Educational Assessment: Using Student Learning Objectives to Promote Student Growth

How do educators know when students have mastered important content? Effective educators know they must find the perfect balance of selecting priority standards and carefully identifying high-quality assessments that accurately gauge student progress, while also meeting the needs of diverse learners. Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) provide a formalised, but flexible process for educators to document student growth and mastery.The SLO process guides educators in using data-driven decision making as they focus on what their students need to know, what they know now, and the curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessments that will drive mastery of content.The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 led many states to research alternative methods of documenting student growth and progress on rigorous standards. This work initiated the development of the SLO process and its continued implementation. As of spring 2015, more than 30 states have implemented SLOs as part of their teacher effectiveness models.Educational Assessment: Using Student Learning Objectives to Promote Student Growth provides educators at all levels with the tools to implement Student Learning Objectives in the classroom, school, district, or as a state-level initiative. SLOs go far beyond assessing and documenting student growth. The SLO process promotes:best practice in curriculum and standards alignment.data-driven decision making in planning, instructing, and assessing students.educator knowledge and skill in meeting student needs.educator collaboration.connections between teacher practice and student learning.The authors believe that Student Learning Objectives offer a valid, reliable, and sound assessment process that enables educators to formally measure student growth.