# data[].attributes.headline
How are you planning direct instruction? 

# data[].attributes.subject
How are you planning direct instruction? 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get Started

This quiz will help you assess current knowledge and determine which words to work on first. Based on the results, you'll receive a printable resource packet that includes images, descriptions, and fun activities. You'll also gain full access to online videos designed to empower learners to explore new terms independently.

Take the online quiz

How to use the Building Basic Vocabulary Tool

Your child has taken the assessment, and you've identified a vocabulary cluster of focus. Now it's time for the learning to begin. Simply select the cluster from the "All Cluster" drop down menu and click the red "Search" button. A table will appear with videos and downloadable tools tailored to your child's needs. Watch the videos below to learn step-by-step how to make the most of these learning resources.

How to Use the Vocabulary Learning Resources

How Do I Determine My Student's Proficiency Level?

Please note: The materials contained in this database are copyrighted, and the availability of these materials does not constitute a transfer of any intellectual property rights. Marzano Resources encourages users to download and print these materials to improve their classrooms and schools, but the materials may not be sold or distributed without the written consent of Marzano Resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This quiz will help you assess current knowledge and determine which words to work on first. Based on the results, you'll receive a printable resource packet that includes images, descriptions, and fun activities. You'll also gain full access to online videos designed to empower learners to explore new terms independently.

# data[].attributes.body
Standards-Based Grading Implementation Scale

# data[].attributes.body
Student-generated assessments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dr. Robert J. Marzano states that self-agency is an essential outcome for students. The two elements making up student self-agency are voice and choice. He defines agency as students having "the belief that they can positively affect their lives and possess the skills to do so." While voice and choice are two different elements, they are often connected. Marzano describes choice boards as one way to build self-agency by offering choice in social, environmental, and learning domains.

Four Ways to Offer Choice

In his book, "The Highly Engaged Classroom," Dr. Robert J. Marzano outlines four ways we can offer choice to students: (1) choice of tasks, (2) choice of reporting formats, (3) choice of learning goals, and (4) choice of behaviors (pp. 14, 101). Choice boards can be used for each of these! In his blog, he says,

"Choices of task, reporting format, or learning goal allow students to take control of their learning and make decisions that ensure personal interest in their assignments."
Source

In other words, choices boost engagement and motivation, which lead to more learning! With this in mind, let's look at a few articles with templates, examples, and steps for creating your own choice boards.

How to Create Choice Boards

How to Create a Choice Board: Using a choice board to allow students to select their own journey while still ensuring they reach their destination is a powerful research-based strategy. Explore John Hattie's mindset on choice and get five steps for making a choice board.

Choice Board Templates and Examples for Your Students

Choice Boards for Elementary Learners: Take your elementary classroom to the next level with these choice board examples and templates. Your students will thank you! Snag ready-made choice boards or use the templates to create your own. Either way, you'll be ready to get the choice board party started.

Wakelet Choice Boards: Wish you had an easy-to-access and accessibility-friendly choice board maker? You do! It's called Wakelet. Learn how to make choice boards the easy way. Check out three example activities, an example Wakelet choice board, and discover the benefits of using Wakelet to offer choice and voice in your classroom.

Templates and Ideas for Differentiated Choice Boards: Check out four ideas for differentiation with choice boards. Then, explore a wide variety of editable templates and examples you can follow. This article definitely has some gems to help students work on their level while still offering them options to choose from.

Choice Boards for Active Learning in Math: Choice boards are a powerful tool to use in any subject, and that includes math! Uncover math-specific templates for all grade levels that include checks for understanding, vocabulary, assessment, infographic creation, multiplication, division, geometry, pre-algebra, and more.

Create Interactive Learning with a Choice Board: Innovative teachers empower students through the use of the choice board, either in paper or digital format. Find digital examples and templates for ELA, history, math, science, and differentiation. You'll have everything you need to create digital, interactive choice boards for your students in no time.

Have you used choice boards already? Are you planning to start? Share your experience and any additional resources in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Collection of Choice Board Examples and Templates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What's up with choice boards? See what Marzano has to say, and explore templates and examples for choice boards across subjects and grades.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Feedback STANDARDS BASED LEARNING proficiency scale use

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here's how to assign graded work that more accurately assesses elementary students' learning and saves time.

Many elementary math teachers I work with have a love/hate relationship with graded work and assessments. Teachers need data that will drive instruction, but it can seem like students are constantly being assessed, and there's too much to sift through. There is a way to work smarter and consolidate this process to maximize student learning and the purpose of this practice.

Throughout this exploration of the components of graded work, I want to acknowledge and validate that I repeatedly hear from teachers that they want students to build stamina, they want students to be able to show their thinking independently (not just when they're with the teacher), and there's not enough time.

I agree with all of that, and the considerations below can be a starting place for refining current practices.

How much work

Consider how much work you're asking students to do.Teachers often have the dilemma of how to give grades while keeping the parents' perspectives in mind. Parents use grades to measure mastery, indicating whether they should be worried about their children academically. This can make teachers want to assign students 10 to 20 questions so that they don't get a 75 percent for missing one question.

This is problematic for many reasons. We need to assess what we value and communicate that to students and parents. When students see that they're only getting credit if an answer is correct, the answer is all they value, and their parents follow suit.

So, what is the goal of an assignment? The goal is not to get the right answer. A calculator can do that. We want to create critical, flexible thinkers who can think computationally and efficiently. To be a future-ready learner and a critical thinker, students must communicate and think thoughtfully about the content they're learning. They must learn how to get the thoughts swirling in their mind onto paper so that when a problem is too difficult, they know how to process it thoroughly.

Type of work

Consider the type of work you're asking students to do. Students need to be able to communicate their thinking through speaking and writing. That's not only what good mathematicians do but also a skill that students will use daily throughout their lives.

When we assign multiple-choice questions to students, we can't see much of their thinking or the process of how they reached the circled answer. We don't know if they got lucky, guessed, used deductive reasoning, or truly understood the problem. The answer choices give the student a starting place, placing the question at a lower level of rigor. This is why some states are going away from multiple-choice tests.

Assessing students this way makes it very difficult to respond accurately to their needs, and it reminds me of a quote from one of the most highly respected math educators, author Marilyn Burns: "Correct answers can mask confusion, just like incorrect answers can hide understanding." Students need to show mastery of the mathematical practices or process standards, not only the content or computation.

Include only two or three questions.

Use questions from recent and spiraled essential standards, so that students must use their problem-solving skills more heavily. When students know what concept an entire assignment is about, they don't have to productively struggle as much.

In upper grades, provide a checklist of student behaviors you'd like to assess. In lower grades, providing labeled boxes or the representations you wish to see is helpful for organization and guidance. Anticipate misconceptions when choosing the skills to assess so that you have current data to drive small group instruction.

Scaffold skills that are harder to grasp until students get the hang of it. Students will need guidance for the level of expected rigor.

Here are some parameters to keep in mind to understand components of student thinking systematically.

When students get used to this system, they will have fewer questions about what's expected, and this deep level of thinking will become habitual. Here are lower-grade and upper-grade examples. You can give points for each part of the checklist to communicate that student thinking is valued as much as the answer.

Graded work as an assessment

Consider using graded work as an assessment that drives part of your small group instruction. When we value student thinking, we can get to the root of misunderstandings because they have been thoroughly exposed. Some teachers feel that students need to practice more questions to gain stamina and do well on other tests. Thinking this deeply about problems does develop stamina.

There are other parts of the math block that allow students to answer many problems, such as learning stations. Since you're already sitting down to grade student work possibly weekly or even more often, use this work for multiple purposes. You can use it to get grades and gain insight for small group instruction as you create groups based on problem-solving and content misconceptions while grading instead of using multiple sources. This will eliminate some exit tickets or other assessments from your weekly routine.

As you see common misunderstandings, think about a specific skill you can teach students to clear up that misconception, and group those students together or use a tool like this one as you grade each paper. You walk away from a grading session with intentional groups that will last for a week or maybe longer.

These slight adjustments to make student work more open-ended have countless benefits. Not only can these moves help all students grow and show visible next steps, but also this streamlined approach can create more consistency in communication about academic progress among students, teachers, and parents. It can save teachers time by allowing them to grade fewer problems and feel more in tune with student needs. And not only will you end up with grades in the gradebook, but also you'll be prepared with intentional small groups for upcoming instruction. Students will become more independent and targeted in their thinking, helping teachers to know them better as learners and grow them as mathematicians.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A More Efficient and Productive Way to Conduct Math Assessments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How to use graded work to assess elementary students' math understanding, save time, and ensure more accurate results.

# data[].attributes.headline
Student ratings on a scale by class period

# data[].attributes.subject
Student ratings on a scale by class period

# data[].attributes.headline
Question #3 asks students to rate themselves on the learning target

# data[].attributes.subject
Question #3 asks students to rate themselves on the learning target

# data[].attributes.headline
The importance of trust in schools video

# data[].attributes.subject
The importance of trust in schools video