STUDENT LEARNING
TARGETS
Information for school leaders and teachers
regarding the process of creating
Student Learning Targets.
What is a Student Learning Target (SLT)?
• A student learning target (SLT) is a measurable goal for
student achievement over a given period of time.
• SLTs should be driven by baseline data on where students are
performing.
• SLTs should be aligned with the appropriate standards for the
course.
• SLTs should be measurable by a pre-determined assessment.
Four Components of a Quality SLT
• RATIONALE FOR SLT
What are the critical learning objectives, the content standards aligned to those
objectives, and the assessment plan to be used in measuring student growth.
• STUDENT LEARNING TARGET
Clear statement of the statistical projection of student growth in meeting a preestablished goal.
• BASELINE DATA
Information about the target audience gathered by the teacher to establish the
performance/skills/achievement levels at the beginning of the year as relates to
the critical learning objectives.
• SCORING PLAN AND ACHIEVEMENT RANGE
Clear statement of the ranges of achievement that demonstrate the teacher’s
impact on students meeting a pre-established goal.
What else should I know about SLTs?
• An SLT does not have to be a compilation of everything
you teach
in your class.
• An SLT does not have to include every student that you teach. It is recommended
that teachers cover a majority of the students they teach between the two SLTs. For
example, if you don’t have baseline data on a student they should not be included in
your target audience.
• An SLT can focus on one or more critical learning objectives within the full range of
what students are expected to learn.
• There must be a valid rubric that determines proficiency of the student.
• There should also be a gathering of evidence of student progress over time (body of
evidence) between the initial assessment and final assessment or aggregation of
final results.
Who Writes an SLT?
• LDOE requires all teachers, counselors and librarians to write two student
learning targets each year.
• The student growth component of the evaluation for Non-VAM teachers
(70% of all teachers) will be based on Student Learning Targets (SLTs).
• The student growth component for the evaluation for VAM teachers (30%
of all teachers) comes from VAM.
• Teachers using the VAM model are required to write SLTs as LDOE sees
SLT writing as a best practice and a back up student growth component.
• TPSS is asking that all certified staff members write at least 2 SLTs. See
chart for Determining Student Growth Measure and TPSS Bulletin .001
Selecting Assessments
• Things to keep in mind when selecting an assessment:
• When possible and appropriate use assessments you are already
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•
•
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administering at your school.
When possible and appropriate use assessments that will also be used to
evaluate the students and school (state assessments: iLEAP, LEAP, EOC,
ACT). Also remember that state assessments will be use for a teacher’s
VAM score for most tested grades and subject.
• When possible and appropriate at least one goal for state assessments
should be based on “Basic or higher” for iLEAP and LEAP and “Good or
higher” on EOC.
Use assessments found on the District or State list when appropriate
and/or available.
The list of state and district assessments are not exhaustive. Other
assessments may be appropriate depending on the unique circumstances
of each school and teacher assignment.
The principal has the final authority to approve assessments. This
approval should be based on the quality of evidence and alignment with
school goals.
Baseline Data and Progressing
Monitoring
• Baseline Data used to set the target can be from one or
more of the following sources:
• Teacher created EAGLE or other pre-tests
• Previous performance on state assessments
• Computer-based Diagnostic Tests: Performance Series, Scholastic
Reading Inventory, Scholastic Math Inventory, etc.
• Test preparation programs (Study Island, Skills Tutor, Coach, etc.)
•
Progress monitoring is encouraged during the year. This
can be done using most of the same assessments listed
above.
Who is the Target Audience of the SLT?
• Teachers may set targets focused on an entire class/a specific subject/a cohort or
their lowest performing students.
• The target audience is not necessarily every student taught by the teacher, but it
is recommended that it cover a majority of the students taught by the teacher.
• The teacher and evaluator may collaboratively select a grade level or subject as
the target audience so long as the grade level or subject is representative of a
cross-section of all student taught by the teacher.
How is the SLT rated ?
• Approving the SLT (Beginning of the Year)
• Evaluators must agree that the SLT is acceptable based on the following
criteria:
• Priority of SLT Content.
• Rigor of Target
• Quality of Evidence
• Rating the SLT (End of Year)
• Evaluators assign teachers a final rating based on students’ progress
towards target, using the agreed upon definitions of effectiveness from
the beginning of the year
Insufficient Attainment of Target (1)
Partial Attainment of Target (2)
Full Attainment of Target (3)
Exceptional Attainment of Target (4)
Formula for Achievement Ranges
Sample Based on 60 Students and
70% Achieving Target Goals
Insufficient Attainment is any result below Partial Attainment. (1 point)
32 or fewer students out of the 60 students in the target audience
Partial Attainment is a range from 10-15% below the target to just below the actual
SLT. (2 points)
33-41 students out of the 60 students in the target audience
START HERE: Full Attainment is a range from the actual SLT up to 10-15% above
the target. (3 points)
70% of 60 students - 42-51 students out of the 60 students in the target audience.
Exceptional Attainment is any result above the Full Attainment range. This range
should represent more than a year’s worth of growth. (4 points)
52 or more students out of the 60 students in the target audience.
Guidance on Target Audience and
Percentage for Achievement Range
• Teachers and evaluators have the flexibility to determine which types of
targets are the most meaningful measures of teachers’ work in a given
year. It is recommended that teachers try to address the majority of their
students across their two or more SLTs. If they teach multiple subjects,
teachers should prioritize the academic content areas that are most
aligned to the Common Core as they finalize their SLTs.
• The “target audience” should represent no less than 35% of the students
taught by the teacher. **
• The teacher should project no less than 70% of the target audience as
“achieving the goals outlined in the SLT.”**
• **The teacher and evaluator may cooperatively establish higher or lower
percentages for the “target audience” and/or percentage “achieving the
SLT goal” based on baseline data, assessment used, unique
circumstances of the teacher’s assignment, or student population.
Achievement Range Calculator
• Their is an excel calculator to assist teachers and evaluators in establishing (and
confirming) achievement ranges for SLTs.
• Enter into the left hand column the number in the target audience.
• Enter into the next column the percentage projected to be proficient (minimum of
70%). You can change the percentage to reflect the agreed upon goal.
• The calculator will the give you the achievement ranges for your SLT based on
15% above the target and 15% below the target. It was also show the
corresponding % ranges.
• The range above and below the target can be between 10% and 15% according
the state, but flexibility is given to the teacher and evaluator to use different
ranges. This calculator just computes based on 15%.
Range Examples
• Teacher A
• Last year 80% of her 8th grade students scored Basic or above on
the LEAP.
• The students that she has now scored 69% Basic or above on the
iLEAP.
• A reasonable but challenging goal for this teacher would be that
75% of her students score Basic or above
Insufficient Attainment: 0 - 59
Partial Attainment: 60 - 74
START HERE: Full Attainment: 75% - 90%
Exceptional Attainment: 90 - 100
Range Example
• Teacher B
• 28% of her students last year scored Basic and above on the 8th
grade LEAP ELA test.
• 40% of the students that she has now scored Basic and above on
the 7th grade iLEAP ELA test.
• Students at a school with similar demographics scored 47%.
• The district average is 61% on the 8th grade LEAP ELA.
• A reasonable but challenging goal for this teacher would be that
50% of her students score Basic and above on the 8th grade LEAP.
Insufficient Attainment: 0 - 34
Partial Attainment: 35 - 49
START HERE: Full Attainment: 50 - 75%
Exceptional Attainment: 75 - 100
•
Writing Process
• Collaborate with other teachers at your school (or district) teaching the same
grade and subject.
• Look at samples written by peers.
• Do a draft on the template provided.
• Don’t rush. It make take several attempts to feel good about what you have
written.
• Have a peer or supervisor review for support when you feel good about what
you have written. (District and School Level Support System.)
• Consult with your evaluator to insure you are on the same page. This should
done at the beginning of the process as well as near the end of the process.
• Repeat the process for writing a 2nd SLT.
• Refine and polish your final product.
Acknowledgments
• Adapted from an PowerPoint from Pat Deaville from
Calcasieu Parish