Resources
Getting Ready
Developed for use by the National School Reform Faculty
1. Select a project, task, or assessment that addresses one of the school-wide goals for student performance (e.g., forming and supporting an opinion). This may be a long term project (culminating in a presentation) or a short-term task, but in either case it should call for significant student work products or performances. (Typically, worksheets, quizzes, or tests don't provide much of a basis for giving feedback!)
2. Gather relevant contextual documents that will help participants understand the project or task, for example, assignment, scoring/grading criteria (or rubrics), models, timelines, checklists, etc. Think about how other key information participants will need to understand the project or task can be presented succinctly.
3. Select samples of student work that demonstrate authentic student responses to the project or task. You might choose two or three samples to provide contrast. Teachers often find that a sample of work that shows promise but is not a stellar response to the assignment provides the best basis for feedback. Work selected may include final products, drafts, reflections, etc. (See Tips on Selecting Student Work Samples.)
4. Frame a focusing question for participants that addresses a real interest or concern of yours. Questions typically focus on either inputs (the assignment, teacher's support of student performance) or outputs (quality of student work, teacher's assessment of the work).
Remember, even with a narrower focus question, participants will offer a range of feedback - on and off the question.
- A broader question may elicit a wide range of feedback - and this may be desirable. For example: How can I support higher quality presentations? (input) What are the strengths and weaknesses you see in the student presentations? (output)
- A narrower question might provide the kinds of feedback the teacher(s) finds most useful. For example: How can my prompt bring out more creativity in the students' work? (input) What evidence is there in the students' work of mathematical problem solving? (output)