The Quality Assignment Routine

Teachers use the Quality Assignment Routine to plan, present, and engage students in quality assignments and then evaluate assignments with students.

Teachers who used the Quality Assignment Routine had significantly more planning behaviors, use of key presentation behaviors, and use of key evaluation procedures, all of which are research-identified characteristics of good assignments, than when they did not use this routine and than the comparison group. Both teachers and students were significantly more satisfied with assignments in a study with students in grades 6-8.

Author(s): Joyce A. Rademacher, Donald D. Deshler, Jean B. Schumaker, and B. Keith Lenz

Publication Info: Edge Enterprises, 1998

This product is published by Edge Enterprises, Inc.  Professional development is recommended, see the SIM Event page for sessions.

Resources:

The Quality Assignment Routine Research (.pdf)

RESEARCH ARTICLES

• Rademacher, J., Tyler-Wood, T., Doclar, J., & Pemberton, J. (2001). Developing learner-centered technology assignments with student teachers. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 17(3), 18-25. This article describes a project in which technology experts worked with university faculty and student teachers to infuse technology into high-quality assignments incorporating aspects of the Quality Assignment Routine.
• Rademacher, J.A. (2000). Involving students in assignment evaluation. Intervention in School and Clinic, 35(3), 151-156. This article describes the relationships among the planning, presenting, and evaluating components of the assignment completion process, then provides guidelines for using the Quality Assignment Routine's PACE 1,2,... self-checking process.
• Rademacher, J.A. (1999). Enhancing assignment completion for academically diverse learners. In D.D. Deshler, J.B. Schumaker, K.R. Harris, & S. Graham (Eds.), Teaching every adolescent every day: Learning in diverse middle and high school classrooms (pp. 146-206). Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books. This book chapter discusses the planning of high-quality assignments, improving the nature of secondary assignments to students, presenting assignments with students, and technology as a tool for enhancing assignment completion.
• Rademacher, J.A., Schumaker, J.B., & Deshler, D.D. (1996). Development and validation of a classroom assignment routine for inclusive settings. Learning Disability Quarterly, 19(3), 163-178. Multiple-probe and comparison-group designs are used in combination to (a) identify and explore high-quality classroom assignments from the perspective of inclusion teachers and students (LD and non-LD) and (b) determine the effects of the Quality Assignment Completion Routine on content teachers' planning, explanation, and evaluation of assignments.
• Lenz, B.K., Bulgren, J.A., & Hudson, P. (1990). Content enhancement: A model for promoting the acquisition of content by individuals with learning disabilities. In T.E. Scruggs & B.Y.L. Wong (Eds.), Intervention research in learning disabilities (pp. 122-165). New York: Springer-Verlag. This book chapter discusses information processing and pedagogy for students with learning disabilities, including suggestions for teacher planning and teaching routines such as the Chapter Survey Routine, Concept Teaching Routine, and Assignment Completion Routine.

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