1. Classroom Walk Throughs
Levels of Student Engagement
What is student engagement?
What are the levels of student engagement?
How can you determine the level in a CWT?
What levels of engagement are you observing?
This school year many schools are beginning to collect trend data on the fourth and fifth element of “Classroom Walkthroughs” the level of student engagement and the level of thinking (Bloom’s). If you are currently collecting this data or thinking about implementing it later this year or next year it’s important to think about what student engagement looks like and sounds like in a classroom.

2. What is engagement?
Students who are engaged exhibit three characteristics:
They are attracted to their work
They persist in their work despite challenges and obstacles
They take visible delight in accomplishing their work
*Engagement is NOT just keeping busy.
The Classroom Walkthrough training, by John Antonetti, includes the work of Phillip Schlechty on student engagement.
(Philip Schlechty, 1994)

3. Levels of Learner Engagement
Authentic Engagement – assigned task, activity, or work is associated with a result that has a clear meaning and immediate value to student
Ritual Engagement – assigned work has little or no inherent meaning or immediate value to student, but student associates it with extrinsic results that are of value
Passive Compliance – student is willing to expend whatever effort is necessary to avoid negative consequences, even though student sees little meaning or value in the task
Retreatism – student is disengaged from the task and expends little or no energy attempting to comply with demands of the task/teacher, but doesn’t disrupt others or try to substitute other activities for assigned task
Rebellion – student refuses to do task, disrupts others, and/or tries to substitute other activities in lieu of assigned task
(Schlechty, Phillip, Shaking Up the Schoolhouse: How to Support and Sustain Educational Innovation, 2000)
Level 2 (Ritual Engagement) parallels the CCSD CWT level of Compliant with some Engagement
Level 3 (Passive Compliance) parallels CCSD’s CWT level of Compliant
Retreatism & Rebellion are both “Off-Task”

4. How do you determine the level of student engagement during a four minute walkthrough?
It’s very difficult to guage the level of engagement by looking JUST at the students’ behavior or demeanor It’s important to look at the DESIGN of the INSTRUCTION

5. 8 Qualities of Engaging Student Work
Product focus
Clear product standards
Protection from adverse consequences for initial failures
Affirmation
Affiliation
Choice
Novelty and variety
Authenticity
(Schlechty, Phillip. Working on the Work, 2002)
Phil Schlechty has explained eight qualities of student work that encourage high levels of student engagement. During our walkthroughs we can consider the qualities of the student WORK to determine the level of engagement . . .

6. 8 Qualities of Engaging Student Work
Each group read and discuss the assigned quality of engaging student work. (4 minutes)
Select a Reporter to read aloud the quality and share the group’s key discussion points (2 minutes)
Distribute envelopes with multiple copies of one of the eight qualities of engaging student work to each group (one envelope per group). To conclude, accept any other thoughts/ideas from whole group regarding the 8 qualities of engaging student work.

7. Levels of Engagement At what level of engagement are the students working?
Engaged
Compliant
Off Task
Authentically engaged
Compliant with some engagement
While the CCSD tally sheet lists the three levels of engagement in the top box here Our Classroom Visit Summary sheet lists the levels of engagement in the bottom box. Many schools have found that collecting data on these four levels of engagement provides meaningful information to them and makes the process a little easier. The Classroom Visit Summary sheet and a matching tally sheet can be found on: Leadership Development website and ALT website – both of which are off of the Professional Learning website

8. Classroom Walk-through
Group:
Date:
Time:
OBJECTIVE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
 Total
Clear and Evident
Objective Unclear/Not Evident
Transition
Testing
Other
PERFORMANCE VERBS
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Low (Knowledge and Comp)
Middle (Application/Analysis)
High (Synthesis/Evaluation)
GPS Alignment
Topical alignment (noun)
GPS alignment
Off grade-level
Engagement
Authentic Engagement
Compliance with some engagement
Compliance
Off Task
This is the Tally Sheet for the Five Look-For’s Set up to use for eight classroom walkthroughs. Notice the four levels of student engagement at the bottom. (The real tally sheet has many more rows to list performance verbs.)

9. What levels of engagement have you observed?

10. Quality of Engagement in Professional Learning
Authentic Engagement – I was very involved in this learning experience most of the time. The activities were designed in ways that appealed to the various ways that I best learn such content. The content will be valuable to me and to my school or department or school system.
Strategic Compliance – I participated in this learning experience throughout the time allotted. I believe attendance at this seminar/workshop/course is part of what others expect of me.
Ritual Compliance – I was in attendance throughout the session(s). I have made some contributions, but nothing significant.
Retreatism – Although I was present during the learning experience, I did not always clearly focus on the content, presentations or discussions. Most of the time, my attention was on other matters.
Rebellion – Throughout this learning experience I found ways, other than the planned activities, to occupy my time and attention. I chose to derail some of the work during the seminar/workshop/course.
(Source: Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform)
How “engaged” are we in our own learning????
This could be a very meaningful way to assess the level of engagement of adult learners who attend professional learning activities/programs.