Just as “unwrapping” Essential Standards provides educators with the “gift of clarity” to fully understand the Essential Standards that they will teach to their students, the way to communicate that same clarity to students is to “translate” those standards into Student Learning Targets and then to explain their purpose when first introducing them to the students.

As the invited guest on a recent education podcast show, I was asked by the host what I thought about educators being able to ask A.I. to create learning targets and success criteria for them because it’s so quick and easy to do. I replied that using A.I. as a time-saving tool is fine to do, IF educators already understand their purpose, and especially if they know how to use them effectively with their students every day.

In this blog post and the related issue of our Integrating Teaching and Learning Newsletter, I clarify how A.I. can be thoughtfully used to expedite the creation of Student Learning Targets after educators first understand the “what, why, and how” of this all-important component of instruction. Otherwise, they may just be using A.I. as an isolated shortcut for creating this key element without understanding its potential impact on student learning when used correctly.

THE “WHAT” 

A colleague shared with me an interesting insight from his walkthrough in a classroom where colorful posters of Student Learning Targets and related Success Criteria were prominently displayed on the wall at the front of the room. Welcomed by the teacher, he was invited to talk informally with the students as they were completing an assignment. While chatting with one of the kids, he pointed to the Student Learning Targets and asked, “Can you tell me what those are for?” The student looked at the posters, hesitated a moment and replied, “Ummm, I’m not sure.” 

Student Learning Targets are essence statements that educators use to communicate learning objectives to students—in age-appropriate “kidspeak”—without all the explicit details and complex wording included in an Essential Standard itself. Yet, for Student Learning Targets to be of any real benefit, students must understand their singular purpose—they represent the goal of what they are expected to learn. And educators must explicitly explain this purpose to their students and to direct their attention to the posted statements in every related lesson so that they don’t just become colorful wall decorations!

Relevant for all grades and content areas, Student Learning Targets are “timeless essentials”, foundational to all quality units of study, whether those units are included in school- or district-adopted curricular programs or created by teachers themselves. “Unwrapped” Essential Standards and related Student Learning Targets are assigned to each unit of study or set of related lessons. They serve as the focal points of daily instruction, learning activities, and assessments—both formative and summative.

THE “WHY”

“Without clarity of learning goals that provide the sharp focus for both instruction and assessment, teachers cannot achieve the maximum possible impact on student learning. Why do we share learning intentions (targets) with students? To identify what students will be learning; to explain the reason for the learning; to present them in language the students understand; and to revisit the learning intention throughout the lesson(s)” (Cognition Education, 2014).

In an August 16, 2022, blog post based on her own professional experience, “Learning Targets That Motivate Students,” writer Laurie H. lists and describes “6 Advantages of Enhancing Student Learning Through Learning Targets” she observed in her students:

• Increased Achievement
• Added Motivation
• Personal Responsibility
• A Boost in Feedback
• Improved Self-Reflection Abilities
• Better Communication

THE “HOW”

Creating Student Learning Targets is fairly simple when educators follow these steps:

1. “Unwrap” or deconstruct a state standard that is essential for students to learn in a certain unit of study. Do this by underlining the concepts (important nouns and noun phrases) that students need to know, and by highlighting or formatting in CAPS the related skills (verbs) that students need to be able to do.
2. Identify the complexity (rigor) of the “unwrapped” Essential Standard using the excellent tools for doing so: Karin Hess's Cognitive Rigor Matrices (available free at https://www.karin-hess.com/free-resources) and Erik Francis, Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge (Francis, 2022).
3. Identify key vocabulary terms in the “unwrapped” Essential Standard to include in the Student Learning Target. This is a great way to introduce students to the new vocabulary terms they will be learning throughout the unit of study. 
4. Lastly, restate the “unwrapped” Essential standard in age-appropriate student wording.
5. Repeat the same process with other Essential Standards planned for that unit. 

A.I. IS A TOOL--NOT A REPLACEMENT—FOR TEACHER EXPERTISE

My sole purpose for incorporating the use of A.I. is to assist busy educators in easily using the process after first learning the process.

A.I. is indeed a tremendous resource for finding needed information. However, the reliability of this information must be carefully determined by individuals since this information has not been formally “vetted” (verified for accuracy and authenticity). This is why, in my 2024 three-volume book series, Integrating Teaching and Learning: “Timeless Essentials” for Creating Integrated Units of Study, I present the what, why, and how of each essential element—first with educator-created examples before showing the A.I.-generated examples. This enables educators to know the criteria or attributes for correctly written elements so they can then make an informed determination about the validity of every response that A.I. generates.

CHAPTER 5: “WRITE LEARNING TARGETS FOR STUDENT CLARITY”

Here is a listing of the section headings for parts 1 and 2 of Chapter 5, “Write Learning Targets for Student Clarity” in Volume One of my book series:

PART 1:

• Are Student Learning Targets the Same as Academic Standards?
• Research and Experience: Benefits of Student Learning Targets
• Student Learning Targets as Essence Statements
• Include Academic Vocabulary Terms
• Retain the Rigor of the “Unwrapped” Essential Standards
• How to Write Student Learning Targets for Single Essential Standards
• Focus on “the Learning”, Not on “the Context”
• Student Learning Targets in Various Content Areas

PART 2:

• Statement Starters for Student Learning Targets
• Connecting Student Learning Targets with Daily Lessons
• Involving Students in the Co-Creation of Student Learning Targets
• How to Write Student Learning Targets for Multiple Essential Standards
• A.I.-Generated Student Learning Targets (And How to Use Strategically!)
• Practical Application Questions about Student Learning Targets

For numerous educator-created and A.I.-generated examples of Student Learning Targets in Chapter 5, including tools, tips, and step-by-step instructions for effectively using them, here’s the Amazon link to Volume 1: Integrating Teaching and Learning: "Timeless Essentials" for Creating Integrated Units of Study - Volume 1.

ADDITIONAL CLARITY PATHWAY RESOURCES FOR STUDENT LEARNING TARGETS:

We are excited to announce that Larry’s second online video course, Student Learning Targets and Success Criteria, will be available in early 2026!

Click here for information about Larry's in-person or virtual workshop, LEARNING TARGETS AND SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR STUDENT CLARITY 

We invite you to follow Larry on Facebook, Linked In, and Instagram for continuing info about Student Learning Targets and Success Criteria -- the focus of our January 2026 newsletter!

If you have any questions that we can assist you in answering, please contact us at www.larryainsworth-claritypathway.com.

Thank you for all you do for the students you serve!