What is a Student Learning Objective (SLO)?

• SLOs are a measurable, focused, academic-centered goal that describes what students should know or be able to do at the end of an interval of instruction.
• SLOs focus on supporting teachers in making evidence-based instructional adjustments based on intended instructional outcomes and student performance.
• SLOs monitor student progress over time to determine effective instructional practices and evidence-based instructional adjustments throughout the year.
• SLOs are measurable, focused on an area of need for students determined by extensive analysis of various data sources, targeting foundation skills, and aligned to state standards.
• The overall intended outcome for SLOs is student growth and increased teacher effectiveness.

PROJECT RISE SLO INTERVALS OF INSTRUCTION & TIMELINES

The recommended timelines for SLOs with year-long, first semester or second-semester intervals of instruction are listed below. For different intervals of instruction, the timeline should be adjusted at the campus level to allow for a meaningful interval of instruction.

PROJECT RISE SLO REQUIREMENTS

All elementary teachers must complete a minimum of one Student Learning Objective (SLO) in order to be eligible for Performance Based Compensation (PBC). High school teachers and all secondary teachers’ whose course/section changes during the academic year (i.e. semester courses, block schedule, accelerated block, alternating block, trailer courses, and traditional block) will need to create two SLOs. If a teacher completes more than one SLO, the scores will be averaged for a final score. Educators who are not identified as the teacher of record and do not directly impact student growth are not required to create an SLO and will be considered an “Other Educator”.

 CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES OF SLOS

Student Learning Objectives are generated based on specific evidence. SLOs support student growth and teacher development with an emphasis on the reflection, adjustment, and development of the individual teacher. SLOs are concentrated in pedagogical improvements to impact student growth. Critical attributes of a well-crafted SLO focuses on teacher growth and are:

• Measure student progress over a specific time period
• The outcome is student growth and increased teacher effectiveness
• Uses a five-step process to determine an overall SLO score for each teacher
• Timelines are year-long, first semester, or second-semester intervals of instruction. For different intervals of instruction, the timeline should be adjusted at the campus level to allow for a meaningful interval of instruction.

SLO Process (updated 10/1/2020)

• Phase 1 Develop "Create a Student Learning Objective (SLO)"

  • SLO Skill Statement 
    • What is the content area for focus in the SLO?
    • What is the SLO skill focus statement for this content area or subject?
    • What led to the decision to focus on this content area and the SLO skill focus?
    • What TEKS for the content area or subject correspond to these most important skills? 
  • Initial Student Skill Statement (ISP) 
    • What do I think my students will be able to do?
    • Who will be included in your SLO?
    • What student work did you use to map students to the Initial Student Skill Profile?
    • What evidence will you use to establish students' skill levels at the end of the interval?
  • Targeted Student Skill Statement (TSP)
    • What are my expectations for these students?
    • What evidence will you use to establish students' skill levels at the end of the interval?
  • Instructional Strategy Plan - How will I guide these students towards growth?
    • How will you differentiate Instruction?
    • What strategies will you use to monitor progress?
    • What is your plan for conferencing with your colleagues about student progress?

• Phase 2 Implement "Monitor Progress to Drive Instruction "

• Phase 3 Review "Evaluate Success and Reflect"

DEVELOP - Phase 1

1. Review and analyze data sources to identify potential strengths and areas to refine for the teacher and students. Identify each of the following components:

• SLO Area of Focus
• Foundational Skill
• Student Population
• Value of SLO

SLO Process Overview	SLO Form	SLO Phase 1 Summary Form Template (.docx)

SLO Foundational Skills

Characteristics of Foundational Skills

• Are the most important skills students develop in the course
• Can impact not just this course but other courses both this year and beyond
• Persist throughout the course
• Will be found in multiple TEKS

Foundational Skills anchor the "what" to the "how"

• analyzing text
• communicating ideas
• using multiple representations
• developing vocabulary
• comprehending & connecting text
• formulating questions & hypotheses

SLO Skill Statement Examples

The skill statement is a description of what students should be able to do with the foundational skill by the end of the course/year.

SLO Skill Statement Success Criteria

1. Represents a foundational skill that is specific to the content area
2. Persists throughout the course
3. Measurable through a demonstration of student skill
4. Focus on it will improve the teacher’s practice (teacher dependent)
5. The skills captured are clearly defined and appropriately focused (teacher dependent)

Course	SLO Skill Statement Example
8th Social Studies	Students will use primary and secondary sources of evidence to evaluate the purpose and impact of historical events in the U.S. in both written and oral form.
Physics	By the end of the spring semester, all physics students will demonstrate growth in their ability to write laboratory discussions in which students utilize scientific concepts and data to explain and support laboratory results.
Algebra II	Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can use mathematical models to interpret and solve problems.
Geometry	Students in my Geometry class can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.
Visual Arts	Students will be able to demonstrate the use of Value in a work of art
Foreign Language	Students will grow as knowledgeable and skilled critical thinkers capable of resolving complex problems by working individually and in community and by communicating effectively.
Engineering	Students will demonstrate the engineering design process. Students will be able to apply the engineering design process to a real-world problem. Students will communicate their solutions using the engineering design process for a real-world problem.
Medical Careers	Students will achieve an increase in their comprehension of quantities and their relationships in problem situations
Animal Sciences	Students will be able to identify and explain the functions of organs in livestock and companion animals Students will be able to describe the livestock and companion animal organs and related systems
ELA 9th Gr	Students will summarize and draw conclusions using a variety of primary and secondary sources (science, social studies, health, fine arts), documenting with supporting evidence.
Science 8th Gr	Students will use critical thinking and scientific problem to make informed decisions.
US History	Students will use primary and secondary sources of evidence to evaluate the purpose and impact of historical events in the U.S. in both written and oral form.
Algebra	Algebra students will be able to model real-world situations and solve algebraic problems using their knowledge of equations (linear, quadratic, simple, exponential, and rational).
Multiple	TEA SLO Skill Statement Examples
ELAR	Students will analyze text using academic language to communicate verbally or in writing to communicate their strategies in problem-solving.
Science	Students will practice using scientific terminology to improve problem-solving and context clues skills.
Social Studies	Students will analyze text to provide evidence regarding the purpose and impact of historical events.

DEVELOP - Phase 1

2. Once the data has been reviewed and a foundational skill has been identified for the SLO. The teacher will need to create and identify the following:

• Learning Content (know, learn, be able to do)
• Instructional strategy Planning
• Assessment

It is in this process that the teacher will:

• Create & justify the SLO Skill Statement
• Set the Initial Skill Profile (ISP)
• Set Target Skill Profile (TSP)
• Develop a Body of Evidence (BOE)

SET THE INITIAL SKILL PROFILE (ISP)

In order to set the Initial Skill Profile (ISP), the teacher should be able to answer the following question: “Where are my students beginning?’ An ISP captures where students are in relation to the skill statement at the beginning of the course. The ISP rubric should capture different levels of student skill in relation to the foundational skill selected. It should focus on what is typical of the teacher’s classroom as students enter the class. Review the current data, then identify & record the SLO level of each student in the tracker. The ISP:

• Articulates skills for the beginning of the year
• Differentiates between levels
• Descriptors align to skill statement (potentially through subskills)
• Can be assessed in multiple ways
• Is Specific to teacher’s experience and expectations (teacher dependent)

SET TARGET SKILL PROFILE (TSP)

Once an ISP has been created, a teacher will develop the Targeted Skill Profile (TSP). The TSP rubric anticipates skill levels for all students by the end of the year based on the foundational skill selected for the SLO. The TSP is a means for considering long term goals for students and is based on the distribution of skills seen in the students that you have. TSPs describe what you expect of students at the end of the interval of instruction. The TSP:

• Articulates skills for the end of the year
• Differentiates between levels
• Descriptors align to skill statement
• Can be assessed in multiple ways
• Targets are specific to the students in the teacher’s class (teacher dependent)
• Reflects high, yet reasonable, expectations for student growth (teacher dependent) 

DEVELOP A BODY OF EVIDENCE (BOE)

To ensure that students meet expected growth targets, the teacher should create an instructional strategy plan that outlines the development of a Body of Evidence (BOE) throughout the interval of instruction. The BOE should ensure that content within assessments is aligned to the SLO foundational skill selected. In order to develop a body of evidence, assessments created must be directly aligned to the SLO foundational skill selected through the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKs) and content area. These progress check-ins are indicated in the student growth tracker

Student Growth Tracker	Initial Skill Profile (ISP) Example	Targeted Skill Profile (TSP) Examples

DEVELOP - Phase 1

3. Once the teacher has developed all the components. The teacher does a final review of the:

• Skill statement
• Student population
• Standards (TEKS)
• SLO Body of Evidence Assessments
• Target Growth for each student

Educators then submit the SLOs to their primary appraiser and uploads all appropriate documents. The appraiser reviews the:

• SLO Skill Statement
• Initial Skill Profile
• Targeted Skill Profile
• Instructional Strategy Plan

During the SLO Approval process, teachers share their SLO focus with their appraiser. Once the appraiser reviews and assess the SLO as acceptable, the teacher is then able to move on to Phase 2 of the SLO Process.

Phase 2 Implement "Monitor Progress to Drive Instruction"

After the Student Learning Objective is completed and approved by the appraiser, teachers will work with each other and their appraiser, engaging in ongoing dialogue about progress toward goals. These discussions will also be opportunities for teachers to receive feedback and support, and to develop strategies to adjust instruction based on how students progress. SLO processes will be integrated into existing support frameworks at each school, improving efficiency implementation.

Phase 2 is designed to last throughout the majority of a course and aligns with best practices in teaching as captured throughout the T- TESS observation rubric, principally within the three dimensions “Standards and Alignment (1.1),” “Data and Assessment (1.2),” and “Monitor and Adjust (2.5).”

During Phase 2, teachers continuously engage in a cycle that includes planning, instruction, evidence collection, analysis, and reflection in order to further student learning.

If possible, teachers should plan regular reflection and discussions with their colleagues regarding student progress towards their SLO during the year. Teachers should spend time discussing their progress towards SLOs, sharing successful instructional strategies, and helping each other plan for future instruction. These check-ins should be planned around existing team meetings whenever possible. Appraisers will also meet with teachers at the midterm (ideally during a post-observation conference) to review the progress students have made and receive feedback and support prior to the end-of-year conference.

Phase 3 Review "Evaluate Success and Reflect"

In Phase 3 (near the end of the course), the appraiser and teacher will meet to discuss progress throughout the year and overall student growth, using the SLO Skill Profile, Student Growth Tracker, and the SLO Rating Rubric. It is recommended that this discussion is integrated with the appraisal end-of-year conference, but these can also be scheduled separately.

This conversation results in an overall student growth rating based holistically on how well the teacher engaged in the SLO process and how well students have met growth targets in the course. The final conversation is designed to help teachers and appraisers reflect on student progress and teacher practice throughout the course in order to prepare for the following year.

	SLO Rating Rubric	SLO Success Criteria