High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction
Students Rubric
Team Version
High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction creates learning conditions that are academically challenging and intellectually demanding, while also considering the different ways that students learn. Instruction includes opportunities to use critical reasoning, take academic risks, and leverage a growth mindset to learn from mistakes. Messages encourage positive self-image and empowerment to succeed.
Instructions: Meet with the other students that your school has asked to participate in the rubric pilot (check with your teacher if you are unsure of the other students to work with). Use the guiding questions below to estimate together where your class or classes fall overall on each element of the rubric. Be honest – this activity is most valuable as a learning experience. We recommend spending about 45 minutes on the rubric. Save your notes and ratings for future discussions.
Note: Your rubric responses are not saved until you click the Submit button at the bottom of this page. If you're not ready to submit yet, keep this page open. Closing the tab will not save your work.
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 school community members’ dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience
Commitments
Lesson Differentiation
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 work for all of our classmates?
Exploring
Our teachers assign the same work to all students.
Growing
Our teachers sometimes make adjustments to our work based on our ability levels and learning styles.
Utilizing
Our teachers regularly make adjustments to our work based on our ability levels and learning styles.
Transforming
Our teachers regularly make adjustments 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
Addressing Equity
Guiding Questions:
In what ways do we discuss ideas of fairness and justice 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 learn about fairness and justice in class.
Growing
We sometimes learn about fairness and justice in class.
Utilizing
We regularly learn about fairness and justice in class and why they matter.
Transforming
We regularly 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 school community member voices
Empowerment
Class Participation
Guiding Questions:
Do our teachers encourage all our classmates to participate in class? Are we all comfortable participating in class without our teachers’ encouragement or do some students only participate when they’re called on?
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 a special effort to encourage all students to participate in class.
Transforming
We are all comfortable participating in class with little encouragement from our teachers.
Selected Rating:
None
Empowerment
Lesson Input/Feedback
Guiding Questions:
How often do we have opportunities to discuss with our teachers the lessons they give us to improve later lessons? Do we notice that teachers have changed our lessons based on our opinions about previous lessons?
Exploring
We have no opportunities to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers to improve later lessons.
Growing
We have some opportunities to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers to improve later lessons.
Utilizing
We have frequent opportunities to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers to improve later lessons.
Transforming
We have frequent opportunities to share our opinions about our lessons with our teachers and we can see the influence of our views in later lessons.
Selected Rating:
None
Empowerment
Expectations of Students
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 don’t really believe that all our classmates can succeed in school.
Growing
Our teachers believe that only some of our classmates can succeed in school.
Utilizing
Our teachers believe that most of our classmates can succeed in school.
Transforming
Our teachers show us every day that they believe that all our classmates can succeed in school.
Selected Rating:
None
Relationships
The quality of connections amongst school community members
Relationships
Teacher-Student Relationships
Guiding Questions:
Do our teachers try to develop personal relationships with us? How comfortable are we asking for their help with academic and personal challenges?
Exploring
Our teachers don’t make much effort to build personal relationships with us to improve our learning.
Growing
Our teachers sometimes build personal relationships with us to improve our learning.
Utilizing
Our teachers regularly build personal relationships with us and we feel comfortable asking for help on academic challenges.
Transforming
Our teachers regularly build personal relationships with us and we feel comfortable asking for help on academic and personal challenges.
Selected Rating:
None
Collaboration
The extent of cooperation amongst school community members
Collaboration
Class Rules & Expectations
Guiding Questions:
How much are we involved in discussing and setting the ground rules and expectations for our classes?
Exploring
The ground rules and expectations for learning in our classes are unclear.
Growing
Our teachers explain clear ground rules and expectations for learning in our classes, but we have no input on what the rules and expectations are.
Utilizing
Our teachers explain clear ground rules and expectations for our classes and we give some input.
Transforming
We work with our teachers and together create clear ground rules and expectations for our classes that are fair for all of our classmates.
Selected Rating:
None
Collaboration
Ownership of Learning
Guiding Questions:
How much of our learning is our teacher’s responsibility or our own responsibility?
Exploring
Our teachers have all the responsibility for our learning.
Growing
Our teachers have most of the responsibility for our learning and we sometimes share it.
Utilizing
We share responsibility for our learning equally with our teachers.
Transforming
We have responsibility for our learning and our teachers support us.
Selected Rating:
None
Collaboration
Learning Activity Choice
Guiding Questions:
How much choice do we have in the learning activities in our classes? Do we get to help design learning activities?
Exploring
We rarely have choices in the learning activities in our classes.
Growing
We sometimes have choices in the learning activities in our classes.
Utilizing
We regularly have choices in the learning activities in our classes and are sometimes involved in designing them.
Transforming
We regularly have choices in the learning activities in our classes and are often involved in designing them.
Selected Rating:
None
