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:

• Teacher Work Sample: Performance Prompt, Teaching Process Standards, Scoring Rubrics
• Teacher Work Sample: Scoring Guide
• Teacher Work Sample: Road Map

PowerPoint Presentations

• Title: More Than a Baker's Dozen: What Teacher Educators at Four Institutions Have Learned in Three Years of Experience Using Teacher Work Samples
• Authors: Vickie Robinson, Donna Topping, Betty Jo Simmons, Toby Daniel, Barbara Burch, Sandra Huffman, Nicole Fahey
• Description: This is a presentation by representatives from four Renaissance institutions about the progress and benefits of teacher work samples at their respective institutions. Both the strengths and challenges associated with this innovation are described
• Number of slides: 91
• Title: Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality: A Title II Funded Project With Offices at Western Kentucky University 1999-2004
• Author: Roger Pankratz
• Description: A short introduction to the Renaissance Partnership Project followed by a summary of Western Kentucky University’s initiative to implement teacher work samples, critical performance and the collection of performance data. Also, includes the benefits of TWS and challenges to expanding the use of TWS
• Number of slides: 31

• 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

• Title: Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality, Eastern Michigan University
• Author: Pat Pokay
• Description: A brief outline of the teacher work sample structure in Eastern Michigan University’s Teacher Education Program
• Number of slides: 4

• Title: Renaissance Teacher Work Samples; California State University, Fresno
• Author: Jeanie Behrend
• Description: A list of contributions, challenges and long-term benefits of TWS at California State, Fresno
• Number of slides: 3

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