Robin Sabo, Clear Creek ISD

What is rigor?

Or is rigor more that that But what about in education? Harder Challenging Focused on higher thinking levels Advanced Turn to an elbow partner and share a synonym for rigor in education

According to Robyn Jackson, rigorous instruction is...  What students will understand and how students will be able to think  Quality of instruction that asks students to create their own meaning, integrate skills into processes, and use what they have learned to solve real-world problems, even when the correct answer is unclear and they are faced with perplexing unknown.

Rigor fosters persistence,  Students have to dig for answers  They discover the value of the search  Effort extended over longer periods of time = greater rewards

Resilience,  Students learn to manage and work through frustration to solve problems on their own  They develop a tolerance for uncertainty  And acquire skills to handle struggle

Flexibilty,  Helps students recognize that learning is messy and unpredictable  They can grasp that learning can be pursued through multiple pathways that are often complex, layered, and ambiguous

Purposefulness,  Students see they are learning to make meaning  They are broadening their own understandings to solve interesting problems

Metacognition,  Students are asked to think about their learning goals  They select appropriate strategies to pursue goals  Effectiveness of the chosen approach is reflected on

And ownership.  Students make meaning for themselves  Rather than be passive recipients, students actively participate in construction knowledge and imposing order on what they are learning

Rigorous instruction develops student capacity to...  Think accurately and with clarity  Identify and consider multiple meanings and interpretations  Take and support a position  Resist impulsivity and engage in disciplined inquiry and thought  Use and adapt what they know to deal with uncertainty and novelty  Adjust their approach when presented with new constraints  Tolerate uncertainty and work through ambiguity and complexity

Rigorous Instruction IS... Rigorous Instructions IS NOT... Difficult, algorithmic, scripted Only for GT, honors or AP

Rigorous Instruction IS... Rigorous Instructions IS NOT... Difficult, algorithmic, scripted Only for GT, honors or AP Challenging, messy, free- ranging For every student

Rigorous Instruction IS... Rigorous Instructions IS NOT... Related to quantity More work Difficult, algorithmic, scripted Only for GT, honors or AP Challenging, messy, free-ranging For every student

Rigorous Instruction IS... Rigorous Instructions IS NOT... Related to quantityMore work Difficult, algorithmic, scripted Only for GT, honors or AP Related to qualityMore effort Challenging, messy, free-ranging For every student

Four Stages of Rigorous Instruction based on International Center for Leadership in Education framework

Lessons designed to support students with thinking processes so they can synthesize learning into new understandings Lessons to help students understand new content and acquire new skills Lessons to support students in developing habits of mind and applying what they have learned to new contexts across disciplines Lessons to focused on applying thinking skills to use learning in a meaningful way

 Collaborative pairs  Graphic organizers  Nonlinguistic representation  Provocative questions  Summarization  Mnemonics or other memory strategies  Non-predictable, interesting problem-solution  Distributed practice over time  Reflective practice with student set goals and evaluation criteria  Model thinking –think-aloud, flow charts, decision trees Direct instruction, guided practice, formative assessment, feedback Target thinking skill, model application and significance, coach independent practice, frequent feedback

 Student created artifacts (presentation, model, writing, etc...)  Real-World tasks  Research-based production  Student directed production  Personalized learning  Socratic seminars  Debates  Mock/Moot trials  “For publication” production (shows, contests, scholarship competitions, digital sharing) Integrate information and skills in real-world context, process guided practice using content-specific material, self reflection and refinement opportunities Applying knowledge to new and novel situations, defining and analyzing problems, transference of learning to other context

CCISD is Leading the Way in the 21st Century See How! Visit us at Rigorous learning...  Is hard work  May lead to pushback  Must be monitored and supported  Requires a balance between perceived challenges & perceived skills  Does not always proceed as designed  Will payoff when students see direct connection between effort and goals  Extends beyond schoolhouse