Student engagement is the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education.

Enrichment Programs such as exploratory activities, in-depth materials on a topic, and self-selected independent projects provide gifted and talented students with opportunities to add to or go beyond the existing curriculum, since gifted and talented students generally gain a basic understanding of content standards quickly. Activities may also be extended to those who may not necessarily be officially classified as gifted, but excel in certain areas.

This microcredential represents educators' consistent and effective focus on equity and accessibility in three-dimensional science instruction in secondary science classrooms. This stack of microcredentials fulfills one of the requirements of the pathway for the Secondary Science Endorsement.

Use this checklist to evaluate your plans before you submit them as evidence.

Explicit Instruction is an evidence-based approach to effective instruction that provides a series of engaging instructional supports or scaffolds. Explicit Instruction includes the design of effective lessons as well as highly responsive and interactive teaching. It teaches complex skills through the clear presentation of material, high levels of student engagement, frequent opportunities to respond with feedback, and systematic use of scaffolds. Initial practice is carried out with high levels of teacher involvement. As students gain proficiency, the educator reduces support, and provides sufficient practice so that students are able to independently apply their new skills in a wide variety of situations.

Exploring Antarctica: Standard 7.NS.2 Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division and of fractions to multiply and divide rational numbers.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

Fairly Solvable: Standard 8.EE.7 Solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable. Give examples of linear equations in one variable with one solution,infinitely many solutions,or no solutions. Show which of these possibilities is the case by successively transforming the given equation into simpler forms, until an equivalent equation of the form x=a, a=a, or a=b results(where a and b are different numbers). Solve single-variable linear equations and inequalities with rational number coefficients, including equations and inequalities whose solutions require expanding expressions using the distributive property and collecting like terms. Solve single-variable absolute value equations.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

Farm Animals: Standard 8.EE.2 Use square root and cube root symbols to represent solutions to equations of the form x2=p and x3 =p, where p is a positive rational number. Evaluate square roots of small perfect squares and cube roots of small perfect cubes. Know that 2 is irrational.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

Feedback can be defined as “information allowing a learner to reduce the gap between what is evident currently and what could or should be the case” regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding that reduces the discrepancy between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood. Leveraging technology can enhance the feedback process in numerous ways.

Find the Distance: Standard 8.G.8 Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points in a coordinate system.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

Firefighter Allocation: Standard 6.EE.7 Solve real-world and mathematical problems by writing and solving equations of the form x + a = b and ax = b for cases in which a, b and x are all non-negative rational numbers.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

This microcredential represents educators' use of effective instructional techniques in the Fitness for Life course. The foundation of the Fitness for Life is based on these 5 components. The Fitness for Life course is a requirement for high school graduation in Utah.

Flipped Classrooms are a structure in which traditional classroom activities (such as lecture) are reviewed at home or before the class, often via pre-recorded video or audio presentations, which prepares the students for more interactive, discovery, questioning, and engagement in active learning activities in the classroom itself. In a flipped classroom, the background knowledge is expected to be gained through what has historically been “homework” and the kinds of activities done historically outside of classroom hours, such as cooperative learning, application-and practice, are done at school with the support of the teacher and peers.

Food Advenue Takout: Standard 7EE.1 Apply properties of operations as strategies to add, subtract, factor, and expand linear expressions with rational coefficients.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

Formative Assessment is a planned, ongoing process used by all students and teachers during learning and teaching to elicit and use evidence of student learning to improve student understanding of intended disciplinary learning outcomes and support students to become self-directed learners.

The Formative Assessment Process Toolkit was created by the Utah State Board of Education to support the Personalized Competency-Based Learning framework. The purpose of this toolkit is to increase capacity for educators to leverage the formative assessment process to inform personalized instruction and more effectively work with students to build competency.  *Updated April 2024.

This microcredential focuses on the roles, responsibilities, and dispositions an effective instructional coach demonstrates. Instructional coaching in education has the potential to inspire, support, motivate, challenge and push thinking, and impact change. In order for these changes to occur instructional coaches need to develop and possess a variety of professional dispositions and qualities. Note that earning this Microcredential requires prerequisites as aligned with the USBE Instructional Coaching Endorsement and is intended as a competency path for an experienced instructional coach.

From Data to Instructional Response is a guiding document that is a flow chart from screening assessments, like Acadience Math, to selecting and implementing a targeted intervention. It gives suggestions on how to design an instructional response to a student's data and current performance.

Gloria's Garden: Standard 8.G.6 - Explore and explain proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse.
This formative assessment exemplar was created by a team of Utah educators to be used as a resource in the classroom. It was reviewed for appropriateness by a Bias and Sensitivity/Special Education team and by state mathematics leaders. While no assessment is perfect, it is intended to be used as a formative tool that enables teachers to obtain evidence of student learning, identify assets and gaps in that learning, and adjust instruction for the two dimensions that are important for mathematical learning experiences (i.e., Standards for Mathematical Practice, Major Work of the Grade).

Goal Commitment is a student’s determination to achieve a particular goal. Goal commitment is especially important when the goal is both specific and difficult to accomplish.