Topics: Implementation Support

Exit Tickets: Plan, Analyze, and Adjust

Jessica Bulgarelli

by Jessica Bulgarelli

May 23, 2023
Exit Tickets: Plan, Analyze, and Adjust

every child is capable of greatness.

Posted in: Aha! Blog > Great Minds Texas | Blog > Implementation Support > Exit Tickets: Plan, Analyze, and Adjust

Exit Tickets are quick formative assessments that can help you make instructional decisions effectively. But with so many other lesson components, assessments, and responsibilities to juggle, you might find yourself wondering whether Exit Tickets are worth the time and effort. In my experience, they are a valuable investment that informs planning and helps support all students with the grade-level content. Let’s explore how to use Exit Tickets efficiently for maximum benefit. 

Do the math! Know what the Exit Ticket should tell you.

To prepare for what you will see from students, consider working through the Exit Ticket yourself. As you do so, think about the different ways that students might do the math. What strategies might they use? What mistakes might they make? What can those possible approaches and missteps tell you about students’ understanding of the math? The time you take to do the math and to think about how students might engage with the problems will pay off because you’ll be able to quickly analyze the student data later.  

In addition, doing the math helps guide your instruction for the lesson. You can adjust your instruction in the moment because you know the desired outcome and the stumbling blocks that students might encounter. You’ll also be equipped to make intentional customization decisions about what to emphasize, adapt, or omit from the lesson to meet the needs of your students, maintain pacing, and meet lesson objectives. 

Quickly review students’ Exit Ticket work.

Have students complete the Exit Ticket at the end of the lesson. The Exit Ticket is intended to be a quick assessment of lesson objectives and should take about 35 minutes. Once you evaluate students’ work, sort Exit Tickets into three categories: Got It, Almost Got It, and Not Yet.  

Let’s consider the work of three students on a sample Exit Ticket from Grade 2. In this Exit Ticket, s must find 9+6 and 8+5.

Got It: Student demonstrates conceptual understanding of the lesson outcomes.

This image shows a solved student Exit Ticket with two problems. On the left, the student solves the problem 9 plus 6 equals blank by decomposing the 6, showing 6 as 1 plus 5. The student circles the 9 and 1, showing how they make a ten. Below, the student writes 9 + 1 = 10 and 10 + 5 = 15. The blank is filled in with 15.  On the right, the student solves 8 plus 5 equals blank by decomposing the 5, showing 5 as 2 plus 3. Below, the student writes 8 + 2 = 10 and 10 + 3 = 13. The blank is filled in with 13.The Got It category includes work that is correct or mostly correct, which demonstrates an understanding of the outcome. Student work that falls into this category might include small errors that are unrelated to the concept. As you sort work into the Got It category, think about the different strategies students used to be successful with the math. This example shows work from a student who successfully decomposed numbers to make use of the Make a Ten strategy. 

Almost Got It: Student shows basic misconceptions.

This image shows a solved student Exit Ticket with two problems. On the left, the student solves the problem 9 plus 6 equals blank. The student shows an incorrect decomposition of the 6, showing 1 and 7 under the 6. Below, the student writes 10 plus 7 equals 17. The blank is filled in with 17.  On the right, the student solves 8 plus 5 equals blank by decomposing the 5, showing 5 as 2 plus 3. Below, the student writes 8 + 2 = 10 + 3 = 13. The blank is filled in with 13.

The Almost Got It category includes work with one or two basic misconceptions. These errors indicate that the student needs more practice to solidify understanding, but they do not indicate larger learning gaps. As you sort work into the Almost Got It category, think about the errors you see and what you can ask or reinforce in coming lessons to help students resolve the errors and move on in the learning. This example shows work from a student who understands that they need to decompose a number and knows how to make ten, but who doesn’t consistently decompose numbers correctly. 

In response, you might build on the student’s ability to make ten and then help the student think about how making ten affects the addends. Consider asking students how they know their answer is reasonable. For instance, should the first problem have a sum that is greater than or less than 16? You may also want to challenge the student's use of the equal sign in the second problem.

Not Yet: Student shows deeper misconceptions.

This image shows a solved student Exit Ticket with two problems. On the left, the student solves the problem 9 plus 6 equals blank. The student shows an incorrect decomposition of the 9, showing 1 and 9 under the 6. To the right, the student writes 9 +1 = 10 and underneath that 10+1 = 11. The blank is filled in with 11.  To the right, the student solves 8 plus 5 equals blank. The student shows an incorrect decomposition of the 8, showing 2 and 8 under the 8. To the right, the student writes 8 + 2 = 10 and underneath that 10 + 12= 12. The blank is filled in with 12.

The Not Yet category includes work showing misunderstandings that warrant further attention. As you sort work into the Not Yet category, think about the misconceptions and how you’ll address them. This example shows work from a student who knows they want to make a ten but who does not decompose the other addend.  

In response, consider focusing the student on the reasonableness of their answer or checking their answer by using another method. You may build from the success of finding the partner to ten and use number bonds to help the student think through the rest of their work. 

Make instructional decisions.

Reflect on the overall work of the class. As you consider the data, keep in mind that Exit Tickets are formative assessments meant to inform instruction. They are not meant to be measures of proficiency but of progress toward proficiency. Don’t just focus on student errors; also note the strengths. Celebrate success! Share the successes with students and build on them in the lessons that follow to push learning further or to correct misconceptions.  

If most students do well on the Exit Ticket, correct small errors with a quick note or a question to advance student thinking. Even if you have many students in the Almost Got It and Not Yet categories, that does not necessarily mean you should reteach, extend the lesson, or even review the entire Exit Ticket with the whole class. What should you do then? Use the data to incorporate in upcoming instruction the specific skills and concepts that students still need. Consider the following approaches: 

Targeted Fluency Practice

Is there a foundational skill that posed issues for most of the class? If so, consider using fluency activities to continue to build this skill. For example, consider planning a Fluency activity focused on decomposing to make ten.  

Lesson Customization

Concepts can be highlighted or reiterated in the context of another lesson. In future lessons, incorporate scaffolding questions or additional steps to highlight skills that may need additional focus on the students’ path to mastery. For example, consider including discussion questions about how to know whether the way you adjust an addition problem to make ten and keep the same sum. 

Small Group Instruction

If a subset of the class makes similar conceptual errors and you have the structures in place to do so, consider addressing those errors in a small group setting. Work with students to correct misconceptions.  

While these are excellent ways to customize lessons to meet the needs of students, these methods are not always necessary. Remember that proficiency comes over time. Students usually have opportunities to engage with math concepts again in upcoming lessons. Often, no specific intervention is needed. Instead, use what you learn from examining student work on the Exit Tickets to bring certain concepts or procedures to the forefront as they appear in future lessons.  

Exit Tickets are a powerful and informative instructional tool. The more you use them, the more you’ll find them helpful to hone instruction and meet the needs of all students.  

 

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Topics: Implementation Support