Learning Targets Formative Assessments and Performance Scales How to Use Them Continually, Effortlessly, and Seamlessly Throughout Your Lessons

Learning Targets and Performing Scales O How will this structure help build self-efficacy in our students? O How can I truly use them throughout my lesson to improve student performance?

With the consistent and pervasive implementation of learning targets and performance scales throughout a lesson and/or unit of study, students are able to understand the progression of learning as well as monitor their progress. The graphic to the right displays the percentile gain when using specific strategies. Use of scales and tracking of student progress provides 34% gain with regards to learning.

Scales and Self-Efficacy O The use of scales also builds confidence in the students and allows them to take ownership of their learning. O They can see learning take place in gradual increments and how the targets connect to the ultimate goal… achieving mastery of the standard. O Confidence and Ownership will lead to self-efficacy (a belief that the student can do the work and achieve mastery of the standard) O Hattie’s research shows self- efficacy has a 1.44 effect size on student learning outcomes. O To put that into perspective,.8 is considered significant.

The scale is created…. How do I used the scales consistently and pervasively throughout my lesson/unit of instruction?

#1-Introducing and Explaining a Scale and Its Targets O Explain what they are: O They are tools that communicate learning expectations and the step by step progression of learning we will follow to reach success with the standard. O Explain why we will use them: O To provide focused direction and structure that makes learning more visible to everyone. O To help students to monitor their learning and motivate a growth mindset that will empower them to take control of their own learning. (self-efficacy)

How can I explain it? O Spend time developing your explanation O Choose your terms carefully and use them consistently O Keep your introduction simple, explicit, and direct. O Create a PPT (or other form of digital presentation) if you are not sure you can remember everything you want to say. O Select a simile, if appropriate. O Like a road map with stops along the way leading to our final destination(the standard) O Like a “to do list” we use to get to our goal O Like a yard stick to measure our learning

Some Things to Consider O Be careful when introducing the targets and scales for a unit of learning. O Try not to overwhelm students with too much information. O Remind them they are not expected to know or learn the content until it’s taught. O It’s okay to be at a level 1 on the scale, but that some of them may be familiar with bits of the content.

#2 Make Them Accessible to Students O Why should I do this? O It’s necessary if it’s going to become a natural practice. O Accessibility familiarity regular use O Students will learn to rely on the structure this tool provides to clarify and provide direction.

How can I do this? O Post a copy of the current scale and its targets somewhere for easy reference. O Create a copy for your white board so you can refer to it during the lesson if needed. O If academic language is too difficult to understand, put it in terms the students will. O Add the applicable learning target to the classroom activity or assignment. O Prepare handouts for students and their parents. O Have students keep a copy in their notebook for reference and progress monitoring.

#3 Begin and Close Each Lesson Focusing on the Target O Why should I do it? O Provides both direction and background for the students. O Students will not have to wonder why they need to know or when they will ever use this information.

How can I do this? O Provide an overview of the day’s lesson and ask students to tell their partners what the target of the lesson will be. O Provide a statement informing the student of the focus of the lesson. O Build in a reference to the previous day’s target. Yesterday we worked on ________. Today we’ll continue our study by focusing on _______________.

Additional ways…. O Communicate the target and and give students a preview of your expectations for them during the lesson. Our lesson today focuses on ___________. By the end of the lesson, I will ask you to identify the connections you make to the target. So let’s get focused! O Close each lesson by going back to the performance scale and fitting the target back into the learning progression of the scale. O Build these stopping points into your current presentations until they become routine.

Let’s watch…

#4 Relate Instruction to the Target O Why should I do it? O Helps make connections between the classroom activities and the learning target. O Understanding the purpose behind the activities often motivates and empowers students to identify with and personalize their learning. O It reengages the student and helps them integrate the learning process.

How can I do this? O Add sticky notes to your lesson plan or set a timer to remind you to do this. O Quietly ask a reliable student to periodically raise his/her hand to ask the question How is what you are talking about relate to our learning target? O Use quick writes, small group discussions, or activity to answer that very question. O Challenge students at the beginning of the period to write down any connections between the lesson and the learning target.

#5 Refer to the Learning Progression of the Scale O Why should I do this? O It keeps them focused on the reason for their learning-reminding them of the big picture. O Reminds them that they must master each 2.0 target to get to the 3.0 level. O Will motivate and instill a growth mindset in your students.

How can I do this? O Ask students how the activity they are doing relates to what they learned previously or to upcoming targets. O Encourage and expect students to take ownership of their learning by relating knowledge to the learning progression to determine areas of weakness or misconceptions. O Ask students to summarize what they have learned over a period of time, relating it to the learning progression evident on the scale.

Additional Ways… O Plan for a specific activity related to the learning progression in the scale (i.e. using it to review for an upcoming test) O Project a template of a performance scale on a magnetic white board on which the scale is always present during instruction. Create magnetic targets that can be affixed to the board. O Physically remove the target being taught in the day’s lesson and keep it handy to remind the students of that day’s focus. O At the close of the lesson, pick up the target and place it back in the progression of the scale.

When you are planning…

Support Learning: What if students are having difficulty? O Make small student friendly copies of the focus targets (taped on desk or glued in notebook) O Ask for volunteers to model the routine or how they use the tool to self- regulate their learning. O Provide sentence starters to those who need help relating the activity to the target or progression on the scale.

Extend Learning O Ask students to develop a simple routine that uses the tool to provide support or direction when needed to verify connection between targets, activities, and the progression of learning. O Ask students to create a method of incorporating targets and scales to self-regulate learning that other students could use.

Monitor and Reflect O The more teachers monitor their students and reflect on how they are progressing in the learning process, the better equipped they will be to adjust their instruction to meet student needs. The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is the relentless inspection of student work. -Rick DuFour