Student Learning Objectives (SLO)

This is a sample student outcome objective from the Rhode Island Department of Education for a high school psychologist.

This is a sample student outcome objective from the Rhode Island Department of Education for a high school counselor.

This is a sample student outcome objective from the Rhode Island Department of Education for a middle school social worker.

This is a sample student outcome objective from the Rhode Island Department of Education for a middle school counselor.

This is a sample student outcome objective from the Rhode Island Department of Education for a school nurse.

This is a sample student outcome objective from the Rhode Island Department of Education for an elementary school nurse.

The Rhode Island Department of Education has created a guidance document that illustrates the “evolution” of an SLO through feedback, reflection, and revision. It includes sample SLOs, the feedback provided by the evaluator, and the final revisions made based on the evaluator’s feedback. The samples show teachers how reflection and revision can elevate the quality of an SLO; for evaluators it illustrates the kind of specific, descriptive feedback they should provide teachers during the SLO approval process.

The Rhode Island Department of Education has created a tool to help determine whether Student Outcome Objectives (SOO) are high quality. SOOs are similar to learning objectives but are developed by support professionals such as librarians, counselors, and speech pathologists. The tool includes guiding questions focused on priority of content, rigor of target, quality of evidence, and overall quality. 

The Rhode Island Department of Education has created guidance on how to set targets during the SLO process. It defines terms, delineate different types of targets, and provide insight to help guide educators’ decision making. It is designed to support teachers, administrators, and district leaders as they continue to strengthen the SLO process in their varied contexts.

This guidance document from the Rhode Island Department of Education provides an overview of the core elements of student learning objectives and the steps for writing an SLO. The document outlines what teachers need prior to writing an SLO, including connecting with colleagues, understanding the SLO process, gathering the necessary resources, and reviewing the prior year’s SLOs.