Student Learning Objectives (SLO)

This presentation developed by the Kentucky Department of Education provides an overview of the process of goal setting for student growth. It provides a basic foundational understanding of the student growth measure within the state’s evaluation system and highlights why student growth is included in the system.

This study by the Community Training Assistance Center, the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center, and WestEd examines educators’ perceptions of the support they received in understanding and implementing SLOs as part of the new teacher and principal evaluation system in Maryland. The analysis for this report is based on interviews of superintendents and teacher union/association leaders from six districts and survey responses from teachers, principals, and other educators in nine districts.

In this report, the Community Training and Assistance Center assessed the implementation of student learning objectives (SLOs) as part of the new teacher evaluation system in Rhode Island. The analysis in this report is based on surveys of teachers and principals in 10 districts, interviews, document review, and observation of trainings. From the findings of this study, state officials emphasized that the new evaluation and SLOs provide teachers meaningful opportunity for teaching improvement.

Discuss key questions regarding challenges and lessons learned from implementing student learning objectives. 

The Rhode Island Department of Education developed this tool for district leaders to use when conducting an audit of SLOs. 

This document from the Rhode Island Department of Education provides instructions for districts to conduct a yearly audit of SLOs. An SLO audit is meant to provide helpful information to district leaders about the state of SLOs after they have been set. The audit allows the district to better understand the level of quality of SLOs throughout the district from year to year, discover any trends that could affect local policies, and inform professional development. 

This tool from the Rhode Island Department of Education provides a process that groups of educators can use to discuss student work in order to reach consensus about how to score the work from a rubric or scoring criteria. It is intended to be applicable across grades and subjects and includes example student work that can be used for practice calibration.

This tool from the Rhode Island Department of Education provides a process that groups of educator can use to discuss and analyze student work. It is intended to be applicable across subjects and grades.

This sample assessment review by the Rhode Island Department of Education provides sample assessments to use along with the assessment review tool. Some of the assessments are annotated for additional guidance.

This tool from the Rhode Island Department of Education provides a framework for educators to use when evaluating an assessment, whether or not an assessment is appropriate as evidence for a student learning objective. The tool can be used to review assessments developed commercially, by the district, or by teacher. It prompts educators to consider type, alignment, scoring, administration, and bias.