Critical Elements of the Four Questions

    What do we want all students to learn?
    How will we know when our students have mastered the essential learning?
    How will we respond when learning did not take place?
    How will we respond when learing has already taken place?

1. What do we want all students to learn?

We want all students to master the essential learning and standards for every course and area of instruction with a common pacing guide outlining when those standards will be taught. Lessons need to be delivered directly with an "I do", "We do", and "You do".

2. How will we know when each student has mastered the essential learning?

• Develop/Utilize common assessments and set SMART goals based on results
• Deliver engaged lessons that are based on the district essential standards
• Give common assessments across grade levels, departments, and sites
• Analyze data with a process that allows for best practices, discussions, and sets SMART ("There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives." Doran, G., Management Review; 1981.) outcomes and/or next steps

3. How will we respond when learning did not take place?

Critical to create a systematic response (SPEED Criteria) that ensures students receive additional time and support for learning in a rational and equitable way.

SPEED Criteria ("Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work" Solution Tree; 2008.)

• Systematic: is school wide, independent of the individual teacher and communicated in writing to everyone: staff, parents, and students
• Practical: plan is affordable within the school's available resources, sustainable and replicable
• Effective: plan must be effective, available, and operational early enough in the school year to make a difference for students.

Entrance and exit criteria

• Efficient: plan should focus on agreed upon standards and the essential outcomes of the district's curriculum and target student's learning needs as determined by formative and summative assessments
• Directive: plan needs to be mandatory, not by invitation, and a part of the students' regular school day

4. How will we respond when learning has already taken place?
 
Requires same thoughtfulness as "How do we respond when learning did not take place?" This plan needs to be designed to challenge and stretch students that are proficient in our essential standards