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Student Learning/Support

Objectives (SLO/SSO)

-Orientation Module-

Student Learning/Support

Objectives

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Module 0

Orientation to the SLO/SSO Process

Goal• Design ● Build ● Review student learning/support

objectives (SLO/SSO) for use in guiding instruction (and/or

support services); while determining student mastery or

growth as part of an educator effectiveness system.

Objectives• Participants will :

1. Explore the Student Learning/Support Objective concept

2. Review common terminology

3. Examine the process components

4. Engage in the online training material 3

Orientation

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CONCEPTUAL

FRAMEWORK

Student Learning Objective (SLO)

• An indicator of educator effectiveness based on

student achievement of targeted content standards.

Student Support Objective (SSO)

• An indicator of professional effectiveness based on

services provided to support student achievement.

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What is a Student

Learning/Support Objective?

Five-Step Process

1. Develop a goal statement

2. Identify content or professional

standards

3. Create a blueprint with objectives and

assessments

4. Review the completed template

5. Evaluate student performance6

How is it Done?

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Design Coherency

GOAL STATEMENT

RATING

OBJECTIVES

PERFORMANCE MEASURES & TARGETS

ALL STUDENTSFOCUSED

STUDENTS

Guiding Principles

SLO

1. Represent student performance in a specific

course or subject area taught by the educator.

SSO

1. Represent student performance in an identified

area of need to support achievement and school

success.

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Guiding Principles (cont.)

SLO

2. Align to a set of Targeted Content Standards that

represent the depth and breadth of the Goal

Statement.

SSO

2. Align to a set of Professional Standards that

reflect the Goal Statement.9

Guiding Principles (cont.)

SLO & SSO

3. Contain results from high-quality performance

measures collected in an equitable, verifiable, and

standardized manner.

4. Use metrics based on two time-bound events (i.e.,

data collection periods) or on summative

performance measures with defined levels of

achievement.

5. Include performance targets linked to performance

measures. 10

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TERMINOLOGY

Student Learning Objective (SLO)• An indicator of educator effectiveness based

on student achievement of targeted content

standards.

Student Support Objective (SSO)• An indicator of professional effectiveness

based on services provided to support student

achievement.

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Terminology

Assessment Literacy• The skills, knowledge, and concepts

associated with sound assessment practices,

including the critical review of technical

evidence.

Goal Statement• A narrative that articulates a key concept/service

upon which the SLO/SSO is based.13

Terminology (cont.)

Content Standards• The content standards are those adopted by the state and used

to develop SLOs.

• The content standards articulate the knowledge, skills, and

abilities students are expected to know and be able to

demonstrate at a particular stage of their education.

Professional Standards• Professional standards are typically provided by national

associations (e.g., American School Counselor Association)

and used to develop SSOs.

• Job descriptions or state professional standards can be used in

developing SSOs in the absence of national standards.

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Terminology (cont.)

Instructional Strategy• An approach used by educators that facilitates students’ ability

to learn the key concepts in the Goal Statement and the

Targeted Content Standards.

• Instructional strategies “drive” instruction as students work to

meet specific learning objectives.

Implementation Strategy

• The process of allocating resources to accomplish the primary

service goal delineated among the Targeted Professional

Standards.

• Implementation strategies combine resources, management

approaches, communication skills, and “strategic maps” in order

to achieve the desired outcomes.15

Terminology (cont.)

Objectives

• Specific, measureable performance indicators that are

both achievable and relevant (given a reasonable time

frame).

Focused Students/Clients

• Within the greater SLO/SSO student population, a

designated group of students who have customized

objectives.

Starting and End Points

• Baseline information about student achievement

• Aggregate performance information at the end of the

instructional interval.16

Terminology (cont.)

Performance Measure• A tool used to measure a student’s mastery (or

improvement) of the skills, knowledge, and

concepts that the Targeted Content Standards

address. For SSOs, the performance measure is

associated with the identified professional

standard(s).

Performance Target• A statement of the expected level of

achievement/performance on each performance

measure.17

Terminology (cont.)

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PROCESS PHASE

The student learning/support objective process

includes three phases:

• Design(ing): think, organize, discuss, research

• Build(ing): select, develop, complete, share

• Review(ing): check, refine, edit, update, test

The SLO/SSO process contains five procedural

steps “nested” within the three phases (see Slide

6).19

Process Phases

Process Components

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STEP #1 Goal

STEP #2 Standards

STEP #3 Blueprint

STEP #4 Form

STEP #5 QA

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DESIGN Phase

• Think about which content/professional

standards to measure.

• Organize standards and measures.

• Discuss collective goals with colleagues.

• Research what constitutes a high-quality

SLO/SSO.

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• Select the performance measures.

• Develop performance targets and

expectations.

• Complete the template.

• Share the draft materials with

colleagues.

BUILD Phase

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• Check the SLO/SSO, including the

performance measures, for quality.

• Refine the performance measures and

targets.

• Edit the text and prepare discussion

points for the principal/supervisor.

• Update the completed SLO/SSO with

performance data (once the data become

available).

REVIEW Phase

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TRAINING

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Integrated SLO/SSO Training

Training

Phases

Module 2

Building SLOs

Module 1

Designing SLOs

SLO/SSO

Process

Module 3

Reviewing SLOs

Module 0

Orientation

Assessment

Literacy

Process via

Quick Start

Module 1

Designing SSOs

Module 2

Building SSOs

Module 3

Reviewing SSOs

Training Describes the procedures within each of the three (3)

phases (i.e., Design, Build, and Review).

Provides examples and information about the process.

Templates Assist in developing customized student learning

objectives (SLO) or student support objectives (SSO),

including performance measures.

Resources Supplement the core training material. 26

SLO/SSO Components

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Online Resources

Homeroom is RIA’s web-based learning

platform (http://www.reseachinaction.net)

containing:

• Online training materials, including web-based

forms

• Downloadable student learning/support

objective (SLO/SSO) training files

• Print-ready demonstrations/models

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Orientation to the SLO/SSO Process• Shared how the student

learning/support objective (SLO/SSO)

process involves three phases, each

having three components that integrate

the training experience.

• Reviewed the SLO/SSO terminology

and online training material.31

Summary