Get Student Buy-In for Accelerated Learning: How to Use Proficiency Scales

As a teacher in a Title 1 school, many of my students lagged behind in meeting benchmarks each year. To teach them my grade level standards, I began by attempting to remediate missed learning. However, their progress was limited. Attempting to backtrack to their level just took too much time and resulted in frustration and disengagement. In order to achieve more within the year, I began to use the accelerated learning approach by integrating the required concepts for specific standards into the current lesson. I saw increased student engagement and achievement. And when I started using Proficiency Scales, my students’ motivation soared!

For example, before introducing a unit on poetry, I would review figurative language and have students practice writing with figurative language and then identify different types of figurative language within the poetry we were currently reading. I would assess as I went, identifying students who might need more targeted support or specific interventions.

How Can Accelerated Learning Build a Strong Core

Within Core Instruction (also known as Tier 1 instruction), there may be areas where a large percentage of students need to “catch up,” whether from unfinished learning, absenteeism, out-of-class placement, or other barriers to consistent education. Constructing a core curriculum for accelerated learning begins with conducting universal screening and then using that data to prioritize the standards that are absolutely essential for making progress. 

Integrating accelerated learning helps to swiftly address large groups of students that are falling below grade benchmarks. 

With these prioritized or “power” standards in mind, educators can reverse-engineer a path to mastering them. This step-by-step path can then help students monitor their own progress.

Proficiency Scales and Student Goal Setting

One way to make accelerated learning successful is to bring students into setting those goals for learning for themselves. Research has shown that student agency can impact student achievement.

Similar to setting health goals based on current health status, students need background information on their progress. Using proficiency scales based on essential standards helps break down content into manageable chunks, especially when expressed in student-friendly language at their grade level.

To break down content for student understanding, use proficiency scales based on power or essential standards. Introduced by Robert Marzano, proficiency scales indicate the learning progression for a given standard or learning objective. 

^Example from SAM ISD in Minnesota

^Example from CCSD#2 in Wyoming

When using proficiency scales for student reflection:

• Introducing a learning objective and topic
• Have students read through the proficiency scale and maybe even write each level in their own words
• Have students identify what they might already know about the learning objective and rate themselves on the scale prior to instruction.

Downloadable Resource: Proficiency Scale Reflection Page Template 

Empowering Students as Active Participants

In my experience, students who are behind know it and often feel overwhelmed and frustrated about school. As we work to move students forward in their learning, we want to empower them to be active participants in their own growth. Using Proficiency Scales helps to ease frustration and gives students a sense of accomplishment as they make progress step-by-step.

Next steps:

• Read more about Accelerated learning.
• Watch this webinar: Recharging Core Instruction and MTSS

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