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Accomplished Developing Beginning
Standards-
based and
rigorous
They are derived from national or state
standards and school or district
documents such as curriculum maps and
adopted program materials.

Targets fall across multiple categories in
a cognitive rigor matrix.
They are derived from general academic
tasks but not grade-specific standards, or
they describe learning or tasks that do not
meet proficiency standards.

Targets fall across limited categories in a
cognitive rigor matrix.
They are not derived from standards and
do not clearly reference academic tasks.

Targets fall primarily in one or two
columns/rows of a cognitive rigor
matrix, or learning targets are not
rigorous enough.
Student-
friendly
They are written in student-friendly
language (accessible vocabulary and from
a student perspective) and begin with the
stem I can.
They begin with the stem I can but may
not use student-friendly language; i.e., they
sound like objectives.
They do not begin with I can and/or
are simply reiterations of state objectives.
Measurable They are measurable and use concrete,
assessable verbs (e.g., identify, compare,
analyze). The verb suggests the way in
which the target will be assessed (e.g.,
analyze suggests a writing or problem-
solving assessment, not a multiple choice
quiz).
They are measurable but may contain two
verbs or have too broad a scope in content
(e.g., I can draw a raccoon and describe its
habitat).
They are not measurable (e.g., I can
understand, or I can commit).
Specific and
contextualized
They are specific, often referring to the
particular context of a lesson, project, or
case study.


They articulate only long-term targets that
can be generalized for any similar academic
task (e.g., I can write a persuasive essay).


They are too broad for students to see
progress (e.g., I can read) or too narrow
for students to own their learning (e.g. I
can put my name on my paper).
Learning-
centered
The verb following the "I can" stem
clearly identifies the intended learning,
articulating what the students will learn
rather than how they will demonstrate
their learning.

They verb following the I can stem
focuses on the academic tasks students will
do rather than what students will learn (e.g.,
I can complete a graphic organizer).
The targets are focused only on
compliance and completion (e.g., I can
retake my test).


Llly newman - 2009





Learnlng 1argeLs ln AcLlon: SnapshoLs from Classrooms

In order to provide a clear and understandable vision of each learning target, teachers in Expeditionary
Learning Schools use a variety of strategies in their daily lessons to get students discussing and interacting
with them. Some of these are listed below.

For all lessons
Target is posted unless theres a specific instructional reason to keep it a mystery or have students
otherwise discover it. One target may apply to only one lesson or to a series of lessons.
Target is explicitly discussed or reviewed early on in the lesson.
Target, or aspect of the target, is referenced with each part of the lesson and/or checked-on before
moving on.
Target is referred to again during the synthesis/debrief/closing of the lesson, often with evidence that
shows where students are now, and some full-class or self-assessment of that evidence.

Strategies
Post the target and have students brainstorm specific ways they might show mastery. List these possible
pieces of evidence. Critique them against the target as a class (or in pairs/triads). Share findings and
make final decisions about what students must show as evidence of mastery.

Critique a piece of work and/or video of a class in action in relation to a learning target (and its
accompanying criteria list or rubric).

Students sort samples of work and samples of targets and place the appropriate work under each target.
Discuss.

At the beginning of a lesson, students self-assess their level of mastery toward a target and then are
placed in groups with others at their level. Groups are given tasks to move them to the next level.

Hold status conferences with small groups of students at the same level. Follow this with goal-setting
and lessons/assignments that get students to the next level.

Use a variety of quick-check assessment strategies around a target. Discuss what it means to be at a
certain level, trends, areas of challenge, lessons/support needed to get the whole class to mastery. Quick
checks may include:
Four Corners: each corner represents a different level of target masterystudents go to the corner
that represents their perceived status and discuss why they belong in that group. Share.
Stand in Line: students get in order based on where they fall on a continuum of beginning to
exemplary on a target. Variation: all students stand in line and step forward or back a given number of steps to
represent where they are in their learning.
Graphing My Progress: students mark their place on a graph of beginning to exemplary for a
certain target, with stickers, markers, symbols, etc. Analyze/discuss. Variations: whole-class public
tracking charts or individual Graphing Me charts.
Fist-to-Five: students hold-up the number of fingers that represent where they stand on a given
target. Fist is lowest level, while five fingers represent mastery.

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The process of learning shouldnt be a mystery to students. Learning targetsstudent-friendly goals
beginning with the stem I canprovide learners with concrete statements that they can understand and
work toward. Unlike what educators commonly refer to as objectives, learning targets are shared with
students, posted in the classroom, and tracked carefully by students and teachers during the process of
learning. Rather than the teacher taking on responsibility for meeting a lessons objectives, learning targets
transfer ownership from the teacher to the student. The seemingly simple work of reframing objectives
written for teachers to learning targets written for, and owned by, students turns assessment on its head.
The student becomes the main actor in assessing and improving his or her learning.

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Learning targets are derived from a number of sources: from Common Core, state, or local standards,
school-developed habits of scholarship, and published curricular materials aligned with standards. Teachers
often work from curriculum maps created at the school or district level indicating which standards they will
address during a given time frame. Crafting learning targets from these sources ensures that teachers attend
to required standards, even though in the beginning stages of using targets, teachers typically craft targets
that can be met and assessed in a daily lesson.

Quality learning targets have the following attributes. Learning targets are:
Standards-based and rigorous
Student-friendly, beginning with the stem I can
Measurable, using a verb that is able to be assessed
Specific, often referring to the particular context of a lesson, project, or case study
Clear about the intended learning (rather than naming tasks)

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Learning targets can also be distinguished from standards and unit objectives in how they are used. Learning
targets are made public, used to support student learning, and are referred to often in the ongoing life of a
classroom.

In most lessons, the learning targets are shared with students at the start of the lesson and then referred to
throughout as teachers and students assess progress. Some teachers have students read the targets aloud,
unpack key vocabulary, restate them to a classmate, or discuss them in small groups or as a class to ensure
that they understand what they are aiming for. As students become more sophisticated with using learning
targets, they may wish to critique or revise them. Teachers can choose to collaborate with students in
revising them to be more clear, specific, or measurable, and even in creating new learning targets. This
process of sharing and discussing learning targets provides meaningful learning opportunities, especially for
building vocabulary.

For some lessons, it is better to hold off on sharing learning targets with students until partway through the
lesson. For lessons that open by engaging students with a mystery piecesomething provocative that
stimulates interest and generates questionsor by allowing students to experiment with scientific or artistic
materials, it is often best to hold off on revealing learning targets so that students will not be constrained in
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their thinking or discoveries. After discussing the ideas that emerge, the learning targets can be introduced
to frame the next steps of work.

In order for students to assess their progress toward meeting their learning targets, teachers must build in
checkpoints along the way. Even well written learning targets will contribute little to engaging, supporting,
and holding students accountable for their learning if they are not referred to and used actively during the
lesson.

There are a wide variety of strategies for checking student understanding and progress toward learning
targets during the course of a lesson and at its conclusion. Among the possible strategies:
Hand signals (e.g., fist to five, thumbs up, down, or sideways, high, middle, or low)
Written checks (e.g., whiteboards, exit tickets, guided practice, reflection journals)
Verbal checks (e.g., cold-call questions, lottery-style questions, class whip-arounds)
Progress charts (e.g., students posting sticky notes, dots, checks, or initials)
Peer check-ins (e.g., pair shares, peer critique, small-group check-ins)
Quick quizzes, written or verbal

The end of a lesson is also an important moment for checking for understanding. A well-constructed
debrief will allow students to reflect on their learning, returning to the days learning targets to assess their
progress.

Writing good learning targets takes time and care, but it is only the beginning. The practice really gains
traction when students internalize the value of learning targets and use them to assess their progress. As a
result, they have a strong sense of responsibility and capability.

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There are many layers to learning targets. Writing and using discrete learning targets for daily lessons is the
first step in gaining facility with the practice. Employing learning targets for longer-term goals takes this
work further, requiring that teachers consider more sophisticated features of the practice. Three features are
discussed here; for more information, see the chapter Learning Targets in Leaders of Their Own Learning.

Identifying long-term and supporting learning targets
As teachers become more proficient with crafting and using targets, they work with both long-term and
supporting targets. Long-term targets are often closer to the original language of a standard, while the
supporting targets provide the building blocks needed to achieve the long-term target. Supporting targets
nest underneath long-term learning targets in a sequence that guides a teachers daily lessons. Working
with both long-term and supporting targets ensures that teachers are planning backwards and anticipating
students needs throughout a series of lessons. The example below shows two sets of long-term and
supporting targets from a grade 4-5 learning expedition on energy.
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Considering Rigor
Learning targets also address the cognitive learning that students engage in. The framework of knowledge,
skill, and reasoning as three types of learning targets is a helpful starting place for analyzing what teachers
expect a student to understand and do. All three types of targets are important, and distinguishing the
difference among types helps teachers make choices about instruction and assessment. Through analyzing
target type, teachers can make informed decisions about instructional sequencing and good estimates about
how much time students will need to reach proficiency with a target. They are also better equipped to select
assessments that are effective and efficient.


However, just labeling learning targets as knowledge, skill, or reasoning can oversimplify the issue of rigor.
Teachers need to also consider the complexity of students tasks and assessments linked to learning targets,
and a cognitive rigor matrix (see below) is a useful tool. Once teachers have learning targets and an
associated task or assessment in mind, they are ready to use the matrix. The first step is to identify the type
of thinking a task requires, using Blooms Taxonomy. Next, consider how deeply students need to
understand the content, and take into consideration how complex or abstract the content is.

Knowing where a task falls on the matrix can inform backward planning, helping teachers ensure that the
learning targets will scaffold students learning appropriately. Using the matrix also pushes teachers to
consider tasks that fall in the Extended Thinking column, emphasizing real-world application, cross-
discipline connections, problem-solving, and creative thinking all important aspects of the Common Core
State Standards and Deeper Learning.

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I can explain
the many
forms that
energy takes.

I can define energy.
I can describe how energy can be used or stored.
I can list the energy sources that exist on Earth.
I can identify forms of energy in my daily life.
I can explain and give examples of the difference between
renewable and nonrenewable energy.
Energy comes
in many forms
such as light,
heat, sound,
magnetic,
chemical, and
electrical. (4
th

grade physical
science
standard)
I can explain
the science
of electricity.

I can explain how electrons move to create electricity.
I can describe the energy transformation that takes place in electrical
circuits where light, heat, and magnetic effects are produced.
I can explain the role that magnets play in producing electricity.
I can create a complete electrical circuit without trial and error.
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Explanation Knowledge, facts,
concepts to be learned
outright or retrieved using
reference materials
Use of knowledge to
perform an action.
Demonstration is
emphasized.
Thinking proficiencies
using knowledge to solve a
problem, make a decision,
plan, etc.
Sample
Verbs
Explain, describe, identify,
tell, name, list, define, label,
match, choose, recall, recognize,
select
Observe, listen, perform, conduct,
read, speak, write, assemble,
operate, use, demonstrate,
measure, model, collect, dramatize
Analyze, compare/contrast,
synthesize, classify, infer, evaluate
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Integrating character learning targets
Including character learning targets during both daily lessons and longer units of study is a powerful way for
teachers to reinforce the importance of work habits and social and emotional learning. Alongside standards,
clearly defined habits of scholarship are the starting point for quality character learning targets. Habits of
scholarship are generally developed at the school-wide level and reflect the character values of the school in
relation to performance (e.g., work habits, collaboration with others, respectful communication).

The Common Core State Standards offer descriptions of students who meet the standards and are thus
ready for college or career. The descriptions closely align with the habits of scholarship identified in many
Expeditionary Learning schools. In fact, actively teaching these habits is what will enable students to
become citizen scholarsindependent learners who are able to critique the reasoning of others, value
inquiry and evidence, and persevere in solving problems.

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Learning targets enrich standards, and learning targets are an essential first step in developing student
ownership of learning. Given the Common Core requirements for higher-order thinking, learning targets are
more important than ever. As teachers embrace higher and clearer expectations for all students, they must
empower students to truly understand what is required of them and what they are capable of. Clear learning
targets are the starting point for building such awareness and capacity in students.

1
Hess, K. (2011). A New Lens for Examining Cognitive Rigor in Standards, Curriculum, and Assessments.
Retrieved from http://www.nciea.org/publications/rigorpresentation_KH11.pdf
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Recall and
Reproduction
Basic Application
of Skills/Concepts
Strategic Thinking
and Reasoning
Extended
Thinking
Remember Recall or locate basic
facts, details, events
N/A N/A N/A
Understand

Describe/explain
who, what, where,
when, or how
Explain
relationships,
summarize, identify
main ideas
Explain, generalize,
or connect ideas
using supporting
evidence
Explain how
concepts or ideas
specifically relate to
other content
domains
Apply

Use language
structure or word
relationships to
determine meaning
Obtain and interpret
information using
text features
Apply a concept in a
new context
Select or devise an
approach among
many alternative to
research a novel
problem
Analyze

Identify whether
information is
contained in a graph,
table, etc.
Distinguish between
relevant and
irrelevant
information
Analyze
interrelationships
among concepts,
issues, or problems
Analyze
complex/abstract
themes or
perspectives
Evaluate

N/A N/A Justify or critique
conclusions drawn
Apply understanding
in a novel way,
providing
justification
Create

Brainstorm ideas
about a topic
Generate hypotheses
based on
observations or prior
knowledge
Develop a complex
model for a given
situation
Articulate a new
voice, new
knowledge or
perspective