ACCOUNTABLE TALK
Instructional Coaches: Chuck Force, Carrie Hogue, Mac
Moore, and Diana Roth
AIR Senior TA Consultant: Teresa A. Lance
What is Accountable Talk?
• Accountable Talk® classroom discourse seriously responds to
and further develops what others in the group have said. It
puts forth and demands knowledge that is accurate and
relevant to the issue under discussion.
• Accountable Talk® uses evidence appropriate to the discipline
(e.g., proofs in mathematics, data from investigations in
science, textual details in literature, documentary sources in
history) and follows established norms of good reasoning.
Why Accountable Talk?
• Charlotte Danielson’s Framework 3b: Questioning and
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Discussion Techniques
“…In a true discussion, a teacher poses a question and
invites all students’ views to be heard, enabling students
to engage in discussion directly with one another, not
always mediated by the teacher.”
Effective use of student responses and ideas
Discussion in which the teacher steps out of the central,
mediating role
High levels of student participation in discussion
Accountable Talk Descriptors (CD)
Proficient
• Provides adequate time for
students to respond to
questions/discussion
• Employs a range of
strategies to ensure most
students are heard
• Open-ended questions are
initiated
• Discussions enable students
to talk to one another
without ongoing teacher
mediation
Distinguished
• Students themselves
ensure all voices are
heard in the discussion
• Students extend the
discussion, enriching it
• Students invite comments
from their classmates
Accountable Talk Stems
Two Cents
• https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/strategies-for-
student-centered-discussion-full-lesson#
Soda Debate
Question and Comments