Student Learning Objectives as Measures of Educator Effectiveness: The Basics

Student learning objectives (SLOs) have emerged as a novel approach to measuring student growth, particularly for the majority of educators not covered by a state standardized assessment.

In this report, we offer some ideas for states and districts that are considering the use of SLOs to measure student growth, including a basic description of SLOs, highlights of the SLO development process, and a discussion of their function within the evaluation cycle.

For more detailed discussions of SLO implementation, benefits, challenges, and potential solutions, see the other papers in this series: Implementing Student Learning Objectives: Core Elements for Sustainability and Student Learning Objectives: Benefits, Challenges, and Solutions.