CLASS Assessment Strategies to Improve Scores

[@joannanderson8888]

I am new to PreK after years in Kindergarten. This was so valuable! Thank u!

[@apartamentoshernandez3463]

Thank you for explaining CLASS Please keep doing these videos it helps me understand the assessment

[@ms.kokochanel1656]

Awesome presentation... the information that you presented was clear and easy to grasp. I will definitely implement these new strategies in my Pre-K 4 classroom this Fall. Thank you for this informative video. Keep up the great work!🙂

[@MsMichelleITeach2]

What is the name of your teacher pay teacher store

[@MsMelody]

I love your couch! :) Great information too. Thanks for your video. I'm taking a class in assessments and this was very helpful!

[@melissawilliams9600]

Thank you for sharing! What is your TPT?

[@maryjobalistreri8365]

Can you post your things you made? I would love to have those in my classroom!

[@chelseawelch4658]

Can you send me the extend packet

[@MARYBUSHNELL]

Enjoyed the tips will put questions in areas

[@amydawson2828]

The CLASS system is an abusive scoring system that puts ALL the pressure on early educators and fails to hold anyone else accountable. It is unrealistic and abusive to put ALL the pressure on educators to "achieve a high score" in competition for federal grant money. Education is a group effort. Parents, assistant teachers, support staff, and administrators also play a big role. Why put all the pressure on the lowest paid players in the group?

[@fperf1]

Hmm..I'm not sure I agree with your comment that this is an "abusive" scoring system??? As a preschool teacher, it helped me a LOT. It helped make the skills of teaching more explicit and helped me determine what I'm really good at and where I can get better. Maybe some programs or districts use it to apply pressure in some ways--but MY Head Start program doesn't use it that way and it is not what it was designed to do. If it is being used in an abusive way--I would say it is at the fault of the policy-makers or adminstrators. It is not the fault of the tool.

[@amydawson2828]

@@fperf1 it was designed as an alternate way to assess and rate the quality of preschool and therefore designate federal preschool funds. Since you cannot give preschoolers standardized tests, they instead rate the quality of preschool by the CLASS scoring system in which the teacher is observed. Your head start not using this is an outlier. How is your program even funded then? Every program that competes for funds has to take part in this system. Using it as a tool for professional development would be ideal but unfortunately that’s not what it was designed for. The university that designed this system was asked to do so back when Obama cut funds to head start schools and they wanted to measure which programs were “high quality” and which ones were not and designate funds in a “fair” way. But unfortunately using the class scoring system is neither fair nor accurate. Used in such a way to observe and score a teacher to determine whether a program is effective and deserves to continue to be funded is certainly putting too much pressure on the teacher. But unfortunately Head Start teachers have no union and are subject to abuse and have no protections.

[@patti9133]

I couldn’t have said it better.

[@lelamae144]

@@amydawson2828 I would suggest that you read the CLASS Manual. It explicitly describes how this tool is used for professional development.

[@iheartskiler4421]

Agreed

[@MairaGarcia-zt1xd]

Very good information for CLASS

[@edgarduarte2674]

Hello do you think asking the “what would happen if” questions is appropriate for children who have little to no language I work with children 7 - 14 months of age

[@crayonspencilsandstudents-886]

I think you would still be able to use that prompt with the children that you work with. Although you might not get a response, you are still exposing them to a higher level of questioning... especially the 14 month olds. If you give them visuals and hands on experiences/play, I think that question stem would fit in perfectly in conversation.

[@divineartistry1976]

Great information! Thanks!

[@jewcyj67]

Great information!

[@baylieknauth9430]

What age group do you have?

[@lanimitchell412]

Thank you your tips .

[@brittanysmith8331]

Great Thank you!

[@mariluzreal7177]

Thank you for your help all your ideas will be used in my class this year 😋 Do you do DRDPs in your area? If so any ideas, organization tips on how to store student info from them?

[@crayonspencilsandstudents-886]

No :( I'm sorry! I looked it up, and the only thing I use that seems similar is called the DIAL. I can show you how I store all of my student information in general though if that would be helpful!

[@loisrobinson8926]

Thank for tips

[@farrowfreeman7048]

Great information

[@kathleenpfister1013]

CLASS- there is no time to do everythjng they want in 3 hours VPK class.

[@bonnie6912]

Mine was 45 minutes! How unfair is that.

[@laurenlove5055]

They actually want you to do it all in 20 minutes because you’re observed for 6 sets of 20 minutes and have to hit all of the areas in those 20 minutes.

[@beatrizroman9202]

Hi! Thank you for tips. We have one coming up as well. I was curious how long were they observing you was it an all day assessment or was it just the first part of the day like for example the morning time before nap time? Also was it multiple people or just one? Do they sit with you in the areas or do they watch you from a small distance like close enough to hear you but not like right next to you? I am a little nervous about the whole thing. .

[@crayonspencilsandstudents-886]

I have a 3 hour observation. They observe from the back, close up, and walk around and interact with the students. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful supervisor who gives me feedback directly after the observation. She also takes time to ask any clarifying questions that might help to support my observation. I could do a follow up video on this outlining my observation paperwork after it is completed and give some more key areas if that would be helpful!

[@crayonspencilsandstudents-886]

I am so sorry I didn't get back to you until now. When I have mine completed, the evaluator sits in the back of the room, but also rotates around the room to see what is going on. It is during the first half of the day, they might see breakfast, morning meeting, a table activity, and centers. I have all of my centers structured and academic based, our free play/ free choice time is during transitions. Would a detailed walkthrough of the structure of my day help?

[@jennifertaylor6161]

@@crayonspencilsandstudents-886 yes! May I see your schedule?