Introduction to Student
Learning Objectives
“SLOs 101”
March 2012
Presentation developed by Cheryl Covell, TST BOCES Data Analyst & Heather
Sheridan-Thomas, TST BOCES Assistant Supt, with additional materials from Jeff
Craig, OCM BOCES Assistant Supt. and NYS ENGAGE website
Session Objectives
• Understand how Student Learning Objectives
fit into the overall NYS Teacher Evaluation
system and Race to the Top initiative.
• Develop a beginning awareness of WHAT an
SLO is, WHO needs SLOs, HOW SLO decisions
are made, and WHY SLOs are an important
element in an overall effort to enhance
teaching and learning.
NY State’s Regulations governing teacher
evaluation call for a “State-determined
District-wide growth goal setting process.”
60%
• Observations
and other
tools
20%
• Locally
selected
measure
20%
• Student
Growth via:
• State
provided
growth score
• SLO
NO Stateprovided
Growth Score;
Use Student
Learning
Objectives
State-provided
Growth Score
What Are Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)?
NYSED SLO Framework
All SLOs MUST include the following basic components:
Student Population
Which students are being addressed?
Learning Content
What is being taught? CCSS/National/State standards? Will this goal
apply to all standards applicable to a course or just to specific priority
standards?
Interval of
Instructional Time
What is the instructional period covered (if not a year, rationale for
semester/quarter/etc)?
Evidence
What assessment(s) or student work product(s) will be used to
measure this goal?
Baseline
What is the starting level of learning for students covered by this SLO?
Target(s)
What is the expected outcome (target) by the end of the instructional
period?
HEDI Criteria
How will evaluators determine what range of student performance
“meets” the goal (effective) versus “well-below” (ineffective) , “below”
(developing), and “well-above” (highly effective)?
Rationale
Why choose this learning content, evidence and target?
6
Example of an SLO (Part 1)
Population
Learning Content
Interval
Evidence
Baseline
7
Spanish II Class; all 30 students
New York State Learning Standards for Languages Other
Than English (LOTE)
SY 2012-13 (1 year)
1.Spanish I summative assessment results from students in
2011-12.
2.District-wide pre-assessment administered at the beginning
of the school year.
3.District-wide summative assessment administered at the
end of the school year.
1.All students had 2011-12 Spanish I results that
demonstrated scores of proficient or higher in all basic
vocabulary and grammar.
2.Scores ranged from 6% - 43% on the Spanish II Districtwide diagnostic assessment.
Example of an SLO (Part 2)
80% of students will demonstrate mastery of at least 75% of the
Spanish II performance indicators, as measured by the district’s
summative assessment in May 2012.
Target(s)
and
HEDI Scoring
Rationale
8
Highly Effective
(18-20 points)
Effective
(9-17 points)
Developing
(3-8 points)
Ineffective
(0-2 points)
86-100% of
students
demonstrate
mastery of 75%
of the Spanish II
performance
indicators.
78% -85% of
students
demonstrate
mastery of 75%
of the Spanish II
performance
indicators.
66% - 77% of
students
demonstrate
mastery of 75% of
the Spanish II
performance
indicators.
65% or less of
students
demonstrate
mastery of 75% of
the Spanish II
performance
indicators.
Previous work in Spanish I focused on working with basic vocabulary and
grammar, and building preliminary oral skills. The diagnostic assessment is
heavily focused on more advanced writing and reading skills, which are
essential components of the Spanish curriculum. Spanish II requires
students build on their learning from Spanish I in order to acquire mastery in
these areas and to be prepared for Spanish III. Since all students completed
Spanish I having achieved basic proficiency levels, I am confident they will
achieve 80% mastery or above on at least 75% of the Spanish II materials.
Example of an SLO (Part 1)DRAFT
Population
Learning Content
Interval
Grade 2 students (22 students in a class)
ELA Common Core Learning Standards (Prioritize Rdg Info
Text 1,2,4,6,10 ; Found Sk 3, 4; Language 4)
SY 2013-2014 (1 year)
1. STAR assessment results
Evidence
Baseline Data includes:
1.District Reading Assessment
2.District Writing Assessment
1. 82% of students demonstrated proficiency on 1st grade end-of-year
Baseline
9
STAR assessment.
2. 77% of students demonstrated proficiency on 2nd grade STAR preassessment.
3. 80% of students demonstrated grade level proficiency in reading
on district benchmark assessments (DRA 2) by end of 1st grade
4. 7o% of students demonstrated proficiency on district created
benchmark writing assessment in Sept 2012
Example of an SLO (Part 2) DRAFT
85 % of all student will demonstrate grade level proficiency in
reading as measured by the STAR assessment administered in
May 2013.
OR
90% of students will demonstrate at least one year’s growth from
September 2012 to June 2013, as measured by STAR assessment.
Target(s)
and
HEDI Scoring
Rationale
10
Highly Effective
(18-20 points)
Effective
(9-17 points)
Developing
(3-8 points)
Ineffective
(0-2 points)
86-100% of
students
demonstrate
proficiency. OR
91-100% of
students show at
least 1 yr.
growth.
78% -85% of
students
demonstrate
proficiency. OR
81-90% of
students show at
least 1 yr.
growth.
66% - 77% of
students
demonstrate
mastery
proficiency. OR
71% - 80 of
students show at
least 1 yr. growth.
65% or less of
students
demonstrate
proficiency. OR
65% or less show
growth of 1 year.
Learning Content is prioritized to reflect ELA Shifts 1,3,4 & 6. Writing will be assessed as
local assessment. Targets:Results from 1st grade STAR end of year assessments suggest
82 % of students are proficient. Sept 2012 results suggest 77 % proficiency (possible
“summer slide”) District assessment results suggest 80 % grade level proficiency in
reading and a bit lower in writing (72%). An 85% proficiency goal seems reasonable, as
it is above results from previous year and fall pre-assessment. If a true growth goal is
set, a more challenging 90% is reasonable, because difference in student starting points
are considered.
State
• Determines
SLO process
• Identifies
required
elements
District
• District goals &
priorities
School
• LE & teacher
collaborate
• Match
Teacher
requirements to
• Requires use
• LE approval
• Works with
teachers
of State test
• Ensure security colleagues &
• Define
LE
• Provides
• LE monitor &
training to NTs processes for
before & after
evaluation
prior to 201213.
• Identify
• Provides
guidance,
webinars &
videos
expectations
SLOs
The STATE determines the following:
o The overall SLO framework.
o Which teachers must set SLOs and which teachers
must have State-provided growth measures.
o Which assessments must be used, and which are
allowable options.
o Requirements around scoring:
• The scoring ranges and categories.
• Rules for scoring SLOs that include a Stateprovided growth measure.
• Rules for scoring multiple SLOs.
Three types of teachers:
If there is a State-provided
growth measure for at least
50% of students
If there is no State-provided
growth measure for the
course
If there is a State-provided
growth measure for less than
50% of students
Will have Stateprovided growth
measure (no SLOs)
Use only SLOs (no
State-provided
growth measure)
Will have Stateprovided growth
measure and will
use SLOs
13
STATE Rules - How many SLOs and what
assessments to use.
o SLOs must cover largest courses taught
until ≥50% of students are included in a
teacher’s SLOs.
STATE Rules - How many SLOs and what
assessments to use.
o Teachers with multiple sections of the
same course must create 1 SLO to cover
all of these sections when the same
final assessment is used.
STATE Rules - How many SLOs and what
assessments to use.
o School-or-BOCES wide, group or team SLO based
on State assessment growth may substitute or
supplement except for any teachers of 6-8
science and social studies and any grade/subject
that culminates in a State assessment.
o Examples might include assessing art teacher on
team or school ELA scores because of integrated
literacy instruction, or assessing reading teacher
on grade level ELA scores.
STATE Rules - How many SLOs and what
assessments to use.
o If a State assessment exists for any of the courses
required to be included in the SLO, but there is
no State-provided growth measure for that
assessment, the State assessment must be used
as evidence for the SLO.
o Examples include Regents courses and 8th grade
science.
STATE Rules – HEDI Scoring Ranges
Level
Highly
Effective
Score Description
18-20 Results are well-above state average
for similar students (or district goals if
no state test).
Effective
9-17 Results meet state average for similar
students (or district goals if no state
test).
Developing 3-8 Results are below state average for
similar students (or district goals if no
state test).
Ineffective
0-2 Results are well-below state average
for similar students (or district goals if
no state test).
DISTRICTS determine the following:
o Identify priorities.
o Establish which decisions are made at the District
level versus in schools by principals, and/or principals
with teachers.
o Create District-wide processes for setting, reviewing,
and assessing SLOs in schools.
o Set expectations for HEDI scoring of SLOs.
o Create processes to ensure that any assessments are
not scored by teachers and principals with a vested
interest in the outcome of the assessment they score,
and address assessment security issues.
SCHOOLS determine the following:
o Make choices as needed when District leaves
flexibility to schools.
o Ensure that lead evaluator approves each teacher’s
goals and monitors/assesses results.
o Ensure all assessments are secure and that any
assessments, including those used as evidence for
SLOs, are not scored by teachers and principals
with a vested interest in the outcome of the
assessments they score.
TEACHERS engage with SLOs in the following ways:
o Obtain all possible data on students to best inform
baseline, starting level of student learning.
o Propose, in consultation with lead evaluator, SLOs
and targets based on District and school
requirements.
o Select instructional strategies & materials to lead
students to SLO targets.
o Assess students (may engage in a regional or other
distributed scoring process).
o Reflect on student learning results and consider
implications for future practice.
NYSED SLO Framework
All SLOs MUST include the following basic components:
Student Population
Which students are being addressed?
Learning Content
What is being taught? CCSS/National/State standards? Will this goal
apply to all standards applicable to a course or just to specific priority
standards?
Interval of
Instructional Time
What is the instructional period covered (if not a year, rationale for
semester/quarter/etc)?
Evidence
What assessment(s) or student work product(s) will be used to
measure this goal?
Baseline
What is the starting level of learning for students covered by this SLO?
Target(s)
What is the expected outcome (target) by the end of the instructional
period?
HEDI Criteria
How will evaluators determine what range of student performance
“meets” the goal (effective) versus “well-below” (ineffective) , “below”
(developing), and “well-above” (highly effective)?
Rationale
Why choose this learning content, evidence and target?
26
SLO Elements:
Student Population, Learning Content & Interval
• Student Population: Specify your assigned
students who are included in this SLO along
with the course sections and student names
and/or identification numbers. (Full class
rosters of all students must be provided for
all included course sections.)
• Learning Content: CCLS/National/State
standards. Prioritizing is acceptable/
encouraged.
• Interval of Instructional Time: Usually 1 year,
but may be semester or quarter
SLO Elements:
Evidence (Assessments)
• Districts will need to review the assessments
currently in place in all subject areas and all
grade levels, and make decisions about
needed assessments.
• Assessments should provide useful feedback
to teachers about overall instruction and
individual student needs.
Evidence – Considerations
• How aligned and authentic are the assessment items to the
learning content?
• How valid and reliable are the assessments?
• Are the selected assessments from an approved list of allowable
options? (district, BOCES, approved 3rd party)
• Can they be verified by the Superintendent as comparable and
rigorous?
• What, if any, administration accommodations must legally be made
for students?
• How are the assessments scored in terms of point values assigned
per item and method of summarizing scores?
• Have procedures been established to ensure that assessments are
secure and that those with vested interest do not score students’
29 assessments?
NYSED SLO Elements
All SLOs MUST include the following basic components:
Student Population
Which students are being addressed?
Learning Content
What is being taught? CCSS/National/State standards? Will this goal
apply to all standards applicable to a course or just to specific priority
standards?
Interval of
Instructional Time
What is the instructional period covered (if not a year, rationale for
semester/quarter/etc)?
Evidence
What assessment(s) or student work product(s) will be used to
measure this goal?
Baseline
What is the starting level of learning for students covered by this SLO?
Target(s)
What is the expected outcome (target) by the end of the instructional
period?
HEDI Criteria
How will evaluators determine what range of student performance
“meets” the goal (effective) versus “well-below” (ineffective) , “below”
(developing), and “well-above” (highly effective)?
Rationale
Why choose this learning content, evidence and target?
35
SLO Elements:
Baseline, and Target(s)
Baseline: Describe how students performed on the
identified pre-assessment(s) for the learning content.
(Actual baseline scores for each student are required.)
Target(s): Define numerical growth goals for student
performance on identified summative assessment(s) which
measure student knowledge and skill in the learning
content. (Actual final scores for each student are required.)
36
SLO Elements:HEDI Scoring
Population
Learning
Content
Interval
Three sections of ELA 9, heterogeneously grouped, 70 students.
Read and comprehend complex literary and information texts independently and proficiently. Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2012-2013 school year.
Evidence
Baseline assessment: 8th Grade ELA results. Common writing prompt: Students provide an objective summary of Frederick
Douglass’s Narrative. They analyze how the central idea regarding the evils of slavery is conveyed through supporting ideas and
developed over the course of the text.
Summative assessment: Ten reading comprehension questions based on the selection rom Things Fall Apart. Ten reading
comprehension questions based on Quindlen, Anna. “A Quilt of a Country.” Newsweek September 27, 2001. Students determine the
purpose and point of view in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream” speech and analyze how King uses rhetoric to advance his
position (in writing).
Baseline
On last year’s ELA 8: 4% scored 1; 18% scored 2; 67% scored 3, 11% scored 4.
On the four-point district-wide writing rubric: 15% scored 1; 40% scored 2; 30% scored 3, 15% scored 4.
Eighty percent of all students will score 55 points or higher on the summative
assessment (out of a possible 64 points).
20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
Target(s) and
HEDI scoring
Rationale
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 0
97 96 92
85 82 79 76
64 60 57 53
45 40 30
9988
73 71 68
49
100
98 96 94
87 84 81 78
67 63 59 56
48 44 39
%
91
75 72 70
52
% % %
% % % %
% % % %
% % %
%
% % %
%
<
3
0
%
The summative score is calculated by adding twice of the number of comprehension questions answered correctly with the total
score on the district-wide writing rubric (which has 6 elements on a 1-2-3-4 scale which translates to a maximum 24 points).
38
SLO Elements:
Rationale
• Describe how the learning content, targets
and evidence were selected and how they will
be used together to prepare students for
future coursework and “college & career
readiness.”
• Rationales should explain how targets were
chosen using baseline data. Rationale may
also explain prioritization of learning content.
Why are SLOs so important?
• SLOs are the GLUE that connect
Standards (Learning Content) with
Using Data to Enhance Teaching and
Learning with
Professional Practice
SLOs: A Critical Component of the College and Career Readiness System
Note: this represents an example system
SLO PROCESS
September – October
January
May – June
• School reviews district
academic priorities and district
guidelines
• Discuss progress to date on
SLOs including results from
observation and DDI cycles
•Teacher gathers baseline data
• Principal provides teacher
with specific feedback and
strategies
• Teacher proposes SLOs;
principal approves SLO
• Students take summative
assessments for their courses
• Evaluator and teacher discuss
results of multiple measures
• Principal provides teacher
with final score for their SLOs
DDI CYCLES
5-6 cycles/year
OBSERVATION
CYCLES
Common Core Instruction
1) Evaluator collects objective evidence
2) Evaluator gives evidence-based feedback
3) Reflective teacher adjusts instruction to better target specific
student learning needs and increase achievement
Assessments
Data Driven
Culture
Action
Analysis
20
Additional Resources
www.engageny.org
Cheryl Covell – TST BOCES Data Analyst
ccovell@tstboces.org
Heather Sheridan-Thomas –
TST BOCES Assistant Superintendent
hsheridanthomas@tstboces.org
Prioritized Standards:
CCLS ELA 2nd Grade
•
•
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.2.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding
words.
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
•
Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.
Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
Fluency
RF.2.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
– Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
– Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
– Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
Prioritized Standards:
CCLS ELA 2nd Grade
• Key Ideas and Details
– RI.2.1. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and
how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
– RI.2.2. Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of
specific paragraphs within the text.
• Craft and Structure
– RI.2.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a
grade 2 topic or subject area.
– RI.2.6. Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to
answer, explain, or describe.
– RI.2.8. Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a
text.
• Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
– RI.2.10. By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts,
including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2–3
text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end
of the range.
Prioritized Standards:
CCLS ELA 2nd Grade
• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
• L.2.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 2 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
– Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of
a word or phrase.
– Determine the meaning of the new word formed
when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g.,
happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
– Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an
unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition,
additional).
– Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to