In our recent webinar, Making the Move to CLASS® 2nd Edition, we shared how programs and individuals can begin to experience and use the enhanced Pre-K–3rd CLASS® tool. And, in this recent blog post we took a closer look at what these enhancements mean for certified observers.
To engage in continuous quality improvement, effective coaching is key. With effective coaching structures and programs in place, organizations can drive quality improvements that support children's development and learning. And, with CLASS® and CLASS coaching certifications, organizations can focus their improvements on research-proven educator-child interactions.
During the development of CLASS 2nd Edition, we wanted to build on this strong coaching foundation, but make it easier than ever for coaches to be more effective in driving improvements.
CLASS 2nd Edition incorporates intentional feedback collected over the last 15 years from the field, and from subject matter experts to ensure that the tool more accurately represents the diverse and unique settings of today’s educators.
The definitions of meaningful interactions were carefully reviewed and updated to ensure they are more inclusive and more representative of cultural, language, and setting variations. And, additional guidance and support is provided to ensure educators, coaches, and observers have a stronger understanding of how interactions look and sound across various contexts, such as in classrooms with dual language learners or children with disabilities.
Coaching practices can be made more impactful when improvement plans are data-driven. With CLASS 2nd Edition, observers will collect additional data points that will provide coaches with a more holistic picture of quality, and the factors that can either support or detract from meaningful interactions taking place.
The formalization of assigning a score range at the indicator level will give coaches more insights into the specific behaviors and skills that can drive meaningful interactions. And, the addition of “Activity Settings” and the optional CLASS Environment™ offers data-points around the type of content exposure and elements of the environment that impact the interactions. Together, these three specific enhancements offer a more comprehensive picture of the classroom quality, and can help coaches more effectively create an individualized coaching plan to holistically address areas within a teacher’s direct practice that can be supported to better drive children’s development and learning.
And, if programs are utilizing the myTeachstone Observation Data Collection tool, the updated tool will provide reports that generate automated feedback that identifies strengths and opportunities based on indicator data, making a coach’s job even easier!
CLASS 2nd Edition is an evolution—an evolution of the tools, and an evolutionary process to having each program adopt the updated tools. As with any evolution, this process is gradual and will occur over time.
Once the CLASS 2nd Edition Pre-k–3rd Manual Set is available, coaches can begin using and/or incorporating the enhancements from the 2nd Edition into their coaching practices. If you are a certified observer, click here to learn more about the recertification processes and supports available.
The 2nd Edition of CLASS is bringing forward enhancements that make the tool more equitable to use, easier to access, and more impactful. It is not changing the foundation of CLASS, nor is it changing the definition of meaningful interactions.
The intentionality behind the enhancements ensure that coaches can maintain, and continue their daily practices and keep the same focus, but hopefully with greater impact through the CLASS 2nd Edition tools.
Looking for even more information and guidance around CLASS 2nd Edition? We’re here to help!
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Teachstone recently hosted the What Is “Quality” Teaching Anyway? webinar with Laura Iannazzo, Professional Services Manager at Teachstone, and Gena Puckett, Education and Training Specialist from the University of Mississippi School of Education. Together, they talked about the significance of quality interactions between early childhood educators and infants or toddlers in their care.
We are invested in making myTeachstone your one-stop-shop for continuous quality improvement (CQI). Most recently, we’ve made enhancements that will help you collect CLASS® observational data from your classrooms, receive reports that help you better understand your organization’s needs, and facilitate professional development that creates lasting impact. And, we are committed to do this all within one platform.
Since our last update on myTeachstone, we’ve made great progress that we are excited to share.
IIn our recent webinar, Making the Move to CLASS® 2nd Edition, we shared how programs and individuals can begin to experience and use the enhanced Pre-K–3rd CLASS tool. Certified CLASS observers play a critical role in helping every child reach their full potential.
Without reliable and valid data on the quality of educator-child interactions, programs and educators would not have the actionable insights they need to make continuous quality improvements in the areas that matter the most for children.
Last month we hosted a webinar, A Closer Look at CLASS 2nd Edition. And, we were blown away from the responses and excitement to the enhancements. As with any big news, there were also questions. We’re tackling your top asked questions below, and look forward to continuing sharing more updates and insights around CLASS 2nd Edition in the coming weeks.