1. Goal Setting: Strategies to help Students Develop and Achieve their Goals

2. Goals for Today
Identify 10 principles that support the use of assessments for learning
Examine strategies for successful goal setting
Locate reports and resources for grade level, class, and student goal setting
A Garden Road Model: Starring the Third Grade Team
Work in grade level teams to identify grade level and class goals
Write sample action steps for our goal area RIT ranges
Develop our Personal Goal Setting Makeovers

3. Goal Setting 101
Some are running full speed…in the wrong direction. Some are fearful. Some are sure it won’t work for them. Others are confident and eager. We have the honor of helping students build connections, discover hope and begin taking steps toward success in academics and life.

4. Setting the Stage
Create an environment where students feel comfortable discussing their strengths and weaknesses and are willing to take risks to grow
Create an emotionally safe classroom
Focus on growth for all students
Keep all conversations focused on the REAL issues
Consistently honor individual strengths
Core Classroom Value: we all believe that everyone in our room has valuable strengths. What strategy could we implement to ensure every student will be honored for what he or she contributes? How do we provide opportunities for all students to contribute?
(no sarcasm, labeling, threats, or bribes) Focus on the real problem. Instead of saying, “You are so lazy” try “What will you do first on this assignment?” or “What is keeping you from starting your work?”

5. Addressing Concerns
Creating a class perspective on “mistakes” or discussing “weaknesses.”
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in life. And, that is why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan
If you have students who feel they’ve never been successful before and aren’t sure they want to start trying now or those who struggle with anything less than perfection, you might want to share this quote:

6. Clarifying our Terms
Most of us confuse dreams and goals so it is a great place to begin our discussion
“The difference between a dream and a goal is action.”
Dreams often stay dreams until we make up plans to reach them
Sports examples connect this idea for many students

7. Begin with Grade Level Goals
In the NWEA Grade Level Report or in the Grade Level view in the Ladder, determine the highest and lowest goal areas by looking at the mean for each
Determine resources and strategies you’ll implement
Determine how you’ll monitor your success

8. Setting Classroom Goals
Model goal setting by setting class goals first.
Use your class goal area “means” that can be found on the Learning Ladder in TIM by clicking on: Class Report for _______”
Click here to open your class report

9. Choosing Your Classroom Goal
Honor class strengths by noting the goal areas with the highest mean scores. Find the lowest mean to determine the best standard strand for your class goal. (You’ll want to simply post the mean score for each goal area when using this with your students) What strength do you note for this class? What would be the best goal?

10. Choosing a Range
Knowing DesCartes will give us three ranges, we can use our class reports to choose the best range to guide our instruction. Which would you choose for this class?

11. DesCartes Login to NWEA using your current password
Choose DesCartes from the left hand navigation
Select your subject, goal area, and the range. (If your lowest goal area mean is 191, choose )

12. Narrowing our Focus Print the range for your class goal
Highlight areas you know you’ll address with one color; then go back and circle or highlight concepts you need to add to your curriculum with a different color.
You may want to cut and paste just one range to display on the overhead or doc-u-cam during the class discussion of your goal

13. Setting Classroom Goals
A great goal includes what students need to learn, a plan of action, a list of necessary resources, and a realistic timeline. (Think S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.)
Examine the following examples from classes in our district:

14. Monitoring Classroom Goals
Some teachers prefer to post magnified Student Goal Setting charts to help students monitor class growth by goal area during the year.

15. The Power of Student Reflections
Students’ reflections when developing and monitoring goals help them discover what limits or contributes to their success.
Sample prompts posted at

16. Goal Setting in Action

17. In Action #2

18. Gathering Resources for Student Goal Setting
Focus on positives, strengths, and growth first
Many teachers use the Individual Student Report
Students note their score growth and reflect on their strengths using the text version
Using the graph version, students connect their first test point to the most current to visualize their growth

19. Setting Student Goals
Use the age appropriate planning sheets students filled out during testing to choose the best goal area and support academic vocabulary

20. Learn to Write Specific Action Steps
Students often struggle to write these steps. (Work with your team to personalize Amy Huff’s sample action steps for your students’ RIT ranges)
If they are stuck, ask them to reflect on what they think they’d have to do differently in order to reach their goals. Then ask why they don’t do that now and you’ll find additional insight to get closer to the real issues

21. Student Example
The following slide is a student’s first attempt to write goals to improve his primary study skills. How would you help this student break these ideas into more specific action steps?

22. Student Sample 1 Listen better in Class
Sit in a different location in class
Take good classroom notes
Participate in classroom discussions
Ask more questions when I don’t understand something in class
Learn how to preview chapters before reading them
Read chapters before doing my homework
Write down questions when I don’t understand something I’ve read
Write down my assignments correctly
Learn how to study for tests
Ask someone to help me study
Hand in homework on time

23. Sample Format What would you change?
Challenge: I want to improve my reading comprehension skills
Goal: I will read a book each month
Action Steps:
I will go to the library each week
I will choose a book in my Lexile range
I will find magazines on subjects that interest me and will read them during my free time each day
I will find 30 minutes each day to read
I won’t watch TV or play video games from 6:30-8:30 each night
I won’t get on IM or take phone calls from friends between 6:30 and 8:30 pm each night
What would you change?

24. Self Monitoring is Critical
Self-monitoring is a critical skill set if we want students to develop intrinsic motivation
Some models that work:
Graphs of progress
Daily goals on desk (dry erase marker)
Weekly reflections
Weekly evidence

25. Choosing a “Goal” Quote
Students have shown us that inspirational quotes are great tools to help them stay focused on their goals and to re-focus their thinking when the going gets tough.
They especially liked many under “Excuses,” “Goals,” and “Action.”
Here’s a sample from the “goals” category
In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are. Arnold H. Glasgow

26. Helpful Resources
Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it Right-Using it Well, by Richard J. Stiggins, Judith A. Arter, Jan and Stephen Chappuis, Assessment Training Institute, c.2004
Goal setting for Students: A Success Tool for Grades 5-12 by John Bishop. Around $10.00 on Amazon
Website: