Feedback Foundations
What is the definition of formative feedback according to Walsh?
Feedback that fuels thinking, guides improvement, and supports self-directed learning.
What is one example of generic praise that doesn’t move practice forward?
Great job!” or “Nice work!” without specifics.
What are Hattie’s three levels of feedback?
Task, Process, and Self-Regulation
How does feedback influence student engagement?
Improves instruction, which increases student ownership and involvement.
Why is formative feedback important for school leaders to prioritize in their walkthroughs and observations?
It directly influences instructional quality and student learning outcomes
What is descriptive feedback?
Feedback that describes what was observed in relation to criteria or goals.
What type of feedback is this? “You grouped students based on their reading levels, which supported better differentiation.
Task-level feedback
What tool did we use last year to assess student engagement during observations?
Student Engagement Observation Tool
What are two characteristics that distinguish formative from summative feedback?
Timely and improvement-oriented vs. evaluative and judgment-based.
What type of feedback fosters reflection and collaboration between teacher and administrator?
Dialogic feedback
What level of feedback helps students become self-directed learners?
Self-regulation feedback
Name one visible behavior from the engagement tool that aligns with effective instruction.
Students are explaining their thinking or collaborating with peers
Name one barrier that often prevents leaders from delivering high-quality feedback.
Time constraints, lack of training, discomfort with dialogue, etc.
Which type of feedback tends to shut down teacher thinking?
Judgmental or overly critical feedback
Your use of graphic organizers helped students structure their thinking across content areas - Is an example of what type of feedback?
Process-level feedback
How can formative feedback based on engagement look-fors support a struggling teacher?
Gives specific, non-evaluative data to guide reflection and next steps.
What does it mean for feedback to be “instructionally actionable”?
The teacher knows what to do next and how to do it to improve instruction.
Provide an example of feedback that includes both a description and a probing question.
You used questioning strategies that involved 80% of the class. How might you increase opportunities for student-initiated questions?
Which level of feedback has the greatest long-term impact on student learning, according to Hattie?
Self-regulation.
Why is it important to maintain a consistent connection between feedback and engagement?
It helps align improvement efforts with student outcomes, making change more meaningful.