Using Exemplars & Models

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Why it works

Research on formative assessment shows that students develop a clear sense of what quality looks like, essential for producing it and self-assessing, far more effectively from concrete exemplars and models than from abstract rubric language alone. Showing strong (and contrasting weaker) examples, analyzing what makes them work, and co-constructing or clarifying criteria from them, makes quality concrete and gives students a real target. The caution is to use exemplars to illuminate the qualities of good work (so students can transfer them), not as templates to copy.

The research: Research on exemplars, models, and formative assessment.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: make quality concrete with exemplars

Teachers leave with exemplars and a plan to illuminate quality for one assignment.

Pick an assignment where students struggle to know what good looks like.
Gather or create exemplars of strong (and contrasting weaker) work.
Analyze with students what makes the strong work work, connecting it to criteria.
Use them to illuminate qualities, not as templates to copy.

Show what good looks likeStudents cannot produce quality they have never seen. Use concrete exemplars to make quality tangible and criteria clear, to illuminate, not to copy.

Facilitator notes

Use concrete exemplars, and analyze what makes strong work strong.
Connect to criteria.
Illuminate qualities, do not provide templates.

Rubric language alone leaves quality abstractCriteria in words are often too abstract to guide students. Show concrete exemplars of strong and weak work to make quality tangible.

Adapt it

Elementary: clear models, what good looks like.
Secondary: exemplars, criteria, analysis, transfer.
All settings: concrete exemplars, illuminate qualities.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Exemplars & Models: show what good looks like

Make quality tangible: analyze strong and weak exemplars, connect to criteria, illuminate qualities, do not template.

The assignment where students struggle to know what good looks like:
The exemplars of strong and weaker work I will use:
What makes the strong work strong (connected to criteria):
How I use them to illuminate, not template:
Where rubric language was too abstract:

Make it stick

Show what good looks like:

Show what good looks like.
Illuminate, don't template.
Bring an exemplar that clarified quality to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't a rubric enough to show expectations?

Rubric language is often too abstract. Concrete exemplars of strong (and weak) work make quality tangible, students see what the criteria actually mean, far better than words alone.

Won't students just copy the exemplar?

Not if you use it to illuminate the qualities of good work (why it works), not as a template. Analyze several examples and the criteria, so students understand and transfer the qualities, not copy.

Should I show weak examples too?

Often yes. Contrasting strong and weak work helps students see the difference and understand the criteria, as long as it is done respectfully (not real student work used as a bad example).