Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time

The first tenet of the Big Four is to know and use clearly articu-
lated learning targets that are robust concepts, generalizations, or
procedures. Teachers can do this by

•	Identifying [just-right] targets
•	Understanding the difference between content and lifelong learning benchmarks
•	Discriminating between declarative and procedural knowledge
•	Meeting and exceeding state standards
•	Ensuring the utility of the curriculum format
•	Taking a systematic approach to the curriculum process

RANDY HAS BEEN TEACHING MUSIC IN HIS DISTRICT FOR FOUR YEARS. WHEN HIS SCHOOL called me in to work on instructional strategies with his grade-level team, I asked team members to choose one unit they teach and identify the grade-level benchmarks or learning targets for that unit. My goal was to demonstrate how using benchmark statements as expectations for student performance would allow them to deliberately plan lessons to teach the knowledge or skills those statements identifi ed. Randy stated that in his subject area—music—they did not have any learning objectives. (He added that the department chair believed that every teacher should maintain the autonomy to create his or her own curriculum.) With no set learning objectives for the fine arts, Randy deferred to the math teachers on the team to provide the information I requested.

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