D.SarahHadden,Ph.D.AmyE.Mountz,M.Ed.RecommendationsforUsingtheCLASSinInclusiveEarlyChildhoodPrograms,

Birth-Age8ThispaperexamineskeyissuesthatmayarisewhentheCLASStoolisusedtoobserveinclassroomswithchildrenwhoarereceivingspecialeducationservices.WhiletheinitialworkdonewiththeCLASSwasconductedinclassroomsthatprimarilyservedtypicallydevelopingchildren,theCLASSiscurrentlybeingusedinavarietyofsettings:stateandlocallyfundedpre-schoolclassroomsthatenrolltypicallydevelopingchildrenand/orchildrenwhoareconsideredtobeat-riskforschoolfailure,HeadStart&EarlyHeadStartprograms,andcommunity-basedchildcareprograms.ItislikelythatanyoftheseprogramsmayincludechildrenwhohaveIEPs,individualizededucationprograms,orIFSPs,IndividualizedFamilyServicePlans,designedtomeettheuniquelearningneedsofchildrenwithdisabilities.Inaddition,theCLASStoolisalsobeingusedinsomeself-containedclassroomsorchildcaresettingsinwhich,mostifnotallofthechildrenhaveanIEPorIFSP.AstheuseoftheCLASSexpands,peoplehavequestionsaboutusingtheCLASSinsettingsthatincludeadiversepopulationofchildren.HereweaddresssomeofthekeyissuesrelatedtousingtheCLASStoolinclassroomsthatenrollchildrenwithdisabilities.First,wediscusshowtheinteractionsdescribedbytheCLASSareapplicabletoallchildren.ThenwediscusscodinginearlychildhoodsettingsthatincludesomechildrenwithIEPsorIFSPs.Next,wewilldescribecodinginclassroomswherethemajority,ifnotall,ofthechildrenreceivespecialeducationservices(self-containedclassroomsthatgenerallyservechildrenwithmoresignificantneeds).Finally,weposesomerecommendationsforusingtheCLASSinself-containedspecialeducationsettings.InteractionsMatterThetypesofeffectiveteacher-childinteractionsdelineatedintheCLASSareimportantforallchildren.Regardlessofability,allchildrenbenefitfrombeinginwarm,supportiveenvironmentswheretheycandevelopstrongrelationshipswiththeirteachersandpeers.Similarly,allchildrenhaveincreasedopportunitiestolearninwell-managedclassroomswhereteachersprovideinterestingandengaginginstructionthatincreaseschildren’sknowledgeandskills.

WhatisthePurposeoftheObservation?CLASSobservationsmaybeconductedforavarietyofreasons.WhilesomedistrictsusetheCLASSasapartoftheirteacherevaluationprocess,othersmayconductobservationstoevaluatetheoverallefficacyofteacher-childinteractionsacrosstheprogramandtargetprogram-levelprofessionaldevelopmentonareasforgrowth.Insomecases,programsuseprogram-leveldatatomakehigh-stakesdecisions(e.g.,NationalOfficeofHeadStartandsomeQualityRating&ImprovementSystems).Finally,manyprogramsusetheCLASSasaninformalmeasureofquality.Administratorsorcoachestaketheinformationthey’velearnedfromobservationsanduseitasaspringboardforgoalsettingandongoingteacher-levelprofessionaldevelopment.Regardlessofthepurposeoftheobservation,theCLASSobservermustalwaysfollowtheprotocoldescribedinthemanual.RecallthattheCLASSistheonlyvalidatedtoolthatspecificallyaddressesteacher-childinteractions,whichhaveconsistentlybeenidentifiedasakeyleverofchangeinclassrooms.WhethertheCLASSisusedforinformaldatagatheringorhigh-stakesevaluations,thedatashouldbeutilizedtohelpprogramsidentifyareaswhereclassroominteractionsareeffectiveinordertohelpteachersincreasetheirintentionalityaroundthesetypesofinteractions,aswellasidentifyareasforprofessionalgrowth.UsingtheCLASStoObserveinClassroomsthatIncludeChildrenwithDisabilitiesToobtainvalidinformationabouttheefficacyoftheteacher-childinteractions,theobservermustfollowtheprotocoloutlinedintheCLASSmanualandlookforevidenceofalloftheCLASSdimensionsduringtheobservation,regardlessofthecompositionoftheclassroom.Anobserverwhoknowsthattheclassroomincludeschildrenwhoreceivespecialeducationservicescannotdecidetoskipcertaindimensionsorindicatorsbecausehefeelsthatthosedimensionsorindicators“donotpertaintotheclassroom.”Asstatedpreviously,thetypesofinteractionsdescribedbytheCLASSareimportantforalllearners,regardlessofability.Furthermore,CLASSobserverswhoarecollectingdatainclassroomsthatincludechildrenwhohaveIEPsorIFSPsshouldnotknowwhichchildrenhavetheseplansorthereasonforthem.Anobservermaysuspectthatachildmayhavealearningdifferencebasedonsomeobservedbehaviors,butmaynotasktheteacherifthisisthecase.Doingsowouldbeabreachofthechild’s

confidentiality.Furthermore,regardlessofthedevelopmentallevelsofthestudents,theobserversimplyobservesandrecordstheinteractionsthatrelatetotheindicatorsandbehavioralmarkersintheCLASS.Insomecases,itisobviousthatachildhasadisability(e.g.,childcommunicatesviaAmericanSignLanguage,childusesawheelchairformobilityandcommunicatesviaanaugmentativecommunicationsystem).However,thisinformationmustnotimpacthowtheobserverassignscodes.CLASSobserversmustremainobjectiveatalltimes.EachversionoftheCLASSmanualincludesinformationontheimportanceofremainingobjective.Forexample,Chapter2inthePre-KCLASSManualstates,“Whenassigningscores,itisimperativetobasecodesonthewrittendescriptionsofthedimensions.Observersshouldnotadjusttheircodesupwardordownwardbasedonanyinformationotherthanwhattheyobservedintheclassroom”(pg.12).Similarly,Chapter2intheToddlerCLASSManualindicatesthat,“observersmustguardagainstinjectingexternalexplanationsforwhattheyseetakingplaceintheclassroom.Theobservermustremaintruetotheindividualdimensions”(pg.11).Makingallowancesorexceptionsincodingbecausechildrenhavespecialneedswillresultindatathatisnotreliable.Chapter2alsostatesthatobserversneedtoattendtoboththeteacher’sandthechildren’sbehaviors.ThesameistruewhencodingclassroomsthatincludechildrenwithIEPsorIFSPs.Childrenwhorequirethisadditionallevelofsupportmayhavedifferentwaysofcommunicatingwiththeteacherortheymayrespondtostimuliinadifferentmannerthantheirtypicallydevelopingpeers.Therefore,itisimperativethattheobserverattendstosubtlecuesornuancesinachild’sbehaviorandwatchtoseehowtheteacherresponds.Forexample,atypicallydevelopingchildwhoishavingaconflictwithapeermayapproachtheteacherandsay,“He’sbuggingme.”Theteachermayrespondbysaying,“Youhavealotofwords.Whydon’tyougotalktohimaboutthat?”therebyeffectivelyaddressingthechild’sconcern.Incontrast,achildwholackswell-developedlanguagemayrespondtotheconflictbywhining,gentlyrockingbackandforth,orshowingothersignsofagitation.Anobserverwhoseesthesebehaviorsshouldwatchfortheteacher’sresponse.Doestheteachersay,“Bequiet”or“Stoprocking”andthenkeepdoingwhatevershewasdoing?Ordoestheteachersay,“What’sgoingon?Youdon’tseemhappy”andthenfollowthechild’scuesinordertodeterminewhythechildisupset?Observingthechild’sreactionstotheteacher’sactionsiskeytodeterminingtheeffectivenessoftheinteractions.Inthefirstexample,ifthechildgoesoverandtalkstohispeerandtheyreengageinplay,thenitisclearthattheproblemhasbeenaddressedsuccessfully.Inthesecondcase,doesthechildwhowastoldtobequietshowsignsofincreasedagitation?Doesthechildwhoseteacheraskedwhatwasgoingonrespondtotheteacherinways

thathelptheteacheraddresstheproblem?Carefullynotingthesubtletiesoftheseexchangesisvitaltodeterminingtheefficacyoftheseinteractions.Childrenwhoreceivespecialeducationservicesaremoreliketheirtypicallydevelopingpeersthantheyaredifferent.Mostyoungchildrenwhoreceivespecialeducationservicesreceivethemduetoaspeechorlanguagedelayandareoftenindistinguishablefromtheotherchildrenintheclass.Furthermore,typecastingchildrenbasedonadisabilitylabelisnothelpful,asthesamediagnosismaymanifestitselfindifferentwaysindifferentchildren.Forexample,achildwithamildformofcerebralpalsymayhaveweaknessononesideofhisbodyandhavesomedifficultywitharticulation,whileanotherchildwhohasthesamediagnosismayuseawheelchairandhavesignificantcognitivedelays.Similarly,twochildrenwithAutismSpectrumDisordermaybeverydifferent.Achildatthelowendofthespectrummayonlyhavedifficultywithsocialskills,whileachildattheoppositeendmayhavedifficultywithsocialskills,language,cognition,andbehavior.Thatsaid,onthewhole,childrenwithIEPsorIFSPsareverymuchliketheirpeerswithoutdisabilities.Theyarecuriousandactiveexplorersoftheirworldwhowanttohavefunandplay.IstheCLASSApplicableforStudentsReceivingSpecialEducationServices?ObserverswhoquestiontheapplicabilityoftheCLASSinsettingsthatincludestudentswithdisabilitiesmayhavetheirconcernsallayedwhentheyrealizethatmanyoftheinteractionsdescribedintheCLASSarefundamentalaspectsofspecialeducation.Eachchild’sIndividualizedEducationProgramorIndividualizedFamilyServicePlanoutlinesindetailtheindividualizedgoalsandobjectivesforthatchild.Thesedocumentsalsolistspecificadaptationsandaccommodationsthatachildneedsinordertoparticipateandprogressinclassroomactivities.Teachersroutinelymonitorhowwellchildrenprogressandadjustinstructionaccordingly,allofwhichareaspectsofTeacherSensitivity.Justasteachersmayneedtoindividualizeinstructionforstudentswithspeciallearningneeds,theyoftenneedtoindividualizehowtheyfacilitateinstructiontomeetthediverseneedsofthechildrenintheclass.Somechildrenmayneedtohaveinstructionsforanactivitybrokendownintoitscomponentparts,whileothersmaysimplyneedmorepracticetomasteraskill.Otherchildrenmayneedadditionaltimetoprocessinformation.Likewise,ateachermayneedtoacceptalternatemodesofrespondingonthepartofthechild,(e.g.,pointing,signlanguage,and/orpicturecards).

Similarly,youngchildrenwhohaveIEPsorIFSPstendtoengageinchallengingbehaviorsathigherratesthantheirpeers.Therefore,teachersneedtoclearlycommunicateexpectations,beproactive,redirectmisbehavior,andconsistentlyreinforcerules.Ateachermayrelyonsignsorpicturecuesratherthanvocalspeechtocommunicateexpectations,yettheintentoftheinteractionsisthesame.Insum,thetypesofeffectiveteacher-childinteractionsdescribedbytheCLASSarerelevantforallchildren.However,theinteractionsmaylooksomewhatdifferentbasedonthechild’sindividualizedneedsandmethodofcommunicating,aswellasthenatureofthechild’sdisability.Becausebehavioralcuesoftendifferfromchildtochild,theobservermustcloselywatchtoseehowteachersinterpretandrespondtochildren.Thenextsectionoutlinesthingstotakeintoaccountwhencollectingdatainclassroomsthatincludechildrenwhoreceivespecialeducationservices.DimensionLevelConsiderationsThissectionprovidessuggestionsforthingsthatobserversmayseerelatedtothedifferentdimensionsoftheCLASS.Theinformationprovidedisnotmeanttobeexhaustive,butrathertoserveasastartingpointtohelpobserverspickuponsomeofthewaysthatchildrenwithdisabilitiesmaybehaveandcommunicate.PositiveClimate:Allchildren,regardlessofability,benefitfromwarmandsupportivelearningenvironments.Achildwithautismmaynotmakeeyecontactwithhisteacherorgiveherhugs,butinsteadmaystroketheteacher’sarmorstandveryclosetoher.Whenbehaviorsliketheseoccur,theteachermightsay,“I’msogladyoucametoschooltoday!”orgentlytouchthechildontheshouldertodemonstratetheconnectionbetweenthetwoofthem.TeacherSensitivity:Beingawareofandresponsivetochildren’sindividualizedlearningneedsisakeycomponentofTeacherSensitivityandanintegralpartofeducatingchildrenwhohaveIEPsorIFSPs.TeacherSensitivitytowardschildrenwithdisabilitiesisdemonstratedintwodifferentways.First,teachersplanlessonsthatprovideappropriatemodificationsandsupportstoensurethatallchildrenhavetheopportunitytoparticipateinclassroomactivities.Second,teacherscloselyattendandrespondtochildren’sbehavioralcues.Achildwithalanguagedelaymaynotapproachtheteacherandsay,“Ineedhelp,”butinsteadthechildmaysigntheword“help”orgivetheteacherapicturecardwithasymbolforhelp.Theteacherthennoticesthechild’srequestandprovidesassistance.Similarly,ateachermaynotethatachildwithafinemotordelaystrugglingtowritehernameonthe

morningsign-insheetandprovideadaptivematerialsthatallowthechildtobesuccessful(e.g.,largermarker,pencilgrips,etc.).Becausechildrenwithspeciallearningneedsmaytakelongertoprocessinformationanddeveloparesponsetoaquestion,teachersmaydemonstratesensitivitybyprovidingadditionalwaittime.RegardforStudent/ChildPerspectives:Teacherscanshowregardforchildrenwithdisabilitiesinthesamewaysthattheydemonstrateregardforallchildren.Ifthechildismovingamarblealongthemarblerunoverandoveragain,ateachermayfollowtheirleadbyperformingthesameactiononadifferenttrack.Achildmaynotvocalizethattheywanttoreadaspecificbook,buttheteachermayseethechildholdingthebookandoffertoreadittoher.Teacherscanofferachildwithspecialneedsthesamekindsofchoicestheyprovideothers,butrecognizethattheymayneedtolimitthenumberofchoicestheyofferandallowthechildtorespondbyvocalizing,pointing,touching,usingeyegaze,orphysicallymoving.Likewise,achildmayexpresshimselfwithwords,pictures,signs,oranaugmentativecommunicationdevice.Restrictionofmovementmaymeanallowingachildtostandduringstory,holdsomethingduringcircle,ortakeanactivitybreakasnecessary.BehaviorManagement/BehaviorGuidance:Clear,consistentexpectationswithreliablefollowthroughareparticularlyimportantforyoungchildrenwithdisabilities.Teachersmaydisplayrulesinpicturesandpointtothesepicturestoremindchildrenofbehavioralexpectations.Teachersmustcloselymonitorchildren’sbehaviorforsubtlesignsoftroubleandredirectbeforethebehavioroccurs.Somechildrenmayrequirehigherratesofpraiseinordertointernalizetheclassroomrules.Productivity:Likeallchildren,childrenwithIEPsorIFSPsbenefitfrombeinginwell-managedclassroomswhereactivitiesareprovidedandroutinesareclear.Childrenwithaspeechorlanguagedelaymayindicatechoiceviaheadnods,eyegaze,orpointingtoapicture.Teachersmayusepictureschedulesandreferbacktothemifchildrenhavedifficultyrememberingtheroutines.Teachersmayalsousepicturesorsignstocommunicateactivityinstructions.Somechildrenmayneedmore1:1assistancetosuccessfullytransitionfromoneactivitytoanother.Forexample,theteachermayneedtoprovideverbalremindersaboutthestepstocleaningupaftercenters.Similarly,teachersmayprovidemoreexplicitfollow-throughbyrefocusingachild’sattentiontothetaskashand(“Remember,it’snottimetolookatbooks;it’stimetogetreadyforsnack.”)

InstructionalLearningFormats:Tomeetthediverseneedsofthechildrenintheirclassrooms,teachersmustplanlessonsandactivitiesinwaysthatengagethechildrenandallowforeachchild,regardlessofabilitylevel,tobeactivemembersoftheclassroomlearningcommunity.Teachersmayneedtouseadditionallevelsoffacilitationtoengagechildrenwithdisabilities.Insomeinstances,anobservermayseeteacherstaskanalyzeanactivity(e.g.,breakitdownintosteps–aprocesscalledtaskanalysis)andsystematicallyteachchildreneachpartofthetask.Thisresearch-basedmethodhasproventobequiteeffectiveinteachingchildrenwithmoresignificantneeds(Cooper,Heron,&Heward,2007).Someactivitiesthatteachersmaytaskanalyzeinclude:handwashing,completingapuzzle,orcuttingoutPlay-Dohshapeswithcookie-cutters.Likeallchildren,childrenwhohaveIEPsorIFSPsmaybenefitfromhavinginformationpresentedinmultiplemodalities.Forexample,ateachermayteachalphabetlettersbyusingabrightlycoloredletterchart,alphabetshapedpuzzlepieces,magneticalphabetletters,andsandpaperletters.Theteachermayfollowupbyhavingthechildrenmakelettersinsandorshavingcream.Usingthisvarietyofmodalitiesandmaterialsnotonlyheightenschildren’sinterest,butmayalsobebeneficialforchildrenwithvisualimpairments.Becausesomechildrenwithdisabilitiesmayhaveshorterattentionspansorfocusonextraneousstimuli,theteachermayneedtohavelongerconversationsaboutwhatthechildrenaredoingandaskevenmorequestionstoensurethatchildrenfocustheirattentiononthelearningobjectives.Finally,studentinterestmaylooksomewhatdifferentwhenachildhasadisability.Asanexample,achildmaynotlookattheteacher,yetstillbemanipulatingmaterialsand/ordirectingherattentiontothetaskathand.ConceptDevelopment:TeachersembedConceptDevelopmentbyintentionallyprovidingchildrenwithlearningopportunitiesthatareadaptedtothechildren’sskilllevel.Theseopportunitiesshouldbechallengingenoughtopromotegrowth,butnotsochallengingthatthechildrengiveup;thinkoftheRussianpsychologistLevVygotskywhodevelopedtheconceptofandthe“zoneofproximaldevelopment,”whichstatesthatchildrenlearnnewskillswhenteachersadaptthelevelsofsupporttheyprovideinordertohelpthechildrenmasternewskills(Vygotksy,1978).Allchildrencanengageinanalysisandreasoning:thekeyistopresenttheinformationattheappropriatelevel.Forexample,achildwithadevelopmentaldelaymaynothavetheprerequisiteknowledgetoexplainwhyplacingthewoodenblockononeendmakesthebalancescalegodownwhilethefeatherontheotherendgoesup,butthechildcanproblemsolvewhattodowhentheareawhereshewantstoplayisfull.Bothoftheseexamplesaddressanalysisandreasoning,butatadifferentlevel.Teachersshouldalwaysbeexplicitwhenthey

integrateknowledgeorconnectnewinformationtothechildren’srealworld;however,theyneedtobeevenmoreintentionalandexplicitifchildrenhaveIEPsorIFSPs.QualityofFeedback:Effectivefeedbackisgoodforalllearners.Rememberthatscaffoldingoccurswhenateachertakesthestudentfromwheretheyareandprovidesthesupportthatthechildneedstobesuccessful.Forachildwithamoresignificantdisability,thiscouldbeassimpleaspointingtoapictureofsoapbythesinktoremindthechildtousesoapwhilewashinghishandsorascomplexasusingahandoverhandprompttohelpthechildpickupthesoapandrubitbetweenhishands.Thesystemofleastprompts,anotherresearch-basedstrategyusedinspecialeducation,isdesignedtoscaffoldchildren’slearningbystartingwiththeleastintrusiveprompt(hint)andsystematicallymovingtomoreintrusiveprompts(e.g.handoverhandguidance)untilthechildarrivesatthecorrectresponse(Wolery,Ault,&Doyle,1992).Anobservershouldnotassumethattheywouldneverseeafeedbackloopbetweenateacherandachildwithlimitedlanguage.Teachersmayuseacombinationofgestures,signs,orpicturestoengageachildinaback-and-forthexchangethathelpsthechildcompleteataskorcometoahigherlevelofunderstanding.Becausesomechildrenmayhyper-focusonextraneousstimuli,theprovisionofexplicitfeedbackisoftennecessary.Finally,teachersmayposequestionsthatencouragethought,butthechildmayrespondnonverbally.LanguageModeling:Teacherspromotelanguageinavarietyofways.Teachersmayobserveplayandcommentaboutwhatthechildrenaredoing.Thesecommentsmayturnintoconversationalexchangesorserveasparalleltalkdependingonwhetherornotthechildresponds.Whenteacherscontingentlyrespondtochildren’scommunicativeattempts,includingnonverbalattempts,theyletthechildknowthattheyvaluethechildasacommunicativepartner,therebyincreasingtheoddsthatthechildwillinitiatemorecommunication.Alongthesamelines,ateachermaymapthechildren’sactionsandencouragechildrentousewhatevervocalspeechtheyhaveandthenexpandontheirattempts.Forexample,ifachildlooksataballonashelfandsays“ba,”theteacherwouldsay,“Ball.Youwanttheball”andtheneithergettheballforthechildorgivethechildpermissiontogoandgetit.Similarly,achildmaypointtothebowlofpeasonthelunchtableandtheteachermaysay,“Oh,youwantpeas?”andpassthebowltothechild.Inbothoftheseexamples,theteacherreadsthechildren’scuesandrespondscontingently.

HowDoesThisLookinPractice?ThefollowingexampleshowsateacherinteractingwithachildatthewatertablewhileaddressingindicatorsintheInstructionalSupportdomain.NoticethattheteacherembedsinteractionsinInstructionalSupporteventhoughthechildusesverylittleorallanguage.

Andreaisatthewatertablepouringwaterfromaone-cupcontainertoothercontainersofdifferingsizes.Theteacherusesparalleltalksaying,“Iseeyouarepouringwater.”Shethenasks,“Whichcontainerdoyouthinkwillholdmorewater?”(AnalysisandReasoning).Andreapointstothesmallercontainerandtheteachersays,“Let’sseewhathappens.”Andreapoursthewaterintothecontaineranditoverflows.Theteachersays,“Hmm,therewastoomuchwater.Itoverflowed.Thatmeansthatthewaterspilledoverthetopofthecontainer(AdvancedLanguage).Whatdoyouthinkwillhappenifyoupouritintotheothercontainer?”(PromptingThoughtProcessesandPrediction).Andreascoopsthewaterintotheothercontainerandexcitedlypointstoshowthatthereisroomatthetopformorewater.Theteachersays,“Sothisoneholdsmorewaterthantheotherone.Iwonderwhy?”(AnalysisandReasoning).Andreaholdsupthetwodifferentcontainersandsays,“B.”Theteachersays,“Yes.Thesecondcontainerisbigger.That’swhyitholdsmorewater.Goodthinking.”(RepetitionandExtension,ProvidingInformation).

Being“Penalized”BecauseofChildren’sBehaviorSometeachersareconcernedthatthebehaviorsofstudentswithIEPs,IFSPs,orBehavioralInterventionPlans(BIPs)maybringdowntheCLASSscores.However,inmostcasesthesebehaviorswillnotimpactthescorebecausetheCLASSmeasurestheaverageexperienceoftheaveragechildintheclassroom.Ifoneortwochildrenactuporaredefiant,itisunlikelytoinfluencethescore.Ontheotherhand,ifthebehaviordisruptsclassroomactivitiesandupsetstheotherchildren,itmayinfluencethescore.Iftheteachertakesalotoftimeawayfrominstructiontoaddressthesebehaviors,itwillimpactthecodeforBehaviorManagement.HighlevelsofproblembehaviormayaffectInstructionalLearningFormatsaswellasProductivity.Ateacherwhospendsasignificantamountoftimedealingwithmisbehaviorhaslesstimetofacilitateactivitiesandmaynotalwaysprovidechildrenwithsomethingtodo.Itisimportanttorecognizethattypicallydevelopingchildrenandchildrenwhoareat-riskforschoolfailuremayalsoengageindisruptivebehavior.

KeepinmindthattheCLASStoolprovidesanobjectivemeasureofwhatishappeninginaclassroomduringtheobservationperiod;itisnotintendedtoblameteachersforchildren’sbehaviors.Onthecontrary,observerscanusethedatacollectedduringanobservationasaguideforplanningprofessionaldevelopmenttosupportteachers’workwithallchildren.TheCLASSManualrecommendsfourconsecutiveobservationcyclesbecauseobservingmultiplecyclesallowstheobservertohavearepresentativesnapshotofinteractionsintheclassroom.Anobservermayseesomeproblembehaviorduringthefirstcycle,butseenoevidenceinsubsequentcycles.CantheCLASSBeUsedtoCodeSelf-ContainedSpecialEducationClassrooms?Differentlocalitiesprovidespecialeducationservicesindifferentways.Somelocalitiesimplementfullinclusion,whichmeansthatallchildren,regardlessoftheirdisability,receivealloftheirspecialeducationservicesinthegeneraleducationsetting.Whereasotherlocalitiesimplementacontinuumofserviceoptionsrangingfromfullinclusionatoneendofthecontinuumtoeducationinself-containedspecialeducationclassroomsattheotherendofthecontinuum.TheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA)doesnotincludealegaldefinitionofself-containedclassrooms,callinginsteadforeducatingstudentswithdisabilitiesintheLeastRestrictiveEnvironment(LRE)(IDEA,2004).Thelackofafederaldefinitionleavesstatestodeterminetheirowndefinition,resultinginvariationsinhowthistermisapplied.Inmanystates,aclassroomisconsideredtobeself-containedifallofthechildrenintheroomhaveanIEPorIFSP.However,otherstatesandlocalitieshavedifferentinterpretations.Forexample,theStateofArizonadescribesaself-containedclassroomasone“inwhichmorethan50%ofthechildrenhaveidentifiedspecialneedsandarereceivingservicesthroughanIEP/IFSP.”Duetothesetypesofdifferences,thefocusshouldbeonhowtheCLASScanbestbeusedinclassroomsthatcontainalargepercentageofchildrenwithIEPSorIFSPs,ratherthanfocusontheterminologyusedtodescribetheclassrooms.Thenextsectioncontainsasetofrecommendationsforcodinginthesetypesofsettings.RecommendationsforCodinginClassroomsthatContainaLargePercentageofStudentswithIEPsorIFSPs

1. Observersshouldhaveabackgroundinspecialeducation.

2. Observersshouldbrieflytalkwiththeteacheroradministratortolearnaboutanyspecialcircumstancestheyshouldtakeinaccountwhencoding(e.g.typesofdisabilities,alternativeoraugmentativecommunicationsystemsinuse,behaviorinterventionplans).Thesecircumstanceswouldnotaltercodes,butratherwouldprovidecontexttohelptheobserverunderstandthenuancesofthebehaviorstheyobserve.

3. FollowtheCLASSprotocolasdescribedinthemanual;donotmakeexceptionsbecausechildrenhaveIEPsorIFSPs.

4. UsetheCLASStoolthatcorrespondstothechronologicalageofthemajorityofthechildrenintheclassroom.Thereissomethoughtthattheobservershouldusetheagelevelthatcorrespondstothechildren’sdevelopmentallevel.However,thisisnotourrecommendation.Observersarenotprivytoinformationaboutchildren’sdevelopmentallevels,soitwouldnotbefeasibletomakeadjustments.Furthermore,justasweseeawidevariationinskilllevelamongchildrenwhodon’treceivespecialeducationservices,wealsoseeawidevariationinskilllevelamongchildreninself-containedclassrooms.Forexample,aclassroommayserveachildwithautismwhohasgoodcognition,yethassignificantneedsinsocialskillsandlanguage.Thischildmayplaysidebysidewithapeerwhohasseverephysicallimitations,butwhoselanguageskillsaredevelopmentallyappropriate.

SummaryThetypesofteacher-childinteractionsmeasuredbytheCLASSarecriticalforallchildren.Indeed,werespectfullysuggestthattheCLASSdescribeswhateffectivespecialeducationteachersroutinelydointheirclassrooms.Indeed,preliminarydatafromtheStateofArizonasuggeststhattheCLASStoolmaybeusedinself-containedpreschoolclassroomsthatservealargepercentageofchildrenwhohaveIEPsorIFSPs(Thisdatawillbesharedattheendofthispaper.)Werecommendthatanobserverwhoiscollectingdatainaclassroomthatservesalargepercentageofchildrenwithdisabilitieshaveabackgroundinspecialeducationinordertounderstandthecontextinwhichtheinteractionstakeplace.JustasaCLASSobserverwhoiscollectingdatainaclassroomforduallanguagelearnersmustunderstandthelanguagesbeingspoken,theobserverinthistypeofclassroomshouldunderstandhowtointerpretandcodethetypesofinteractionsthatmayoccurduringtheobservationperiod.WerecommendthatanobserverwhoknowsthatthemajorityofchildrenintheclassroomhaveanIEPorIFSPgatherinformationabouttheneedsofthechildren;

learningaboutadaptationssuchasalternativemodesofcommunicationandbehaviorsthatmayinterferewithlearning.Ideally,theobservershouldspendaseveralminutespriorintheroompriortotheformalstartoftheobservationtoallowthechildrentogetusedtotheirpresence.Somestudentswithdisabilitiesmaybeundulydistractedbyunfamiliaradultsintheclassroomandtherebypreventtheobserverfromseeingtypicalinteractions.Duringthistime,theobservermaywatchhowthechildreninteractwitheachotherandcommunicatetheirneeds.Theobservershouldalsonotechildbehaviorsthatsuggesttheyfeelcomfortable.CantheCLASSBeUsedtoCodeClassroomsthatIncludeofChildrenwithLimitedVerbalCommunication?ItisimportanttorecognizethattheCLASSmeasurestheefficacyofteacher-studentinteractions,includingbothverbalandnonverbalbehaviors.Observersmayhavequestionsabouthowtocodeinteractionsbetweenadultsandchildrenwhenchildrenhavelimitedornovocalspeech.Thefollowingsectionincludesinformationaboutthekindsofnonverbalinteractionsanobservermayseeforeachdimension.Asalways,observersshouldnotechildren’sresponsestoteachers,factoringinverbalandnon-verbalexchanges.PositiveClimateAlloftheindicatorsforPositiveClimatemaybenotedbyobservingnon-verbalinteractions.Withtheexceptionofthebehavioralmarkersofsocialconversation(Relationships)andrespectfullanguage(Respect),alloftheotherbehavioralmarkersmaybenotedintheabsenceofvocalspeechonthepartofthechild.Anobservermayseeateacherandchildsittingonthefloorplayingwithoneanother(closephysicalproximityandsharedactivities).Inadditiontolaughingorsmiling,childrenwithwell-developedspeechmayanimatedlytalkwiththeteacheraboutwhattheyaredoingasawayofdemonstratingtheconnectionbetweenthetwo.Incontrast,achildwithlimitedspeechismorelikelytosimplysmile,laughorshowenthusiasmviafacialexpressionandgestures.NegativeClimateWhilemanyoftheindicatorsandbehavioralmarkersthatdefineNegativeClimateareexhibitedbyverbalspeech(harshvoice,yelling,threats,sarcastictoneofvoice),NegativeClimatemaybeconveyedthoughnon-verbalinteractions.Forexample,peeraggression(negativeaffect)mayormaynotbeaccompaniedbyverbalizations,

asachildmaypinchorshoveanotherchildwithoutsayinganything.Similarly,achildmaytaketoysawayfromanotherchild(disrespect/teasing).Finally,afightbetweenpeersmayalsooccurwithoutchildrensayinganything.TeacherSensitivityBydefinition,TeacherSensitivitylooksathowteachersrespondtochildren’sverbalandnonverbalcues.Teacherswhoareawareofchildren’sneedsnoticewhenachildhasnotstartedworkingonanactivityorappearstobeupset.Ateachermayseeachildlookawayorpullathissleevewhenaskedaquestionthatistoodifficultandofferadditionalsupporttohelpthechildbesuccessful.Typicallydevelopingchildrenmayshowthattheyarecomfortablewiththeirteacherbycallingtheteacher’sname,askingtheteacherto“Watchme!”orvolunteeringtoanswerquestionsduringclassactivities.Achildwithoutvocalspeechmaydisplaythislevelofcomfortbyapproachingtheteacher,gettingtheteacher’sattentionbytouchingtheteacheronthearmorgentlypullingontheteacher’ssleeve.Insteadofcallingouttheanswertoaquestion,thechildmaysign,pointtoaphysicalobjectintheclassroomorapictureontheirpicturecommunicationsystem.RegardforStudentPerspectivesAlthoughthefirstthreeindicatorsinthisdimension(e.g.,Flexibility&StudentFocus,SupportforAutonomy&Leadership,andStudentExpression)directlymeasurethethingsthatteachersdotopromotechildren’sinterests,motivations,andpointsofview,observersshouldstillbeonthelookoutforwaysthattheteacheracknowledgesandbuildsonchildren’sinterests.Forexample,ateachermaynoticeseveralchildrenwatchingladybugsflyingaroundtheplaygroundanddecidetoreadEricCarle’sTheGrouchyLadybugwhentheygoinsideinsteadofthebookshehadplannedtoread.Alongthesamelines,theteacherasksthechildrentodecidewheretheywillplayduringcentersandacceptseyegazeorpointingtopicturecardstoindicatepreference.Ateachermayalsogivechildrenmoretimetoformulateresponsesorhavethempointtopicturevocabularycardstosharetheirideas.Forexample,afterfinishingastoryaboutalittlegirlwholostherpuppy,ateachermayask,“Howdidthegirlfeelwhenshecouldn’tfindherpuppy?”andwaitwhileachildwhousesanaugmentativecommunicationdevicelocatesthepictureof“sad.”Shemightthenfollowupbysaying,“Yes,shefeltsad.Whatmakesyoufeelsad?”andagainwaitforthechildtoformulateresponse.”

BehaviorManagementAsnotedintheearliersectiononDimensionLevelConsiderations,effectiveteachersmonitorthebehaviorofallofthechildrenintheclassroom.Teachersmustbeparticularlyawareofindicationsthatachildwithlimitedcommunicationskillsishavingdifficultyandrespondquicklytoavertescalationofproblembehavior.Teachersneedtounderstandthatchildrenwhohavedifficultycommunicatingtheirwantsandneedsmayexhibitchallengingbehaviors.Ratherthanoverreactingtothesebehaviors,teachersneedtoidentifytheunderlyingfunctionofthebehaviorandrespondaccordingly.Forexample,achildmayhavedifficultycompletingapuzzleandthrowapieceoutoffrustration.Theteachermayrespondbysaying,“Thatisaprettyhardpuzzle.Wouldyoulikemetohelpyouwithit?”andthenteachthechildamoreappropriatewaytoexpresshisfrustrationbyteachingthechildthesignforhelp.ProductivityProductivitymeasureshowwellteachersmanageinstructionaltimeandroutinesintheclassroom.TheindicatorsofMaximizingLearningTimeandPreparationlookatwhetherornotteachersplanactivitiesandprovideinstructionforthechildren.Theextenttowhichchildrenunderstandtheroutinesintheclassroommaybeobservedthroughtheirnon-verbalinteractions.Forexample,duringmealtime,dothechildrenservethemselvesfoodandthenpassthebowltothechildnexttothemordotheyleavethebowlsittingonthetable?Similarly,attheendofthemeal,dothechildrenautomaticallycleanuptheirplaceatthetableandgotothesinktobrushtheirteethordotheywaitfortheteachertotellthemwhattodo?InstructionalLearningFormatsThedimensionofInstructionalLearningFormatslooksatwhatteachersdotodrawchildrenintoactivitiesandhelpthemlearn.Whencodingthisdimensionwhileobservingchildrenwhohavelimitedvocalspeech,theobservershouldaccountforhowthechildrendisplayinterestandwhetherornottheteacherattendstothesecommunications.Whenateacherasksaquestiontoexpandthechildren’sinvolvement,doestheteachernoteachild’snonverbalcommunicationandbuilduponthechild’scommunicationtokeepthechild’sinterest?Ordoestheteacheracknowledgethecommunicationandthenmoveontosomethingelse?Similarly,doesateacherusealternatemodesofcommunicationsuchassign,picturesortangiblematerialstoengagethechildren?

ConceptDevelopmentSomeobserversbelievethatitisnotpossibletomeasureConceptDevelopmentinclassroomswherechildrenwithlittletonoverbalcommunication.However,thedefinitionofthisdimensionstatesthatConceptDevelopment“measurestheteacher’suseofinstructionaldiscussionsandactivitiestopromotestudents’higher-orderthinkingskillsandcognition.”Thismeansthattheobserverfocuseshisorherattentiononwhattheteacherdoestopromotehigherorderthinkingandthennoteshowthechildrenrespond.Teacherscanengagethechildrenininteractionsthatexemplifyeachoftheindicatorsofthisdimension(e.g.,AnalysisandReasoning,Creating,Integration,andConnectionstotheRealWorld).However,thechildren’sresponsesmaylookdifferentbasedontheirmodesofcommunication.Ateachermayaskchildrentoclassifypicturesoffruitsandvegetables,butinsteadofhavingthechildrenverballytellherwhatcategoryeachpicturefallsinto,askthechildrentosortthepicturesontoalargepieceofpaper,placingfruitsononesideandvegetablesontheother.Childrenmayalsousealternativemodesofcommunicatingsuchaspointingorcomputergeneratedvoiceoutputtoindicatetheirresponse.Itshouldbenotedthattheactivitymightbemodifiedtomeetachild’sdevelopmentallevel.QualityofFeedbackJustasConceptDevelopmentfocusesontheteacher’sinteractionswiththechildren,sotoo,doesQualityofFeedback.AsnotedinthesectiononDimensionLevelConsiderations,someresearch-basedstrategiesdesignedspecificallyforusewithchildrenwithdisabilities(e.g.,thesystemofleastprompts;Woleryetal.,1992)utilizescaffoldingasaprimarymeansofinstruction.AlthoughweoftenthinkaboutFeedbackLoopsasoccurringwithinthecontextofaconversation,FeedbackLoopscanoccurwithoutachildvocalizing.Anexampleofanon-verbalFeedbackLoopfollows:

Antonioisworkingonapuzzlethatdisplaysapictureofthebeach.Thepuzzleshowsthesand,thewater,andthebluesky.Antoniopicksupalightbluepuzzlepiecethatcontainsabitofcloudonitandtriesseveraltimestofigureoutwhereitfits.Histeachernoticeshiseffortsandsays,“That’satrickyone.Wouldyoulikemetohelpyou?”Antonionodshisheadtoindicateyes.Teacher:“Lookatthecolorofyourpuzzlepiece?Whatcolorisit?”Antoniosignsthecolorblue.

Teacher:“That’sright.Itisblue.Wheredoyouseeblueonthispuzzle?”Antoniopointstotheoceanandthentriestoplacethepieceinthatsectionofthepuzzle.Teacher:“Theoceanisblue,sothat’sagoodtry.Butlookagaintoseeiftheblueinyourpiecematchestheblueoftheocean.”Antonioputsthepiecenexttotheoceanandshakeshishead“No.”Teacher:“Goodobservation.Yourblueislighterthantheblueocean.Canyoufindsomeplacewithalighterblue?”Antonioscansthepuzzleandplacesthepieceatthetopofthepuzzle,butlooksfrustratedwhenitdoesn’tfit.Teacher:“Youareclose,butlookatyourpieceagain.Whatisdifferentaboutit?”Antonioshrugshisshoulderstoindicatehedoesn’tknow.Teacher:“Lookatthatwhite.It’sapartofacloud.Doyouseetherestofacloud?”Antonioscansthetoppartofthepuzzleandplaceshispiecewhereitbelongs.Teacher:“Nicework,Antonio.Youmatchedthelightblueskywiththecloud.Youreallyworkedhardonthat!

Teacherscanprovideinformationandofferencouragementandaffirmationregardlessofachild’slinguisticcapabilities.TheindicatorinthisdimensionthatisprobablymostdifficulttomeasureisthatofPromptingThoughtProcesses.Again,theobservershouldrecordhowthechildrenrespond.Forexample,duringcalendartime,theteachermayaskachildtolookattheweatherchartandtelltheclasswhethertherehavebeenmoresunnydaysormorecloudydaysthatmonth.Thechildmayscanthechartandpointtothepictureofthesun.Theteachermayask,“Howdoyouknowthattherehavebeenmoresunnydays?”Thechildmaypointtothecolumnofthesunnydaysandrunhishandupthecolumntoshowthattherearemoreentriesonthesunnycolumnthanthereareonthecloudycolumnonthechart.LanguageModelingThefirsttwoindicators,FrequentConversationandOpen-endedQuestions,focusonverbalinteractions.Nonetheless,itisimportanttorecognizethatateacherandchildmayhavebackandforthexchangesinwhichtheteacherusesvocalspeechandthechildusesanalternativeoraugmentativecommunicationsystem.Inaddition,theymayengageinbackandforthexchangesusingAmericanSignLanguage.Teacherswhorespondtochildren’scommunicativeattemptsbetheyvocal,gestural,usingpictures,pointing,orsign,validatechildren’scommunication,therebysupporting

childrenintheireffortstoeitherinitiateorrespondtocommunicationinthefuture.Considerthefollowingillustration:

Theteacheraskswhowouldliketopickoutthenextsongtheywillsingduringmorninggreeting.Kylieraisesherhandandherteachersays,“Whichsongwouldyoulikeustosing?”ShewaitswhileKyliepausesandsaysthe/t/sound.Herteachersays,“Oh,wouldyoulikeustosignTwinkle-twinkleLittleStar?”Kylienodshappily.TheteacheracknowledgesheraffirmationandleadstheclassinarousingrenditionofTwinkle-twinkleLittleStar.

Kylienodshappilyandtheclassstartstosing.

Theremainingindicators,RepetitionandExtension,SelfandParallelTalk,andAdvancedLanguageareappropriateforallchildren.RepetitionandExtensioncanbeparticularlysalientforchildrenwithlimitedspeechastheteacheracknowledgestheirutterancesandrecaststhemintoexpandedforms.Ateachermaytellachildwhomakesa“vroom-vroom”kindofnoisetorequesttoplaywithatruck,mightsay,“That’satruck.Theymakea“vroom”sound,buttheyarecalledtrucks.”Observersshouldbeawarethatadvancedlanguageforachildwithlimitedtonovocalspeechmightbedifferentfromthatforchildrenwithmoreadvancedcommunicativeskills.Forexample,achildwithacognitivedisabilitymaybelearningbasiccolors(red,blue,green)whileherpeersarelearningmoreadvancedcolors(lavender,turquoise,coral).AreThereClassroomsthatShouldNotBeObservedwiththeCLASS?SomeobserversaskwhetherornottheCLASSisappropriateforuseinself-containedspecialeducationclassroomswhereallofthechildrenhaveIEPsorIFSPs.However,abetterquestionmaybe,"Whatkindsoflearning/developmentalneedsdothechildrenintheclassroomhave?"Basedonthestatedefinitionofself-contained,aclassroommayenrollasufficientnumberofchildrenwithspeechandlanguagedelaysthatitisconsideredtobeaself-containedclassroom.Notobservinginthissituationwouldbeamisstepbecausemanyofthesechildrenareconsideredtobeatriskforschoolfailure.Childrenwhofitthislabelareoftenthechildrenwhobenefitthemostfrombeinginwarm,supportive,structuredenvironmentswhereteachershaveclearandconsistentbehavioralexpectations.Incontrast,aclassroommayenrollafewchildrenwithsignificantdisabilities(e.g.,severecognitivedisabilitiesorsevereautism).IfonlyafewchildrenwithIEPsofIFSPshavesignificantneeds,thentheCLASSisstillappropriatebecausetheCLASSmeasures

theaverageexperienceoftheaveragechild.However,insituationswherealargenumberofchildrenhavemoresignificantneedsthatimpactcognitionandcommunication(bothverbalandnonverbal),thantheCLASSmaynotbetheappropriatetoolforevaluation,butisstillappropriateasatoolforprofessionaldevelopment.DatafromSpecialEducationClassroomsTogaininsightontheuseoftheCLASSinself-containedclassrooms,wepresentdatacollectedbyArizona’sQualityFirstprogram,whichpartnerswithearlycareprovidersthroughoutthestatetoimprovethequalityofearlyeducation.TheycollectedPre-KCLASSdatainclassroomswheremorethan50%ofthestudentsareonanIEP/IFSP,whichconformstoArizona’sdefinitionofaself-containedclassroom.Thechildrenintheseclassroomshaveawiderangeofdisabilities.Althoughthenumberofclassroomswherethedatawascollectedissmall(n=81),thetrendsnoteddemonstratethatthetoolaccuratelycapturesclassroominteractionsatorabovethelevelsofclassroomswithamajorityoftypicallydevelopingchildren.WewouldliketothankourcolleaguesattheArizonaDepartmentofEducationandSouthwestHumanDevelopmentforsharingthisinformationwithusandfortheirthoughtfulcontributionstothispaper.Arizona’sQualityFirstprogramhascollectedpre-KCLASS®datafromclassroomswheremorethan50%ofthestudentsareonanIEP/IFSP,whichareconsidered“self-contained.”Althoughthenumberofclassroomswherethedatawascollectedissmall(n=81),thetrendsnoteddemonstratethatthetoolaccuratelycapturesclassroominteractionsatorabovethelevelsofclassroomswithamajorityoftypicallydevelopingstudents.

CLASSDomainAverageScoresbyProgramSites

AverageEmotionalSupport

AverageClassroom

Organization

AverageInstructional

SupportSelf---ContainedClassrooms 6.3 6.1 2.0NValue(TotalNumberofSelf---ContainedClassroomsoutof41ProgramSites)

81

81

81

Non---Self---ContainedClassrooms 6.4 6.0 2.1

NValue(TotalNumberofNon---Self---ContainedClassroomsoutof190ProgramSites)

302

302

302

CLASSDimensionsAverageScoresbyProgramSites

AveragePositiveClimate

AverageNegativeClimate

AverageTeacherSensitivity

AverageRegardfor

StudentPerspectives

AverageBehaviorManagement

AverageProductivity

Average

InstructionalLearningFormats

AverageConceptDevelopment

AverageQualityofFeedback

AverageLanguageModeling

Self---ContainedClassroomsCLASSAveragesbyProgramSites

6.3

1.1

6.4

5.7

6.4

6.4

5.5

1.7

1.7

2.5

NValue(TotalNumberofSelf---ContainedClassroomsoutof41ProgramSites)

81

81

81

81

81

81

81

81

81

81

Non---Self---ContainedClassroomsCLASSAveragesbyProgramSites

6.3

1.1

6.4

5.9

6.2

6.3

5.5

1.9

1.7

2.7

NValue(TotalNumberofNon---Self---ContainedClassroomsoutof190ProgramSites)

302

302

302

302

302

302

302

302

302

302

ProgramTypesandNumberofChildrenEnrolledwithIEP’sandIFSP’satAssessment

NumberofChildrenEnrolledwithIndividualEducationPlansatAssessment

NumberofChildrenEnrolledwithIndividualFamilyServicePlansatAssessment

Self---ContainedClassrooms

701

19

NValue(TotalNumberofSelf---ContainedClassroomsoutof41ProgramSites)

81

81

Non---Self---ContainedClassrooms

772

2

NValue(TotalNumberofNon---Self---ContainedClassroomsoutof190ProgramSites)

302

302

Cooper,J.O.,Heron,T.E.,&Heward,W.L.(2007).Appliedbehavioranalysis(2nd

Edition).UpperSaddleRiver,N.J.:PearsonMerrillPrenticeHall.

Vygotsky,L.S.(1978).Themindinsociety:Thedevelopmentofhigherpsychologicalprocesses.Cambridge,MA.HarvardUniversityPress.

Wolery,M.,Ault,M.J.,&Doyle,P.M.(1992)Teachingstudentswithmoderatetoseveredisabilities:Useofresponsepromptingstrategies.NewYork:Longman.