Teacher Toolkit
Using the rubric to effectively plan for instruction: Setting learning expectations using success criteria
 The Louisiana Educator Rubric (LER) clearly defines effective student-centered instruction – providing a roadmap for teachers to strengthen their practice and shift toward student ownership of learning. A recurring theme across all domains of the rubric is that an effective lesson sets clear learning expectations.
Teachers who deeply understand and clearly articulate learning expectations are better able to plan and deliver lessons with the end in mind.
- What is the lesson objective?
- What will be the student work product where students demonstrate mastery of the lesson objective?
- What are the learning expectations or “success criteria” for mastery of the lesson objective?
As teachers prepare for a formal observation, they might use these questions as guidance.
What is the lesson objective? In addition to understanding the lesson objective itself, teachers should understand the context – how the lesson objective aligns to standards, what students need to know and be able to do, what prerequisite skills they need to be successful, and how the lesson objective fits within the sequence of learning for the broader unit of study. Equipped with this knowledge and depth of understanding, teachers can communicate the learning objective and connections to state standards in a way that is understood by students.
What will be the student work product? Student work is anything students say, do, make, or write. Teachers use student work to formatively assess student progress throughout the lesson. However, it’s critical for teachers to identify the culminating student work product for each lesson to assess student mastery of the lesson objective. They also utilize this work product to identify student strengths and needs and to inform future instruction.
What are the success criteria or learning expectations? Teachers use their knowledge of the lesson objective and the student work product to determine the success criteria for the lesson. Success criteria are key elements or steps in the learning process toward student mastery of the lesson objective.
To reach the highest learning destination, teachers and students need a clear, shared understanding of the ultimate learning goal behind each lesson. Dr. Hattie indicates teachers and students have clarity if they are able to answer the following questions:
- What am I learning?
- Why am I learning this?
- How will I know I have learned it?
Effective use of success criteria strengthens teacher practice across multiple indicators on the rubric, and teachers may find it a useful area of focus in preparing for a formal observation. Here are some connections to indicators in the rubric:
- Standards and Objectives:
- Expectations for student performance are clear.
- Students are able to articulate what they are learning and why and explain those to their peers.
- There is evidence that students are progressing or demonstrating mastery of the lesson objective(s).
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Presenting Instructional Content:
- Presentation of content consistently includes:
- modeling by the teacher to demonstrate his or her performance expectations and
- criteria that clarify how students can be successful.
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