Success Criteria: Product vs. Process

Success criteria in the form of rubrics and exemplary examples are great tools, but what if you teach math, science, a CTE elective, or are doing some skill based reviewing in a humanities class? It’s easy to make your success criteria “to find the right answer.” However, we want our students to be able to identify the processes they go through to find the right answer, rather than the end product-- the right answer.

Product success criteria can be defined as focusing on only the endpoints of a lesson. Whereas, process success criteria can be defined as explaining how the learning target will be achieved. Students are more actively engaged in the process of learning.

According to Connie Moss and Susan Brookhart’s book Learning Targets they believe, “Many educators mistakenly assume that they are sharing success criteria when they tell their students how many questions they should get right on an assignment or encouraging them to shoot for a certain score or simply to ‘do their best.’ These vague criteria cannot foster the kind of meaningful goal setting or critical self-assessment that our theory of action requires. Success criteria are not ways to certify student understanding in terms of grading language: scores (55/60), grades (A+), percentages (95%), or any other numbers or labels. Rather, they describe what it means to do quality work in today’s lesson in student-friendly terms that are ‘lesson-sized,’ observable, and measurable. Students can use the criteria to plan, monitor, and assess their own learning progress.”

Here is a simple math example of product versus process success criteria (adapted from Samaira Nasim):

Learning Target: I can use a multiplication grid to calculate AB x AB.

Success Criteria (Product): I can find the answers as I calculate AB x AB by using a multiplication grid.

Vs.

Success Criteria (Process):
I will be able to…
1. Partition the numbers into A and B on the grid.
2. Multiply the numbers for the first square and put the answer in the box
3. Do the same for the rest of the grid total the four boxes
4. Explain how multiplication grid demonstrates about the process of multiplication

To sum up, success criteria that helps explain the process kids go through to meet the learning target is much more specific, helpful, and truly guides students through the critical thinking we need them to accomplish—even if the task is a seemingly simple one.

As always, we’d love some suggestions for future instructional tips.

Bridget & Brooke