Ten TWS Standards and Indicators

1. Visioning
The teacher creates a vision about teaching and student learning outcomes. The substance of the vision statement guides and informs the teaching process and is reflected in what students ultimately learn.

• Visioning
• Teacher dispositions
• Enduring understandings
• Philosophical underpinnings
• Teaching all students
• Aligning lesson design and instruction with vision

2. Personal Leadership
The teacher uses the principles and practice of personal leadership for teacher self-understanding. This understanding informs and guides teacher practice, decision-making, and, ultimately, student learning.

• Teacher self-understanding (including teacher disposition) is important for complex and far-reaching decision-making.
• Teacher articulation and practicing alignment of their vision with teaching goals, instruction, and assessment enhances and creates coherence for students.

3. Multicultural Understanding
The teacher creates a positive classroom culture, curriculum, and instruction for all students. The teacher, wherever appropriate, helps students "see" from more than one perspective, helping students strengthen their capacity for empathy.

• Teacher, as classroom culture-creator and instructional leader, strives to create an environment where all students thrive.
• Teacher understands the importance of students' interests and cultural factors in student learning.
• Teachers bring multiple perspectives into the classroom wherever appropriate, strengthening student's capacity for empathy.

4. School and Community Culture
The teacher uses information about the learning-teaching context and individual student differences to set learning goals, plan instruction, and assessment. Knowledge of:

• Community, school, and classroom setting
• Classroom management
• Characteristics of students
• Implications for instructional planning and assessment

5. Learning Goals
The teacher sets significant, challenging, varied and appropriate learning goals.

• Alignment with national, state, or local standards
• Learning outcomes and enduring understandings
• Types and levels of learning goals
• Appropriateness for students
• Varied approaches to learning

6. Assessment Plan
The teacher uses multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during and after instruction.

• Overview of assessment plan
• Alignment with learning goals and instruction
• Clarity of criteria and TWS standards for performance
• Multiple modes and approaches
• Validity of assessment: technical soundness
• Adaptations based on needs of students

7. Design for Instruction
The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student characteristics and needs, and learning contexts.

• Alignment with learning goals
• Accurate representation of content
• Activity and unit structure
• Use of a variety of instruction, activities, assignments and resources
• Use of cultural and assessment data is relevant to activities
• Use of adaptation
• Use of integration

8. Instructional Decision Making
The teacher uses on-going analysis of student learning to make instructional decisions.

• Sound professional practice that impacts teaching and learning
• Interpretation of student responses and student learning ("reflection-In-action")
• Adaptation based on analysis of student learning ("reflection-after-action")
• Congruence between modifications and learning goals

9. Research on Student Learning
The teacher reviews relevant literature, interprets and uses assessment data to profile student learning and communicate information about student progress and achievement.

• Review of related research literature
• Assessment data plan
• Evidence of positive impact on student learning:
  • Analysis of assessment data
  • Insights
  • Implications

10. Reflections and Professional Growth Plan
The teacher reflects on his or her teaching practices and students' learning. These reflections are the basis from which decisions are made for future professional development that will enhance teaching practices and improve student learning. Interpretation of student learning includes:

• Reflection on powerful learning moments while preparing to become a teacher
• Reflection on Professional Growth Plan (PGP)