Test scores will follow a strong academic program, but score focused instruction does not create life-long learners or consistent high scores.

 Setting minimum learning outcomes is not bad policy and minimums do not lower expectations.

Minimums do not lower the floor, they raise ceilings.

School sites not accepting student performance below a minimum level define success and gains for every student. Goals are great, providing stretch targets, but the floor, or minimum, reflects high expectations for all students.

Plan the improvement, or learning will happen without your input

 Without a plan, the learning may not be the needed or wanted skills and knowledge best for the students.

Student improvement based on planned outcomes guide instructional and learning progressions. Test results do not always match necessary skills for the future.

Students experience growth every year, but without focus, the growth may come in areas that are not important to long term learning. The terms such as power or key standards do not matter. The skills and knowledge students acquire decide success.

In many cases, district goals define intended classroom outcomes, and are based on state or local tests. Assessment only thinking is restrictive, and narrow classroom learning environments. Students must learn more than tested expectations. Planned outcomes based on skills and concepts students can use for future years benefit the student and raise performance results for district and sites.

Why is this learning important? Does it build on previous expectations, and help in the future?

Every student learns during the year, whether you plan for it or not. Gauge the outcome importance based on the following:

1. the students
2. site needs
3. students in district support programs
4. site and district goals for performance
   

Importance is relative to the needs of your students. Standards should be used as a guide, and defining importance is best at the skill or concept level.

End of year or even end of month outcomes are not always useful for planning day to day teaching and learning.

If you take long-term goals and plan shorter bursts of learning, it breaks those lofty expectations into manageable pieces that can be monitored on a regular basis at the classroom level.

A chunk defines a short term learning gain, while working to longer targets. If expectations are every student brings previous skills and knowledge with them, each chunk builds on previous learning.

Since in reality students do not learn at the same pace, progressions using common formative measures will allow better management of the different learning trajectories across a team or department.

When should we stop and reteach, or move forward with intervention support?

Students will not all arrive at the same level of proficiency when you finish a block of instruction. Plan for the minimum to move forward with a group and assistance for students that have not reached expected minimums. If possible, work with leadership to create mini-intervention support models designed to bridge smaller gaps.

 What will we do with students that are not moving along the long term progression? Do we need intervention or reteaching for students not showing expected learning?

Intervention decisions should be made against a predetermined set of rules or criteria identified at the beginning of the process. It is logical to expect adjustments as the year progresses, especially for a complex component in the progression.

A predetermined exit criteria moves students out of an intervention, once a student shows minimum proficiency.

More frequent outcomes in a learning progression model

Using a progression model provides opportunities to increase complexity and rigor throughout the school year, continent on proper support and guidance for students.