RESOURCE GUIDE
Clear Goals and Success Criteria
“The more transparent the teacher makes the learning goals, the more likely the student is to engage
in the work needed to meet the goal.” Hattie, p. 46
“We must not make the mistake of making success criteria relate merely to completing the activity or
a lesson having been engaging and enjoyable; instead, the major role is to get the students engaged in
and enjoying the challenge of learning.” Hattie, p. 51
1. READ:
Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning by John Hattie
(2012)
a. Learning Intentions pp. 47-50
b. Success Criteria pp. 50-51
c. Five Components of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria pp. 51-56
d. Various Phases of Learning (backward design) p. 93
e. Lesson Experience p. 143
2. Possible Exercises (Hattie, p. 67-68)
With your Collaborative Work Team
 Exercise #2
 Exercise #3
With your students
 Exercise #1
 Exercise #4
 Exercise #6
 Exercise #7
3. District Integration: How does your learning in regards to clear goals and
success criteria correlate to your implementation of district initiatives?
For example:
How might your use of clear goals and success criteria impact your efforts in
continuous improvement?
How might this inform your work as you focus on differentiated instruction in
your classroom this year?
Created by Springfield (MO) Public Schools for local use.
How might clear goals and success criteria relate to your implementation of
cooperative learning?
Deeper Research: For more research regarding clear goals and success criteria, you
may cross reference the following authors in Visible Learning for Teachers:
Maximizing Impact on Learning.
Burns, M.K. (2002). Comprehensive system of assessment to intervention using curriculum-based
assessments. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(1), 8-13.
Butler, R. (2007). Teachers’ achievement goal orientations and associations with teachers’ help
seeking: Examination of a novel approach to teacher motivation. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 99(2), 241-252.
Clarke, S., Timperley, H., & Hattie, J.A.C. (2003). Unlocking formative assessment: Practical strategies for
enhancing students’ learning in the primary and intermediate classroom (1st New Zealand ed.).
Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett.
Hastie, S. (2011). Teaching students to set goals: Strategies, commitment, and monitoring. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. London: Routledge.
[CHAPTER 7: The Flow of the Lesson—The Place of Feedback, pp.115-137].
Inoue, N. (2007). Why face a challenge? The reason behind intrinsically motivated students’
spontaneous choice of challenging tasks. Learning and Individual Differences, 17(3), 251-259.
Martin, A.J. (2006). Personal bests (PBs): A proposed multidimensional model and empirical
analysis. British Journal of Educational Psychology 76, 803-825.
Schunk, D.H. (1996). Goal and self-evaluative influences during children’s cognitive skill learning.
American Educational Research Journal, 33, 359-382.
Tomlinson, C.A. (2005). Differentiated in practice: A resource guide for differentiating curriculum, grades 9-12.
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Created by Springfield (MO) Public Schools for local use.