Checklist for Rigorous and Relevant
Teaching and Learning

The teaching design
□ Is planned using data on students and curriculum.
□ Is clearly linked to priority state standards.
□ Has an expectation for levels of rigor and relevance.
□ Uses appropriate assessments aligned with the rigor and relevance of expectations.
□ Is clearly guided by big ideas and essential questions.
□ Uses strategies that are aligned with the rigor and relevance of expectations.
□ Includes the knowledge and skills necessary for expected student performance.
□ Uses authentic performance tasks calling for students to demonstrate their understanding and apply their knowledge and skills.
□ Uses clear evaluation criteria and performance standards evaluations of student products and performances.
□ Uses a variety of resources. The textbook is only one resource among many.

The classroom
□ Has student work and essential questions as central to classroom activities.
□ Has high expectations and incentives for all students to achieve the expected performance.
□ Has a culture that treats students and their ideas with dignity and respect.
□ Displays evaluation criteria or scoring guides.
□ Has samples of high-quality student work on display.

The teacher
□ Informs students of the expected performance, essential questions, performance requirements, and assessment criteria at the beginning of the lesson or unit.
□ Engages students’ interest when introducing a lesson.
□ Uses a variety of strategies that match the expected level of rigor and relevance and learning styles of students.
□ Facilitates students’ active construction of meaning (rather than simply telling).
□ Differentiates instruction to meet individual student needs.
□ Adjusts instruction as necessary on reflection and feedback from students.
□ Uses information from ongoing assessments to check