UCM Teacher Education
Teacher Work Sample
A Teacher Work Sample (TWS) is a body of content (i.e., a unit of instruction) in
one subject area for one class. The components of the TWS are:

Contextual Factors,

Learning Goals & Assessment,

Design for Instruction,

Analysis of Student Learning, and

Reflection/Self-Evaluation.
The TWS meets a state certification requirement. It allows the student teacher to
provide evidence of meeting state standards including impact on student learning and
reflective practice.
The student teacher (in cooperation with his/her district supervisor(s) and
university supervisor) should select a unit to be taught as well as a time frame for the unit.
The TWS should not be seen as a separate component of student teaching. Instead it
should be viewed as a means to document the student teacher’s daily participation in
planning, teaching, assessing student progress, and self-evaluation.
This document provides the prompts needed to complete the Teacher Work Sample.
Please utilize the Blackboard TWS site for the scoring rubric, resources, examples of
different components, and the PDF form by which to submit your completed work to be
archived by the UCM Professional Education Unit.
COVER PAGE – TEACHER WORK SAMPLE
Student Teacher name:_________________________________________________________________
Major:______________________________________________________________________________________
Are you an MAT teacher candidate? ______yes _______no
Are you an alternative certification candidate? _________yes _________no
University Supervisor __________________________________________________________________
Grade level and content area used for Teacher Work Sample: ________________
1.
Contextual Factors
TWS Component- What you must demonstrate:
The teacher uses information about the learning-teaching context and individual student
differences to set learning goals, design instruction, and plan assessment [MoSTEP 1.2.3]. This
includes:
• Knowledge of community, school, and classroom factors
• Knowledge of characteristics of students
• Knowledge of students’ varied approaches to learning
• Knowledge of students’ skills and special considerations
Task- What you must do:
Complete this step of the work sample to gain detailed information about the community, school
district, and classroom in which you are teaching. This will help familiarize you with your students
as well as identify relevant factors and student characteristics that may affect the teaching-learning
process. Forms should be submitted electronically.
Prompt- How you must do it:
Complete the form. You may find information about the district and building in which you
will be student teaching at many websites including:
http://www.dese.mo.gov/schooldata/school.data.html
http://www.publicschoolreview.com/
www.city-data.com (lists cities with 6,000+residents)
You may also find information at your district’s website. Additional information can be
obtained from interviews with district personnel.
Self-Evaluation- How you will be evaluated: (These are self-check questions and should
NOT be separately answered in this section!)



Do you display knowledge of the characteristics of the community, district, school, and
classroom data by completing the context form?
Do you display knowledge of student characteristics, skill levels, and special needs?
Do you consider the instructional implications of these factors by discussing the possible
impact of these factors on learning and teaching?
1.
Contextual Factors Form
Community/District Factors:
State: ___________________
Area: _____ Rural
_____Urban
_____Suburban
Community Population: ______________________
Socio-economic Profile:
% of Population 25+ years with college education – ___________________
% Free/Reduced Lunch – ______________________
Racial/Ethnic Information:
American Indian - __________%
Asian - __________%
Black - __________%
Hispanic - __________%
White - __________%
Other - __________%
Building Factors:
Racial/Ethnic Information:
American Indian - __________%
Asian - __________%
Black - __________%
Hispanic - __________%
White - __________%
Other - __________%
Free/Reduced Lunch - __________%
Title I: _____ Yes
______ No
Comment on the stability/transience of the student population (max 250 characters):
Classroom Factors:
Total number of students in the class described in this TWS: __________ (Student Teachers with
multiple class sections will select one class to analyze for the TWS).
Male - __________
Female - __________
IEP - __________
504 - __________
ESL - _________
Free/Reduced Lunch - ________
American Indian - __________
Asian - __________
Black - __________
Hispanic - __________
White - __________
Other - __________
Briefly describe the following: physical aspects of the classroom, availability of technology,
daily schedules, classroom rules/routines, parental involvement, and any district/state
curricula standards that might impact your instruction. (Maximum of 1750 characters)
Provide a brief summary of the characteristics of the students in the class (ages, gender,
ethnicity, skill levels, special needs and considerations, etc.) (Maximum of 1250 characters)
Give a concise overview of the instructional implications of these characteristics.
(Maximum of 2500 characters)
2.
Assessment and Learning Objectives
TWS Component- What you must demonstrate:
That the teacher sets significant, challenging, and appropriate learning goals and plans a variety
of assessments to assess student learning of these goals before, during, and after instruction
[MoSTEP 1.2.1, 1.2.4, 1.2.8].
The Task- What you must do:
Provide the learning goals and objectives for the unit. Design an assessment plan that will be used
to assess student learning and progress towards these goals before (pre-assessment), during
(formative assessment), and after instruction (summative assessment). The assessments should be
designed to authentically measure student learning and should include a variety of approaches (i.e.
performance-based tasks, paper-and-pencil tasks, personal communication, and student selfevaluation/reflection.)
Prompt- How you must do it:
The learning goals and objectives, alignment, and assessment plan overview will be
presented in provided table.
Elements of Table





List 1-4 learning goals (not the activities), clearly stated as learning outcomes, that will
guide the planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
o Learning Goals: Learning goals describe the large-scale aim of the unit. Goals of the
unit should be overarching and reflect the big ideas of the unit. Learning goals are
broad, generalized statements about what is to be learned (such as Show-Me
Standards).
List at least 1 learning objective for each learning goal. Minimum of 5 total learning
objectives should be addressed in the unit.
o Learning objectives: Learning objectives describe the student outcomes that
indicate that the students have achieved the learning goals. Learning objectives
answer the question, “What will students know and be able to do at the end of the
unit?” Objectives are specific and measurable (such as GLEs and CLEs) and contain
clear criteria.
Provide the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) level at which each objective will be assessed.
o Level 1 Recall: Recall of a fact, information, or procedure
o Level 2 Skill/Concept: Use information or conceptual knowledge, two or more
steps, etc.
o Level 3 Strategic Thinking: Requires reasoning, developing plan or a sequence of
steps, some complexity, more than one possible answer.
o Level 4 Extended Thinking: Requires an investigation, time to think and process
multiple conditions of the problem
Indicate how the lesson objectives are aligned with local (i.e., curriculum guides), state (i.e.
Grade Level Expectations), or national standards (i.e. Common Core Standards, National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards, etc.).
For each learning objective, identify the assessments to be used
Pre-assessment: There should be a pre-assessment for most to all of the objectives.
The pre-assessment may take many forms (i.e., KWL, clicker responses, thumbs
up/down, written pre-test). Think about how you will collect individual student
data on each objective.
o Formative assessment: assessment for learning. Formative assessment is a process
used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust
ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended
instructional outcomes.
 Occurs during instruction
 Does not need to be graded
 Focus is on process
 Provides descriptive Feedback
 Is continuous
o Summative assessment: assessment of learning. Activities or tasks that determine
whether students have mastered the material at a specified level. Includes analysis
and use of data to make judgments about performance. Summative assessments
include scoring criteria and documentation of performance. Think about how you
will collect individual student data on each objective.
Cross-index Learning Goals/Objectives to specific items in pre- & post-assessment
Include the minimal level of performance you will use to determine if the student’s
performance meets the learning objectives.
o


Self-Evaluation- How you will be evaluated: Questions for consideration (These are selfcheck questions and should NOT be separately answered in this section!)





Clarity: Are all of the objectives clearly stated as learning outcomes?
Appropriateness for students: Are objectives appropriate for the development; prerequisite
knowledge, skills, experiences; and other student needs?
Are the goals/objectives clearly aligned with identified standards?
Do the assessments clearly align with instruction and gather information about student
progress toward the objectives?
Did you incorporate a variety of assessment modes and approaches?
Page Length: Complete table; minimum 1 page, maximum 3 pages
Appendix: Include in your unit plan copies of the assessments and scoring criteria
used (scoring rubrics, observation checklist, rating scales, item weights, answer key,
etc.).
Table for Component 2: Learning objective and assessment plan table
Overview of Assessment Plan
Learning Goals:
(list numerically)
1.
2.
3.
Learning
Objectives
(list
numerically –
you can type
more than
one objective
in each row if
you need to)
DOK
Level
Alignment w/
Curriculum
Standards
PreAssessment
(Indicate
Format)
Formative
Assessment
List
strategy(s)
1.1
1.2
2.1
3.1
3.2
[See BlackBoard for example of Assessment Plan Table]
Summative
(Indicate
Format)
Minimum
level of
performance
(%)
3.
Design for Instruction
TWS Component – What you must demonstrate:
That the pre-service teacher can design instruction for specific learning objectives, student
characteristics and needs, and learning contexts [MoSTEP 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.2.6, 1.2.7,
1.2.11]
Task - What you must do:
Describe your unit instruction as it relates to unit goals, student characteristics and needs, and the
specific learning context (see the Unit Plan and Lesson Plan directions for guidance in
developing your unit).
Prompts - How you must do it: Follow the prompts provided in order to describe your unit.




Unit overview. Complete the table to provide an overview of your unit. Include the topic or
activity you are planning for each day/period (may note if an activity will continue for
multiple periods). Also indicate the objective or objectives (coded from your Learning
Objectives section) that you are addressing in each activity. Make sure that every objective
is addressed by at least one activity and that every activity relates to at least one objective.
Results of pre-assessment. After administering the pre-assessment, analyze student
performance relative to the learning objectives. Report the summary pre-assessment results
in a manner that is easily interpreted (see BlackBoard resource page for examples). (300
words maximum)
Activities. Describe three unit activities that reflect a variety of instructional
strategies/techniques (300 words maximum, each activity; 900 words maximum). In your
explanation for each activity, include:
 How the content relates to your instructional objective(s)
 Why the activity was chosen and any adaptations and accommodations made for
student characteristics based on pre-assessment and contextual factors.
 What materials/technology you need to implement the activity
 Describe the rationale for your assessment choices during and following the activity
(i.e., formative and summative assessment)
Technology. Describe how you used technology in your planning and/or instruction. If you
do not use any form of technology, provide your clear rationale for its omission (150 words
maximum).
Self Evaluation – How you will be evaluated: Questions for consideration (These are selfcheck questions and should NOT be separately answered in this section!)
.





Is the unit (and its lessons) aligned with learning goals?
Are the lessons within the unit logically organized and usefully move students toward
achieving the learning goals?
Is there a variety of instruction methods, activities, assignments, and resources?
Is the contextual information and data used to select appropriate and relevant activities,
assignments and resources, including adaptations and accommodations made for
student characteristics?
Is technology appropriately used in both teaching and learning?
Suggested Page Length: 4.5 pages (Maximum 8500 characters)+ table. Attach your
unit plan including all lesson plans in the Appendix.
Table for Component 3: Design for Instruction (Unit Overview)
Lessons
(Topics)
Length of
Time
Activities Learning Goals & Objectives
addressed
4.
Analysis of Student Learning
TWS Component- What you must demonstrate:
The teacher uses assessment data to profile student learning and communicate information
about student progress and achievement [MoSTEP 1.2.8].
Task- What you must do:
Analyze your assessment data, including pre-assessments, formative assessments, and
summative assessments to determine students’ progress related to the unit learning
objectives. Use visual representations and narrative to communicate the performance of
the whole class, one subgroup, and one individual student. Conclusions drawn from this
analysis should be provided in the “Reflection and Self-Evaluation” section.
Prompt- How you must do it:
In this section, you will analyze data to explain progress and achievement toward learning
objectives demonstrated by your whole class, subgroups of students, and individual
students.

Whole class. In this section, describe and summarize the learning of the class as a
whole on ONE learning goal (using ALL objectives related to that goal). The
look of this section will vary depending on the nature of your data. Qualitative
data should be described in pictures and words, and quantitative data in a table,
graph, or chart. Include pre-assessment, formative, and summative data for each
learning goal. Summarize what the information tells you about your students'
learning in this unit (i.e., the number of students met the criterion). An example
of qualitative data would be an image of actual student work in pre-assessment,
formative assessment, and summative assessment. You would then choose to
show a representative example from 2 different students. An example of
quantitative data would be a score on a quiz, or a score on a rubric. You would
summarize this data in a chart or graph. (600 words maximum + tables, images,
etc.)

Subgroups. Select a group characteristic (e.g., gender, performance level, socioeconomic status, language proficiency) to analyze in terms of one
learning objective. Provide a rationale for your selection of this
characteristic to form subgroups (e.g., girls vs. boys; high- vs. middle- vs.
low-performers). Qualitative data should be described in pictures and
words, and quantitative data in a table, graph, or chart regarding this
learning goal. Summarize what these data show about student learning.
(300 words maximum)

Individual. Select one student that demonstrated significantly above- or belowaverage performance. Explain why it is important to understand the
learning of this particular student. Use pre-, formative, and summative
assessment data with examples of the student’s work to draw conclusions
about the extent to which this student attained two learning objectives.
Use samples of his/her work to support your discussion. (300 words
maximum)
Note: You will provide possible reasons for why your students learned (or did not learn) in the
next section “Reflection and Self-Evaluation.”
Self-Evaluation – How you will be evaluated: Questions for consideration (These are selfcheck questions and should NOT be separately answered in this section!)
 Is your analysis fully aligned with learning objectives/goals and provides a
comprehensive profile of student learning for the whole class, subgroups, and one
individual?

Is the data interpretation meaningful, and appropriate conclusions are drawn from
the data?

Does your analysis of student learning include evidence of the impact on student
learning in terms of number of students who achieved and made progress toward
each learning objective/goal?
Suggested Page Length: 4 pages (Maximum total 8000 characters) + charts and/or
student work examples
5.
Reflection and Self-Evaluation
TWS Component- What you must demonstrate:
The teacher uses ongoing analysis of student learning to make instructional decisions and
analyzes the relationship between his or her instruction and student learning in order to
improve teaching practice [MoSTEP 1.2.9].
Task- What you must do:
Reflect on your performance as a teacher and link your performance to student learning
results.
Provide examples of instructional decision-making based on students’ learning or
responses.
Evaluate your performance and identify future actions for improved practice and
professional growth.
Prompt- How you must do it:
Think about the unit you taught for the teacher work sample.
 Explain the process by which you put your Unit together. To what extent was it
guided by professional goals/standards/objectives?
 How successful was your Unit plan in achieving your learning goals? How do you
know if it was successful?
 Did your students find your Unit meaningful? How do you know?
 What are some examples of concepts/skills students learned during your Unit? Just
because you taught it doesn’t mean they learned it, so what is your evidence that
they learned it?
 What is one example of a lesson or activity from your Unit that worked well? What
evidence do you have that is was successful? Why do you think it was successful?
 What is one example of a lesson or activity from your Unit that didn’t work well?
What evidence do you have that it was unsuccessful? Why do you think it was
unsuccessful? What should be done differently and why do you think it would
improve the success?
 If you taught that Unit again, what would you change? Why would you change it?
What is your evidence that it needs changing?
 What did you learn from teaching that Unit that will make you a more effective
teacher?
Reflection on possibilities for professional development. Describe at least two
professional learning goals that emerged from your insights and experiences with
student teaching. Identify two specific steps you will take to improve your
performance in the critical area(s) you identified.
Self-Evaluation: How you will be evaluated: Questions to consider (These are self-check
questions and should NOT be separately answered in this section!)
 Do you use evidence to support conclusions drawn in “Analysis of Student Learning”
section?
 Do you explore multiple hypotheses for why some students did not meet learning
objectives/goals.?
 Do you plan adjustments based on analysis of student learning?
 Is there congruence between modifications and learning goals/objectives?
 Do you identify successful and unsuccessful activities and assessments and provide
plausible reasons (based on theory or research) for their success or lack thereof?
 Are the learning goals/objectives, instruction, and assessment results in the
discussion of student learning and effective instruction logically aligned?
 Do you provide ideas for redesigning learning goals/objectives, instruction, and
assessment and explain why these modifications would improve student learning?
 Are a small number of professional learning goals presented that clearly emerge
from the insights and experiences described in this section?
 Do you describe specific steps to meet these goals?
Suggested Page Length: 3 (Maximum 6000 characters)
APPENDIX AND DIRECTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF YOUR FINAL TWS
Detailed instructions for naming files, and for compiling and submitting your final TWS and
appendices will be posted in Blackboard. Your University Supervisor may ask you to revise
your TWS one or more times, or to submit drafts by sections; that is totally up to the USup’s
discretion. Please do NOT submit your TWS to the Professional Education Unit until it has
been scored and your USup says you are finished and ready to submit the final, complete
version.
All appendix items have been specified within each component/section of the TWS
prompts. Below is a checklist for your convenience in assembling the final document.
[Section 2 – Assessment & Learning Objectives]
_______ copies of the assessments and scoring criteria used (scoring rubrics, observation
checklist, rating scales, item weights, answer key, etc.) This is not a SEPARATE item but
should be included in your Unit plan (see section 3, below)
[Section 3 – Design for Instruction]
_______ your complete Unit plan including all lesson plans
[Section 4 – Analysis of Student Learning]
_______ any charts or graphics displaying assessment data
_______ student work samples (remember to choose these carefully from only 1-3
students—do NOT include every piece of paper completed by every child during the entire
unit)