Teachers find out what students understand in the moment, and act on it. Feedback tells students where they are and what to do next, and students use it to improve.
The arc has two movements. Feedback becomes more specific and actionable. And ownership shifts, from the teacher judging to students assessing their own and each other's work. A practice reaches Sustaining when every student knows where they stand and what to do next.
Evidence base: formative assessment research, studies on effective feedback, and responsive, data-informed teaching.
Start with the goal
Know the success criteria for the task.
Understand that feedback shows where they are and what to do next.
Do act on feedback and assess their own and peers' work against criteria.
Equity and BelongingFeedback is an equity practice when it reaches everyone. Checks that surface every student's thinking, not just the volunteers, ensure no learner is quietly left behind.
Technology and AIAI enhances learning only through critical use and evaluation. Each practice names what that looks like. Treat outputs as drafts, check for accuracy, bias, and false agreement, decide when not to use the tool, protect your own thinking, and disclose how you used it.
Paired practices
1Frequency of checks
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Includes one check, usually at the end.
Includes 2-3 checks across the lesson.
Checks at each phase of the lesson.
Checks continuously, 4 or more per lesson, and adjusts.
Student
Show understanding once.
Show it 2-3 times.
Show it at each phase.
Make thinking visible continuously.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to generate varied checks for a lesson, then verify alignment to the objective.
- Ask AI for a quick formative task, then judge whether it reveals real understanding.
Student
- Use AI to self-check throughout a task, then verify answers.
- Ask AI to quiz them mid-lesson, then act on what they miss.
How to measureCount checks for understanding in the lesson; one is lower, four or more with adjustment is Sustaining.
2Reach of checks
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Hears from volunteers only.
Checks about half of students.
Checks most students.
Checks every student each lesson.
Student
A few share thinking.
About half share.
Most make thinking visible.
All make thinking visible through routines.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to design a total-participation check, then verify it fits the goal.
- Ask AI for ways to elicit quiet students' thinking, then judge them.
Student
- Rehearse a response privately with AI, then share with the class.
- Multilingual learners draft thinking with AI in their home language, then share.
How to measureTrack the share of students each check reaches; volunteers only is lower, every student is Sustaining.
3Acting on the evidence
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Collects checks but proceeds unchanged.
Adjusts for the next lesson.
Adjusts instruction in the moment.
Reteaches, regroups, or extends per student.
Student
See no change after a check.
See changes next time.
Experience in-the-moment adjustment.
Receive next steps matched to their need.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to spot patterns in a set of responses, then verify and decide the response yourself.
- Ask AI to suggest a reteach approach, then judge its fit.
Student
- Use AI to diagnose their own error, then verify the diagnosis.
- Ask AI what to practice next, then decide with their teacher.
How to measureNote whether the teacher changes course after a check; in-the-moment, per-student response is Sustaining.
4Quality of feedback
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Gives a grade or general praise.
Gives specific comments on the product.
Gives actionable feedback on product and process.
Frames feedback as a prompt students must act on.
Student
Receive a score.
Receive specific comments.
Receive actionable next steps.
Receive feedback that requires their thinking.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to draft feedback, then heavily revise it with your knowledge of the student.
- Ask AI to make feedback more actionable, then verify it is fair and accurate.
Student
- Use AI to clarify a piece of feedback, then act on it themselves.
- Ask AI how to improve, then judge the advice against the criteria.
How to measureSample feedback for specificity and action; a grade or praise is lower, feedback that requires student thinking is Sustaining.
5Timeliness
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Returns feedback more than a week later.
Returns feedback within a week.
Returns feedback within a day or two.
Gives feedback while work is still in progress.
Student
Get feedback too late to use.
Get feedback within a week.
Get feedback in time to revise.
Get feedback during the work itself.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to speed routine feedback drafting, then verify before sharing.
- Ask AI to flag common issues quickly, then confirm them.
Student
- Use AI for a quick self-check so they can act now.
- Ask AI to review a draft in progress, then revise immediately.
How to measureNote the gap between work and feedback; over a week is lower, feedback during the work is Sustaining.
6Students use feedback
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Files feedback without using it.
Has students read feedback.
Has students revise from feedback most times.
Makes acting on feedback a routine expectation.
Student
Do not act on feedback.
Read the feedback.
Revise based on the feedback.
Routinely revise from feedback without prompting.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to suggest revision steps from feedback, then verify they match the intent.
- Ask AI to model a revision, then keep the student's own work central.
Student
- Use AI to plan a revision from feedback, then do the revising themselves.
- Ask AI whether a revision addressed the feedback, then judge for themselves.
How to measureLook for revision drafts that act on feedback; ignored feedback is lower, routine revision is Sustaining.
7Success criteria clarity
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Leaves criteria implicit.
States the objective.
Posts clear success criteria with an exemplar.
Has students apply the criteria to guide their work.
Student
Guess what quality looks like.
Know the objective.
Use posted criteria and an exemplar.
Use the criteria to direct their own work.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to draft success criteria, then verify they match the real standard.
- Ask AI for an exemplar at criteria level, then confirm it qualifies.
Student
- Use AI to put criteria in their own words, then check the meaning.
- Use AI to compare their work to the criteria, then judge the gap.
How to measureCheck whether criteria and an exemplar are shared and used; implicit criteria are lower, students using the criteria is Sustaining.
8Self-assessment
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Does all the assessing.
Has students rate confidence.
Has students score work against criteria.
Has students self-assess and set a next step.
Student
Wait for the teacher's judgment.
Rate their confidence.
Score their work against criteria.
Self-assess and name a next step.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to build a self-assessment checklist, then verify it reflects the criteria.
- Ask AI to model self-assessment, then judge its rigor.
Student
- Use AI to check their self-assessment, then confirm against criteria.
- Notice if AI inflates their work, and assess honestly.
How to measureNote whether students score their work against criteria and set a next step; accurate self-assessment with a next step is Sustaining.
9Peer feedback
Emerging
Developing
Embedded
Sustaining
Teacher
Uses no structured peer feedback.
Uses occasional unstructured peer feedback.
Uses a criteria-based peer feedback protocol.
Has students exchange and act on peer feedback routinely.
Student
Give no peer feedback.
Give general peer feedback.
Give criteria-based peer feedback.
Exchange and act on specific peer feedback.
AI in practice critical use and evaluation
Teacher
- Use AI to create peer-feedback protocols, then verify they prompt useful talk.
- Ask AI for sentence starters, then judge their quality.
Student
- Use AI to sharpen feedback for a peer, then ensure it is honest and specific.
- Compare AI feedback to their peer's, then weigh both critically.
How to measureObserve peer feedback for structure and use of criteria; none is lower, specific criteria-based feedback acted on is Sustaining.
Planning and setting
Design moves that set up the practices above.
Clarity of the learning goal
Every lesson opens from a clear goal. Emerging: the objective is implicit. Developing: the objective is stated. Embedded: a clear know, understand, and do is shared with success criteria. Sustaining: students can state the goal and criteria in their own words.
Planning for checks and feedback
Plans where and how understanding will be checked, and how feedback will be generated and returned in time to use.
Success criteria and exemplars
Defines clear success criteria and gathers exemplars before teaching so feedback has a shared standard.
Evidence and measurement
Each practice above carries its own measure. These are the primary evidence sources for the component as a whole.
Evidence for this component
- The checks used in a lesson and how many students they reached.
- Samples of feedback given to students.
- Student revision drafts showing feedback acted on, and self- or peer-assessment artifacts.