What are learning targets and why do they matter?

Let's get on the same page.

It would be pretty tough to get to your destination if you didn't have they key information of where you are going—the address, the time you're supposed to be there, etc.—right? Without those details, you would probably expend a lot of energy driving around, lost and frustrated. You might even throw up your hands, decide to just go home, and stop caring about the event. Well, think of these competency-based learning targets in the same way. They convey to students the precise destination for the learning experience—the skills and knowledge they will be learning, what they need to know to learn/do it, how they will demonstrate their new learning, and how well they have to demonstrate it. When we provide the exact expectations to learners, not only do they have clarity on their destination, they are able to take control of their pathway to get there, asking for support when needed and leaning into their growing skills and strategies to work with agency.

Learning targets are the foundation of:

• Learning experience/lesson plan design
• The academic data we collect
• Student work analysis
• Feedback and conferencing conversations

Learning targets describe what students are expected to learn and demonstrate during a learning experience—clearly, specifically, and in student-friendly language. They go beyond traditional daily objectives by answering these key questions for students:

Learning targets guide instruction, feedback, and reflection throughout the lesson. By making the learning visible and measurable, teachers empower students to track their own progress, self-assess, and take ownership of their learning.

Learning targets provide:

• Clarity and Focus: Students clearly understand the purpose of each learning experience.
• Ownership of Learning: Students are better able to monitor their progress and take action.
• Effective & Actionable Feedback: Teachers use learning targets to give feedback that is specific and actionable.
• Responsive Teaching Decisions: Teachers gather real-time evidence to adjust instruction and ensure all students are moving toward competency.

How do competencies connect?

• Unpacking a competency can help you identify an important transferable skill to integrate into the learning target along with disciplinary standards/content knowledge.
• The performance indicators in the competency framework provide specific, observable language about skill development that can be used to craft the language of the learning target.
• Competency-aligned learning targets help ensure that daily learning builds toward a meaningful, bigger-picture outcome.

Let's dig into the design of high quality competency-based learning targets and what they look like in action.