Teacher Work Sample

The Teacher Work Sample (TWS) is a strategy and model for assisting education candidates to develop skill in demonstrating the impact of their teaching on public school student’s learning and achievement.  Through this performance assessment, teacher candidates provide credible evidence of their ability to facilitate learning by meeting the following TWS standards:

• The teacher uses information about the learning-teaching context and student individual differences to set learning goals and plan instruction and assessment.
• The teacher sets significant, challenging, varied, and appropriate learning goals.
• The teacher uses multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during, and after instruction.
• The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student characteristics and needs, and learning contexts.
• The teacher uses regular and systematic evaluations of student learning to make instructional decisions.
• The teacher uses assessment data to profile student learning and communicate information about student progress and achievement.
• The teacher reflects on his or her instruction and student learning in order to improve teaching practice.

For an expanded explanation and samples of TWS please use the following links.

The Renaissance Group

Performance Prompt, Teaching Process Standards, Scoring Rubrics

Road Map for Locating Evidence

Renaissance Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality