Element Unsatisfactory Proficient Distinguished KNOWS CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Little or no understanding/ seek to know As I time looking over your plans for this lesson, I realize we might benefit from some information on the stages of cognitive, social and emotional development describing your learners. Understands the importance of knowing about class as a whole Your instructional plan shows you have a good understanding about child development in general for this level of learner. What can we find out about how each student learns best? Understands active nature of student learning You have planned this lesson while considering the best strategies for student groups to learn together; let’s improve this by looking at the learning of individuals in your class. Actively seeks knowledge from a variety of sources for individual students. You have a terrific method of focusing the learning in consideration of individual learners. you be willing to facilitate a roundtable discussion of this idea for our next staff meeting? THE LEARNING PROCESS Little or no understanding/doesn’t seek to know Please describe the learning styles of two learners in this class. Let’s talk about the differences in the styles and modes of their learning. Understands the importance of knowing about class as a whole You have shown that you understand your learners in general. Let’s think about their characteristics when learning and how that might affect the success of your planned groups. Understands nature of student learning/has info on groups of students You clearly understand the dynamics of students working in groups; now, how could you arrange to help the individuals in those groups? Actively seeks knowledge from a variety of sources for individual students. Since you understand addressing the needs of individual learners, how could you share this process with others on your team? KNOWS STUDENTS’ SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY Little or no understanding/ doesn’t seek to know It’s important to understand the academic performance level of your students. How might you access that information? Understands the importance of knowing about class as a whole When considering the effective use of groups for your instruction, how you learn about experiences of the students working together? Seeks info from several sources about groups Your plans are solid for the work of groups you have arranged. How could you extend that structure for individual students? Actively knowledge from a variety of sources for individual students. Outstanding – you really know your students! Would you be willing to share your secrets for appropriately supporting students as individual learners? 1B: KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS (continued) Element Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished
LEARNING ACTIVITIES No alignment w/outcomes Do not engage students Let’s look at the learning activities you have included in your plans. Are these activities that will lead to the learning outcomes? Will the students find these activities engaging? Some suitable to outcomes: moderate cognitive challenge You have chosen student activities which address part of the learning outcomes. When you set the outcomes, your activity plan should address all outcomes and require higher order thinking from your students. Aligned to outcomes and suitable to groups You have a nice match between learning activities and your outcomes. The activities should work well with your groups – how could you extend the required cognitive engagement? In-depth knowledge and understanding to plan high-level cognitive activities You have a wonderful ability to plan for activities that generate thinking. Would you facilitate learning from case studies for our teachers on our next curriculum day? INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES No alignment w/outcomes Do not engage students A good question to test your choice of materials and resources be, “Is there a clear match between the learning outcome and the materials/resources I’m using”? Some suitable to outcomes: moderate cognitive challenge You have materials and resources address some of the learning outcomes. How could you ensure all outcomes are aligned and cognitively challenging? Aligned; significant cognitive challenge with some differentiation for different groups It’s good that you’ve allowed some differentiation. Would it be possible to increase opportunities for instructional materials and resources for individuals? Differentiated activities appropriately for individuals You have a wonderful plan for addressing individual learners through the use of materials and resources. Could you illustrate and share that process for teachers in our district schools? What about dialogue produced at different grade levels? INSTRUCTIONAL GROUPS Do not support the outcomes have no variety You are planning for one type of grouping. What other grouping strategies would support your instructional outcomes? Partially support outcomes Will the groups you have planned lead to the desired results? What changes should be made? Appropriate and varied use of groups You have supported your instruction with appropriate grouping; could you allow student input on the formation of groups and the resulting work? Varied appropriately w/some student choice It is impressive to see the responsibilities handled by your students when groups are formed. How could this work be extended to some of the interdisciplinary work your team is doing? 1E: DESIGNING COHERENT INSTRUCTION (continued) Element Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished
LESSON AND UNIT STRUCTURE Unrealistic time allocations A complete lesson must include certain events. You have listed some of those events, but I want us to revise your plan so the time allotted will be realistic. Recognizable structure; progression uneven most time planned unreasonable Your lesson structure can be seen, but an important piece of the lesson line is the time planned for each event. Let’s see if this is a reasonable expectation for completion. Activities have reasonable time allocations Nice work on having an appropriate plan to match the learning to the clock! How could you provide an opportunity for each student to choose his/her way of learning? structure; allows for different pathways according to diverse student needs The lesson structure is very You have given students the tools to make relevant and meaningful concept connections. Would you model planning your lesson and using student results in planning for your peers? 1E: Designing Coherent Instruction Indicators: Lessons that support instructional outcomes and reflect important concepts Instructional maps that relate to prior learning Activities that have higher-order thinking Student choice Varied resources Purposeful learning groups structured lesson plans 1F: DESIGNING STUDENT ASSESSMENTS Element Unsatisfactory Proficient Distinguished CONGRUENCE WITH INSTRUCTIONAL OUTCOMES Assessment not congruent w/outcomes Let’s talk the purpose of the assessment you have planned for this lesson. How will it address your set learning outcomes? Some outcomes assessed It is always important to about the definition of successful learning for your students. Will your assessments allow you to reach that level of learning? Aligned w/outcomes may be adapted to groups Your assessments are in line with your learning outcomes; however, you have a limited assessment format. Can this be expanded? aligned w/outcomes You will really know that students will have more than just a knowledge level grasp of the content when you use the ‘collaborative’ assessments. Are you satisfied with this process? What are the strengths and weaknesses?
CRITERIA AND STANDARDS Does not exist I have found no evidence of assessment in your plan. How will you measure learning outcomes? Developed, not clear You have a good start on your grading rubric. As I look at it, I’m wondering if some of the language might be confusing. Clear Your requirements for demonstrating learning are clear. Putting that together had to take work! Have you thought about allowing students to share in setting the requirements? evidence of student contribution to design Your work with students on the expectations for learning is terrific. Would you be able to share this process at your next grade level meeting? DESIGN OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS No plan for this Let’s talk about the use of formative assessment in a lesson and how to incorporate it in your lesson. Rudimentary, only some outcomes covered Will these assessments give you the information about student learning that you need? How could this be expanded? Well-developed strategy w/particular approaches You have a good assessment plan. We’ve been talking about differentiation. What would that mean for your assessment strategy? Methods adapted for individuals, as needed It’s good to see such a thorough assessment plan for informing your instruction? you share the plan so we could build off its successes? When could it be shared? 1F: DESIGNING STUDENT ASSESSMENTS (continued) Element Unsatisfactory Proficient Distinguished USE FOR PLANNING No plan for this It’s as important to know how you will use the assessment results as it is to have a good assessment plan. Let’s talk. for class as a whole You have a plan for using the assessment results for the class. How could you consider addressing more needs with the results? Uses to plan for groups of students You have a clear plan for using the assessment results for the student groups. How could you focus on more individual needs with the results? Well-designed for student and teacher use – planning for individual students Your assessment results have been well-translated into planning for the next learning. Please lead a collaborative lesson-planning workshop for us.
3B: QUESTIONING AND DISCUSSION TECHNIQUES Element Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished QUALITY OF QUESTIONS/PROMPTS Virtually all of poor quality – low cognitive challenge, single correct responses – in succession. How can you extend the level of questions on Blooms’ to involve more students in the discussion? Combination of low and high quality – succession – only some thoughtful response Explain some methods to consistently promote high-quality questions and appropriate wait time. Most questions of high quality – adequate wait and response time How can you encourage students to lead in asking questions and answering among themselves as you facilitate? Uniformly high quality – adequate response time. Students form many questions. How a model of student-driven questions which are high quality be shared with other teachers to encourage the practice of higher order thinking? DISCUSSION TECHNIQUES Interactions between teacher and students is predominantly recitation style – teacher mediates all questions and answers What are some techniques that you could use to engage your students in classroom discussion? Teacher tries to engage students in discussion, not recitation, with uneven results Identify questions from today’s lesson that could be revised to allow multiple possible answers. How will you consistently plan for multiple answers? Teacher creates genuine discussion students, stepping aside when appropriate How can you facilitate allowing students to initiate topics for discussion and make unsolicited contributions to the discussion? Students assume most responsibility for discussion, initiate topics and making contributions unsolicited How might you share your discussion techniques with other teachers so that students assume responsibility for discussion throughout the school? STUDENT PARTICIPATION Few students dominate discussion How might you include more students in classroom discussion? Teacher tries to engage all, but limited success What are some techniques you might try to consistently engage all students in classroom discussion? Teacher successfully engages all in discussion Describe strategies for structuring lessons to allow students to solicit responses or discussion from other students about their presentations. Students ensure all voices are heard in the discussion Explain how you teach your students to not only lead the discussions, but allow all their peers to participate no matter how large or small the contribution is to the discussion. 3B: Questioning and discussion techniques Indicators: Questions of high cognitive challenge, formed by both students and teacher Questions with multiple correct answers or multiple approaches – even when is a single correct response Effective use of student responses and ideas Discussion with teacher out of central, mediating role High levels of student participation in discussion
3C: ENGAGING STUDENTS IN LEARNING Element Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished ACTIVITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS Inappropriate for age or background – students not mentally engaged How can you ensure activities and assignments are appropriate for students and encourage engagement? Appropriate to some – engage some but not others Identify several different learning strategies that students choice in their learning resulting in the engagement of all students. Most are appropriate to students – almost all are cognitively engaged in exploring content Based on the results of the lesson, what approaches might you use to ensure all students are highly engaged throughout the lesson? All students cognitively engaged. Students initiate or adapt activities and projects to enhance understanding. What you do to share your success with your peers regarding how your students initiate or adapt activities and projects to enhance their understanding? GROUPING OF STUDENTS Instructional groups are inappropriate to students or outcomes How can students in this be grouped to ensure more involvement in the content, based on their level of learning? Groups only partially appropriate to students or only moderately successful in advancing outcome of lesson What might you do to ensure grouping is appropriate for all students for a successful outcome of the lesson? Groups are productive and fully appropriate to students or to instructional purposes of lesson What might you do to encourage students to take the initiative to form or adjust grouping to enhance learning? Groups are productive and fully appropriate to students or to instructional purposes – student take initiative to form or adjust groups How you share with your peers regarding your success with student-initiated grouping? INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES Unsuitable to purposes or don’t engage students mentally How might you plan and align your materials and resources to cognitively engage your students in the lesson? Only partially suitable to purposes, or only partially mentally engage students Describe some possible modifications to your materials and resources that would promote higher levels of thinking and engage all your students in the learning. Suitable to purposes and engage students mentally How could you provide students a choice in instructional materials or let students serve as a resource to one another? Suitable to purposes and engage students mentally. Students initiate choice, adapt or create materials to enhance learning. How can you and your planning team incorporate a variety of approaches to encourage students in taking the initiative to modify a task so that It is more meaningful to them? 3C: ENGAGING STUDENTS IN LEARNING (continued) Element Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished
STRUCTURE AND PACING No clearly defined structure – or pace is too slow or rushed, or both How you arrange the instruction to have a defined structure? What could you do to improve the pacing of the instruction? Recognizable structure, not uniform, pacing is inconsistent How might the structure of your lesson be improved for clarity? What could you do to ensure appropriate pacing of your lesson? Clearly defined structure, pacing generally appropriate In thinking of the pacing of the lesson, how could you build in more opportunities for student reflection? Why is that important? Structure highly coherent allowing for reflection and closure. Pacing appropriate for all. The structure and pacing of the lesson is excellent. How you share this aspect of instruction with colleagues? 3C: Engaging students in learning Indicators: Activities aligned with the goals of the lesson Student enthusiasm, interest, thinking, problem-solving, etc. Learning tasks that require high-level student thinking and are aligned with lesson objectives Students highly motivated to work on all tasks and persistent even with challenging tasks Students actively ‘working’ rather than watching teacher ‘work’ Suitable pacing of lesson – not dragging nor rushed – time for closure and student reflection 3D: USING ASSESSMENT IN INSTRUCTION Element Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Students don’t know criteria and performance standards for evaluation What are some methods you use to communicate what is required by the students to demonstrate proficiency? Some criteria and standards are How you show that students clearly understand what high-quality work looks like in your classroom? Students are fully aware of criteria and performance standards How you include students in developing the criteria for their assessment? Students are fully aware of evaluation criteria and performance standards and have contributed to developing criteria What professional development activity could be planned to share this process with others? MONITORING OF STUDENT LEARNING No monitoring How could you monitor your students’ understanding of the content? Monitors as a whole – without diagnostic information How could you use prompts which result from a diagnosis of learning levels? Monitors groups of students using limited diagnostic prompts How could you include students in using diagnostic information to monitor student progress? Teacher elicits diagnostic information from students – monitors progress of individual students How can you share your strategies for eliciting diagnostic information from students with your peers?