Not Sure Where to Start? When in Doubt, Consider Learning Targets

A principal or superintendent may enter a new situation and identify that improvement is necessary to better support student learning. However, they may be unsure which approach makes the most sense to launch the effort, support improvement, or ultimately yield the desired outcomes. Of course, there are many factors that could potentially be in play, and there is no one right answer. However, in my opinion, when in doubt start with learning targets.

One practical reason to start with learning targets when looking for instructional improvement is that although some degree of pushback on anything "new" is to be expected, learning targets are something that any teacher can realistically do. Secondly, one can start at a fairly rudimentary level and still experience some benefits while they grow in their ability to use learning targets more effectively. The primary reason that I think that learning targets are a great entry point for most priority areas is their ability to leverage improvement in multiple areas without teachers perceiving that several "initiatives" are being dropped on them simultaneously.

If your district embraces the Professional Learning Communities Model, learning targets make sense because they directly align to questions one and two of the framework: What do we want students to know and be able to do? And, how will we know if each student has learned it? Focusing teachers on this instructional strategy could enhance implementation in the early stages of a district's PLC journey.

Effect size is essentially the strength of relationship between two variables. An effect size of 1.0 is equivalent to one standard deviation on a normal curve. According to Hattie's research (2025), an effect size of .4 is considered the hinge point, because that is how much students grow, on average, in one year by the mere nature of being in school. Therefore, Hattie emphasizes the importance of focusing on learning influences that have an effect size greater than .4.

Strategies related to implementing learning targets have some of the highest influences on student learning. The effect size of Teacher Clarity is .75. The effect size of Learning Goals vs. No Goals is .68. Once implemented, learning targets allow for teachers to better formatively assess students, which has an effect size of .48, and provide more effective feedback to students, which has an effect size of .70.

Hattie emphasizes that "the most powerful feedback is that given from student to teacher." The real power of learning targets comes when learners can identify where they are in their learning progression as compared to the standard. When this happens, students can take greater ownership of their learning. When the target is clear to them, they become better able to make independent decisions about what their next steps are toward mastery. A specific example to illustrate this is the influence Students Self-Report Grades, which has one of the highest effect sizes of all of Hattie's influences at 1.33.

Learning targets can help teachers and students move from student engagement to actual student agency. According to Sheninger (2021), High-Agency Personalized Learning includes the elements of student voice, choice, path, pace, and place. Much of this becomes increasingly possible when learning targets are clear. Learning targets can be a force in supporting the cultural shift in the Professional Learning Communities model when a focus on what is being taught to a focus on what is being learned begins to manifest itself for both the teacher and the student.

One final thought on the importance of learning targets relates to rigor. Rigor is too often lacking in our classrooms. Learning targets, when utilized effectively, can be one of the most powerful tools available in promoting rigor. The Rigor and Relevance Framework places rigor on the vertical axis and relevance on the horizontal access. Quadrant D represents the highest levels of both rigor and relevance. The version of the framework below includes examples of both tech use and high-powered verbs that support both rigor and relevance. The key to rigorous learning targets is the verb used in the target. There will be more evidence of rigor in the classrooms of teachers that learn to write good learning targets. I have encouraged teachers to keep this accessible on their work station and to use it when they plan instruction.

I believe one would be hard-pressed to identify an instructional strategy more powerful than learning targets. When striving for increased student growth and improved instruction, considering their direct relationship to Hattie's top influences, ability to impact student agency and personalized learning, and support rigor in the classroom, learning targets are a logical starting point. 

Resources:

Hattie, J. https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/. (retrieved October 15, 2005)

Sheninger, E. (2021). Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms: Preparing Learners for Their Future. ConnectEDD Publishing: Chicago, IL.

STEM Learning, https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/library/resource/273227/john-hattie-learning-intentions-and-success-criteria. (retrieved October15, 2005)