Exit ticket, exit slip, exit card, exit prompt, exit pass… All of these terms are used interchangeably to describe a quick assessment given at the end of a lesson or class period. Not only will I share everything you need to know about using exit tickets in your classroom, but will also provide some free exit ticket printables to use with any lesson in any subject.
Read below for the answers to these frequently asked questions and get the FREE printables:
- What is an exit ticket?
- Why do we use exit slips?
- What are the benefits of using an exit ticket?
- Is an exit slip a formative assessment or a summative assessment?
- What is a 3-2-1 Summary
You will also…
- Learn how to differentiate exit slips
- See exit slip examples
- Get ideas for exit slip bulletin boards
- Find out how to organize exit slips
What is an Exit Ticket?
An exit ticket is a formative assessment tool used to determine student knowledge and understanding, comfort level with the content, concept, or skill, or to check for misunderstandings at the conclusion of a lesson.
It consists of a prompt or question that is clearly connected to the objective of the lesson and focuses on one concept or skill explicitly taught that day. In addition, it requires a (written, typed, oral, etc.) response from students.
An exit ticket can come in the format of multiple choice or open response. It is not recommended to use yes/no or true/false formats because it does not provide as much information to the teacher.
These mini-assessments should take between 1 and 5 minutes. When completed, you do not need to formally grade the assessment. Instead uses the information to inform your instruction. This assessment tool can be implemented as part of a daily routine, weekly, or as needed.
What is the Purpose of Exit Slips?
Exit tickets are used to inform our instruction. By collecting data, we are able to get feedback on students’ knowledge and understanding, comfort level with the content, concept or skill, and whether there are any student misunderstandings.
How to Use Exit Tickets
After collecting the data, you may ask yourself, “What should I do with this data?” It’s as easy as following these three steps…
1. Analyze and Sort the Data
Ask yourself these questions: How did my class do as a whole? How many students displayed proficiency? Are there groups of students that made the same mistake or have the same misconception? How can I sort the data in a meaningful way? How many groups does my class fall into based on their performance on the assessment? Are there any outliers? How did specific students perform? Are there other factors to consider?
2. Determine who Needs Support and Intervention and How You are Going to Give it.
Ask yourself: How many total students need support? Should I review the content, concept, or skill with the whole class? Are there small groups of students with similar needs?
3. Plan your Instruction.
Ask yourself: What will the intervention look like? What can the other groups work on that will challenge them and meet their needs? What extensions can I design where students will be challenged to apply the content, concept, or skill in a new way?
Exit slips can also be used to determine prior knowledge. The teacher can give an exit ticket at the end of class that is based on the topic being learned the following day. In addition, entrance tickets are another variation of exit tickets.
What are the Benefits of Using Exit Tickets?
If you are wondering why you should use exit slips, consider the benefits below.
- They quickly provide data on student progress.
- They facilitate reflection opportunities for students.
- They’ll hold students accountable for each day’s lesson.
- They offer a mode of communication between students and teachers.
- Kids get restless towards the end of a subject block knowing a transition is coming. The use of exit tickets keeps them focused and on task right to the end and prevents many behavior problems that often arise during transitional times.
Is an Exit Ticket a Formative Assessment?
Yes, an exit ticket is a formative assessment. It is not an assessment that is meant to be graded and sent home. Instead, teachers collect it, use it to monitor progress and inform instruction, and possibly keep some for student samples.
How do I Differentiate Instruction when Using Exit Slips?
Here are three suggestions for making accommodations or modifications when using exit tickets to meet the differentiated needs of all learners:
- Have a variety of exit slips available and provide differentiated versions as needed.
- Partner students to work on their exit slips together or allow them to work in small groups.
- Allow students to respond to the exit slip task verbally or with technology.
What are Some Examples of Exit Prompts?
- I would like to learn more about…
- Read this problem and tell me what your first step in solving it would be.
- Write one positive and one negative thing that happened during group work today.
- Did you enjoy working with a partner today? Explain why.
- Did you enjoy working with a small group today? Explain why.
Exit Tickets to Use with ANY Lesson
In addition to the prompts above, I have also created a no prep, print-and-go resource with 20 Exit Slips you can use with ANY lesson.
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Math Exit Tickets for Grades 1-5
Learn more about our math exit tickets by selecting the one for your grade level below. You can access all 5 grade levels in our elementary math resource collection.
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What is a 3-2-1 Summary?
A 3-2-1 summary is one of many kinds of exit tickets. It is quite popular. It follows a consistent structure:
- 3: Write 3 things you learned from the lesson.
- 2: Write 2 things you found interesting or want to learn more about.
- 1: Write 1 question you still have.
Exit Ticket Board and Exit Slip Display Ideas
Creating an exit ticket board or display is helpful because it supports you in creating a routine for when students have exit tickets.
Introducing this to your students at the beginning of the year will increase learning time because you will not need to explain where to put the exit ticket each time you do it.
Students, after having learned the routine, will quickly fill out the exit ticket and pass it in by placing it into the designated spot.
In closing, we hope this information about exit slips was helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in learning about using exit tickets in math. Head there for tons of great information!
