Standardized Observation: A Mechanism for Understanding and Improving Classrooms

1. CASTL Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning Standardized Observation: A Mechanism for Understanding and Improving Classrooms Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch University of Virginia

2. Thank you to… • Funders • Carnegie Corporation, Ford Foundation and Annenberg Foundation • Institute of Education Sciences • NICHD SECCYD • Foundation for Child Development • Faculty and Staff • Teachers and students • For more information • www.classobservation.com

3. Classroom Effects • Gaps in performance at school entry range from .5 - 1 s.d. • Most of the gap at the end is there at the start • Schooling can mitigate the gap • A significant portion of variance in student learning is explained at the classroom level • Deflections in the trajectory of student learning can be attributed to their experiences in specific classrooms

4. This Research Tells Us… • Classroom experiences matter • BUT it does not: • Identify specific processes that lead to student learning and positive social adjustment • Anchor classroom effects in verifiably observable indicators • Critical to the capacity of scientific inquiry to advance the training of teachers and improvement of classrooms.

5. How can we approach these issues scientifically? • Systematic, rigorous, and progressive • Build on prior knowledge • Make changes at-scale • Significant improvement in American education • Positively influence children and teachers

6. Standardized observation as a cornerstone to understanding classrooms • What do you see? • Watch the following clip from your perspective on classroom quality • What judgments did you make? • How did this compare to what others saw? • How is this related to child outcomes?

7. How Do We Measure Classrooms? • Classrooms are complex places • We need a lens through which to view them • The lens we choose impacts what we see

8. Emphasize the Positive Looking for Problems Classrooms are for Instruction

9. CONTENT/ STRUCTURE PROCESS How is it taught? What gets taught? Who teaches? Where do they teach? Implementation Relationships Curriculum Academic & Social Interactions Standards Materials Children’s Academic & Social Development Classroom “Quality”

10. CLASS Conceptual Framework • Based on theories of children’s development and schooling • Is applicable to relating inputs (e.g., teacher training) and outputs (e.g., student learning) across a broad range of educational settings • Relies upon and generates metrics for assessing classrooms that can be incorporated into solution-oriented policies and practices

11. Standardized observation: Support for high quality interactions Professional development/ training Observational Assessment Social and academic outcomes for children CLASS Emotional Organizational Instructional Resource allocation Improved teacher outcomes Evaluation Curriculum

12. The CLASS Lens • The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is a measure of classroom interactions that: • Reliable, validated measure • Reflects the complexity of classrooms • Provides a common language and metric • Produces benefits for children’s development Reliable, not valid Not valid, not reliable Reliable and valid Source: www.georgetown.edu/departments/psychology/researchmethods/ researchanddesign/validityandreliability.htm

13. What does the CLASS measure? Classroom Organization Behavior Management Productivity Instructional Learning Formats Instructional Support Concept Development Quality of Feedback Language Modeling Emotional Support Positive Climate Negative Climate Teacher Sensitivity Regard for Student Perspectives Procedures & Skills Content Understanding Analysis & Problem Solving Quality of Feedback Regard for Adolescent Perspectives

14. General Training Procedures • Pre-training • Two days of intensive training • Extensive use of video examples and discussion • Individual dimensions • Five 20 minute segments • Reliability testing • Five segments • 80% within one of “gold” standard • On-going trainings to counter drift and maintain reliability

15. General Comments About Training • Push people to identify behavioral indicators • Of teachers and students • Use the manual to sort • Separate own lens from CLASS lens • Extensive use of videos and discussion • Intense, exhausting, affirming, encouraging • Doable

16. General Observation Procedures • Watch for 20 minutes • Take notes on CLASS dimensions • Code all 10 dimensions at end of 20 minutes • 1-7: 1-2 low, 3-5 moderate, 6-7 high • Begin new cycle • Observe during all classroom activities except outside recess • If the class goes to outside recess during segment and: • >=10 minutes code CLASS • <10 minutes begin new coding session when class returns

17. Children’s Learning Associated with the CLASS

18. Large-scale observational studies • National-level studies • NICHD Study of Early Child Care • National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) • Up to 1,000 settings observed at preschool, K, 1, 3, 5 ― 5,000 classrooms total • Large set of systematic standardized classroom observation in U.S. schools • Studies offer a national view on classrooms

19. Classroom “quality” • Structural • Teacher degree, class size, curriculum • Process: ECERS • Characteristics of the classroom environment • Process: CLASS • Teacher-child interactions

20. Predicting student development Summary of models predicting changes in children literacy & language development from beginning to end of preschool (controlling for covariates) X X X X

21. Patterns in Findings • Higher CLASS scores were associated with: • Higher standardized tests of early literacy • Higher standardized tests of academic functioning • Lower levels of internalizing behaviors • More behavioral engagement

22. Gains in achievement in emotionally supportive classrooms 107 106 Kindergarten adjustment problems 105 104 Standardized tests of achievement adjusted 103 No problems 102 101 Multiple problems 100 99 98 Low Moderate High 1st Grade Emotional Support (Hamre & Pianta, 2005)

23. Gains in achievement in instructionally supportive classrooms 107 106 105 104 Standardized tests of achievement adjusted 103 High maternal education Low maternal education 102 101 100 99 98 Low Moderate High 1st Grade Instructional Support (Hamre & Pianta, 2005)

24. Classroom Patterns Observed with the CLASS

25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 What is the quality of the classroom setting? • Emotional support • Organization • Instructional support

26. Profiles of Pre-K Classrooms 7 6 5 Emotional support Average Score on CLASS 4 Classroom organization 3 Instructional support 2 1 0 14% 18% 27% 21% 20% % of Classrooms

27. Implications • Focus regulation and training resources on teachers’ interactions with children • Strive toward moving instructional dimensions and implementation “up” the scale of quality interactions • More uniform, consistent exposure to high quality for children • Create gap-closing classrooms

28. Overview of the CLASS website and dimensions

29. How is the CLASS Organized? 3 Domains Emotional Support Classroom Organization Instructional Support 10 Dimensions PC NC TS RSP / BehM PD ILF / CD QF LM Multiple Indicators define each Dimension Multiple Behavioral Markers define each Indicator

30. How is the CLASS Organized? Emotional Support Domain Dimension Indicator Behavioral Markers

31. Emotional Support • How do teachers help students develop… • Warm, supportive relationships with teachers and peers • Enjoyment of and excitement about learning • Feelings of comfort in the classroom • Appropriate levels of decision making and autonomy

32. 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. • Relationships • Physical proximity, shared activities, peer assistance, matched affect, social conversation • Positive Affect • Smiling, laughter, enthusiasm • Positive Communication • Verbal affection, physical affection, positive expectations • Respect • Eye contact, warm, calm voice, respectful language, cooperation/sharing • Preschool, elementary, high school (disc)

33. 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. • Negative Affect • Punitive Control • Sarcasm/Disrespect • Severe Negativity

34. Teacher Sensitivity • Encompasses the teacher’s awareness of and responsivity to students’ academic and emotional needs. High levels of sensitivity facilitate student’s ability to actively explore and learn because the teacher consistently provides comfort, reassurance, and encouragement. • Awareness • Responsiveness • Addresses Problems • Student Comfort

35. Regard for Students’ Perspectives • Captures the degree to which the teacher’s interactions with students and classroom activities place and emphasis on student’s interests, motivations and points of view and encourage student responsibility and autonomy. • Flexibility and Student Focus • Support of Autonomy and Leadership • Student Expression • Restriction of Movement • example

36. Classroom Organization • How do teachers help children… • Develop skills to help them regulate their own behavior • Get the most learning out of each school day • Engage and maintain interest in learning activities

37. Behavior Management • Encompasses the teacher’s ability to provide clear behavioral expectations and use effective methods to prevent and redirect misbehavior. • Clear Behavior Expectations • Proactive • Redirection of Misbehavior • Student Behavior

38. 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. • Maximizing Learning Time • Routines • Transitions • Preparation

39. Instructional Learning Formats • Focuses on the ways in which teachers maximize students’ interest, engagement, and ability to learn from lessons and activities. • Effective Facilitation • Variety of Modalities and Materials • Student Interest • Clarity of Learning Objectives • example

40. Instructional Support • How do teachers help students: • Learn to solve problems and think creatively • Understand the “big ideas” and apply knowledge in novel situations • Get individualized feedback about their learning • Develop more complex language abilities

41. Language Modeling • Captures the quality and amount of teacher’s use of language-stimulation and language-facilitation techniques. • Frequent Conversation • Open-ended Questions • Repetition and Expansion • Self & Parallel Talk • Advanced Language

42. Concept Development • Measures the teacher’s use of instructional discussions and activities to promote student’s higher order thinking, skills, and cognition and teacher’s focus on understanding rather than rote instruction. • Analysis and Reasoning • Creating • Integration • Connections to the Real World

43. Quality of Feedback • Assesses the degree to which the teacher provides feedback that expands learning and understanding and encourages continued participation. • Scaffolding • Feedback Loops • Prompting Thought Processes • Encouragement and Affirmation • Example, example (disc)

44. Teacher Support and Development with the CLASS

45. Building Science in Teacher Education • In-Service • MyTeachingPartner • National Center for Research in Early Childhood Education • Pre-Service • Teachers for a New Era (a UVA site)

46. MyTeachingPartner: The Road Less Traveled “The 3 C’s” MTP Approach Courses Ongoing Credentials Individualized Curriculum and materials Collaborative Flexible myteachingpartner.net

47. MyTeachingPartner • Provide professional development at statewide scale: • Literacy, oral language, social relationships, self-regulation • 240 Participating PreK teachers-3 conditions • Materials (traditional), Website access, Consultancy • Support high-quality teacher-child interactions with CLASS as the frame

50. Reflection Knowledge Expertise Support Teaching Practice Classroom Observation Observation and the Consultancy • Observationprovides a link from knowledge, expertise and support to actual teaching practices • The Consultancy is designed to support reflection on these observations, thus strengthening this link