Let Students Say Where They Are, Then Ask to See the Evidence

Asking students how they think they're doing is easy. Getting an answer you can use is harder. A circle on a page can mean "I get it," "I want to be done," or "I don't want to say." The Student Learning Tracker is built to help with that. It asks for the rating, and then it asks for the evidence.

Pick one target and say what success looks like

Start with a single learning target. Write it together with your students. Then name the success criteria in their language, things they could point to. For a multiplication target that might be equal groups, a matching equation, and an explanation of what the numbers mean.

At each check-in, students fill in "Today I can" with the one skill they're checking. Use the same skill again if you want to see change. Or move to a related one once they have it. One skill at a time keeps the page from turning into a long list.

Ask for the evidence

Each check-in has four choices. I need help, I am practicing, I can do it, and I can explain it. Students circle one. That choice starts a conversation, and it doesn't end it. Ask them to point to a drawing, read out their explanation, or show their work. If a student circles "I can explain it," the page should hold an explanation that matches.

I'd say this out loud early and often. "Show me" is part of the routine, so no one feels singled out when you ask.

An example from the tracker

The tracker comes with a completed example for a fictional student named Jordan. At the first check-in Jordan circles "I need help" and writes, "I drew 4 groups, but put a different number in each group." The next step is to make 4 groups with 3 counters in each. The teacher's note is short: check that every group has the same number.

At the second check-in Jordan circles "I can do it." The drawing shows four groups of three, and Jordan wrote 4 x 3 = 12. Now the next step is to explain what each number means. By the third check-in Jordan circles "I can explain it" and writes that the 4 is the number of groups and the 3 is how many are in each. The next step is to try a new equal-groups problem.

Notice that every rating comes with something you can see. And every next step is one thing Jordan can actually try.

Choose one next step

Use the student's work and what you've seen in class to pick the next step. Write one specific action the student can try. Not a list. The self-rating alone doesn't establish mastery, so I wouldn't use it to sort or grade anyone. It tells you where to start the conversation.

If you give an exit ticket, you can pair the two. After the ticket, ask the student to say what the work shows, like "My drawing has 4 equal groups of 3." Then choose the next task from the evidence.

Keep it light

You don't need a new page every day. Three check-ins fit on one page, so you can spread them over a few days or a week. If you start a new page, keep the earlier ones so you can look back. Print page 2 for students, or edit the Word version to fit your class.

The tracker is just a page. It doesn't send anything anywhere, and I never receive what students write on it. Keep the completed pages with your other classroom records and follow your district's rules for student information.

If you try it, start with one target and a few students. See whether their evidence matches their circles. Let me know how it goes at hello@polemountainlearning.com.

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