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At some point, we've all been there; in a class or course, where after several sessions it's still unclear what is expected and how you'll be graded. Well, both quantitative and qualitative research supports the notion that education strategies that help students understand what they are learning and how they will be assessed allow them to support one another effectively and develop a sense of autonomy.

In 1998, Barbara White and John Frederiksen, researchers from University of California at Berkeley, investigated a science curriculum that provided scaffolded activities for inquiry, reflection, and generalization. Part of this curriculum involved a reflective process during which students were introduced to a set of criteria for characterizing good scientific research. These criteria were used by the students to assess their own and each other's work. Two middle school teachers implemented the curriculum with a total of eight classes and were compared to a control teacher with four classes. The authors found that in order for students to engage in reflective self- and peer-assessment, they needed to understand first the in-class assessment criteria, in this case the criteria for characterizing good scientific research. With this understanding, students in the experimental group were able to meaningfully assess their own work and their peers' work. (Inquiry, modeling, and metacognition. Making science accessible to all students. Cognition and Instruction, 16(1), 3-118.)

In 2000, C.A. Tell and some of his fellow researchers reported similar results from the implementation of a standards-based instructional system. Forty-four secondary school teachers and college faculty were followed for a two-year period. Qualitative data including teachers' journal entries, classroom artifacts (e.g., assignments, in-class assessments, and student work), survey responses, and transcripts from team meetings and focus groups were collected and analyzed. From the analysis and triangulation of this data, the authors found that teachers who shared learning expectations with students by using scoring rubrics; explained standards, criteria, and expectations; and worked with the students to develop student-friendly learning goals reported that the process put their students at the center of the learning process, helped students continually monitor their own progress, and made the students more accountable for their own work. (A framework of teacher knowledge and skills necessary in a standards-based system: Lessons from high school and university faculty. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.)

Generally speaking, students must understand what they are expected to learn before they can take responsibility for their own learning. In many instances, students have incorrect conceptions of what they are learning, why they are learning it, and what quality work looks like.

Programs like Keeping Learning on Track (KLT) help provide teachers with practical classroom techniques and educational strategies to help them clearly identify and share the intended learning and criteria for success with students. This enables students to better understand what teachers expect them to know, understand, or be able to do, as well as what constitutes a proficient performance. This allows students to support each other and take responsibility for their own learning by helping them accurately and appropriately evaluate learning against shared expectations and make any necessary adjustments to the learning.

Kelly Goodrich is Vice President of Policy & Advocacy for NWEA, advocating the use of multiple measures for all students and leading productive partnerships in both national and international arenas, including collaborations with CCSSO, AACTE, and OECD. She drives NWEA's national agenda to foster assessment literacy for teachers and all education stakeholders, raise the voice of students in education policy, and promote the importance of research-based education practices. Prior to joining NWEA, Kelly held several executive roles in the K12 education space, including Vice President of Marketing at Pearson Digital Learning; Vice President of Online Assessment at Harcourt Assessment; and Vice President of Professional Services for Pearson Assessment.

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The Importance of Setting Classroom and Student Expectations

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At some point, we've all been there; in a class or course, where after several sessions it's still unclear what is expected and how you'll be graded. Well, both quantitative and qualitative research supports the notion that education strategies that help students understand what they are learning and how they will be assessed allow them to support one another effectively and develop a sense of autonomy.

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A look test deficiencies (focus on lack of transparency

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Testing - Testing, Assessment, And Excellence | Testing Our Schools | FRONTLINE | PBS

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The mad rush to embrace high-stakes testing says to me that we are now reaping what years of superficial indifference have sown. That is, for years educators have not held themselves accountable, so now business leaders and politicians are creating systems to hold schools accountable.

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Make sure that you do not harbor any specific biases towards student learning.

Develop a growth mindset by helping your students believe that their most basic abilities can be developed, and improved upon. Use positive feedback by saying phrases such as:

"Show me more."

"How did you do that?"

"How did you figure that out?"

"That looks like it took a lot of effort."

"How many ways did you try it before it turned out the way you wanted it?"

"What do you plan to do next?"

Developing a growth mindset with students creates a love of learning and a resilience. Try to always maintain a positive attitude. Your language must support students and help them believe that can and will learn.

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How Teachers Can Communicate Expectations to Students

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Make sure that you do not harbor any specific biases towards student learning. Develop a growth mindset by helping your students believe that their most basic abilities can be developed, and improved upon. Use positive feedback by saying phrases such as: "Show me more." "How did you do that?"

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Establishing Expectations with the first assignment

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Establishing Expectations with the first assignment

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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There is a lot to cover on the first day of class. You establish procedures and convey expectations. You review the syllabus and, if you're teaching a lab, safety protocol. You also spend some time teaching some material. While you might not make an assignment for the first day, you still should use some time on the first day to talk about your expectations for students' work and how you assign grades.

Be very clear. Establish criteria for each assignment and put them in writing. That is, you must clearly tell students what you expect them to do and how the assignment should look when they turn it in. Some instructors communicate exactly how long each assignment is supposed to be and even go so far as to indicate what font and spacing students should use.

You must also communicate to students how their work will be graded. One option is to prepare a criteria sheet that lists expectations and points associated with assignments. Another option is to have a rubric with criteria on one side and quality indicators across. It might seem like excessive hand-holding to some instructors, but many students appreciate knowing exactly what they need to do and against which standards their work will be measured. Conveying this information on the first day allows students to plan their time and prioritize their various obligations.

Many students also appreciate a thorough explanation of how final grades will be calculated. A grade-calculation worksheet is a simple tool that allows students to track and monitor their performance over the course of the term. At any given moment, they can know exactly where they stand, what grades are possible, whether they need to spend more time on this course, or whether they can reprioritize to dedicate more effort to another course. In most cases, the math on the worksheet is simple and can vastly minimize stress for students, since it eliminates any uncertainty over how they are performing.

Ultimately, clear expectations and consistent application of consequences will sustain the efficient yet friendly classroom environment that you wish to create. They will also ease stress and should encourage more active student participation.

Note: Although you explain grading on the first day, expect to review it again when you return the first assignments, papers, and exams. Once students have their graded papers in hand, you can walk them through the syllabus and how the material relates to it. You can explain how you applied your grading criteria and made final determinations about the quality of students' work. You can also help them enter their grades on their worksheet to begin to track their performance and progress.
Excerpted from Ten Ways to Engage Your Students on the First Day of Class, a Magna Publications White Paper.

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First Assignment Helps Establish Expectations - Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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There is a lot to cover on the first day of class. You establish procedures and convey expectations. You review the syllabus and, if you're teaching a lab, safety protocol. You also spend some time teaching some material.

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This August, the school year began with the staff watching and discussing a speech by Brandon Busteed, Executive Director, Gallup Education. We were asked to think about how his thoughts informed our work of creating a learner-centered, proficiency-based system. I had watched the video several times over the previous month to pull driving questions to guide the conversation. But on this day, in front of my colleagues, I had a thought that sparked like a transformer being hit by lightning. Brandon asked, "What is the ultimate outcome of education?" I paused the video and asked the educators to discuss it at their tables. I never thought twice about the response, "to create a love of learning." That was until now. "That is wrong," I heard myself say. "No. It is right," I responded. "How can anyone argue against being a life-long learner?" Suddenly I had an argument so fierce in my neurons it was as if they were celebrating the Fourth of July again.

When my focus returned to the room, I was pleased no one had noticed my momentary, self-inflicted argument. Somehow, I managed to hold the outburst inside. As I continue to reflect on that day, I have become more convinced that preparing life long learners is not a role for education. Rather, a better response to Brandon's question is, "The ultimate outcome of education is to nurture a student's already implicit love for learning and keep them engaged in their formal education." What I have come to realize is that humans naturally possess a love of learning. It is as intrinsic a quality to being human, as is having hair. In his book How the Brain Learns, author David Sousa argues that if schools stopped existing today, we would not have a land of thoughtless zombies tomorrow. Students will continue thinking and learning. He says educators should not worry about teaching how to think but about teaching how to think more efficiently.So, if it is natural to observe, think, and learn, how come so many students seem disinterested in learning at school? While many adolescents seem turned off to the pursuit of knowledge as we define it, they often have something that drives them. Whether it is getting better at understanding a sport, an instrument, or a video game. What can educators do to help keep the love alive in our classrooms?

One way is by having clear expectations. These expectations need to be shared by the teacher and the student. John Hattie argues in Visible Learning that one of the single greatest influences on student achievement is the expectation a student has for how they will do on an assessment of skills or concepts. If students are not clear about what is being asked of them, how can they make an accurate prediction of how they will do?

Not meeting expectations is as much a threat to the brain as is a lack of food or water (Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence). If Student A meets the teacher's expectations, he or she receives a shower of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the feeling of reward. If Student B does not meet expectations, even though he may have had greater growth, he can begin a downward spiral triggering the brain's fight or flight response. This can result in students developing avoidance behaviors or seeking mundane tasks. I know when I get frustrated, like when I'm trying to write and the words won't come, I start pushing papers around my desk. Have you ever seen a student fall into avoidance behavior: head down on the desk, refusal to do homework, or even disrupting the class?

What can educators do to help students meet expectations? Make them transparent! Create learning targets that explicitly state what students should know and be able to do and then place them in a teaching progression. As students move through the progression, they are held accountable to meet the expectations of one level before moving to the next. As students work on a level and produce evidence of their learning, the educator is providing feedback to the student on how they are progressing toward meeting the target. Those are primary tenets to the philosophy behind Customized Learning.

At my school, for example, we use a writing continuum that clearly states how students can improve their writing. Students begin the year creating an on-demand sample. Then they use the continuum to assess their work. The teacher also assesses. If there is a difference in the scores, they conference and decide together what level of the continuum they presently meet. As students work through the next writing, they constantly look at the continuum to see where they are and what needs to happen to move forward. The teacher uses the knowledge of where students are to set a mini-lesson schedule to instruct the needed targets.

Students have expressed to me in focus group conversations that they feel more confident as writers. They are aware of what they need to do to improve their writing and this makes it more enjoyable. Many have said that, before, writing was a mystery and they simply hoped the teacher agreed with what they wrote. Now they are clear on what needs to be done and feel empowered to improve as writers and ultimately as thinkers.

Clarity about expectations is what adults wish from their supervisors. It is hard to make the decision to exert the effort to think when one is not sure it will lead to a reward and a dopamine shower. Two of the remaining top ten in John Hattie's list of influences on students learning are clear expectations and feedbac k. As educators we have the power and the responsibility to make our curriculum transparent.

Competencies can be used to help make clear what we expect. Students should be able to answer three questions; (1) What are you working on? (2) How do you know when you have met the target? and (3) What comes next in your learning? If students are clear and can answer these, then they will have a better chance of meeting expectations, receiving a dopamine shower, not developing avoidance behaviors, and putting the effort into the continuous process of becoming a more efficient thinker.

About the Author

Bill Zima began his career as a zoo educator. Seeking something that was a bit more dynamic, he became a 7th grade science teacher. He is currently the superintendent at RSU2 in Maine. He is an original member of the Maine Cohort for Customized Learning, an organization of educators dedicated to the promotion of performance-based education systems in Maine. He is the author of "Learners Rule: Giving them a voice improves the culture of their classroom." You can follow him on Twitter (@zimaw) or reach him at zimaw (at) yahoo (dot) com.

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This August, the school year began with the staff watching and discussing a speech by Brandon Busteed, Executive Director, Gallup Education. We were asked to think about how his thoughts informed our work of creating a learner-centered, proficiency-based system. I had watched the video several times over the previous month to pull driving questions to guide the conversation.

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Interactive Rubric for Teacher Evaluation

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Interactive Rubric for Teacher Evaluation

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http://boston.schoolwires.net/Page/372

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Standard II: Teaching All Students / II-D-1: Clear Expectations

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Teacher clearly and consistently identifies expectations for student work by crafting detailed, comprehensive exemplars and rubrics with students,and models quality work with guided practice.

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The Advantages of Rubrics: Part One in a Five-Part Series

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Distribute an article that explains what rubrics are, gives an easy-to-understand example, and lists their advantages.

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The Framework

The Framework for Teaching is a research-based set of components of instruction, aligned to the INTASC standards, and grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching. The complex activity of teaching is divided into 22 components (and 76 smaller elements) clustered into four domains of teaching responsibility:

Each component defines a distinct aspect of a domain; two to five elements describe a specific feature of a component. Levels of teaching performance (rubrics) describe each component and provide a roadmap for improvement of teaching.

The Framework may be used for many purposes, but its full value is realized as the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching. The Framework may be used as the foundation of a school or district's mentoring, coaching, professional development, and teacher evaluation processes, thus linking all those activities together and helping teachers become more thoughtful practitioners.

We highly recommend training for all teachers, school leaders, and staff using the Framework. Developing a common understanding is critical to accuracy, teaching advancement, and the Framework's impact on students' core learning. Official Danielson Group consultants carry our business card.

For more information please visit our services page.

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The Framework for Teaching is a research-based set of components of instruction, aligned to the INTASC standards, and grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching. The complex activity of teaching is divided into 22 components (and 76 smaller elements) clustered into four domains of teaching responsibility:

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I plan to study explicitly teaching evaluation criteria because I want to find out if it makes a difference to show students specific and detailed expectations so that I may better understand student achievement.

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“Investigating the relationship between understanding evaluation criteria and student achievement”