Classroom Assessment Scoring System - CLASS
Pre-K OverviewKim Roberts
Ashland Early Childhood Regional Training [email protected]
Classroom âQualityâ
What? Who? Where?
STRUCTURE
Curriculum
Standards
How?
PROCESS
Implementation
Relationships
Childrenâs Academic & Social Development
Academic & Social Interactions
Materials
Training and Education
How Do We Measure Classroom Process?
⢠Classrooms are complex places
⢠We need a lens through which to view them
⢠The lens we choose impacts what we see
⢠The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) offers a lens through which to view classrooms that has several advantages:
â Reliable, validated measure
â Reflects the complexity of classrooms
â Provides a common language
The CLASS Lens
Reliable, not valid Not valid, not reliable Reliable and valid
Source: www.georgetown.edu/departments/psychology/researchmethods/ researchanddesign/validityandreliability.htm
What Does the CLASS Measure?
Emotional Support
Positive Climate
Negative Climate
Teacher Sensitivity
Regard for Student Perspectives
Instructional Support
Concept Development
Quality of Feedback
Language Modeling
Classroom Organization
Behavior Management
Productivity
Instructional Learning Formats
What the CLASS Is NOT
⢠Not just about the teacher, i.e., this teacher is a â3â
⢠Not a checklist⢠Not about the physical environment⢠Doesnât capture all aspects of the
classroomâ Cultural Sensitivityâ Literacy
Childrenâs Learning Gains and the CLASS
NCEDL Research
⢠Largest studies of state-funded preschool classrooms to date
⢠6 States in the Multi-State Study (2001) selected based on diversity in:â 40 school/centers selected randomly, per stateâ stratified by: teacher credentials (BA vs. no BA),
in school vs. non-school, and full/part day
⢠5 SWEEP States (2003) selected to:â aimed for 100 school/centers selected randomly, per stateâ No stratification
⢠Both studies: 1 classroom selected randomly ⢠Both studies: 4 children per class selected
randomlyâ half girls; half boys, 4-year-olds
Multi-State Study of Pre-K California, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, & New York
States in the Study
SWEEPMassachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, & Wisconsin
Profiles of Pre-K Classrooms
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
14% 18% 27% 21% 20%
% of Classrooms
Emotional Support
ClassroomOrganization
Instructional Support
Average Score
on CLASS
LoCasale-Crouch et al, 2006
Gains in Achievement in Emotionally Supportive Elementary Classrooms
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
No problemsMultiple problems
Standardized tests of achievement adjusted
Low Moderate High
1st Grade Emotional Support
Kindergarten adjustmentproblems
Hamre & Pianta, 2005
Gains in Achievement in Instructionally Supportive Elementary Classrooms
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
High Mat EdLow Mat Ed
Standardized tests of achievement adjusted
Low Moderate High
1st Grade Instructional SupportHamre & Pianta, 2005
The CLASS Dimensions
How is the CLASS Organized?
3 DomainsEmotionalSupport
ClassroomOrganization
InstructionalSupport
10 dimensions PC NC TS RSP BM P ILF CD QF LM
Multiple Indicators Define Each Dimension
Multiple Behavioral Markers Define Each Indicator
How is the CLASS Organized?
Dimension
Indicator
Behavioral Markers
Emotional SupportDomain
Emotional Support Domain
How do teachers help students develop
â Warm, supportive relationships with teachers and peers
â Enjoyment of and excitement about learning
â Feelings of comfort in the classroom
â Appropriate levels of autonomy
Positive Climate
⢠Reflects the emotional connection between teachers and students and among students, and the warmth, respect, and enjoyment communicated by verbal and
non-verbal interactions.
â Relationshipsâ Positive Affectâ Positive Communicationâ Respect
Positive Climate
⢠Teachers and children are comfortable with one another and enjoy spending time together: matched affect, enthusiasm, social conversation.
⢠Not necessarily all grins and giggles - different teachers have different styles and demeanors
⢠Respect - different from regard
Positive Climate Video Exemplars
⢠Shared Enjoyment When Puppet Says âBoo!ââ Relationshipsâ Positive Affectâ Respect
⢠Social Conversation During Center Timeâ Relationshipsâ Positive Affectâ Positive Communicationâ Respect
Negative Climate
⢠Reflects the overall level of expressed negativity in the classroom. The frequency, quality, and intensity of teacher and peer negativity are key to this scale.
â Negative Affect
â Punitive Control
â Sarcasm/disrespect
â Severe Negativity
Negative Climate
⢠Not the absence of Positive Climate, but rather the presence of specific behaviors that express negativity in the classroom.
⢠These includeâ Anger or irritationâ Use of threats or yelling to control the childrenâ Sarcasm or disrespectâ Severely negative behaviors such as hitting or fighting
Negative Climate
⢠It is rare to have classrooms score in the middle or high range.
⢠The more instances of negativity the higher the code.
⢠Severe negativity results in automatic 7.
Teacher Sensitivity
⢠Encompasses the teacherâs awareness of and responsiveness to studentsâ academic and emotional needs. High levels of sensitivity facilitate studentsâ abilities to actively explore and learn because the teacher consistently provides comfort, reassurance, and encouragement.
â Awarenessâ Responsivenessâ Addresses Problemsâ Student Comfort
Teacher Sensitivity
⢠Levels of awareness influence abilities to adapt and respond to childrenâs needs.
⢠Teachers address academic and emotional needs.
⢠How comfortable are the children approaching and sharing their ideas and products with the teacher?
Teacher Sensitivity Video Exemplars
⢠Addressing Fire Alarm Concerns â Awarenessâ Addresses Problemsâ Student Comfort
⢠Differentiating Instruction to Support Individual Students â Awarenessâ Responsivenessâ Addresses Problemsâ Student Comfort
Regard for Student Perspectives
⢠Captures the degree to which the teacherâs interactions with students and classroom activities place an emphasis on studentsâ interests, motivations, and points of view, and encourage student
responsibility and autonomy.
â Flexibility and Student Focusâ Support of Autonomy and Leadershipâ Student Expressionâ Restriction of movement
Regard for Student Perspectives
⢠Teachers follow the childrenâs lead.
⢠Children have opportunities to participate and contribute.
⢠Teachers encourage student independence.
⢠Children assume leadership roles.
⢠Children are encouraged to express themselves.
⢠Appropriate movement is allowed and encouraged.
Regard for Student Perspectives Video Exemplars
⢠Children Lead a Classroom Routine â Flexibility and student focusâ Support for autonomy and leadershipâ Restriction of movement
⢠Giving Children Leadership Roles â Flexibility and student focusâ Support for autonomy and leadershipâ Student expressionâ Restriction of movement
Emotional Support Domain Sorting Activity
⢠Break into groups.⢠Determine which Emotional Support dimension
best matches each scenario:â Positive Climateâ Negative Climateâ Teacher Sensitivityâ Regard for Student Perspectives
⢠Attach scenario to the appropriate dimension. ⢠As we review, write appropriate dimension on
your sheet for later reference.
Instructional Support Domain
How do teachers help students
â Learn to solve problems and think creatively
â Get individualized feedback about their learning
â Develop more complex language abilities
Concept Development
⢠Measures the teacherâs use of instructional discussions and activities to promote studentsâ higher order thinking skills and cognition and teacherâs focus on understanding rather than rote instruction.
â Analysis and Reasoningâ Creatingâ Integrationâ Connections to the Real World
Concept Development
⢠Discussions and activities encourage analysis and reasoning.
⢠Opportunities for creativity are provided.
⢠Activities are integrated with previous learning.
⢠Connections to life outside of school are made.
Concept Development Video Examples
⢠Predicting and Experimenting with Eggsâ Analysis and reasoningâ Creatingâ Integrationâ Connections to the real world
⢠Linking Prior Knowledge to New Knowledgeâ Analysis and reasoningâ Connections to the real world
Quality of Feedback
⢠Assesses the degree to which the teacher provides feedback that expands learning and understanding and encourages continued participation.
â Scaffoldingâ Feedback Loopsâ Prompting Thought Processesâ Providing Informationâ Encouragement and Affirmation
Quality of Feedback
⢠Scaffolding supports student learning.
⢠Teachers persist in feedback loops with children.
⢠Children are asked to explain their thought processes.
⢠Teachers clarify and expand information.
⢠Encouragement and affirmation increase childrenâs involvement in learning.
Feedback Loop Example #1
It is a cold and rainy day. Lucas asks his teacher why they are not going outside to play. The following exchange takes place:
Lucas: Why do we have to stay inside?Teacher: What do you think, Lucas?Lucas: I donât know.Teacher: Look out the window and tell me what you see.Lucas: Rain. Teacher: What would happen if we went outside?Lucas: Weâd get wet.Teacher: And how would that make us feel?Lucas: Yucky. Teacher: Thatâs right. We would feel yucky because our clothes would get wet from the rain. That is why we are staying
inside right now.
Feedback Loop Example #2
Hwa is playing shape bingo. She has not had any trouble matching the pictures of the circle, square, oval, or triangle to the pictures on the bingo mat. However, she is stumped by the rectangle and calls her teacher over.
Hwa: I need help.Teacher: I think you can figure this one out. Letâs look and see whether there
is another one that looks similar.Hwa: (places the picture of the rectangle on top of a picture of a square and
asks her teacher if that is right)Teacher:They look a lot alike, but they are not the same. See how all four
sides of the square are the same? What is different about the sides of this
shape? Hwa: (looks as the rectangle again) Bigger.Teacher:You are right, two of the sides are bigger or longer. Can you find a
shape where two of the sides are longer?Hwa: (scans the bingo mat and quickly matches the rectangle)
Providing Information Examples
⢠Expansionâ The teacher wraps up a lesson on community helpers by
asking if anyone can think of a community helper. Alonzo says, âMail carrier.â His teacher says, âThatâs right, mail carriers are community helpers because they bring us our letters and packages.â
⢠Clarificationâ Child calls a pair of gloves âmittens.â The teacher explains,
âGloves are like mittens because they keep our hands warm, but gloves are different because they have spaces for each of our fingers. Mittens have a big space for all of the fingers on one hand.â
⢠Specific feedbackâ The teacher asks if anyone can tell her two rhyming words.
John says, âCat and hat.â The teacher says, âYes, cat and hat are rhyming words. Cat has âatâ and hat has âatâ. They sound the same in the middle and the end.â
Ineffective Feedback
⢠Miss Karen asks the children to look at the weather chart and tell her whether they have had more sunny days or more cloudy days. Sharice says, âCloudy.â Miss Karen says, âNoâ and then asks if anyone else knows the answer.
Effective Feedback
⢠When discussing the weather chart, Sharice says that there have been more cloudy days than sunny days which is the wrong answer. In response, the teacher says, âLetâs look at the chart and count the number of cloudy days.â The teacher and Sharice count together. Sharice forgets the number that comes after 3 so the teacher gives her a hint, âFfffâŚ.â Sharice says, â4, 5 â 5 cloudy days!â Then the teacher says, âLetâs count the number of sunny days,â and they count together again. After Sharice correctly identifies the number of days as 7, the teacher asks Sharice to tell her which number is bigger. Sharice answers, âSunny.â The teacher responds, âYouâre right. There are 7 sunny days and 5 cloudy days so there are more sunny days than cloudy because 7 is more than 5.â
Quality of FeedbackVideo Exemplars
⢠Prompting Thought Processes about Shadowsâ Feedback loopsâ Prompting Thought Processes â Provide Informationâ Encouragement and Affirmation
⢠Using Clues to Identify the Name of a Book â Scaffoldingâ Feedback Loopsâ Encouragement and Affirmation
Language Modeling
⢠Captures the quality and amount of teacherâs use of language-stimulation and language-facilitation techniques.
â Frequent Conversationâ Open-ended Questionsâ Repetition and Expansionâ Self & Parallel Talkâ Advanced Language
Language Modeling
⢠Natural conversations are encouraged.
⢠Teachers ask open-ended questions that require more complex language to answer.
⢠Repetition and extension honors and models language use.
⢠Teachers connect actions to words with self- and parallel talk.
⢠Advanced language is used and connected to known words.
Language ModelingVideo Exemplars
⢠Walkie-Talkies in Centersâ Frequent Conversationâ Open-ended Questionsâ Repetition and Extension
⢠Encouraging a Child to Describe Her Hatâ Open-ended Questionsâ Repetition and Extension
Classroom Organization Domain
How do teachers help studentsâŚ
â Develop skills to help them regulate their own behavior
â Get the most learning out of each school day
â Maintain interest in learning activities
Behavior Management
⢠Encompasses the teacherâs ability to provide clear behavior expectations and use effective methods to prevent and redirect misbehavior.
â Clear Behavior Expectationsâ Proactiveâ Redirection of Misbehaviorâ Student Behavior
Behavior ManagementVideo Exemplars
⢠Communicating Expectations before Work Timeâ Clear behavior expectationsâ Proactiveâ Student behavior
⢠Clear Behavioral Expectations during Transitionâ Clear behavior expectationsâ Proactiveâ Redirection of misbehaviorâ Student behavior
Productivity
⢠Considers how well the teacher manages instructional time and routines and provides activities for students so that they have the opportunity to be involved in learning activities.
â Maximizing Learning Timeâ Routinesâ Transitionsâ Preparation
Productivity Video Exemplars
⢠Making the Most of Snack Timeâ Maximizing learning timeâ Transitions
⢠Creating Routines in the Classroomâ Maximizing learning timeâ Routinesâ Transitionsâ Preparation
Instructional Learning Formats
⢠Focuses on the ways in which teachers maximize studentsâ interest, engagement, and ability to learn from lessons and activities.
â Effective Facilitationâ Variety of Modalities and Materialsâ Student Interestâ Clarity of Learning Objectives
Instructional Learning Formats
⢠Even though âinstructionalâ is in the title, this is NOT about the quality of instruction.
⢠Itâs about the âhooksâ teachers use to engage children.â NOT the kinds of questions the teacher asks, rather that the
teacher asks questions to engage children; andâ NOT whether or not the children are learning something,
rather that they are engaged and interested so that the potential for learning is there.
⢠Clarity of learning objectives is not all or nothing.
Instructional Learning Formats Video Exemplars
⢠Using Name Cards and Letters to Engage Students in a Lessonâ Effective facilitationâ Variety of modalities and materialsâ Student interest
⢠Creative Story Readingâ Effective facilitationâ Variety of modalities and materialsâ Student interest
Copyright 2008 CASTL
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