What Do We Want Our Students to Know and Be Able to Do?

Our goal at Exemplars is to make these expectations as concrete as possible. It is only when the abstract words in standards are linked to concrete examples in the student work that standards become real.

You can find a good example of this goal by looking at the student responses to the task, Marshmallow Peeps, at grades 2, 4 and 6.

This task carefully demonstrates - What would we want Second graders to do? Fourth graders? Sixth graders? Students at each level are able to solve the problem, but their responses become increasingly sophisticated and their strategies more efficient. As they develop they are able to make generalizations.

Reviewing these concrete examples will make expectations very clear about what meets the standards and what does not, at each grade level.

We hope you find this helpful in assessing your own student's work, and in guiding them to meet your standards.

"Students are amazed at how they can lift their levels of achievement by following the rubric and knowing what is necessary for all levels."

A Title I Teacher