Answer:
This is a great question. We continue to see students more "in tune" to what they have accomplished and what they still need to work on.
The student goals are a result of the practice of "academic goal setting" that we began this year. Every Monday, while referencing MasteryConnect, students set weekly goals based on standards or learning targets that they need to work on. Some teams call this time "Mastery Monday". The format varies from team to team but for the most part, students work with their advisor to set short term academic goals. When students have a clear picture of what they need to accomplish, they reach their goals with much greater frequency and success. Often, students plan for what they need to work on during TLT, after school, and at home.
In most cases, this is not a reflection of a teacher assigning more homework. Rather, it's the student working together with an adult to identify what needs to be accomplished and creating a plan to get there.
The practice of setting short-term attainable goals is something that we are working hard to instill in our students. As students meet their goals they begin to see the value of goal setting and it turns out to be an extremely effective motivator. Through incremental success, students begin to believe that goal setting has value and they begin to believe all their goals are achievable. This is something that they will be able to carry with them in all areas of their lives.
Like most of what we are doing at York Middle School, our approach to academic goal setting is about doing what we know is good practice. It really has nothing to do with any particular model of "PBL". The practice originated in our school with a few teachers who felt that it would benefit students. We recognized that it's an excellent practice and we've encouraged it school wide.
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