January of 2002 to develop scoring skills, benchmark new exemplars and develop and scoring guide
  • Implementation of January 2001 TWS draft with 800+ teacher candidates in the spring semester of 2002
  • Three and one-half day work session in June of 2002 to benchmark new TWS exemplars, develop advanced scoring skills and share implementation successes and challenges
  • Implementation of TWS program across 11 institutions with 1,000+ teacher candidates
  • Three-day work session in January of 2003 to benchmark new TWS exemplars from middle and high content areas, develop a mentoring manual to assist in improving candidate performance on work samples and continue to share new implementation strategies
  • Implementation of TWS program in 11 institutions with 1,500+ teacher candidates
  • Two-day orientation to teacher work sample methodology by faculty from Western Oregon University at the October 1999 Renaissance Group Conference in Cedar Falls, Iowa
  • Two-day visit to Western Oregon University and their faculty by leadership teams from Renaissance Partnership Project sites in January 2000
  • Development of the Renaissance Partnership Teacher Work Sample Draft Prompt in March and April 2000
  • Training workshops for leadership teams from each site to pilot test the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample Draft Prompt in May and June 2000
  • Pilot testing of TWS prompt in fall of 2000 with about 50 student teachers
  • Three and one-half day work session in January 2001 for site leadership teams to revise prompt and develop scoring rubric
  • Pilot testing of revised prompt and rubric in spring of 2001 with about 150 student teachers across ten partnership sites
  • Three and one-half day work session in June of 2001 for site leadership teams to benchmark performance level, establish content validity and scoring reliability
  • Implementation of July 2001 draft of TWS prompt and rubric in fall of 2001 with about 500 student teachers across eleven project sites

What Resources are Available for Training and Implementing Teacher Work Samples?

 

Training  Materials:

PowerPoint Presentations

  • Title: University of Northern Iowa
  • Author: Vickie Robinson
  • Description: A brief overview of TWS at Northern Iowa with comments from students, faculty and cooperating teachers. Also, includes challenges to TWS implementation
  • Number of slides: 9

Papers and Publications 

 

TWSM Coordinators 

Universities Name E-mail
California State University, Fresno Jean Behrend jean_behrend@csufresno.edu
Eastern Michigan University Barb Gorenflo bgorenflo@emich.edu
Emporia State University Bill Samuelson samuelsb@emporia.edu
Idaho State University Jack Newsome newsjack@isu.edu
Kentucky State University Al Hickey ahickey@gwmail.kysu.edu
Longwood University, Virginia Barbara Chesler bchesler@longwood.edu
Millersville University, Pennsylvania Donna Topping Donna.Topping@millersville.edu
Middle Tennessee State University Jim Huffman jhuffman@mtsu.edu
Southeast Missouri State University Tahsin Khalid tkhalid@semo.edu
University of Northern Iowa Vickie Robinson
Lynn Nielsen 		victoria.robinson@uni.edu
lynn.nielsen@uni.edu
Western Kentucky University Toby Daniel tabitha.daniel@wku.edu