The teacher work sample (TWS) has become increasingly widely adopted as an end-of-program, performance-based assessment for student teachers. Improving Teacher Quality offers a comprehensive introduction to teacher work sample methodology for teacher educators, student teachers, student teacher supervisors, cooperating teachers, program coordinators, and school administrators. This well-organized and clearly written guide shows how implementation of the TWS can catalyze a series of widespread changes in assessment, teaching, and program improvement.
The authors use their extensive experience to describe how to implement the TWS in a carefully sequenced progression that includes creating a valid and reliable system of scoring, teaching reflective thinking skills, making program improvements, and conducting research with TWS data. Helpful suggestions are provided throughout for those interested in adopting the TWS as a performance-based assessment in their teacher education program, those interested in how the TWS can provide evidence of minimal competency, and those interested in how the TWS can provide data for making program improvements.

By John Henning; Frank Kohler; Victoria Robinson and Barry Wilson

Part 1 Preface
Part 2 Acknowledgements
Part 3 Introduction
Part 4 The Rationale for Adoption
Chapter 5 An Overview of TWSM
Part 6 The TWS Prompt
Chapter 7 The TWS Prompt: Planning Processes
Chapter 8 The TWS Prompt: Assessment and Reflection Processes
Part 9 Building a TWS Culture
Chapter 10 Building a TWS Culture
Chapter 11 Establishing a Valid and Reliable Scoring Process
Part 12 The Role of the TWS in Program Improvement
Chapter 13 Teaching to the TWS
Chapter 14 Conducting Research with TWS Data
Part 15 Future Directions
Chapter 16 Revising the TWS
Chapter 17 Future Possibilities
Part 18 References