The second quote, "Leaders of professional learning who integrate evaluation into their normative practice make more informed decisions, respond more quickly to challenges that may interfere with results, use clearly defined outcomes as the primary measure of their success, and keep a laser-like focus on these results. When results are the driver, expectations are clearer and efforts are more aligned.” (Killion, 2018), my take away from this is we need to monitor progress in real time and adjust accordingly.

Killion makes the assertion that educators are more action oriented. This quote really made me pause for a minute. He has a point that often we are focused on what we will do and what the students will do instead of focusing on the outcome of standard mastery. Teachers need to be more intentional about scaffolding for the end goal. This is a simple way to keep your lessons on track for the ultimate end of achievement. By taking time to think of the cognitive processes that the lesson will take instead of what actions will be made, a teacher is being more intentional in what and how they want their students to learn as well as insuring that all levels achieve mastery.

Evaluation of learning cannot wait until the summative assessment. Small daily (sometimes multiple daily) assessments are critical to ensure that the students are growing and moving toward mastery. If an educator relies solely on a summative assessment, the educator has lost time and usually the students. The educator often becomes frustrated by the lack of student achievement if he or she is only relying on the summative assessment. Small formative assessments help an teacher know how the lesson was received, if the students need more support, or if the skill needs to be retaught. Small quick assessments that align with the summative assessment gives the educator a clear snapshot of their students learning, lesson delivery and scaffolding.

For example, I might spend time planning a collaborative group activity on solving equations. That’s the process. But if I’m not also thinking about the results—like whether students truly understand the underlying concepts or can apply them independently—I am valuing the activity more than the learning.

This quote pushes me to ask, “What do I want my students to know and be able to do?” before I decide how I’ll teach it. It also applies when engaging in professional learning. Rather than just adopting a new method because it's part of the training, I need to reflect on how it supports my instructional goals and student growth.

If I include regular checks for understanding or data analysis into my routine, I can catch when students are struggling sooner. This will help me adjust my instruction to meet their needs. This aligns with Killion’s idea of responding more quickly to challenges that interfere with results.

In professional learning, it's easy to focus on participating in activities or completing tasks without a clear sense of purpose. But when the learning is tied to specific outcomes, like improving students’ problem-solving skills or their understanding, I can better align my efforts to what really matters: student success.

This quote reminds me that whether I'm planning a unit or engaging in a PLC, I need to keep asking: Are my actions leading to the results I want for my students? If not, I need to rethink my processes and refocus.

Using proficiency charts makes the expectations concrete for students, parents, and teachers. Students have a bar for which to reach. Having these has been a game-changer for my stress level in 'grading'. Parents have a learning curve with this type of standards-based grading, but they like the proficiency charts because it tells them exactly what their student can and cannot do at a certain point.