What Does Academic Rigor Mean?
Michael Toth and David Sousa, authors of The Power of Student Teams (2019), describe academic rigor as:
“Having an academic culture in the classroom in which there are high expectations for all students to achieve challenging core curriculum standards—content and skills—through engagement and higher-order thinking with autonomy from the teacher.” (p. 13)
Let’s analyze that definition by dividing it into sections and considering the complete significance of academic rigor:
Deanna Senn, author of The Ultimate Guide to Academic Rigor, reflects on the full meaning of academic rigor below:
1. Rigor Is a Classroom Culture:
If rigor embodies a classroom culture, it indicates that there isn’t a singular rigorous assignment, nor does it rest on posing the ideal question or merely removing the anchor chart during the task. Rigor can only be attained when we establish expectations and routines that continually emphasize the conditions necessary for rigor.
2. There Are High Expectations for All Students to Achieve Challenging Core Curriculum Standards:
To discuss the importance of having high expectations for all students, we must first examine the learning environments that facilitate support for everyone. Merely stating that we want equitable treatment for all students is insufficient.
We must clearly outline the experiences we desire for students within a nurturing learning atmosphere and organize the details so that every student can meet the demands of a challenging curriculum.
What elements should be incorporated into the classroom? How can we provide support and direction? We must move beyond superficial commitments to high expectations for all students. We need to articulate what a classroom culture would entail under the framework of heightened expectations and then work towards making that culture a tangible reality.
3. Students Will Achieve Content and Skills Through Engagement and Higher-Order Thinking:
This aspect of the definition is what we typically associate with academic rigor. However, even though we recognize that students gain from higher-order thinking, the challenge lies in consistently involving students at the level of higher-order thinking specified in the standards. As you strive to cultivate a rigorous culture in your classroom, it is crucial to keep the standards and learning objectives in mind. In a rigorous classroom, tasks concentrate on advancing learning towards the standards while offering numerous opportunities for students to engage in the thinking and skills required by those standards.
4. Students Need Autonomy from the Teacher:
In numerous lessons, we observe educators guiding students, or even the entire class, to the solution rather than allowing students to uncover the answer independently. It is essential for students to have chances for autonomy—not just when they showcase their understanding, but also throughout the learning journey itself.
Frequently, Senn hears teachers say they guide students to the answer because they believe “students are not able to work on their own.” A more precise way to express this might be: “Students struggle to make the leap to the answer independently.” This struggle exists because students require assistance as they engage with their learning. However, that assistance doesn’t always have to originate from the teacher, and it certainly shouldn’t be overly simplified for students.
Support can come from various learning materials and peer collaboration, enabling students to tackle the work independently and thus take ownership of their education.
The Elements of Rigor Are Connected to Each Other
Senn explains all components that contribute to the definition of academic rigor are interconnected. Omitting any aspect will make it significantly more challenging, if not unfeasible, to attain academic rigor in your classroom(s).
- Engagement and advanced cognitive skills are established based on elevated expectations and classroom dynamics.
- Student independence cannot exist without high expectations, and it lacks meaning without engagement and higher-order thinking.
- Only when engagement and higher-order thinking are combined with student autonomy can a productive struggle occur.
The components of the definition for academic rigor are interconnected, and it is essential to discuss rigor in conjunction with productive struggle and a growth mindset.
Why is it beneficial for students to face challenges?
Senn previously noted, students require independence from the teacher during their learning process, not solely when they are assessed through testing. An effective blend of independence and challenging academics allows students to regularly engage in productive struggles and cultivate a growth mindset. For academic rigor, it’s essential for students to assume responsibility for their own education.
Carol Dweck, in her 2006 book Mindset, explains the concept of a growth mindset: “Academic rigor requires that students take ownership of their own learning.”
Individuals who possess a growth mindset believe they can conquer challenges and acquire new abilities, which leads them to appreciate the value of perseverance and commitment. As a result, a growth mindset has been shown to mitigate the adverse effects of poverty on academic success (Claro, et al., 2016).
How a Culture of Productive Struggle Fosters a Growth Mindset
Senn emphasizes that the concepts of productive struggle and academic rigor are crucial for developing a growth mindset. How can students recognize that they can enhance their abilities and intelligence if they don’t observe their personal growth during lessons?
A growth mindset cannot be imparted through a single lesson; it must stem from the perseverance and dedication that students demonstrate while tackling challenging academics. It is through the process of surmounting challenges and acquiring new skills that students begin to realize their own potential.
Not many individuals trust in abilities they haven’t frequently been called upon to showcase. Confidence develops through continuous practice and by applying skills in various contexts.
For instance, Senn explains she possess a growth mindset when it comes to cooking because she does it regularly. Senn opens to experimenting with new techniques and adjusting as required. If Senn rarely cooked, she wouldn’t feel self-assured trying out new recipes and making ingredient substitutions. Senn would likely stick to a handful of recipes, hesitant to experiment with unfamiliar spices and ingredient combinations, since She would lack practice in navigating challenges in the kitchen.
The same concept applies in an educational setting. The only way for students to cultivate a growth mindset regarding their learning is to repeatedly tackle academic challenges and acquire new skills in a nurturing atmosphere.
How Do Academic Rigor and Productive Struggle Manifest in the Classroom?
Senn explains that the academic challenges and productive struggles encountered by students equip them to tackle the complexities they will encounter as adults, including scenarios lacking a straightforward solution that require collaborative problem-solving.
Productive struggle is a common element in many of our adult brainstorming discussions. You can probably remember the last instance where you were involved in problem-solving, challenged your thoughts, or shared your opinions at work.
In professional environments, we often begin discussions without knowing the anticipated solution. The aim of the dialogue is to arrive at a new resolution. These brainstorming activities stimulate our thinking, enabling us to generate innovative ideas.
It can be difficult to link our adult experiences of productive struggle with, for instance, kindergarteners engaging in similar struggles as they work on identifying the beginning, middle, and end of a narrative.
Two elementary students are seated on the floor with notebooks in hand as they engage in discussions about challenging content and experience productive struggle.
Students in School District U-46 in Elgin, Illinois, engage in discussion, debate, and productive struggle with rigorous academic material.
Senn provides an example of what a classroom of academic rigor and productive struggle appear as:
- Students experimenting with new concepts and engaging in informal discussions with one another.
- Students linking their thoughts with those of their classmates and enhancing their ideas through others’ input.
- Students supporting their viewpoints with evidence.
Visualize a classroom where students are immersed in productive struggle and undergoing academic rigor.
It might be loud; it may seem somewhat chaotic at first. This is not a classroom where students are quietly completing a worksheet at their desks. Instead, these students are working together and actively seeking out learning resources as they converse and investigate.
A rigorous classroom also features tasks, assigned by the teacher, that invite meaningful debate and challenge for students.
Productive struggle varies in appearance and sound due to factors such as grade level, subject matter, and prior knowledge.
What is crucial is the ability to recognize when students are genuinely grappling with concepts and pushing their limits.
Senn provides a first-grade classroom example of Academic Rigor and Productive Struggle:
An Illustration of Academic Challenge and Productive Effort in a First-Grade Classroom:
Diana Montes teaches first grade at Cedar River Academy within the Cedar Rapids Community School District in Iowa. She is applying the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning in her classroom, resulting in her students thriving as they encounterchallenges and take initiative.
Diana emphasizes a particular project in which her students ventured beyond their comfort zones while honing new academic abilities.
“It’s thrilling to see them working together and collaborating. One project I assigned was focused on various habitats. I instructed them to create a design. Some students chose to create designs, while others opted to use words, which was very encouraging for me as a first-grade teacher, because many find writing challenging. I observed numerous children willing to step outside their comfort zones, such as those who typically struggle with reading and writing, attempting to write their own words. They actively raised their hands to ask, what’s that letter for that sound? because they were eager to try writing words. They desired to engage in something they weren’t entirely certain about, yet they wanted to make the attempt. They understood they were in a secure environment that allowed them to do so.”
Diana Montes
Educator, Cedar River Academy, Iowa (2025)
What Makes It Challenging to Attain Academic Rigor in Lessons?
Achieving academic rigor can be challenging because tasks are frequently not designed for productive struggle.
For productive struggle to happen, the task must be slightly more challenging than what a student can easily accomplish; students must develop their skills and knowledge to complete the task. They need to feel confident in seeking answers and understand how to find them without depending solely on the teacher.
If students can finish the task without gaining new knowledge or insights, there is essentially no struggle; they are merely recalling information they already possess.
On the other hand, if the task appears insurmountable, students may struggle unproductively, leading to situations where you find yourself assisting each student individually. This is why Senn often hears teachers express, “I aimed to create a rigorous task, but the students couldn’t manage it.”
“The struggle becomes unproductive if there’s no support available to help students navigate through their challenges.”
When teachers are encouraged to design rigorous tasks that promote student independence, they might interpret independence as “without any assistance.” However, expecting students to tackle tasks that demand more than mere recall without any guidance sets them up for failure. Senn refers to this as the Rigor Trap: the mistaken belief that students will independently solve challenging tasks, as if understanding and new knowledge will automatically materialize in their minds.
The Rigor Trap
The challenge of achieving academic rigor may not be rooted in the task itself. The real issue often stems from insufficient structures and support for carrying out the task. Academic rigor and productive struggle can be hindered when students do not have the necessary resources to engage with a challenging task independently, without requiring the teacher to guide them step by step. If we aspire for students to develop new understandings beyond their existing knowledge and to engage in higher-level analysis and application—and if the teacher realistically cannot be expected to assist each student individually throughout the activity—what alternatives exist?
Students can rely on two additional resources to facilitate their learning and growth during tasks: interaction with their peers and available resources. Here are three questions to reflect on to avoid falling into the Rigor Trap:
- Have I given clear instructions so that students comprehend what is required of them?
- In what ways can students assist one another and participate in discussions during the task?
- How can students obtain suitable resources promptly as they learn?
Reference
Toth, M. D., & Sousa, D. A. (2019). The power of student teams: Achieving, social, emotional , and cognitive learning in every classroom through academic teaming. Learning Sciences International.
Senn, D. (2025). The Ultimate Guide to Academic Rigor. https://instructionalempowerment.com/library/academic-rigor/
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Publishing Group.