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 Promp 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?

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

Training Materials

PowerPoint Presentations

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