class

Classrooms are complex. Every day, in the midst of this complexity, teachers make hundreds of decisions and engage in hundreds of interactions that directly impact their students. The CLASS™ observation tool helps educators break down this complexity and focus on interacting effectively with students, no matter what grade or subject they teach.

The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS):
• Is an observational instrument developed at the University of Virginia to assess classroom quality
• Describes multiple dimensions of teaching that are linked to student achievement and development
• Has been validated in over 2,000 classrooms
• Can be used to reliably assess classroom quality for research and program evaluation
• Provides a tool to help new and experienced teachers become more effective; and
• Is being used as part of the innovative professional development tool, MyTeachingPartner, focusing on improving the dimensions of Quality Teaching.

What is the CLASS™ Tool?

The Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS™) is an observational tool that provides a common lens and language focused on what matters—the classroom interactions that boost student learning.

Data from CLASS™ observations are used to support teachers’ unique professional development needs, set school-wide goals, and shape system-wide reform at the local, state, and national levels.

Based on research from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and studied in thousands of classrooms nationwide, the CLASS™ tool

focuses on effective teaching
helps teachers recognize and understand the power of their interactions with students
aligns with professional development tools
works across age levels and subjects

The CLASS™ tool works. CLASS™-based professional development tools increase teacher effectiveness—and students in classrooms with higher CLASS™ scores achieve at higher levels than their peers in classrooms with lower CLASS™ scores.

Who Uses the CLASS™ Tool?

The CLASS™ tool is used by teachers, administrators, researchers, and data collectors for a variety of purposes, including

The CLASS™ observation tool is currently used to improve teaching across schools, districts, states and large-scale federal programs by clients such as

CLASS™ Observations

CLASS™ Observations break down the complex classroom environment to help educators focus on boosting the effectiveness of their interactions with learners of all ages. Observations rely on categorizing interactions within the CLASS™ framework.

Domains
The CLASS™ tool organizes teacher-student interactions into three broad domains:

Emotional Support
Classroom Organization
Instructional Support

Dimensions
Within each of these domains, interactions are further organized into multiple dimensions. Dimension examples include:

Positive Climate—focuses on how teachers interact with children to develop warm relationships that promote children’s enjoyment of the classroom community.

Concept Development—focuses on how teachers interact with children to promote higher-order thinking and cognition.

Observing Classrooms
Trained and certified CLASS™ observers visit classrooms or view classroom video, recording observations and assigning numerical codes related to each of the CLASS™ dimensions. The CLASS™ codes provide a snapshot of the classroom interactions that are working well along with areas for growth. Studies in thousands of classrooms show that students achieve at higher levels in classrooms with higher CLASS™ codes. CLASS™-based professional development is designed to help teachers build on their strengths, grow professionally, and increase the effectiveness of their interactions with students.

E-mail me if you would like more information about CLASS or for help in finding educational opportunities in your area.