Rigor

It's more than...memorizing, reciting, restating Students must become adept at...deep understanding, applying knowledge, solving problems, analyzing
 * Rigor**
 * As educators do we understand rigor and the difference between __difficulty and complexity?__**

Rigor is developing the capacity of each student to understand, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate content that is complex, ambiguous, provocative, and personally or emotionally challenging. –Complex: Made up of intricate and interrelated ideas –Ambiguous: Rich in symbols, images and multiple meanings –Provocative: Challenges natural ways of thinking and behaving –Personally or Emotionally Challenging: Arouses strong or unfamiliar feelings Rigor uses Knowledge Acquisition, Inquiry, Problem Solving, Communication, and Reflection to stimulate student thinking, and then holds each student to his or her fullest potential. From School Talk:http://blogs.sj-r.com/schooltalk/index.php/category/rigor/
 * Rigor...a possible definition: **


 * Another definition to consider:**

Rigor is the goal of helping **ALL** students develop the capacity to understand content that is //complex, ambiguous, provocative, and persoanally or emotionally challenging.//

(Schlechty, Working on the Work, p.20-21) Schlechty Center
 * __Building Rigor in the Classroom:__**

The tasks students are assigned and the activities they are encouraged to undertake are clearly linked in the monds of the teacheres and students to performances, products, and exhibitions about which the students care and and on which students place value.
 * Product Focus**

When products, performances, or exhibitions are part of the instructional design, students understand the standaereds by which these products, performances, or exhibitions will be evaluated. They are committed to these standards and see the real prospect of meeting the stated standards if they work diligently at the tasks assigned and are encouraged.
 * Clear and Compelling Product**

Parents, Teachers and administrators have a clear, consistent, and shared understanding of what students are expected to know and be able to do at various grade levels. This understanding is consistent with such official statemnets of expectations as state standards and standards established by local boards. Teachers and administrators also have a reasonable assessment of student interest in the topics suggested by these expecatations and standards.
 * Content and Substance**


 * __Something to think about...is this your school...your classroom?__**

Student: "The work isn't hard, but it is very challenging. In my old school, we had to do lots of boring work sheets or textbook learning. That is hard. Here at (school), my teachers challenge me to think." Teacher: At (school), we believe that rigor does not mean simply taking harder courses. We believe curriculum becomes rigorous when students are pushed not only to know information but also to apply and demonstrate their understanding of that information. We believe that requiring students to reflect on and analyze their thinking and learning might be the most challenging task you can require of a student. Finally, in a rigorous school, students not only learn, do, and reflect, they also master such twenty-first-century skills as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, collaboration, project management, and written and oral communication. Then, we regularly assess students in each content on those skills as well as their knowledge acquisition, application of knowledge, metacognition, and work habits, such as punctuality. Using project learning and well-defined performance assessment (for example, portfolio tasks), we are able to challenge our students simultaneously in all the aspects of learning. adapted from:http://www.edutopia.org/envision-schools-rigor

Deeper understanding of concepts results from utilizing **metaphors, analogies, and similes**, as these devices enable a learner to understand one thing in terms of- or in relation to- something else.
 * __Something to Think About:__**

** Storytelling ** is a powerful teaching strategy that delivers content, within a context and with emotion.
 * __

Rigor in Action: __**

The Pledge of Allegiance “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”


 * Recall, Knowledge, Remembering:** “Say the Pledge.”


 * Reproduction, Comprehension, Understanding:** “Explain what indivisible, liberty, and justice mean.”

which it stands’ in terms of its importance to the pledge.”
 * Complex or Strategic Thinking, Analysis, Analyzing:** “Discuss the meaning of ‘and to the Republic for


 * Reasoning, Using Skills and Concepts, Application, Applying:** “Explain the distinctions between allegiance to “the Flag” vs. allegiance to “the republic for which it stands.”


 * Extended Thinking or Reasoning, Synthesis, Evaluating, Creating:** “Write a contract between yourself and a friend that includes an allegiance to a symbol that stands for something you both believe in.”


 * Extended Thinking or Reasoning, Synthesis, Evaluating, Creating:** “Describe the purpose of the pledge and assess how well it achieves that purpose. Suggest improvements.”


 * __Rigor/Relevance Framework:__** Rigor (Level of Critical Thinking) as the Y Axis, Relevance (Level of Application Outside of the Discipline) as the X Axis:



From: []

· Instruction and/or assessment that requires high rigor and high relevance would fall into the D Quadrant of the Rigor/Relevance Framework.
 * __More information about the Rigor/Relevance Framework:__**

· Instruction and/or assessment that requires low rigor and low relevance would fall into the A Quadrant of the Rigor/Relevance Framework.

· Instruction and/or assessment that requires high rigor but low relevance would fall into the C Quadrant of the Rigor/Relevance Framework.

· Instruction and/or assessment that requires low rigor but high relevance would fall into the B Quadrant of the Rigor/Relevance Framework.

**__Articles:__**

Rigor Redefined (Tony Wagner) []

Defining Rigor (Washington State Newsletter) []


 * __PowerPoints:__**