Learning Intentions and Success Criteria: Clarity That Accelerates Learning

Boost achievement by using clear learning intentions and success criteria to make goals visible and measurable.

How clear are your students about what they are learning and how they’ll know they’ve learned it? Clarity is one of the most powerful drivers of student achievement, and it starts with clearly defined learning intentions and success criteria. This workshop explores how the deliberate use of learning intentions and success criteria fosters clarity in the classroom, leading to improved student achievement. Participants examine the impact of clarity on instructional outcomes, learning how to craft clear, student-centered objectives aligned with standards and essential questions. Through engaging examples and hands-on practice, educators learn to make learning goals visible and measurable. Strategies for co-creating success criteria and using them to drive feedback, self-assessment, and goal setting are also highlighted.

Core Needs Addressed

  • Lack of clarity in instructional goals and expectations for students

  • Students' limited understanding of what success looks like in their learning

  • Underutilization of learning goals and success criteria as tools for feedback and assessment

  • Inconsistent student engagement in their own learning process

Key Learnings

  1. Crafting Clear and Purposeful Learning Intentions
    Educators will develop the ability to articulate precise learning intentions that communicate the why behind each lesson, using language that is student-friendly and aligned with essential standards and big ideas.

  2. Designing and Implementing Success Criteria
    Participants will learn how to create and apply success criteria (e.g., rubrics, checklists, “I can” statements) that help students monitor their own progress and understand what quality work looks like.

  3. Empowering Students Through Feedback and Reflection
    Teachers will gain strategies to incorporate student self-assessment, goal setting, and peer feedback, promoting a classroom culture of ownership, growth, and metacognitive engagement

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Learning Intentions and Success Criteria: Clarity That Accelerates Learning

Boost achievement by using clear learning intentions and success criteria to make goals visible and measurable.

Led by our team of Instructional Strategists

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Last Updated

Apr 15, 2026 2:48 PM

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Designed for School Leaders asking...

How can we ensure clear learning intentions and success criteria are consistently used to produce measurable gains in student achievement?

What instructional practices will ensure students understand learning goals and can accurately assess their own progress toward mastery?

How do we build teacher capacity to implement clarity-driven instruction that improves engagement, feedback quality, and academic outcomes?

This workshop helped me better understand the challenges families face and gave me practical strategies to strengthen communication and engagement. I now feel more confident in building supportive partnerships with families to improve student success.

Jen Soloman

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Delivering Powerful Learning Experiences

As a result of this work

As a result of this work, educators will implement clear learning intentions and success criteria to increase instructional clarity, ensuring students understand what they are learning and how to demonstrate success. Teachers will leave with practical strategies, student-centered objective-writing techniques, and tools for co-creating success criteria that support effective feedback, self-assessment, and goal setting.

Workshop Description

How clear are your students about what they are learning and how they’ll know they’ve learned it? Clarity is one of the most powerful drivers of student achievement, and it starts with clearly defined learning intentions and success criteria. This workshop explores how the deliberate use of learning intentions and success criteria fosters clarity in the classroom, leading to improved student achievement. Participants examine the impact of clarity on instructional outcomes, learning how to craft clear, student-centered objectives aligned with standards and essential questions. Through engaging examples and hands-on practice, educators learn to make learning goals visible and measurable. Strategies for co-creating success criteria and using them to drive feedback, self-assessment, and goal setting are also highlighted.

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Designed for Today's Schools

Customized
Expert-led
In-person, virtual, or asynchronous
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Research-Based
Nationwide

Educators will confidently

Educators will confidently develop and implement clear learning intentions and success criteria that make goals visible, measurable, and aligned to standards. This work supports district priorities by strengthening Tier 1 instruction, building coherence in daily practice, and improving student achievement through greater clarity and purposeful learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes your workshops different from traditional professional development or other providers?

Our approach goes beyond one-size-fits-all professional development. We hold ourselves to rigorous standards of quality and delivery in every client interaction, ensuring that each experience is meaningful, relevant, and impactful. We don’t just deliver workshops—we build long-term partnerships with schools and districts, working alongside educators to improve instructional practices and student outcomes over time.

We actively listen to educators’ unique contexts and experiences, using that insight to collaboratively design tailored solutions rather than pre-packaged sessions. Our team asks thoughtful questions, challenges assumptions, and continuously learns so we can help redefine what’s possible in teaching and learning.

Above all, we communicate authentically, foster positive and productive relationships, and bring a deep passion and commitment to education. The result is professional learning that feels purposeful, personalized, and truly transformative.

Who are your workshops designed for?

Our workshops are designed for educators and school leaders, including teachers, instructional coaches, school administrators, and district teams. Each session is tailored to the specific audience to ensure content is relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

What does a typical workshop look like?

Our workshops are interactive, engaging, and grounded in real classroom practice. Each experience is intentionally designed using the principles of andragogy, sound instructional design, and the core constructs of effective professional development to ensure relevance, coherence, and impact. Participants engage in discussion, reflection, planning, and application activities — not just passive listening. Educators leave with concrete strategies and next steps they can implement right away.

How long are your workshops?

We offer flexible formats, including half-day, full-day, and multi-session series. We can also design ongoing professional learning experiences to support sustained implementation over time.

What delivery methods are available for your workshops?

We offer flexible delivery options to meet the needs of schools and districts, including in-person sessions, live virtual workshops, and asynchronous learning through our applied learning platform. Regardless of format, all experiences are designed to be interactive, engaging, and collaborative, with structures that promote meaningful participation and application of learning.

What kind of follow-up support is available?

We believe professional learning is most effective when it’s sustained. In addition to workshops, we offer instructional coaching, implementation planning, and follow-up sessions to help teams translate learning into practice and drive meaningful results.

Who facilitates the workshops?

Inspired Instruction’s workshops are facilitated by a nationwide team of expert Instructional Strategists.  Our facilitators bring diverse experience as classroom educators, instructional coaches, principals, directors, and superintendents, spanning all content areas. We thoughtfully match your specific needs with a facilitator whose expertise aligns to ensure the learning experience is relevant, practical, and impactful for your staff.

How much does it cost to bring a workshop to my school or district?

We offer a range of pricing options designed to meet the needs of different schools and districts. Our Client Directors work closely with you to understand your goals, scope, and budget, and will partner with you to design a high-quality professional learning experience that fits within your financial framework.

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