1. CLASS: Application to Family Engagement

2. Goals and Objectives
Provide an opportunity for participants to explore how using concepts and strategies for teaching relationships, measured by CLASS, support Family Engagement
Identify and support with data evidenced based strategies for supporting parents in their roles as teacher and advocate for their children

3. What Does the CLASS Measure?
Emotional
Support
Positive Climate
Negative Climate
Teacher Sensitivity
Regard for Student Perspectives
Classroom Organization
Behavior Management
Productivity
Instructional Learning Formats
Instructional Support
Concept Development
Quality of Feedback
Language Modeling
The CLASS is organized according to 3 broad areas or domains of classroom quality:
Emotional Support
Classroom Organization, and
Instructional Support
Within each domain, there are multiple dimensions that contribute to the overall measured quality.
Copyright CASTL 2008

4. First Domain of CLASS Emotional Support
Teachers’ abilities to support social and emotional functioning in the classroom
The first CLASS domain we’ll be discussing is Emotional Support. Within Emotional Support we focus on how emotional environment in the classroom, including how teachers promote positive relationships, help students find enjoyment in learning, feel comfortable in the classroom, and experience appropriate levels of independence

5. Dimension1 Positive Climate
Emotional connection between teachers and students and among students: warmth, respect, and enjoyment communicated by verbal and non-verbal interactions
Relationships
Positive Affect
Positive Communication
Respect
When we look at a classroom that has high Positive Climate we think that it would be a fun place to be. We often see smiles and joint laughter in classrooms with high Positive Climate. The teacher seems to enjoy being with the children as evidenced by behaviors such as respectfully listening to what they say and joining in the children’s play.
There are 4 key indicators of Positive Climate. They are Relationships, Positive Affect, Positive Communication and Respect.

6. Family application Positive Climate:
Relationships: Take time to develop a positive appreciation for the family and their role
Positive Affect: Focus on what is wonderful about the child and the family
Positive Communication: Demonstrate enjoyment of the child and parent
Respect: Develop a foundation forlegitimate partnershhip

7. Dimension 2 Negative Climate
Overall level of expressed negativity: frequency, quality, and intensity of teacher and peer negativity:
Negative Affect
Punitive Control
Sarcasm / Disrespect
Severe Negativity
Clearly, Negative Climate is something that we don’t want to see in a classroom. Negative Climate is not simply the absence of Positive Climate; rather it is measured by the presence of specific behaviors associated with Negative Climate such as displays of anger, yelling, sarcasm or threats.
The indicators for Negative Climate include Negative Affect, Punitive Control, Sarcasm/Disrespect, and Severe Negativity.
It is important to note that peer negativity is important to capture in this dimension.

8. Dimension 3 Teacher Sensitivity
Teacher’s awareness of and responsivity to students’ academic and emotional needs:
Awareness
Responsiveness
Addresses Problems
Student Comfort
Teacher Sensitivity refers to the teacher’s awareness of and responsivity to students’ academic and social needs. The sensitive teacher serves as a secure base for students, providing them with the supports they need to actively explore and learn.
The indicators for Teacher Sensitivity are: Awareness, Responsiveness, Addresses Problems, and Student Comfort.
Copyright CASTL 2008

9. Family Application
Teacher’s awareness of and responsivity to students’ academic and emotional needs:
Awareness: Use vocabulary and materials that foster shared understanding and check for understanding
Responsiveness: respond to each parent individually and genuinely
Addresses Problems: Clarify issues and provide strategies and resources
Student Comfort: Notice and address parent’s level of comfort and ease

10. Dimension 4 Regard for Student Perspectives
Teachers’ interactions emphasize students’ interests, motivations, and points of view, and encourage student responsibility and autonomy:
Flexibility and Student Focus
Support of Autonomy &
Leadership
Student Expression
Restriction of movement
Regard for Student Perspectives encompasses a teacher’s ability to think about flexibility and to follow the children’s lead. This does not mean that the teacher fails to provide structure and routine, but rather it means that the teacher has the ability to respond to the children’s interests and ideas and is flexible to the extent that is appropriate. For example, a teacher who is high in this dimension might notice that several children are interested in the butterflies that are hatching in the science area. As a result, she may decide to put aside the book she had planned to read during story time and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar instead. A teacher who is low in this dimension might insist that children have to sit in a certain way during a story and not allow them to ask questions as they arise.
Copyright CASTL 2008

11. Application
Flexibility and Student Focus: Seek out parent and family concerns and create paths to required content
Support of Autonomy & Leadership: Offer choices and authentic input
Student Expression: Listen and validate parent report
Restriction of movement: Create an environment that is comfortable and warm.

12. Second Domain of CLASS Classroom Organization
Classroom processes related to the organization & management of children’s behavior, time & attention in the classroom
The second CLASS Domain is Classroom Management. It refers to the organization and management of students’ behavior, time, and attention in the classroom.
Clearly, classrooms function best when children are engaged in meaningful activities that are of high interest to them. Children who are engaged in meaningful activities are much less likely to engage in inappropriate behaviors than are children who are provided with uninteresting (or no) activities. When we refer to a high classroom high in classroom organization we often refer to it as a well oiled machine. It is not about the quality of the activity but the quantity of the learning opportunity we might say “I don’t know how the teacher could have possibly squeezed another idea in.

13. Dimension 1: Behavior Management
Teacher’s ability to provide clear behavior expectations and use effective methods to prevent and redirect misbehavior.
Clear Behavior Expectations
Proactive
Redirection of Misbehavior
Student Behavior
In our classroom we look for rules, routines, teachers/adults that scan the environment and see problems before they emerge…

14. Application
Clear Behavior Expectations: Clarify expectations and boundaries Proactive: Be alert to parent concerns or discomfort in an education setting Redirection of Misbehavior: Student Behavior

15. Dimension 2: Productivity
Teacher manages instructional time and routines and provides activities for students so that they have the opportunity to be involved in activities.
Maximizing Learning Time
Routines
Transitions
Preparation
We want to see teachers that have prepared for the day, all materials are organized and available as needed. There is smooth transitions that move children from one activity to another, the routines are established so there is little time wasted for decisions to be made on what to do next, and the time for self and directed instruction is maximized thought with few disruptions.
The quality of instruction is not considered when we look at Productivity. Thus, it is possible to observe a classroom in which the children move from one questionable activity to another, yet the classroom is rated as being highly productive because the instructional time and routines are well managed.
Copyright CASTL 2008

16. Application
Maximizing Learning Time: Insuring that parents have true input and work that is recognized Routines: Having a known agenda that includes activities and expectations for the professional and the teacher Transitions: Prepare parents for changes both in their child and in programs to develop their capacity as their child’s teacher and advocate Preparation: Be fully prepared with examples and anecdotal information that affirm content as well as the parents role

17. Dimension 3: Instructional Learning Formats
Teachers maximize students’ interest, engagement, and ability to learn from lessons and activities.
Effective Facilitation
Variety of Modalities
& Materials
Student Interest
Clarity of Learning
Objectives
Look for engaging activities, varieties of learning materials, look to see the interest level of children (wandering?) is there or can you recognize a clear learning objective to the activity?
In a classroom that has high use of Instructional Learning Formats, it is clear that the teacher has taken the time and effort to plan and facilitate interesting activities that draw the children into the learning process. The teacher may actively participate in the children’s play and ask questions that help the children make the most of the activities.
Copyright CASTL 2008

18. Application

19. Third Domain of CLASS Instructional Support
Ways in which teachers implement curricula to effectively support children’s cognitive & language development
The third CLASS domain is Instructional Support. Instructional Support is not focused on the content of the curriculum or on the learning activities that are provided. Instead, it encompasses the ways in which teachers implement lessons and activities to promote both cognitive and language development. Instructional Support also focuses on how teachers use feedback to help children learn.

20. Dimension 1: Concept Development
Teacher’s use of instructional discussions and activities to promote students’ 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
Concept Development focuses on the process of learning. Setting up activities that require children to predict or problem solve would fall under Concept Development. Teachers who ask children questions such as, “How do you know that?” “Why did you do it that way?” or “What do you think would happen if…..?” are helping children develop their higher order thinking skills.
Copyright CASTL 2008

21. Dimension 2: Quality of Feedback
Teacher provides feedback that expands learning and understanding and encourages continued participation.
Scaffolding
Feedback Loops
Prompting Thought Processes
Providing Information
Encouragement
and Affirmation
Teachers can provide students with two general kinds of feedback. The first kind, which we see most frequently, focuses on the correctness of the child’s answer: Did the child get it “right” or not. This kind of feedback gives the student the immediate feedback that they are (or are not correct), but it does not help the student gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. The second kind of feedback focuses on the process of learning: it helps the student understand the material in more depth. Quality of Feedback focuses primarily on the second type of feedback.
Copyright CASTL 2008

22. Dimension 3: Language Modeling
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
In a classroom with high-quality Language Modeling, there is a lot of conversation, or back-and-forth exchanges between the teacher and the children. These conversations expose the children to a wide range of vocabulary and give them practice with social communicative exchanges. (Explain or discribe the indicators)
Copyright CASTL 2008

23. What Has Been Learned From Research
Children benefit from effective teachers
Children made academic gains in classrooms where the teacher:
engaged them in interactions that encouraged communication and reasoning,
was sensitive and responsive in her/his interactions with children, and
constructed an atmosphere of respect, encouragement, and enthusiasm for learning.
Talk about each bullet point

24. Iowa State Based T&TA Office Grantee Performance Support Specialist
Contact Information
Rhodanne M. Schiller, MA Grantee Performance Support Specialist ICF International
Iowa State Based T&TA Office
Grantee Performance Support Specialist