Goals

In this guide, you will learn

• What goals are, and how they differ from regular assignments
• How to create a goal
• How to edit a goal
• How to view student progress on a goal

What are Goals?

Goals in Spark School are objectives that allow students to work at their own pace, as opposed to regular assignments, which are due on a specific day. Goals are useful for detailed, long-term projects or more flexible, individualized learning paths. Students can submit progress for their goals, and the teacher can monitor their pace and provide feedback until the goal is complete.

Key Differences Between Goals and Regular Assignments:

• Goals: Students complete them at their own pace, submitting progress regularly.
• Assignments: Scheduled with fixed dates and deadlines that are visible on the student's portal.

Creating a Goal

1. Access the Goal Modal
   • Navigate to the Assignment Calendar via the left navigation bar or within a classroom.
   • Click Add New at the top-right or hover over a date and press +Assignment.
   • In the modal, choose the assignment type: Goal.
2. Enter Goal Details:
   • Students: Choose which students will work on this goal.
   • Student Response: Specify the type of response required (e.g., text, upload).
   • Reward Points: Set the reward points for completing the goal.
   • Subject: Select the subject area.
   • Classroom: Choose the relevant classroom.
   • Term: Assign the goal to a specific term.
3. Create the Goal Objective:
   • Define the goal's objective and the timeframe in which it needs to be completed. This is where the teacher specifies the task (e.g., reading a book, completing a workbook) and the date range.
4. Finalize:
   • Click Create or Create & View Assignment to proceed. If you select the latter, a modal will appear, allowing you to add additional instructions, attachments, or details.

What is the Goal Objective?

The goal objective is the key task or achievement that the student is expected to complete, along with the timeframe for completion. Examples:

• Read a 20-chapter book over one month.
• Finish a 100-page workbook over the term.
• Write a six-paragraph essay in three days.

Spark School will automatically calculate the recommended pace for the student based on these parameters, adjusting as progress is made.

Editing a Goal

To make adjustments to an existing goal, navigate to the Assignment Calendar, locate the goal, and click to edit. You can modify the details, such as the objective, students, or response types, and save your changes.

Viewing Progress

You can monitor your students' goal progress through these locations:

1. From the Dashboard:
   • Go to the Student Activity Tracker on the dashboard.
   • Click on the student’s picture and select Goals to see all current goals along with progress.

1. From the Assignment Calendar:
   • Go to Assignments or to your classroom's Schedule and locate the goal. The percentage of completion will appear next to the goal.
   • If the Show Submissions option is not enabled, go to View Options and select it.
   • Click on the percentage to view detailed progress and feedback.