In the long run, the only changes that really matter in schools are those changes that affect what students learn as a result of their experiences in schools and classrooms. -Phillip C. Schlechty

The quality of work that student do depends on the quality of work they are provided. Center for Leadership in School Reform

An exemplar is a lesson plan which focuses on student performance, and the quality of work given to and produced by the students. The basic premise of exemplars is to put focus on student work and how the student is performing in the classroom rather than totally focusing on teacher performance.

The Cook County school system began looking at the type of work we were asking our students to do approximately three years ago. This collective process came to be known as "Working on the Work." All administrators system-wide were trained to recognize quality work given to and produced by students. Teachers then received this training and were given in depth information on how to write an actual exemplar. At this point, teachers were ready to begin actually teaching exemplar lessons in their classroom.