High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

Students Rubric

Group Version

Facilitation Guides:
Students who cannot work independently (opens in new tab) | Students who can work independently (opens in new tab) 

A learning environment with High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction is academically and intellectually challenging and prepares and empowers students to engage in critical reasoning and independent learning.

Instructions: Meet as a group of students. Use the guiding questions to discuss the item and estimate together where your school or classes are overall on the progression. If you cannot come to agreement, add comments and go to the next item. We recommend spending about 45 minutes discussing and completing the rubric. If needed, a teacher or other adult can use one of the facilitation guides to support students. The ratings and comments will not be saved until you click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page. ​

Progression of Engagement

Exploring

Cultural Responsiveness (CR) is in its initial phase

Growing

CR is practiced in some situations

Utilizing

CR is practiced in most situations

Transforming

CR is continuously practiced and promoted

Commitments

The extent of stakeholder dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience

Commitments

School holds High Expectations for All Students

Guiding Questions:

Do my teachers have different expectations for different students? How do they communicate and uphold their beliefs?
Exploring

My teachers have different expectations for different students.

Growing

My teachers have different expectations for a group of students.

Utilizing

My teachers have high expectations for all students.

Transforming

My teachers have high expectations for all students, and they consistently uphold these expectations in their words and actions.

Selected Rating: None
Commitments

Instruction is Differentiated to Meet Varied Student Needs

Guiding Questions:

How much do our teachers make adjustments to our school work based on our ability levels and learning styles? Do the adjustments they make help all of our classmates?
Exploring

Our teachers assign mostly the same work to all students.

Growing

Our teachers sometimes make adjustments (about 1-2 times per curricular unit) to our work based on our ability levels and learning styles.

Utilizing

Our teachers regularly make adjustments (about weekly) to our work based on our ability levels and learning styles.

Transforming

Our teachers regularly make adjustments (about weekly) to our work based on our ability levels and learning styles and make special efforts to meet the needs of all our classmates.

Selected Rating: None
Commitments

Ideas about Equity are Incorporated into Classroom Lessons

Guiding Questions:

In what ways do we discuss ideas of fairness and as part of our class lessons? How much are we able to use what we learn about fairness and justice to make positive changes in classes, at school, or in our daily lives?
Exploring

We rarely (about 1-2 times per year) learn about fairness and justice in class.

Growing

We sometimes (about monthly) learn about fairness and justice in class.

Utilizing

We regularly (about weekly) learn about fairness and justice in class and why they matter.

Transforming

We regularly (about weekly) learn about fairness and justice in class and why they matter, and we use what we learn to make positive change.

Selected Rating: None

Empowerment

School practices include all stakeholder voices

Empowerment

All Students Participate in Class

Guiding Questions:

How many of our classmates feel comfortable and motivated to participate in classes? How do our teachers encourage and support participation from all students?
Exploring

Our teachers encourage only some students to participate in class.

Growing

Our teachers encourage most students to participate in class.

Utilizing

Our teachers make multiple efforts to encourage all students to participate in class.

Transforming

We are all comfortable and motivated to participate in class, regardless of our teachers' involvement.

Selected Rating: None
Empowerment

Teachers seek Lesson/Learning Activity Input & Feedback from Students

Guiding Questions:

How often are we able to share our opinions about class lessons? Do we notice that teachers have changed lessons based on our feedback?
Exploring

We have few opportunities (around once per year) to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers.

Growing

We have some opportunities (about 3-4 times per year) to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers to improve later lessons.

Utilizing

We have frequent opportunities (about monthly) to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers to improve later lessons.

Transforming

We have frequent opportunities (about monthly) to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers, and we can see the influence of our feedback in later lessons.

Selected Rating: None
Empowerment

Teachers Hold High Beliefs About Student Capability

Guiding Questions:

Do our teachers believe that all students are capable of succeeding in school? How do they show us that they believe in us?
Exploring

Our teachers believe that only some of our classmates can succeed in school.

Growing

Our teachers believe that most of our classmates can succeed in school.

Utilizing

Our teachers believe that most of our classmates can succeed in school, and they show us they believe in us sometimes.

Transforming

Our teachers believe that all of our classmates can succeed in school, and they show us they believe in us every day.

Selected Rating: None

Relationships

The quality of connections amongst school community members

Relationships

Adults Develop Strong Relationships with Students

Guiding Questions:

Do our teachers try to develop relationships with us? How comfortable are we asking for their help with academic and personal challenges?
Exploring

Our teachers rarely make much effort to build relationships with us.

Growing

Our teachers sometimes build relationships with us to improve our learning.

Utilizing

Our teachers regularly build relationships with us to improve our learning and we feel comfortable asking for help on academic challenges.

Transforming

Our teachers regularly build relationships with us to improve our learning and we feel comfortable asking for help on both academic and personal challenges.

Selected Rating: None

Collaboration

The extent of cooperation between and amongst stakeholders

Collaboration

Teachers and Students Collaborate to Develop Class Rules & Expectations

Guiding Questions:

How much do we work together with our teachers to set the rules and expectations for our classrooms? How do we work together to make sure everyone follows the rules and expectations?
Exploring

Our teachers have few conversations (around 1-2 times per year) with us about the class rules.

Growing

Our teachers have some conversations (about monthly) with us about the class rules.

Utilizing

Our teachers have ongoing conversations (about weekly) with us about the class rules, and we feel empowered to create and uphold the rules in the classroom.

Transforming

Our teachers have ongoing conversations (about weekly) with us about the class rules, and our teachers shift power to us in creating and upholding the rules, which forms a more engaging classroom.

Selected Rating: None
Collaboration

Students Share Responsibility for Learning

Guiding Questions:

How much of our learning is our teacher's responsibility or our own responsibility?
Exploring

Most of the time, our teachers are the only ones responsible for our learning.

Growing

Our teachers are mostly responsible for our learning.

Utilizing

We consistently share responsibility for our learning with our teachers.

Transforming

We are responsible for our learning, and our teachers support us.

Selected Rating: None

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