Fairness of the Teacher Work Sample

This article presents the results of an evaluation of the fairness of the Teacher Work Sample (TWS), a performance assessment for preservice teachers as used at one university, for candidates in a general education or a deaf education teacher preparation program. The TWS is a high-stakes assessment, and as such, issues of fairness and reliability are critical, particularly when trying to promote increased diversity in the teacher workforce. Dimensions of ethnicity, gender, and hearing status are reviewed as part of this study. A brief overview of the TWS will be provided, followed by a discussion of the study and a discussion of the implications for practice and further research. Results indicated that all of the components of the TWS were fair along lines of hearing status, race, and gender, although the disparate impact assessment revealed that there is an overall impact for program completion based on candidates’ race. Possible reasons for this impact as well as suggestions for improvement are provided.

Using Google Docs to Enhance the Teacher Work Sample

The use of teaching portfolios in teacher education programs is a widely accepted practice. This article describes how a traditional teacher work sample was transformed using the online platform, Google Docs. The use of online digital portfolios may help to satisfy both the need to evaluate teacher candidates’ performance in special education settings and encourage deeper reflection through the use of interactive digital technologies. Equally important, when constructing the Google Doc work sample, teacher candidates learn important instructional technologies by implementing them in authentic settings. The author suggests the implementation of digital portfolios may reinforce best practices in special education.

Technology-Infused Instructional Framework

The focus of this research is to examine the impact of an instructional instrument to improve the quality of pre-service teachers’ lesson plans. The HEAT instrument focuses on four components essential to high-quality lesson plans: Higher-Order Thinking, Engaged Learning, Authentic Learning, and Technology. The research study examined a) data from elementary education classes for two semesters to measure the impact of the HEAT instrument on instructional planning during the semester and b) these pre-service teachers’ subsequent performance on the Teacher Work Sample compared to a control group of student teachers to measure the impact of the instrument on pre-service teacher performance. In the treatment group, pre-service teachers’ scores on the HEAT instrument were lower each successive semester of the study; however, during the student teaching semester the teacher candidates had higher scores on the Teacher Work Sample which measured the four components embedded in the HEAT instrument. Keywords: lesson plans; Bloom’s Taxonomy; teacher education; cognitive complexity; higher-order thinking; technology integration; authentic learning; engaged learning

Teacher Work Sample Methodology: Displaying Accountability Of U.S. Teacher Education Program Effectiveness

Productive strategies for evaluating outcomes in teacher licensure programs are becoming increasingly important in the education field. Research data from 492 teacher licensure program completers from 2006-2009 in the School of Education, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado (USA) was compiled after accreditation by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Three categories including subject matter knowledge, pedagogy, and caring teaching skills were acknowledged in accreditation. An important pedagogy experience for students during the licensure program was teacher work sample methodology. This article discusses teacher work sample methodology, explains the experience of building a teacher work sample (TWS) and presents data regarding students results from TWS rubrics. Findings demonstrate teacher education program effectiveness and highlight the effective use of TWSs to meet accreditation requirements.