Co-Constructing Success Criteria with Students

Description

What Is It?

Co-Constructing Success Criteria is backward planning with students for what success will look like on a given assignment, task, or project.

Why Use It?

Provides additional clarity on the learning expectations and how students will know that they were successful
Improves instructional planning by allowing teachers to get a better sense of the skills students feel confident about
Improves students' ability to peer- and self-assess, and will allow them to do a better job of providing feedback to each other

Instructional Steps:

Most of the planning for this strategy takes place before the instruction begins for the unit.

Unpack the standards with students and use academic language with students daily.
Have students review and make notes about the assignment, task, or project they will be expected to complete.
Have students review exemplars to help name characteristics of successful work.
1. Teacher uses this information to plan for extensions and next steps to support students who make work beyond the mastery level.
Have students identify the areas where they anticipate they will need additional support.
1. Teacher uses this information to plan for small group intervention lessons.

From the beginning of the school year, make it a habit to unpack standards with students and use academic language so they know what their learning goal is.
Take the time needed at the beginning of the year to explain how you determine success criteria for a lesson. Once students understand what success criteria are, it will be easier for them to begin identifying what a successful assignment looks like.
If you don't have samples of student work to use as exemplars, make your own!