Student entry level criteria helps to determine a common understanding of the level students are entering a grade level in a specific area of focus. It is intended to utilize a simple colour system and once established, the entry level criteria can be used to:
- Determine the colour of student cards/entry levels on visual team boards, or in software such as WeCollab
- Determine which students should be focused on when planning supports and/or classroom instruction
- Support transition meetings as students move from grade to grade
- Used by other grade levels to determine targets to be aiming for when planning forward
Developing the student entry level criteria is most effective when it can be grounded in common assessment criteria, and developed collaboratively by teams to ensure that all team members have a shared understanding of students at various levels of development. This process also helps to establish a measure of consistency across classrooms.
We have developed a Student Entry Level criteria template, that can be utilized and adapted by schools. Please feel free to use, adapt and refine as it best fits your needs.
Have you established shared Student Entry Level Criteria for your teams? We would love to receive and share any samples. Please email us at so we can continue to recognize and celebrate the work being accomplished by teams across our educational landscape!