Month: November 2020

Why you SHOULD be doing CLASS Observations

CLASS observationsMany programs gave a sigh of relief when the Office of Head Start announced that they would not be conducting CLASS observations this school year.  While this is certainly important given the challenging conditions the pandemic has created, this is NOT the time to relax when it comes to CLASS.

Teaching and classroom interactions have changed due to the constraints forced upon programs by Covid-19.  Following guidance put forth by Teachstone, we are conducting CLASS observations both virtually and in-person.  Teachstone guards against drift by observers by requiring annual recertification, and by offering calibrations.  Teachers can drift as well.  Small changes, over time, can result in straying from the interaction goals that CLASS is based on.  Continuing with CLASS observations will ensure that your staff continues to adhere to CLASS even with all of the current changes in your classrooms.

As outside observers, we have the objectivity needed to observe classrooms without the possibility of bias. While we understand the challenges your teachers are facing, we are less likely to make allowances for these challenges than internal observers might be.

We are currently conducting comprehensive CLASS observations, remotely.  Programs can videotape 20-minute cycles of their classrooms and upload the videos to a secure drive, specific to your program.  Our Certified CLASS observers with extensive live observation experience and consistent reliability using the CLASS tool, will then observe and score  your videos.  We will provide you with:

  • A debrief with the Head Start Director (and your Management team if you wish) to discuss the results of the observations.
  • We will provide you with CLASS scores for each classroom observed, a written summary of individual classrooms, highlighting strengths and recommendations for improvements that can be used by your staff for professional development, and a list of program-wide issues that are causing lower CLASS scores, as well as recommendations to address and correct those issues.

 

We are also available to conduct live, in-person observations for those programs that are able to invite observers into their classrooms.

To learn more or schedule your CLASS observation, contact Susan Witek at (704)277-7473 or SusanWitek@hsessentials.com.  You can learn more about our other services at www.HSEssentials.com.