CLASSIC Continuum of Best Practice

Not Observed 0 Emerging 1 Developing 2 Enacting 3 Integrating 4

General The standard is not One or more elements of The teacher designs and enacts The teacher designs and enacts activities The teacher designs, enacts, and assists in
Definition observed. the standard are enacted. activities that demonstrate a partial that demonstrate a complete enactment of activities that demonstrate skillful integration
enactment of the standard. the standard. of multiple standards simultaneously.
Joint Students work The teacher: The teacher: The teacher: The teacher:
Productive independently of Provides minimal Provides occasional opportunities Provides frequent opportunities for Provides consistent opportunities for student
Activity one another. opportunities for student for student interaction. student interaction. interaction.
Seats students with interaction. Considers two to three dimensions Considers two to three dimensions of the Considers all four dimensions of the CLD
a partner or group, Considers one dimension of the CLD student biography CLD student biography (sociocultural, student biography (sociocultural, linguistic,
based on random of the CLD student (sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, linguistic, cognitive, and academic) as cognitive, and academic) as appropriate for
grouping or student biography (sociocultural, and academic). appropriate for the task/activity. the task/activity.
self-selection. linguistic, cognitive, or Makes relevant connections Frequently uses insights from the activity Consistently uses insights from the activity
academic). between the activity and the lesson. to make connections to the lesson, affirm to make connections, affirm learning, and
learning, and modify instruction as modify instruction, as needed.
needed.
Language Instruction is The teacher provides: The teacher provides: The teacher provides: The teacher provides:
& Literacy dominated by Minimal emphasis on Listening, speaking, reading, or Frequent opportunities for student Consistent opportunities for student
Develop- teacher talk and academic talk during the writing activities with occasional expression and academic language expression and academic language
ment students are passive lesson; students engage in opportunities for academic development in activities that integrate development in activities that integrate
listeners. social talk while working. language development. listening, speaking, reading, and writing. listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
No evidence of Minimal evidence of Occasional use of the native Explicit support of students use of the Consistent, structured opportunities for
native language in native language in language during the lesson. native language during the lesson. students to use their native language as a
environment or environment and/or Occasional references to students Frequent references to students prior resource during the lesson.
instruction. instruction. prior knowledge and background knowledge and background experiences Consistent use of students ways of
No references to Minimal references to experiences related to language related to language and literacy comprehending, communicating, and
students prior students prior and literacy development. development. expressing themselves as a springboard for
knowledge. knowledge. language and literacy development.
Context- No effort to pre- The teacher: The teacher: The teacher: The teacher:
ualization assess students Makes efforts to pre- Makes some effort to pre-assess Engages in pre-assessment that provides Engages in pre-assessments that provide all
academic assess students academic students funds of knowledge, prior all students the opportunity to students the opportunity to share/document
knowledge about knowledge about the knowledge, and academic share/document their funds of knowledge, their funds of knowledge, prior knowledge,
the topic. topic. knowledge about the topic or key prior knowledge, and academic and academic knowledge about the topic
Focus solely on Provides minimal content vocabulary. knowledge about the topic or key content and key content vocabulary.
content delivery. opportunities for students Provides occasional opportunities vocabulary. Uses insights gleaned from observation of
New information is to share with peers for students to share with peers Purposefully listens/observes as students students during pre-assessment activities to
presented in an content-related content- related connections to their share/document their content- related highlight student assets, support content
abstract, connections to their background knowledge. connections to their background connections, and build a community of
disconnected background knowledge. Occasionally makes connections knowledge. learners.
manner. Makes connections between students knowledge and Frequently integrates students individual Consistently integrates students individual
between students experiences from home, biographies, including what was learned biographies, including what was learned
existing academic community, or school and the new about their knowledge and experiences about their knowledge and experiences from
knowledge and new academic concepts. from home, community, or school, with home, community, or school, with the new
content concepts. the new academic concepts. academic concepts and content vocab.
Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning
 CLASSIC Continuum of Best Practice
NOT OBSERVED EMERGING DEVELOPING ENACTING INTEGRATING
Challenging No Teacher instruction and Teacher instruction and strategy use: Teacher instruction and strategy use: Teacher instruction and strategy use:
Activities accommodations strategy use: Provides occasional Provides frequent accommodations Consistently accommodates based on
for linguistic or Provides minimal accommodations based on based on students linguistic and students individual biographies, including
academic levels. accommodations based students linguistic and academic academic levels. sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and
Makes no on students linguistic levels. Includes content and language academic dimensions.
reference to lesson and academic levels. Includes verbally stated and objectives that are verbally stated and Includes content and language objectives
objectives. Includes verbally stated, written/posted lesson objectives. written/posted. that are verbally stated, written/ posted,
Includes activities but rarely written/ posted Includes activities with clear Includes challenging activities with and revisited throughout the lesson.
with no standards lesson objectives. standards/ expectations. clear standards/expectations. Includes challenging activities that
or expectations. Includes activities with Occasionally monitors students Frequently monitors students states of demonstrate skillful integration of multiple
Makes no vague standards/ states of mind/affective filter and mind/affective filter and adjusts standards with clear expectations.
considerations for expectations. adjusts instruction accordingly. instruction accordingly. Consistently monitors students states of
students states of Makes minimal Occasionally provides feedback Provides frequent feedback on student mind/affective filter and adjusts instruction
mind/affective considerations for on student performance. performance to confirm/disconfirm accordingly.
filter. students states of learning. Uses meaningful formative assessment to
Provides no mind/affective filter. provide consistent feedback on student
feedback on Provides minimal performance in order to
student feedback on student confirm/disconfirm learning.
performance. performance.
Instruct- Lecture With individuals and small With individuals and small groups With individuals and small groups of With individuals and small groups of
ional predominates. groups of students, the of students, the teacher: students, the teacher: students, the teacher:
Conversa- Responds in ways teacher: Elicits student talk with Elicits student talk with questioning, Promotes student talk about the content
tion that validate Uses questioning to elicit questioning, listening, rephrasing. listening, rephrasing, and explicit through student-led discussion and
students. student talk. Occasionally responds in ways modeling. questioning.
Conversation not Rarely responds in ways that promote students higher- Frequently responds in ways that Responds in ways that support students
on topic. that promote students order thinking and individual promote students higher-order thinking higher-order thinking, elaboration/
Incorporates no higher-order thinking and connections from the known to and individual connections from the refinement of connections from the known
revoicing of individual connections the unknown. known to the unknown. to the unknown, and application beyond
students learning. from the known to the Provides occasional opportunities Provides frequent opportunities for the classroom.
Does not invite unknown. for academic talk, including use academic talk, including use of key Facilitates instructional conversations in
students to Uses BICS (social of key content vocabulary, with content vocabulary, with and among which student academic talk and the use of
articulate their language) and/or CALP and among students. students. key content vocabulary predominates.
views/judgments/ (academic language) to Includes occasional revoicing of Includes frequent revoicing of students Includes consistent revoicing of students
processes. discuss the content/topic. students learning. learning. learning that challenges students to expand
Includes minimal Occasionally asks students to Frequently asks students to articulate upon or make deeper connections.
revoicing of students articulate their views/ judgments/ their views/judgments/ processes and Consistently asks students to articulate
learning. processes and provide rationales. provide rationales. their views/judgments/processes and
Asks students to provide rationales.
articulate their views/
judgments/processes.

Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning