how do you determine what you want students to learn

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Step 1: Identify the Standards

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For any blazon of assessment, you starting time must know where you desire to cease up.  What are your goals for your students?  An assessment cannot produce valid inferences unless it measures what information technology is intended to measure.  And information technology cannot measure what it is intended to measure out unless the goal(s) has been conspicuously identified.  Then, completing the residual of the following steps volition exist unproductive without clear goals for student learning.

Standards, like goals, are statements of what students should know and exist able to do. However, standards are typically more narrow in scope and more than acquiescent to assessment than goals.  (Before going farther, I would recommend that you read the section on Standards for a fuller clarification of standards and how they are different from goals and objectives.)

What Do Standards Look Similar?

How do you lot get Started Writing Standards?

What are Some Guidelines to Follow in Developing Standards?

Workshop: Writing a Good Standard

What Do Standards Expect Like?

Standards are typically i-judgement statements of what students should know and be able to do at a certain indicate. Often a standard will brainstorm with a phrase such every bit "Students will be able to ..." (SWBAT). For example,

Students will exist able to add two-digit numbers.

Or, information technology might be phrased

Students will add together two-digit numbers.

A pupil will add ii-digit numbers.

Or just

Identify the causes and consequences of the Revolutionary State of war.

Explain the procedure of photosynthesis.

More examples:

Standards examples (this site)

Also, read the section on types of standards to run into how standards tin can address course content, or process skills or attitudes towards learning.

How Practise Y'all Get Started?

I recommend a iii-footstep procedure for writing standards:

ane. REFLECT

2. REVIEW

3. WRITE

1. REFLECT

As I will hash out below, at that place are many sources you can turn to to find examples of goals and standards that might exist advisable for your students. There are national and land standards besides as numerous websites such every bit those above with many good choices. It is unnecessary to start from scratch. However, earlier yous look at the piece of work of others, which tin can confine your thinking, I would highly recommend that you lot, every bit a teacher or school or commune, take some time to examine (or Reflect upon) what you value. What practice you really desire your students to know and be able to practise when they leave your grade or schoolhouse?

Here is a sample of questions you might ask yourself:

• What do yous desire students to come away with from an instruction at _______?
• What should citizens know and be able to practice?
• If you are writing standards for a particular field of study, what should citizens know and exist able to practice related to your discipline?
• What goals and standards do you share with other disciplines?
• What college grooming should yous provide?
• Retrieve of a graduate or electric current student that peculiarly exemplifies the set of cognition and skills that will brand/has fabricated that educatee successful in the real world. What knowledge and skills (related and unrelated to your field of study) does that person possess?
• Inquire yourself, "in a higher place all else, we want to graduate students who can/will ........?
• When yous find yourself complaining about what students can't or don't do, what do you lot most oftentimes identify?

Equally a consequence of this reflection, y'all might reach consensus on a few things you nigh value and hold should be included in the standards. You might actually write a few standards. Or, yous might produce a long list of possible candidates for standards. I practice not believe at that place is a particular product you demand to generate as a result of the reflection stage. Rather, you should move on to Step 2 (Review) when you are articulate nearly what is virtually important for your students to acquire. For example, reflection and conversation with many of the stakeholders for education led the Maryland State Department of Instruction to place the Skills for Success it believes are essential for today's citizens. Along with content standards, the loftier school cess program in Maryland will evaluate how well students have acquired the ability to learn, think, communicate, use applied science and work with others.

2. REVIEW

Did you wake upwardly this morning thinking, "Hey, I'yard going to reinvent the wheel today"? No need. There are many, many skillful models of learning goals and standards available to y'all. So, before y'all start putting yours down on paper, REVIEW what others have developed. For example, you tin can

Look at

• your country goals and standards
• relevant national goals and standards
• other state and local standards already created
  • check out the site mentioned higher up - Putnam Valley
• your existing goals and standards if you take any
• other sources that may exist relevant (due east.g., what employers want, what colleges want)

Await for

• descriptions and language that capture what you said you value in Stride 1 (REFLECT)
• knowledge and skills not captured in the first pace -- should they exist included?
• means to organize and connect the important knowledge and skills

Expect to

• develop a proficient sense of the whole picture show of what you want your students to know and to do
• identify for which checkpoints (grades) you lot want to write standards

3. WRITE

The biggest problem I have observed in standards writing among the schools and districts I take worked with is the missing of the wood for the copse. As with many tasks, too often we get bogged down in the details and lose runway of the big picture show. I cannot emphasize enough how important information technology is to periodically footstep dorsum and reflect upon the process. As yous write your standards, ask yourself and your colleagues guiding questions such as

• So, tell me again, why do we think this is of import?
• Realistically, are they ever going to take to know this/do this/use this?
• How does this noesis/skill chronicle to this standard over here?
• We don't have a standard about 10; is this actually more than of import than X?
• Can nosotros really assess this? Should nosotros assess information technology?
• Is this noesis or skill essential for becoming a productive denizen? How? Why?
• Is this noesis or skill essential for college grooming?

Yes, you may annoy your colleagues with these questions (particularly if you ask them repeatedly every bit I would advocate), but you will end up with a better ready of standards that volition last longer and provide a stronger foundation for the steps that follow in the creation of performance assessments.

Having said that, let'due south go down to the details. I will offer suggestions for writing specific standards by a) listing some mutual guidelines for good standards and b) modeling the evolution of a couple standards much as I would if I were working one-on-ane with an educator.

Guidelines for Writing Standards

GUIDELINE #i:  For a standard to be amenable to assessment, it must exist observable and measurable.  For case, a standard such every bit

"Students will correctly add two-digit numbers"

is appreciable and measurable.  Nevertheless, a standard such as

"Students volition understand how to add two-digit numbers"

is non appreciable and measurable.  You cannot observe understanding directly, but you lot can observe performance.  Thus, standards should include a verb phrase that captures the direct demonstration of what students know and are able to do.

Some bad examples:

Students will develop their persuasive writing skills.

Students will proceeds an understanding of pinhole cameras.

Rewritten as proficient examples:

Students volition write an effective persuasive essay.

Students volition utilize pinhole cameras to create newspaper positives and negatives.

GUIDELINE #two:  A standard is typically more narrow than a goal and broader than an objective. (See the section on Standards for a fuller discussion of this distinction.)

Too Broad

Of class, the line between goals and standards and objectives volition be fuzzy. There is no easy wasy to tell where one begins and some other one ends. Similarly, some standards volition be broader than others. But, by and large, a standard is written too broadly if

• it cannot exist reasonably assessed with just one or two assessments
• (for content standards) it covers at least half the subject affair of a course or a semester

For example, the old Illinois Learning Standards for social science (since updated) listed "Understand political systems, with an accent on the United States" as a goal. That is a goal addressed throughout an entire form, semester or multiple courses. The goal is broken down into vi standards including "Empathize election processes and responsibilities of citizens." That standard describes what might typically be taught in ane section of a course or ane unit. Furthermore, I feel I could fairly capture a student's agreement and application of that standard in one or two assessments. Nevertheless, I do not believe I could go a total and rich sense of a pupil'southward grasp of the entire goal without a greater number and variety of classroom measures. On the other hand, the standard, "empathize ballot processes and responsibilities of citizens," would not typically be taught in only ane or two lessons, so information technology is broader than an objective. Hence, it best fits the category of a standard as that term is unremarkably used.

Some other tendency to avoid that can inflate the breadth of a standard and make information technology more than hard to assess is the coupling of two or more standards in a unmarried statement. This most commonly occurs with the elementary apply of the conjunction "and." For example, a statement might read

Students will compare and contrast world political systems and analyze the relationships and tensions between different countries.

Although these two competencies are related, each 1 stands alone as a distinct standard. Additionally, a standard should be assessable by one or two measures. Do I always desire to assess these abilities together? I could, but it restricts my options and may not ever be appropriate. It would exist better to create ii standards.

Students will compare and contrast globe political systems.

Students will analyze the relationships and tensions between different countries.

In contrast, the employ of "and" might exist more than appropriate in the following standard:

Students will find and evaluate information relevant to the topic.

In this example, the two skills are closely related, oft intertwined and often assessed together.

Too Narrow

A possible objective falling nether the social science standard mentioned above that a lesson or two might be congenital around would exist "students will be able to describe the evolution of the voter registration process in this state." This argument would typically be likewise narrow for a standard because, again, it addresses a relatively small portion of the content of election processes and citizen responsibilities, and because it could be meaningfully assessed in 1 essay question on a test. Of course, you might requite the topic more attention in your government class, then what becomes an objective versus a standard tin can vary. Likewise, it is important to note that standards written for larger entities such every bit states or districts tend to be broader in nature than standards written by individual teachers for their classrooms. A U.Southward. government instructor might identify 5-15 essential ideas and skills for his/her course and voter registration might exist ane of them.

As you can encounter, each of these distinctions and labels are judgment calls. It is more important that you apply the labels consistently than that y'all employ a specific characterization.

Note: You may have noticed that the Illinois Learning Standard that I have been using every bit an example violates Guideline #1 above -- it uses the verb understand instead of something appreciable. The Illinois Standards avoids this "trouble" in most cases. However, the Land addresses it more than direct by writing its "benchmark standards" in more than appreciable language. For example, nether the general standard "sympathize ballot processes and responsibilities of citizens" it states that by early on high school (a benchmark) students will be able to "describe the meaning of participatory citizenship (east.k., volunteerism, voting) at all levels of regime and society in the United states of america."

GUIDELINE #iii:  A standard should not include mention of the specific task by which students volition demonstrate what they know or are able to practice.

For example, in a foreign language course students might be asked to

Identify cultural differences and similarities between the student's ain civilization and the target civilization using a Venn diagram.

The argument should take left off the last phrase "using a Venn diagram." Completing a Venn diagram is the task the teacher will utilize to place if students meet the standard. How the student demonstrates agreement or application should not exist included with what is to be understood or applied. By including the task description in the standard, the educator is restricted to just using that chore to measure the standard because that is what the standard requires. Simply there are obviously other ways of assessing the educatee's ability to compare and contrast cultural features. And so, separate the clarification of the task from the statement of what the pupil should know or be able to practice; do not include a task in a standard.

GUIDELINE #4:  Standards should be written clearly.

GUIDELINE #5: Standards should be written in language that students and parents can understand.

Share your expectations with all constituencies. Students, parents and the customs volition experience more involved in the process of education. Standards are not typically written in language that early elementary students can e'er understand, just the standards (your expectations) tin be explained to them.

Workshop: Writing a Adept Standard

In the "workshops" sprinkled throughout this website I will attempt to capture (and model) the procedure I follow when profitable someone or some group in developing standards or authentic tasks or rubrics. For this workshop, I will brainstorm with an initial typhoon of a standard and piece of work with an imaginary educator towards a terminal product. You lot can "play along at domicile" by imagining how you lot would respond to the educator or to me.

Somewhere in the Smoky Mountains .... (hey, it's my workshop; I'll host it where I like!)

Educator: How is this for a standard:

I will teach my students what the principal themes of Romeo and Juliet are.

Me: First, standards describe what students should know and do, not what the teacher volition practise. And so, standards typically begin, "Students will ...."

Educator: So, I could change it to

Students volition know the main themes of Romeo and Juliet.

Me: Yes, that would exist a more appropriate way to begin your standard. Standards as well should depict appreciable and measurable beliefs on the student'southward part so that nosotros can assess it. "Knowing" is not something you can directly notice. So, enquire yourself "how could they evidence me they know?"

Educator: Well, I could have them write a paper explaining the main themes. Perhaps I could write a standard maxim

Students will write a newspaper explaining the primary themes of Romeo and Juliet.

Me: Tin you observe "explaining"?

Educator: Yes, I think so.

Me: Yes, and so that verb is a good one for a standard. Are there other ways a educatee could explain the themes to you besides in a paper?

Educator: Certain. They could exercise it in a speech, or a poster or on an exam.

Me: Good. You don't want to limit yourself in how you might appraise this agreement. And so, y'all unremarkably want to avoid including an consignment or task in your standard. Otherwise, yous ever have to assign a newspaper to run into that standard.

Educator: I could say

Students will explain the themes of Romeo and Juliet.

Me: Yep, that is observable and clear. It effectively describes the student learning yous said you wanted at the start. Simply let's go back to the main question. Yous ever desire to inquire yourself "why would I want my students to meet this standard?" Why do you want them to be able to explain the themes of Romeo and Juliet?

Educator: Well, I want my students to be able to selection up a piece of literature and exist able to tell what the author'southward principal ideas are, and to find some meaning in it for them.

Me: Then, you lot would like them to practice that for literature other than Romeo and Juliet as well?

Educator: Yes, nosotros just e'er teach Romeo and Juliet.

Me: Then, you want to identify what really matters to you, what you really want the students to come abroad with. Typically, that will become beyond one piece of literature or one author. So, you want to write a standard more generically and then that you tin choose from a variety of literature and still develop the same knowledge and skills in your students.

Educator: I meet. That makes sense. I could say

Students will be able to place themes beyond a multifariousness of literature.

Me: Very skilful. Just now I am going to be tough on you. I imagine there are some fourth grade teachers who would tell me they have that same standard for their readers. Is the skill of "identifying a theme" really something your ninth and tenth grade students are learning in your classes or practice they come to y'all with that ability?

Educator: Well, they should take it when they get to me, but many of them still can't identify a theme very well. And, at present I am request them to exercise information technology with a more sophisticated piece of literature than fourth graders read.

Me: And so, information technology is certainly appropriate that your students continue to review and develop that skill. Only would you hope that your students understanding of theme goes beyond just being able to identify it in a piece?

Educator: Sure. I would similar my students to sympathise the human relationship now between theme and character development and plot and setting and how all of those piece of work to shape the slice.

Me: And why does any of that matter? Why should they larn that?

Educator: Well, similar I said earlier, I want them to exist able to pick up a play or story and make sense of what the author is trying to communicate so they tin can make some personal connections to information technology and hopefully brand some more than sense of their lives. Also, I promise they realize that literature is another mode they can communicate with others. And so, by learning the techniques of Shakespeare and others they can larn how to limited themselves effectively and creatively. Maybe those should be my standards, making sense of the world and communicating finer, or are those too wide?

Me: Those are too wide for standards. Those audio like your overall goals for your form. Just you could not hands assess such goals in one or ii measures. You want to break them down into several standards that capture the key components of your goals and that are amenable to assessment. So, let's go dorsum to your statement nigh the relationship of theme to the other elements of literature. It'due south not that existence able to identify a theme is a useless skill. But you desire your students to go beyond that. How can we frame what you said as a standard?

Educator: How nigh

Students will explain the relationships between theme, character, setting ...

Practice I need to list all the literary elements I cover?

Me: You could. Or, if that might change from one year to some other you lot could say something like

Students will explain the relationships between several literary elements (e.g., theme, grapheme, setting, plot) ....

Educator: Yous can do that in a standard?

Me: Yeah, you can do anything you desire in writing a standard as long every bit it captures meaning learning yous value and is written in a way that can be assessed.

Educator: But at that place are some elements, like theme, that I would always want them to understand.

Me: Then you can say "several literary elements including theme, character, setting, and plot ...."

Educator: That's better. So, how about this?

Students will explicate relationships between and among literary elements including character, plot, setting, theme, conflict and resolution and their influence on the effectiveness of the literary piece.

Me: Very nice! Is it realistic?

Educator: Yeah, I call up so.

Me: Is it something worth learning?

Educator: Definitely.

Me: Can yous assess it?

Educator: Oh yes, there would be a lot of ways. So.... are we done?

Me: Yep. Y'all accept developed an excellent standard.

Educator: That was a lot of work.

Me: Yes. Information technology is non like shooting fish in a barrel to write good standards. Just, later on you have done a few the rest will come more than easily.

Educator: (with a touch of sarcasm) Oh, sure.

Footstep 1: Identify the Standards

Step 2: Select an Authentic Task

Pace 3: Place the Criteria for the Chore

Step 4: Create the Rubric

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Source: http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/howstep1.htm

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