Unwrapping the Standards to Develop Learning Targets

I can create a learning target. I can unwrap a standard. I can create a learning target. I can identify appropriate learning targets. Review the learning targets for the session.

NC Educator Evaluation How does this impact you? NC Educator Evaluation Standard III (a): Teachers know the content they teach Standard IV (a,b,g & h): Teachers facilitate learning for their students Unwrapping standards, creating learning targets and sharing those learning targets with students help to meet the expectations in the NC Educator Evaluation. Going through the process of unwrapping a standard helps you to truly understand the content and demands of each standard. Posting and explaining learning targets to students helps to facilitate learning for all students.

Why Unwrap the Standards? Unwrapping a standard is done to develop a deeper understanding of the standard for planning, instruction, and assessment.

“A simple process to make standards manageable.” “Unwrapping” “A simple process to make standards manageable.” Larry Ainsworth has done extensive research and work with unwrapping standards, helping school districts across the nation to do this as well as creating priority standards. Larry Ainsworth

The analysis of standards and indicators to determine exactly what students need to: Know (concepts) Be able to do (skills) Through particular context or topic (selected learning activities) What is Unwrapping? Explain what it means to unwrap a standard. By unwrapping a standard, a teacher will uncover exactly what concepts a student will need to know, the skills that they will need to be able to do, and through what context in order to be proficient with the standard.

How to Unwrap a Standard Underline key concepts (important nouns) Circle skills (verbs) Identify the particular context or topic (selected learning activities) Represent the “unwrapped”concepts and skills in a bulleted list The steps of unwrapping a standard consist of these four action steps.

Write narratives and other creative texts in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. This is an example of the beginning stages of unwrapping a standard. All verbs are circled and nouns are underlined.

Represent Unwrapped Concepts Write narrative & other creative texts Recount events or short sequence Describe actions, thoughts, feelings Use temporal words to signal order Provide closure After circling the verbs, underlining the nouns, and digging deeper with analyzing the demands of the standard, the unwrapped concepts can be written. Above are the unwrapped concepts from the previous standard.

Unwrapping Template Handout Here is the template we will use to unwrap the standards. You have a paper copy at your table as well as a poster. Handout

Your Turn Poster Select a standard from the center of your table Underline key concepts (nouns) Circle skills (verbs) Identify particular context or topic (learning activities) Represent “unwrapped” concepts & skills in a bulleted list Work collectively to complete the unwrapping. Document unwrapping on the poster. You may tape the standard card on your poster to save time. Groups will share out their thinking and then do a gallery walk so others can provide feedback and reflect on the unwrapping process as well as writing learning targets. Poster

Helpful Hints... Use the unpacking guides to help you, especially with the Essential Standards Collaborate with team members to ensure understanding of the standard’s demands As you move forward in helping your staff, remember these helpful hints.

Learning Targets “The most effective teaching and the most meaningful student learning happen when teachers design the right learning target for today’s lesson and use it along with their students to aim for and assess understanding.” Moss & Brookhart

Learning Target... Describes intended learning outcome Guides student learning Specific to the day’s lesson Written in “student-friendly” language Written from the NC SCOS A learning target guides student learning and uplifts student performance. Discuss the above criteria with staff.

Informs Your Decision Making Guides you every mile and turn. Uses language you understand to get you to exactly where you need to go. Knows exactly where you are. Alerts you to the challenges ahead and provides strategies to help you deal with them. Doesn’t “grade” your driving - it “recalculates”. Explain how a learning target is very similar to a GPS: it guides you, lets you know exactly where you are, helps you to get to your end destination, informs you of possible challenges as well as gives you strategies to maneuver through them, and above all doesn’t “grade” you.

Creates a Learning Partnership Cannot do the driving for you, but it monitors your progress and feeds you forward. Only works when you are actually doing something - using its insights and information to drive more effectively toward your destination. You have to continually self-assess ~ monitor your driving against the criteria provided to make sure you are on the right track. Just like a GPS, a learning target creates a partnership between the student and teacher. A GPS cannot drive for you, just as a teacher cannot do the work for a student. However, a teacher can monitor, support, and provide feedback to a student just as a GPS does as you are driving. A GPS will be at a stand still if you stop driving your car, just as a learning target will be at a “stand still” if the the student no longer works toward meeting the desired learning outcome. A GPS also continually assesses the route you are taking, letting you know of possible construction or roadblocks. Learning targets will do the same for a student.

What Information Does It Need to Work Effectively? Reflect on what information a GPS needs to work effectively? Turn to your partner and discuss what characteristics a learning target needs to have to work effectively for students.

Characteristics of a Learning Target Describes exactly what student’s will learn in today’s lesson. Written in kid-friendly language that students can understand. From the point of view of students who have yet to master the content, skill or process that makes up the target. Is connected to the performance of understanding from today’s lesson. Explain the characteristics of a learning target.

For Today’s Lesson! Explain that learning targets are not for an entire unit or week. They are designed for one to two lessons. Learning targets have an expiration date-they are only good for one-two lessons.

Let’s Look at this Standard PSc.2.1.2 Explain the phases of matter and the physical changes that matter undergoes. Often we must dig deeper with the Unpacking Guide to determine how to “Unwrap” the standard and write a learning target. Physical science, 11th grade standard. Emphasize importance of using the unpacking guides for essential standards as well as CCSS.

Supports our Students... To answer What will I be able to do at the end of today’s lesson? What will I have to learn and understand so that I can use this information to do it? How will I be asked to show that I can do it? How well will I have to do it? Learning targets help students answer the following questions.

How do you create a clear learning target? Reflect: How do you create a clear learning target? Share with a partner on how to create a clear learning target.

Start with the Standard Identify the essential parts of the objective or standard - the “Unwrapped Standard” Each essential part (unwrapped concepts) can become a learning target Put each target into “student-friendly” language Ensure that each target is written for ONE - TWO lessons The most important aspect of creating a learning target is starting with the standard! Once you determine the standard you need to teach, then unwrap the standard, put the target into student-friendly language and make sure that the target is for one to two lessons.

Your Turn Participants will use the unwrapped standard that they created previously. From those unwrapped concepts, participants will write learning targets onto their posters. Poster

How did you do? Once the participants have written their learning targets, use the checklist to at the bottom of this page to see if all criteria were met. Use the checklist for evaluating learning targets to see that all criteria were met.

“Learning targets make the difference, from a student’s point of view, between complying with teachers’ requests and pursuing their own learning.” Moss & Brookhart

Share Groups share out and do a gallery walk

Learning Targets Come directly from the standard, not a direct restatement of the standard Begin with “I can...” Only for one-two lessons Written in student-friendly language Need to be measurable Review district criteria for all learning targets. This criteria is posted on the learning target poster as well.

Posted Learning Targets Learning targets must be posted in every classroom. All teachers will be provided with a learning target poster. Non-negotiable: All classrooms will be provided with a learning targets poster.

Reflect using Evernote: How will you ensure that learning targets are posted in all classrooms?

Learning Targets Need to Be... Posted daily Shared with students before each lesson Revisited at the end of each lesson Visible from anywhere in the classroom Explain expectations of learning targets to participants.

http://bit.ly/dcswiki DCS Learning Targets Learning targets have been created for most standards. Refer to DCS Wiki to find targets.

Elementary Targets Wiki Elementary Home Page The learning targets for elementary teachers may be found on the DCS wiki and the DCS Elementary website. Once on the elementary website, the learning targets may be found under each subject heading - ELA under Comprehensive Literacy, Math under Math, Science under Science, and Social Studies under Social Studies subheading tabs. Elementary Home Page Wiki

Middle & High Targets Wiki The learning targets for middle school and high school teachers can be found on the wiki under each subject tab. Wiki

“Learning targets make the difference, from a student’s point of view, between complying with teachers’ requests and pursuing their own learning.” Moss & Brookhart

Reflect I can unwrap a standard. I can create a learning target. I can identify appropriate learning targets. Allow participants to reflect on how well they have mastered the learning targets for the session.

Overall Smart Goal: Target Smart Goal: By 2015, 100% of teachers at _____ will effectively implement the North Carolina Standard Course of Study with the aid of learning targets posted for students in all classrooms. Target Smart Goal: By 2014, ___ % of teachers at ___ will effectively implement the North Carolina Standard Course of Study with the aid of learning targets posted for students in all classrooms.

Overall Student Smart Goal: By 2014, _______ of our students will master the learning target as evidence through common formative assessments.

Possible Evidence: Lesson Plans Walkthrough Data Classroom Observations School Improvement Plan Student Mastery Form

Possible Action Steps: • August 14, 2013-All K-12 Administrators receive a review of how to unwrap a standard to create a target to present to their staff.  Participants will receive learning targets created by teacher teams. • August 20, 2013-All certified teachers will receive professional development including an overview of unwrapping standards and creating learning targets. Teachers will receive learning targets for subject areas. • Utilize state unpacking documents • Monthly staff development sessions focusing on standards and learning targets • Monthly walkthroughs to ensure learning targets are posted • Develop lesson plans and assessments to monitor student understanding of targets and vocabulary.

References Learning Targets: Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today’s Lesson by Connie M. Moss, Susan M. Brookhart NC FALCON Presentation provided by Connie M. Moss, Susan M. Brookhart, http://groups.ascd.org/resource/documents/122463- Learning_Targets_Moss_Handouts.pdf ‘Unwrapping’ the Standards: A Simple Process to Make Standards Manageable by Larry Ainsworth