Student Learning Objectives (SLO)

This case study from The Aspen Institute describes the development and implementation of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools (CMS) teacher evaluation system. This paper discusses the challenges and lessons learned from the CMS initiative.

The Community Training and Assistance Center conducted a comprehensive study of the impact of Denver Public School’s four-year Pay for Performance pilot. Teachers at the pilot schools developed two annual student learning objectives (SLOs) and received additional compensation if they met their objectives. This study examined Denver’s SLOs including their substance, quality, and relationship to student achievement. 

The Community Training and Assistance Center conducted an evaluation of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ performance-based compensation initiative, Leadership for Educators’ Advanced Performance (LEAP). This initiative introduced SLO implementation, and teachers could earn bonuses for demonstrated increases in student growth according to performance on SLOs or value-added results. This study examined whether or not the growth targets set by teachers for their SLOs were met and the relationship between the quality of each SLO and the attainment of the growth target.

This sample SLO from the Rhode Island Department of Education is focused on social students for third grade students and uses a portfolio assessment.

This recorded webinar from the Rhode Island Department of Education reviews the process of writing SLOs for teachers.  The webinar provides guides and best-practices for writing SLOs and highlights resources for Rhode Island teachers to utilize throughout the year.

American Institutes for Research developed this paper to provide states and districts with an introduction to student learning objectives (SLOs) and the SLO development process. The paper reviews the steps necessary to develop an SLO and the SLO evaluation cycle. The appendix also includes SLO examples, a template for the analysis of student data, and an SLO checklist rubric. 

The Austin Independent School District produced a manual on developing SLOs for its strategic compensation initiative, REACH.  This manual describes what an SLO is and the process for developing SLOs for Austin teachers.

Discover helpful advice for states on creating business rules for student learning objectives, such as exceptions for students with poor attendance or teachers on leave.

In this webinar, the strengths and weakness of different evaluation system models are explored and then presented in a local context to participants in Maine.