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Recognizing & Completing Unfinished Learning

Recognizing & Completing Unfinished Learning (3)

Note: Unfinished learning refers to any prerequisite knowledge or skills that students need for future work that they don’t yet have.

Core Instruction

Recognizing and Completing Unfinished Learning

Understand:

  • Study the Essential Learning Targets for upcoming instruction.
  • Identify critical, prerequisite skills and understandings students need to access grade-level content

Diagnose:

  • Determine student understanding of prerequisites based on diagnostic or formative data
  • Consider if gaps exist for the entire class or a small group.

Take Action:

  • Entire class: plan to build needed scaffolds into upcoming lessons; make necessary adjustments to pacing to allow for additional lessons
  • Small group: plan differentiated instruction or coordinate to address gaps within intervention periods

It is more important to help students catch up on thinking skills than facts.

Feedback to Students

  • Continuous, personalized, learning-centered feedback throughout the learning cycle that moves the learning forward
  • Based on submitted assignments, assessments, discussions, etc.
  • Assignments are likely fewer in number than with face-to-face instruction and feedback must increase
  • Tools: written, auditory, recorded, Google Meets, shared docs, using the “chat” feature as an exit ticket

Instructional and/or Practice Time

  • Elementary: 2 hours per day (instruction plus assignments total); 20 minutes of home reading is still highly recommended
  • Junior High: 30 min/class/day (instruction plus assignments total)
  • High School: 45 min/class/day (instruction plus assignments total)
  • For students receiving special education services, service minutes will be determined by the student’s IEP team.

Digital Content

Essential Learning Targets are on an LMS (instruction, assignments, assessments)

  • Teachers have Essential Learning Targets on a common LMS per school following the district-created style guide (instruction, assignments, assessments)
  • Ensure there are increased options for supporting students and parents who choose to participate in home-based learning.
    • Teachers may choose to use instructional tools such as: Google Meet, the conference option in Canvas, or streamed and/or recorded instructional videos.
    • Consistent time should be scheduled during which students and parents can ask for help via direct communication and support.

Assessment

  • Assessment FOR instructional feedback and design; frequent, actionable and tied to specific curriculum
  • Diagnostic assessments provided within the first two weeks of school to identify unfinished learning
  • Formative and classroom assessments (with timely results) follow frequently to provide data that will inform instruction and intervention practices
  • Use items and tasks that support deeper thinking
  • Tools: Canvas, state platforms, observations, performances, Edulastic, Forms, paper-and-pencil, Reading Inventory, DRP, CBMs, ALEKS, Preschool DOT

Student and Family Communication

  • Occurs several times per week (encourage documentation)
  • Tools: Email, phone, MyStudent, LMS, surveys and Google Forms

Grading

Based on clear demonstration of proficiency by students with multiple data points

  • Modified grading scales may be in effect as students complete online learning
  • Consider using online engagement as part of grade determinations as appropriate
  • Elementary may not issue report cards

Collaboration

  • Student-student
    • Google Meets and/or discussion threads
  • Teacher-teacher
    • Consider cross or integrated curriculum to make it possible to deliver additional content that may be necessary to address unfinished learning
    • Use team approaches and shared resources
    • Continue PLCs (using modified format)

Suggested Reading:

Note: Unfinished learning refers to any prerequisite knowledge or skills that students need for future work that they don’t yet have.

Core Instruction

  • Focus on Essential Standards from grade-level Core and scaffold as needed
  • Include Important and Supporting Standards from grade-level Core when possible
  • Include tiered extensions and remediation

Recognizing and Completing Unfinished Learning

Understand:

  • Study the Essential Learning Targets for upcoming instruction.
  • Identify critical, prerequisite skills and understandings students need to access grade-level content

Diagnose:

  • Determine student understanding of prerequisites based on diagnostic or formative data
  • Consider if gaps exist for the entire class or a small group.

Take Action:

  • Entire class: plan to build needed scaffolds into upcoming lessons; make necessary adjustments to pacing to allow for additional lessons
  • Small group: plan differentiated instruction or coordinate to address gaps within intervention periods

It is more important to help students catch up on thinking skills than facts.

Feedback to Students

  • Continuous, personalized, learning-centered feedback throughout the learning cycle that moves the learning forward
  • Based on observed and/or submitted assignments, assessments, class discussions, performances, etc.
  • Tools: written, auditory, recorded, in person, Google Meets

Instructional and/or Practice Time

  • Elementary: ELA (2 hours), Math (100 minutes), Science (30 minutes); 20 minutes of home reading is still highly recommended
  • Junior High: class period plus 15-30 min/class/day
  • High School: class period plus 40-60 min/class/day
  • For students receiving special education services, service minutes will be determined by the student’s IEP team.

Digital Content

  • Teachers have Essential Learning Targets on a common LMS per school following the district-created style guide (instruction, assignments, assessments)
  • Ensure there are increased options for supporting students and parents who choose to participate in home-based learning.
    • Teachers may choose to use instructional tools such as: Google Meet, the conference option in Canvas, or streamed and/or recorded instructional videos.
    • Consistent time should be scheduled during which students and parents can ask for help via direct communication and support.

Assessment

  • Assessment FOR instructional feedback and design; frequent, actionable and tied to specific curriculum
  • Diagnostic assessments provided within the first two weeks of school to identify unfinished learning
  • Formative and classroom assessments (with timely results) follow frequently to provide data that will inform instruction and intervention practices
  • Use items and tasks that support deeper thinking
  • Tools: Canvas, state platforms, observations, performances, Edulastic, Forms, paper-and-pencil, Reading Inventory, DRP, CBMs, ALEKS, Preschool DOT

Student and Family Communication

  • Occurs at least weekly
  • Tools: Email, phone, MyStudent, LMS

Grading

Based on clear demonstration of proficiency by students with multiple data points

  • Modified grading scales may be in effect as students complete online learning
  • Consider using online engagement as part of grade determinations as appropriate

Collaboration

  • Student-student
    • Class discussion, silent discussion, turn-and-talk (perhaps with white boards), online discussions, etc.
  • Teacher-teacher
    • Consider cross or integrated curriculum to make it possible to deliver additional content that may be necessary to address unfinished learning
    • Use team approaches and shared resources
    • Continue PLCs (may need modified format)

Suggested Reading:

Note: Unfinished learning refers to any prerequisite knowledge or skills that students need for future work that they don’t yet have.

Core Instruction

  • Focus on Essential Standards from grade-level Core and scaffold as needed
  • Include Important and Supporting Standards from grade-level Core as appropriate
  • Include tiered extensions and remediation

Recognizing and Completing Unfinished Learning

Understand:

  • Study the Essential Learning Targets for upcoming instruction.
  • Identify critical, prerequisite skills and understandings students need to access grade-level content

Diagnose:

  • Determine student understanding of prerequisites based on diagnostic or formative data
  • Consider if gaps exist for the entire class or a small group.

Take Action:

  • Entire class: plan to build needed scaffolds into upcoming lessons; make necessary adjustments to pacing to allow for additional lessons
  • Small group: plan differentiated instruction or coordinate to address gaps within intervention periods

It is more important to help students catch up on thinking skills than facts.

Feedback to Students

  • Continuous, personalized, learning-centered feedback throughout the learning cycle that moves the learning forward
  • Based on observed and/or submitted assignments, assessments, class discussions, performances, etc.
  • Feedback is not limited only to assignments
  • Tools: written, auditory, recorded, in person

Instructional and/or Practice Time

  • Elementary: ELA (2 hours), Math (100 minutes), Science (30 minutes); 20 minutes of home reading is still highly recommended
  • Junior High: class period plus 15-30 min/class/day
  • High School: class period plus 40-60 min/class/day
  • For students receiving special education services, service minutes will be determined by the student’s IEP team.

Digital Content

  • Teachers have Essential Learning Targets on a common LMS per school following the district-created style guide (instruction, assignments, assessments)
  • Ensure there are increased options for supporting students and parents who choose to participate in home-based learning.
    • Teachers may choose to use instructional tools such as: Google Meet, the conference option in Canvas, or streamed and/or recorded instructional videos.
    • Consistent time should be scheduled during which students and parents can ask for help via direct communication and support.

Assessment

  • Assessment FOR instructional feedback and design; frequent, actionable and tied to specific curriculum
  • Diagnostic assessments provided within the first two weeks of school to identify unfinished learning
  • Formative and classroom assessments (with timely results) follow frequently to provide data that will inform instruction and intervention practices
  • Use items and tasks that support deeper thinking
  • Tools: Canvas, state platforms, observations, performances, Edulastic, Forms, paper-and-pencil, Reading Inventory, DRP, CBMs, ALEKS, Preschool DOT

Student and Family Communication

  • Occurs frequently
  • Tools: Parent-Teacher conferences, family nights, back-to-school night, email, phone, MyStudent

Grading

Based on clear demonstration of proficiency by students with multiple data points

  • Grading occurs as in pre-COVID-19 settings

Collaboration

  • Student-student
    • Silent discussion, turn-and-talk (perhaps with white boards), online discussions, etc.
  • Teacher-teacher
    • Consider cross or integrated curriculum to make it possible to deliver additional content that may be necessary to address unfinished learning
    • Use team approaches and shared resources
    • Continue PLCs (may need modified format)

Suggested Reading: