About the Authors xxi About EL Education xxiii Acknowledgments xxv Foreword xxvii Preface xxxi Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Learning Targets 5 Chapter 2 Checking for Understanding during Daily Lessons 45 Chapter 3 Using Data with Students 85 Chapter 4 Models, Critique, and Descriptive Feedback 117 Chapter 5 Student-Led Conferences 155 Chapter 6 Celebrations of Learning 193 Chapter 7 Passage Presentations with Portfolios 231 Chapter 8 Standards-Based Grading 271 Appendix: What’s in the Online Toolbox? 311 References 315 Index 317

A New Companion to Leaders of Their Own Learning Puts Students in Charge of Their Learning and Growth Following the success of Leaders of Their Own Learning, EL Education is back with a new companion guide to help you tackle the common challenges of student-engaged assessment. Leaders of Their Own Learning has impacted more than a million students and has been a transformational resource for schools and districts. Educators have been asking ever since for more resources to help them equip and compel students to understand goals for their learning and growth, track their progress toward those goals, and take responsibility for reaching them. At last, The Leaders of Their Own Learning Companion is here with essential tools and tips to help you learn about and hone your implementation of EL Education's unique, student-centered approach to assessment. If you already use practices from Leaders of Their Own Learning, this book will help you sharpen your work. If you don't yet use those practices, this book can stand alone as the perfect introduction and guide. The Leaders of Their Own Learning Companion is designed for teachers and leaders of all grade levels. "In a world of accelerating novelty and complexity, helping young people develop agency—the ability to manage their attention and their learning—may be the most important gift we can give them. The Leaders of their Own Learning Companion is full of tips and tools that equip teacher teams to help students gain a clear sense of what they do well, what they need to work on, and how to improve." —Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart; former executive director of education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation "As a follow-up to their excellent book, Leaders of Their Own Learning, EL Education offers eminently practical advice to help teachers define clear and assessable learning targets, provide learners with on-going, descriptive feedback, offer models of excellence to inspire craftsmanship, and engage students in reflective self-assessment and personalized goal setting. I recommend this book as a 'must read' for all educators!" —Jay McTighe, educational author and consultant, coauthor of the Understanding by Design® series "Once again, another book from EL Education that reminds us what engagement and student ownership of learning can really mean." —Larry Rosenstock, founder and CEO, High Tech High "The Leaders of Their Own Learning Companion is a practical and useful guide for educators and educational leaders who seek to make a difference where it matters most: improving the learning outcomes of students. Written in an accessible style with lots of useful examples, this book is an insightful and invaluable resource." —Pedro A. Noguera, PhD, distinguished professor of education, faculty director, Center for the Transformation of Schools, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies Videos and other supplementary materials are available for download after purchase.

About the Authors xxi About EL Education xxiii Acknowledgments xxv Foreword xxvii Preface xxxi Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Learning Targets 5 Chapter 2 Checking for Understanding during Daily Lessons 45 Chapter 3 Using Data with Students 85 Chapter 4 Models, Critique, and Descriptive Feedback 117 Chapter 5 Student-Led Conferences 155 Chapter 6 Celebrations of Learning 193 Chapter 7 Passage Presentations with Portfolios 231 Chapter 8 Standards-Based Grading 271 Appendix: What’s in the Online Toolbox? 311 References 315 Index 317