The Exit Card
Exit Cards are a simple and efficient way for teachers to gather data to make informed
adjustments to their instruction to meet the varying needs of their students. A teacher might use
this strategy for one or more of the following reasons.
1. To gather information about the students’ understanding of a skill/idea/assignment.
2. To gather information that will help the teacher plan for future classes.
3. To gather feedback about a lesson or unit.
Although the examples below are organized by four content areas, these are examples are
designed to illustrate the ways these cards can be used in any setting. As with so many
pedagogical tools, the key is for you to make it your own so that it fits your particular needs. For
those of you who teach students who cannot yet read/write, check out the tips at the bottom of
this document.
MATH
Sample A: This card allows students choice in topic. You can limit the choice to what works for your needs. All
students will be practicing the same skills or concepts; they are just using different material to do so. Notice that
the skill in each activity is the same; it’s just the application that is different.
Name:
Class:
We’re going to spend 30 minutes next class working with the new information you learned in class today
about ratios. Please read the following descriptions and choose the one that interests you the most:
 Basketball: You’ll analyze assist to turn-over ratios
 Art: You’ll analyze size ratios through a hands on activity
 Food: You’ll analyze ingredient ratios for party planning
 Transportation: You’ll analyze speed ratios
Sample B: This card is about learning style. When students have choice, their engagement increases; they are in
control of how they learn for a portion of class. Engagement doesn’t have to mean “fun”—kids can be engaged in
something they don’t enjoy. Knowing that you care enough to provide options goes a long way.
Name:
Class:
We’re going to spend the first part of next class going over the homework to make sure we’re all ready to
move on. Check which method is most helpful to you:
 Work in pairs to go over answers, then check with teacher
 Teacher goes over homework on board
 Student led discussion
Sample C: Like Sample B, this card allows choice, but not necessarily around an interest area. By allowing students
to have choice about what they need extra help with, they are more likely to engage in the review activities, and are
consequently more likely to understand the content.
Name:
Class:
As you know, you have a test next week on rates of change. Which of the following skills do you need more
work with:
 None. I’m all set and could ace the test today.
 Optimization
 Related Rates
 Other:
SCIENCE
Sample A: This card allows you to determine how well students understand a concept that you taught in class. It’s
important to word the question in a way that will be useful to you (and efficient). When you collect them, you can
quickly separate them into “Got it,” “Kind of,” and “Not Yet” piles.
Name:
Class:
Think about what we worked on in class today. In 25 words or fewer, explain how you can prove that
there is water in the air?
Sample B: Often students need to get information from a textbook, which many students struggle with due to
skills. This card lets you respect student learning differences while maximizing learning. Notice that all options
require notes and discussion—it’s the reading process that is different.
Name:
Class:
Next class we will be learning new material from the textbook. Check which method will best help you
learn the material:
 I like to read silently, take notes, and then discuss with the class.
 I like to work with a partner, take notes, and then discuss with the class.
 I like to read along as someone reads aloud, take notes together, then discuss with the class.
Sample C: This card addresses both skills and engagement; offering students choice about their learning helps keep
them interested.
Name:
Class:
As you know, you have a test next week on cells. Which of the following do you need more work with
(check all that apply):
 None. I’m all set and could ace the test today.
 Vocabulary--names of organelles and their functions
 The diagram—knowing where everything goes
 The big picture—how the cell maintains life
 Other:
ENGLISH
Sample A: This card would be attached to the homework when the student turns it in, helping the teacher get into
the mind of the student.
Name:
Class:
How long did this assignment take?
Describe the setting where you completed the homework:
How much brain power did this take? 1-10 (1 = little / 10 = lots)
Why do you think I had you do this assignment?
Sample B: This card is most effective if there are at least 15 minutes of work time at the end of class so that you
can address any misconceptions prior to homework. If students don’t understand what they did in class, doing
more of it at home won’t be helpful (and might actually hurt)—or, they might just not do it.
Name:
Class:
Your homework tonight is to write a draft of a legend. What is a legend?
How is a legend different from a short story?
What most confuses you when you think about writing your own legend?
Sample C: This card helps prepare organizers to help students access the same homework assignment.
Name:
Class:
For homework next week you’ll need to read a long short story. It’s a tough story, with some difficult
vocabulary. Choose which tool will help you understand and stay engaged with the text.
o
o
o
A chart that I can fill in as I read
Guidelines for close-reading
Questions that I can answer after I read
SOCIAL STUDIES
Sample A: This card allows students to choose the format of their work. All students will be practicing the same
skills or concepts; they are just using different material to do so. This is a great way to allow students to see
relevance and to be engaged by the content. Notice that the skill in each activity is the same; it’s just the application
that is different.
Name:
Class:
Next class we will be using the knowledge you gained about the colonies and the road to revolution. Please
pick the option that most interest you. You are all working with the same content, just making sense of it in
different ways:




Music: you’ll write the lyrics to a song that tells the story of the road to revolution
Art: you’ll create a visual that tells the story of the road to revolution
Math: you’ll create a mathematical representation of the road to revolution
Writing: you’ll write a persuasive speech that tells the story of the road to revolution
Sample B: This card is about learning style. When students have choice, their engagement increases; they are in
control of how they learn for a portion of class. Engagement doesn’t have to mean “fun”—kids can be engaged in
something they don’t enjoy. Knowing that you care enough to provide options goes a long way.
Name:
Class:
Next class we will be learning new material from the textbook. Check which method will best help you
learn the material:
 I like to read silently, take notes, and then discuss with the class.
 I like to work with a partner, take notes, and then discuss with the class.
 I like to read along as someone reads aloud, take notes together, then discuss with the class.
Sample C: Like Sample B, this card allows choice, but not necessarily around an interest area. By allowing students
to have choice about what they need extra help with, they are more likely to engage in the review activities, and are
consequently more likely to understand the content.
Name:
Class:
As you know, you have a test next week on the Middle Ages. Which ones describe your needs?




None. I’m all set and could ace the test today.
The Big Picture: how we got into and out of the Middle Ages
The Details: the who, what, when, and where of it all
Other:
EXAMPLES FOR NON READERS/WRITERS
Obviously we need to adjust this strategy for student who cannot yet read or write. One approach is to
make generic cards beforehand that include each student’s name (unless the students can write their
name). Rather than asking a question in writing, though, you can pose the question orally and then have
students circle the face that best describes whether they get it, almost get it, or don’t get it. This requires
that beforehand you teach students how an image equates to one of these learning states. For example,
Got It
Almost Got It
Don’t Get It
The nice thing about this approach is that students can identify their learning state in private, which
means they will be more likely to be honest. But sometimes there are situations when we want to get a
quick sense of where our young ones are in their learning, but we don’t want to slow down for a card.
Here are two strategies that can work well.
One strategy is the windshield analogy. We can talk to kids about how a windshield can be Clear (Got it),
Buggy (Almost Got It), or Muddy (Don’t Get It).
Another strategy is the fist to five strategy. We can pose a question to students and have them raise a
hand. Five fingers = Got It; Fist = Don’t Get It; and 2-4 fingers represent shades of Almost Got It. The
nice thing about this strategy is that you can do it privately; just ask the class to put their heads down
before they raise their hand.
Finally, we could also give our students stickers: green (Got It), yellow (Almost Got It), and red (Don’t
Get It).