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Goal Setting for 2013-2014 
Setting a meaningful goal is one of your most important first steps at the beginning of the school year. This student learning target guide helps illustrate the steps and associated resources to support you in setting a goal that will matter for your specific classroom. As you begin setting goals you will consider four key questions:
(1) What should my students know?
(2) How will I measure success?
(3) What are they able to do now?
(4) How will I monitor progress?
After you examine the standards and end of year assessment guides that help you answer the first and second question, a set of specific assessment resources is available to support your work to answer the final two questions.
Past assessment results allow educators to answer "What are students able to do now?" Looking back at how students performed in previous years can help teachers understand what students already know coming into the school year. Specific resources that may help you include:
- Field test results from spring 2013 (available to schools in early September) will help in understanding how students performed against Common Core aligned assessment items
- Estimated value-added targets (available in September) will be helpful sources of information to understand students' performance levels.
- Visit LEAPdata to access your students' historical test results. Teachers can build rosters of their students, making LEAPdata a valuable source of information for setting goals and other instructional planning. Ask a school administrator about how best to access this information.
- Use the results from Explore, Plan, and ACT tests, which are available in hard copy or on CD at each school, to set goals for students that will ensure they are ready for college or a professional career.
Sample assessment items that align to future tests can help to clarify what a student will be expected to do at the end of this school year and define "How will I monitor progress?" These resources include:
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Access the EAGLE item bank to create tests, view test reports, and adjust instruction accordingly to meet student needs. EAGLE currently contains items aligned to the Common Core State Standards, and additional items will continue to be added in the coming months. - Your students also can use Louisiana PASS to take practice tests in science, social studies, and English writing.
- Sample unit plans also include sample assessments and tasks that can help teachers get an initial sense of where their students are against the rigor required from the new standards.
- Additional sample LEAP/iLEAP tests for math and ELA will be released in the fall.
For more guidance on planning 2013-2014, review the recently released Back-to-School Teacher Guide that integrates resources found in the Teacher Toolbox. This guide gives direction on standards and assessments, setting student learning targets, and planning for instruction at the year and unit levels.
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