More About Learning Targets

We believe that the process of learning should not be a mystery.  Learning targets provide students with tangible goals that they can understand and work toward.  We also know that learning targets must be referred to and used actively during the lesson.  This process transfers ownership for meeting objectives from the teacher to the student, making students active participants in their own learning.  

Every school and every school district in the state will be required to have a goal, also known as a Local Indicator, that they are responsible for achieving by the end of the year.  Our system goal is:

GOAL:  Prepare and support teachers and leaders to utilize learning targets in the classroom to provide more strategic lessons in which students are more focused on their learning goals. 

The strategies and activities that we will use to help us meet those goals are:

STRATEGY 1:  Collaborate with teachers to provide opportunities that will enable teachers to understand the benefits of learning targets and how to use these effectively. 

ACTIVITIES:

• Use professional literature and professional development (book study of Leaders of Their Own Learning) to train staff on the benefits of learning targets to engage students in making progress towards standards and on writing and using learning targets.
• Make Learning Targets a part of the walk-through process to gauge teachers’ use continuously making students aware of the goals for unit instruction.
• Provide time for teachers to continually align standards, learning targets, and assessments, and to craft long-term and supporting learning targets that match assessments.
• Post learning targets and make them available for administrators, parents, and students.

STRATEGY 2:  Provide a variety of opportunities that prepare students to take ownership of their learning and have a clear understanding of the learning expectations for them. 

ACTIVITIES:

• Post learning targets, making them available for administrators, parents, and students, and refer to learning targets throughout the lesson. 
• Connect daily and supporting learning targets to long-term learning targets.
• Teachers formatively assess students’ level of learning with use of learning targets.

We will administer a survey in May to determine if students feel:

• they were more prepared to learn through the use of learning targets,  and 
• learning targets contributed to greater understanding and higher quality student work. 

The Assessment Survey will include statements like:

1.  My teachers regularly post learning targets for each standard or lesson.

2.  My teachers refer to the targets throughout the lesson and check for understanding at the conclusion of the lesson.

3.  Learning targets provide me with an understandable goal that I can work toward.

4.  Learning targets motivate me to accomplish a task when I know it is within my reach.

5.  Learning targets help me create higher quality work.

All administrators and academic coaches have been trained in writing and using learning targets. Throughout the year, teachers will receive additional information about learning targets.  In the meantime, the best way to begin, is to start with knowing what you want your students to be able to do at the end of your lesson.  Write a goal, share that goal with students, and revisit that goal as you teach the lesson.  At the close of the lesson, have students take 30 seconds to reflect and assess whether they met their goal.  We can do this!  We know this strategy will pay off!