[This blog is part of a series that begins with this recent post about our SBL journey.]  

When our task as educators is stripped down to its most simple form it is to get every student to meet or exceed expectations.  When a student is not on pace to achieve a “3” or a “4” on their strands for each class there should be a sense of urgency for the student, parent, and teacher.

As teachers, we want to be sure to communicate as soon as we believe a student is showing longitudinal evidence of earning a “2,” or a “1,” on their learning for a strand within a course.  This does not mean we hit the panic button if something below a “3” emerges on an assignment, formative assessment, or other worthwhile task.  A “2” represents “approaching expectations” and all of our students will live in that zone at some point in almost all of their learning.  

Time and frequency become important factors in determining when a “2” is significant.  If a student has worked on a strand over time and is consistently demonstrating learning that falls below the “3” range this communicates something important.

The next critical step is to identify what else can be done in order to get a student to meet expectations.  We encourage retakes and redos as one valuable step.  This does not mean to do the same thing over again and expect different results.  Instead, we want to engage in a process with the student where they are able to develop a plan with the teacher.  This plan should include the opportunity to engage in reflection, additional learning, and reassessment in order to launch them to that next level.

If anyone is communicating the message that “2s” are OK, that can be a true or a false statement.  It is certainly false when it becomes a representation of the body of work for any strand within a course.  We want every student to meet expectations and a sense of urgency should be triggered for all involved when that is not the case.

As we continue to learn and grow together on our SBL journey please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any staff member at Caruso Middle School to ask questions or provide feedback.