Preparing
Tomorrow's
Teachers for Today:
Integrating QRIS
Information into
Higher Education
Courses
Copyright © 2014 Teachstone Training, LLC. All rights reserved.
Introductions
Rebecca Berlin, PhD
Chief Strategy Officer
Teachstone, LLC
Rebecca.berlin@teachstone.com
Lissanna Follari, PhD
Director
Bachelor of Innovation in Inclusive
Early Childhood Education
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
lfollari@uccs.edu
Overview
We must ensure preservice teachers are
exposed to the latest information on QRIS
systems, classroom observation measures,
and state early learning standards. Join your
colleagues to learn about different
approaches for integrating this information
into your early childhood teacher education
program and share your own strategies.
Looking Back to Build 2013
•  Why Bother with Higher Education? New Ways
of Thinking about Professional Development.
•  Tracey Bennett, Cance-Granville CC
•  Camille Catlett, Frank Porter Graham
•  Aisha Ray, Erikson Institute
•  Asked this question the following question that
has been part of my thinking for the past 12
months
What do you want graduates to know
and be able to do to support QRIS?
Researchers
say.....
Practitioners
say.....
Policy makers
say....
Setting the Context
The realities we face....higher educations side and
early childhood programs side
While educator preparation has always
been important, it is now more important
than ever. . . . The skills and responsibilities
expected of educators are expanding as
higher standards and new technologies
are implemented to improve student
learning. . . . While expectations for
PreK-12 educators and students have
changed substantially, many of the
programs that prepare educators have
remained stagnant.
—Time to Improve, New America 2014
Time to Improve Policy Brief (NA 2014)
Issues identified with the content and quality of
teacher and leader preparation programs
o  Program curricula not aligned to state standards
o  Programs not soliciting input from PK-12 systems and
graduates on needs and expectations
o  Failure to focus on graduates’ employment outcomes
o  Programs not responding to staffing needs of districts
o  Administrator programs enrolling teachers with no
intention of becoming administrators
Research has shown that teachers and
school leaders are the most important inschool factors contributing to students’
academic success. Early educators lay
the essential foundations for future
learning and development. But the
current state of systems to recruit,
prepare, evaluate, and support these
educators is mediocre at best.
—Beyond Subprime Learning, CAP, 2014
Components of Quality
o  NAEYC standards and accreditation
o  State early learning standards
o  Common Core Standards
o  Curricula
o  QRIS system components, standards, and guidelines
o  Program assessments--CLASS, ERS, PQA, ELLCO
o  Child assessments
o  Current research
o  Policy and advocacy
Challenges Facing Higher Education
•  Lack of time
•  Small budgets
•  Lack of connection with national, state, local
policy context
•  State policy constantly in flux
•  Variation among state standards, certification,
and QRIS systems
•  Low tech programs and limited access for
students
•  Large percentage of adjunct or part time
faculty
•  Lack of planning time with program faculty
•  Lack of connection with site placements
•  Lack of quality in site placements
Challenges Facing Programs
Lack of time
Small budgets
Lack of connection higher education
Program directors are “out of the loop” as to
what is going on in higher education
•  Graduates are not familiar with key tools and
structures that form the building blocks for
quality
•  Programs invest in “in-service” professional
development that should have been part of
“pre-service programs—significant dollars to
“remediation”
•
•
•
•
Programs should ensure that teachers are
confident about how to best engage with families,
have a strong base of content knowledge and
child development, are able to develop young
children’s language and literacy skills and teach
them to read, and have ample opportunity to
practice teaching in a diverse mix of classrooms
and grade levels. Early childhood faculty should
be required to spend time in early learning centers
and schools. Teachers need professors who can
translate theory into practice. Professors should
immerse themselves in on-the-ground learning
every three to five years. Additionally, districts and
common feeder preparation programs should
work together ro determine the teachers who are
bust suited to serve as supervisors.
—Beyond Subprime Learning, CAP, 2014
Application of the CLASS System
What does this mean for your teacher education program?
Unless a teacher has an appropriate,
alternative teaching strategy that she
determines is better than the one she is
currently using, she will not change her
behavior.
—Downer, Jamil, & Maier (in press)
Information Processing Theory
Moving conscious learning to automaticity
through
o  Reviewing old schemas and creating new ones
o  Observing and reflecting on interactions
o  Practicing and evaluating new behaviors
The Challenge
•  Teachers in training come with beliefs about
o  Teaching
o  Adult and child roles
o  What children should learn
•  Beliefs are formed across their lifespans
•  This results in schemas for interacting with
children
•  How do we modify teachers’ schemas?
Establish a Common Lens and Language
CLASS Dimensions
Teaching about the CLASS tool itself is less
important than helping students use the
CLASS lens to understand, identify, and
implement effective teacher-child
interactions. The CLASS lens can then be
used to develop teaching strategies that
form the foundation for teaching and
learning in the classroom for years to
come.
-Teachstone Focus Group, 2012
Stages of Integration of Information
o  Informational
o  Instructional
o  Evaluative
o  Supportive
CAEP Accreditation Standards and
CLASS Connections
CAEP Standards
Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical
Knowledge
Standard 2: Clinical Partnerships and
Practice
Standard 3: Candidate Quality,
Recruitment, and Selectivity
Standard 4: Program Impact
Standard 5: Provider Quality Assurance
and Continuous Improvement
CLASS Connections to CAEP Standards
Recommendations
•  Focus on research and evidence-based
practices
•  Promote cognitive, social, and emotional
growth
•  Apply theory to practice
•  Demonstrate practices linked to positive
impact
•  Monitor and guide candidate's growth
•  Ensure valid, reliable, and fair decision making
•  Use multiple measures to assess growth
•  Use validated observation instruments
•  Support continuous, evidence-based
improvement
•  Evaluate effectiveness of program completers
CA Early Childhood Education Competencies
and the CLASS Tool
CA Competency Area
Interactions
Emotional Support
PC
Child Dev. and Learning
Culture, Diversity, Equity
Relationships,
Interactions, Guidance
Family & Community
Dual Language Dev.
Observation, Screening,
Assessment
Special Needs, Inclusion
Learning Environ., Curric.
Health, Safety, Nutrition
Leadership in ECE
Professionalism
Admin. & Supervision
NC
TS
RSP
Classroom
Organization
BM
P
ILF
Instructional
Support
CD
QF
LM
Common Early Childhood Education Courses
and the CLASS Tool
Course
Interactions
Emotional Support
PC
Introduction to ECE
Infant and Toddler Care
and Development
The Exceptional Individual
Child Observation and
Guidance
Math and Science for the
Young Child
Language Arts in ECE
Curriculum Planning and
Assessment
Child, Family & Community
Health, Safety, & Nutrition
for the Young Child
ECE Program Administration
Practicum/Student
Teaching
NC
TS
RSP
Classroom
Organization
BM
P
ILF
Instructional
Support
CD
QF
LM
What strategies are your states using to address
these barriers and create a great early
childhood workforce?
Connections
between higher
education and
programs...
Integrated
standards...
Learning from Others
How have other teacher education programs
implemented the CLASS system?
Integrating CLASS Across
Teacher Preparation
Enhancing Classroom Quality Through
Systematic Focus on Quality Indicators
Lissanna Follari, PhD
University of Colorado- Colorado Springs
Director, Bachelor of Innovation in Inclusive Early
Childhood Education
What is the UCCS Bachelor of Innovation in
Inclusive ECE?
•  Unique and cutting-edge degree focused on raising change
agents fully capable of navigating complex systems and
ensuring positive outcomes for each and every child and family
•  Dual CO teacher licensure preparation in ECE and ECSE
•  Focused on values and best practices in developmentally
appropriate, individually-responsive teaching for social justice
•  Emphasizes culturally responsive practices with every child
and family to promote meaningful collaborations
•  Robust core in innovation and interdisciplinary teams classes
designed to develop creative problem-solving with real-world
issues
CLASS as a QI Tool in Teacher Preparation:
Why and How
Why?
•  CLASS framework focuses on research-based
indicators of quality practice, independent of
program structure, method, or approach
•  Emphasis on interactional environment and
experiences
•  Focuses on child’s experience in the classroom
How? Three-part cyclical integration:
Introductory, Exploratory, Evaluative
Three Part Integration of CLASS
1.  Introductory: Sophomore Level
Teacher candidates are introduced to the CLASS
framework and Domains in our first course,
Introduction to Inclusive ECE
Text book coverage (Follari, 2015, Foundations
and Best Practices in ECE) and CLASSS
materials overview
Identify indicators of quality practice:
positive interactions
child choice and initiative
scope of language interactions
positive guidance
depth of conceptual engagement
Three Part Integration of CLASS
(con’t)
2. Exploratory: Junior Level
Review Domains
Unpack CLASS Dimensions and Indicators to
explore what quality practice looks like
Review CLASS materials and video library clips
Observe indicators of quality practice through field
observations in 2 Practicum classes
Implement quality practices in 2 practica
Ungraded/unscored CLASS observations by
University supervisor of student during 2
practica
Three Part Integration of CLASS
(con’t)
3. Evaluative: Senior Level
Review Domains, Dimensions, and Indicators
Unpack Behavioral Markers to examine
specific quality practices and evidence
examples more closely
Teacher candidates review CLASS materials
and informally discuss scores/coding of video clips
Teacher candidates are graded/scored during student
teaching using CLASS instrument
Focus is primarily on teacher candidate, but overall
classroom experience is a part
University Resources Supporting CLASS Integration
•  On-site training for Observer Reliability for university
site supervisors
•  In-house trainer to continue to offer reliability training
•  In-house trainer provides one session introduction to
CLASS
•  PLC-style faculty groups meet
•  Discuss benefits and needs of CLASS use in pre-service
setting
•  Explore and shape materials for Introductory level use
•  Share experiences with CLASS developers
Lissanna Follari, PhD
University of Colorado- Colorado Springs
Director, Bachelor of Innovation in Inclusive Early
Childhood Education
• Now it’s in Your Hands:
•
Take 5 to Make 5:
In each finger identify
one course, level, PD
point, or cycle point
where you can engage
the ECE professionals
you work with in
introducing, exploring,
unpacking, practicing,
or implementing the
CLASS framework
Systematic
Focus
on
Quality
Indicators
Now turn and talk:
1. What are your plans?
2. What resources will
you need?
Next Steps
•  TECC Call
•  Additional Resources:
Monday, August 18
1pm
http://info/
teachstone.com/emailsignup
Email Rebecca to
join
Keep in touch!
www.teachstone.com
http://teachstone.com/blog/
866.998.8352
Rebecca Berlin, PhD
Rebecca.berlin@teachstone.org
Lissanna Follari, PhD
lfollari@uccs.edu
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