1. Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
An Overview of…
Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies
for Increasing Student Achievement and
What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)

2. Major Factors Influencing Student Achievement
School factors
Guaranteed viable curriculum
Challenging goals and feedback
Parental and community involvement
Safe, orderly, conducive to learning environment
Professionalism and collegiality
Classroom factors
Aligned, viable curriculum
Classroom management
Instructional strategies
Student factors
Home environment
Motivation
Acquisition of knowledge

3. “In teaching it is the method and not the content that is the message…the drawing out, not the pumping in.”
- Ashley Montague

4. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction (Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences
2. Summarizing and Note Taking
3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
4. Homework and Practice

5. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction (Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
5. Nonlinguistic Representation
6. Cooperative Learning
7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses
9. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers

6. 1. Identifying Similarities and Differences
Generalizations from research
Explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.
- Students’ independent identification of similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

7. Identifying Similarities and Differences
Generalizations from research (cont.)
Representing similarities and differences in graphic or symbolic form (e.g. Venn Diagram) enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.
- Identifying similarities and differences can be done in a variety of forms.

8. Forms for Identifying Similarities and Differences
Comparing
What are the important characteristics of these topics/ideas that you want to compare?
Classifying
What are the rules that govern group membership?

9. Forms for Identifying Similarities and Differences
Metaphors (“Love is a rose”)
What is the abstract or nonliteral connection between the ideas?
Analogies (“Oxygen is to humans as carbon dioxide is to plants”)
What is the “relationship between the relationships”?

10. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Identifying similarities and differences

11. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences

12. 2. Summarizing and Note Taking
Generalizations from research on summarizing
To effectively summarize, students must delete, substitute, and keep some information.
- To effectively delete, substitute, and keep information, students must analyze the information at a deep level.
The structure of the information can
aid summarizing.

13. Classroom Practice in Summarizing
Rule-based Summarizing
Delete the trivial.
Delete the redundant.
Substitute generic terms for listing (e.g. “dogs” for “labs, spaniels, and boxers”)
Select/create a topic sentence.
Summary Frames
Create a series of questions to highlight critical elements to guide students in summarizing information.

14. Classroom Practice in Summarizing (cont.)
Reciprocal Teaching (Student leader)
Summarize
Generate questions
Clarify
Encourage predictions

15. Summarizing and Note Taking
Generalizations from research on note taking
- Verbatim note taking is least effective.
- Notes are a work in progress.
Notes should be used as study guides
for tests.
- The more notes taken, the better.

16. Classroom Practice in Note Taking
Teacher-prepared notes
Highlight important points.
Model note taking for students.
Formats for notes
Informal outline
Webbing
Combination

17. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Summarizing and note taking

18. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction (Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences
2. Summarizing and Note Taking

19. 3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Generalizations from research on reinforcing effort
- Not all students realize importance of believing in effort.
- Students can learn to change their beliefs to an emphasis on effort.

20. Classroom Practice in Reinforcing Effort
Keep track of effort and achievement.
Effort and achievement rubrics
Effort and achievement chart

21. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Generalizations from research on providing recognition
Rewards increase intrinsic motivation if measured as student’s attitude toward the activity.
- Reward is most effective when attached to attaining a performance goal.
- The more abstract/symbolic the reward, the more powerful it is (e.g. verbal recognition).

22. Classroom Practice in Providing Recognition
Personalize recognition
Recognize “personal best”.
Pause, prompt, praise
Use during demanding task.
Concrete symbols of recognition
Give tokens (e.g. stickers) for achievement of performance goal.

23. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

24. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

25. 4. Homework and Practice Generalizations from research on homework
- Students at lower grades should be given less homework than students at higher grade levels.
- Parent involvement in homework should be kept to a minimum.
- The purposes for homework should be identified and stated.
- If homework is assigned, it should be commented on.

26. Classroom Practice in Homework
Establish, communicate, and adhere to clear homework policies.
Purposes (i.e. practice, preparation, elaboration)
Amount assigned
Consequences for non-completion
Description of parental involvement acceptable

27. Classroom Practice in Homework
Design homework assignments that clearly state the purpose and outcome for the assignments.
Vary the approaches to providing feedback.
Manage work load
Maximize the effectiveness of feedback

28. Homework and Practice Generalizations from research on practice
Mastering a skill takes repeated, focused practice over time.
- During initial practice of a skill, students shape their conceptual understanding. The student should deal with only a few examples during this phase to support the depth of reasoning required. Speed is not the focus.

29. Classroom Practice in Practicing Skills
Chart both speed and accuracy.
Focus practice on specific parts of a complex skill or process.
Provide time for modeling the skill, time for guided practice, and time for independent practice.

30. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Homework and practice

31. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
4. Homework and Practice

32. 5. Nonlinguistic Representations
Generalizations from research
A variety of activities produce nonlinguistic representations which enhance student understanding of content.
- Nonlinguistic representations should elaborate on (add to) content knowledge.

33. Types of Nonlinguistic Representations
Graphic organizers
Descriptive pattern
Time sequence
Process/Cause-Effect
Episode
Generalization/Principal pattern
Concept pattern
Physical models
Concrete representations of knowledge
Manipulatives

34. Types of Nonlinguistic Representations (cont.)
Mental pictures
Pictures or pictographs
Kinesthetic (movement) activity

35. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Nonlinguistic representations

36. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Homework and Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation

37. 6. Cooperative Learning Generalizations from research
Organizing groups based on ability should be done sparingly.
Cooperative groups should be small in size (3-4 members).
Cooperative learning should be applied consistently and systematically (at least once per week), but not overused.

38. Classroom Practice in Cooperative Learning
Five elements of cooperative learning
Positive interdependence
Face-to-face interaction
Individual and group accountability
Interpersonal and small group skills
Group processing
Grouping patterns
Informal (e.g. turn-to-your-neighbor)
Formal for more complex tasks (with cooperative learning components)
Base groups (long-term)

39. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Cooperative learning

40. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Homework and Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation
6. Cooperative Learning

41. 7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Generalizations from research on goal setting
Instructional goals narrow what students focus on.
Instructional goals should not be too specific (i.e. not stated in behavioral terms).
Students should be encouraged to personalize the teacher’s classroom goals.

42. Classroom Practice in Goal Setting
Set focused but flexible goals.
Develop contracts with students for attainment of specific goals.

43. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Generalizations from research on providing feedback
Feedback is the most powerful single modification to enhance achievement.
Feedback should be “corrective” with explanation, not just “right” or “wrong”. Ask students to work at the task until they succeed.
Feedback should be timely.

44. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Generalizations from research on providing feedback (cont.)
Feedback should be specific to a particular standard/criterion.
Students can effectively provide some of their own feedback.

45. Classroom Practice in Providing Feedback
Give students feedback in terms of specific levels of knowledge and skill instead of a percentage score.
Develop a rubric for information.
Develop a rubric for process/skill.
Give students specific feedback.
Students can be a part of feedback process.

46. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Setting objectives and providing feedback

47. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Homework and Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation
Cooperative Learning
7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback

48. 8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Generalizations from research
Hypothesis generation and testing can be approached in an inductive or deductive manner.
Deductive – Use a general rule to make a prediction about a future action or event
Inductive – Draw new conclusions based on information known or given
Teachers should ask students to clearly explain their hypotheses and their conclusions.

49. Classroom Practice in Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Systems analysis
Generate hypotheses to predict what might happen if some aspect of a system were changed.
Problem solving
Generate and test hypotheses related to overcoming barriers in obtaining a goal.
Historical investigation
Construct plausible scenarios for the past, about which there is no general agreement.

50. Classroom Practice in Generating and Testing Hypotheses (cont.)
Invention
Hypothesize what might work, develop idea, conduct tests to see if it solves the problem/meets goal.
Experimental inquiry
Generate and test hypotheses for explaining something you have observed.
Decision Making
Use a structured Decision Making framework for analysis of alternatives.

51. Classroom Practice in Generating and Testing Hypotheses (cont.)
Make sure students can explain their hypotheses and conclusions.
Provide templates for reporting.
Provide sentence stems for explaining conclusions.
Provide or develop rubrics with students, so they know that the criteria on which they will be evaluated are based on the quality of their explanations.
Utilize audiotapes for explanations.

52. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Generating and testing hypotheses

53. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Homework and Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation
Cooperative Learning
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses

54. 9. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
Generalizations from research on cues and questions
Cues and questions should focus on what is important as opposed to what is merely interesting.
Questions that require students to analyze information produce deeper learning than questions that ask students to recall or recognize information.

55. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
Generalizations from research on cues and questions (cont.)
“Waiting” briefly before accepting responses from students increases depth of students’ answers.
Questions are effective learning tools even when asked before a learning experience.

56. Classroom Practice in Cues and Questions
Explicit cues
Provide students with a preview of what they are about to experience by directly asking about prior experiences related to content.
Questions that elicit inferences
Questions that analyze or critique information presented

57. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
Generalizations from research on advance organizers
Advance organizers should focus on what is important as opposed to what is merely interesting.
Advance organizers that require students to analyze information produce deeper learning than organizers that ask students to recall or recognize information.

58. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
Generalizations from research on advance organizers (cont.)
Advance organizers are most useful with information that is not well organized.
Different types of advance organizers produce different results.
Expository organizers have the greatest impact on student learning.

59. Classroom Practice in Advance Organizers
Expository advance organizers describe the new content.
Narrative advance organizers preview the content in a story format.
Skimming of information provides a general familiarity with the content.
Graphic organizers can help students think about new knowledge before experiencing it.

60. Checking for Understanding
Strategy
Marzano’s Definition
Your Definition
What to Look For
Strategy in Action
Questions, cues, and advanced organizers

61. 9 Research-based Strategies for Instruction
(Robert Marzano, 2001 & 2003)
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Homework and Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation
Cooperative Learning
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers

62. “Teachers: Two kinds: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just give you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies.”
- Robert Frost