Principal Interview Protocols

AMSTI Teacher Classroom Observation
Overview and Guidelines
Purpose of the observation
The major goal for these observations is to describe the mathematics or science
instruction in the teachers’ classrooms, to document students’ participation in
instructional activities, and to determine the extent to which the teachers’ instructional
practices are related to the AMSTI model and materials. For purposes of this instrument,
the AMSTI model is defined as a set of reform-oriented mathematics practices endorsed
by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and reform-oriented science
practices endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences. In the case of the AMSTI
classroom observations, the purpose is to determine the extent to which the school is
implementing AMSTI as it was designed to be implemented. In the case of the control
school observations, the purpose is to determine the extent to which the control schools
are similar to AMSTI schools in their instructional approach and practices. This
observation form is adapted from a synthesis of the Authentic Instructional Practices
Classroom Observation form (Borman, G., Rachuba, L., Datnow, A., Alberg, M.
Stringfield, S., & Ross, S.; 2000.) and the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol
(MacIsaac, Sawad, Daiyo & Falconer, 2001).The protocol was developed in a way that
facilitates quantitative ratings and development of constructs, with a goal being that it
will inform the development of an AMSTI implementation index, in conjunction with
other data (e.g. teacher and principal surveys). Additionally, the researcher is asked to
describe the lessons and activities and justify some ratings qualitatively.
Procedures
Schedule the observation for a full class period, lasting at least 45 minutes. Please enter
the room at least five minutes before the class is scheduled. Introduce yourself to the
teacher and indicate that you will be observing the class as part of the AMSTI Evaluation
Study. Indicate to the teacher that (1) he/she has the option at that time to elect not to be
observed or to end the observation at any time; (2) he/she will have the opportunity after
the class to explain/elaborate on points made during class (3) all notes taken during the
class will be confidential, and not disseminated in any way that would make the teacher
individually identifiable and (4) after class, the researcher will debrief the teacher further
on the study.
Note taking during the observation
When taking notes during the observation, keep in mind the overall purpose of the
observation: to describe the mathematics or science instruction in the teachers’ classroom,
to document students’ participation in instructional activities, and to determine the extent
to which the teachers’ instructional practices are related to the AMSTI model and
materials (or in the case of control schools, the extent to which practices and approaches
are AMSTI-like). Collect copies of any handouts or materials that are relevant to lesson.
The following provides some guidelines on how to focus your note taking during various
activities.

Teacher-directed activities
During teacher-directed activities, in either whole class or small group settings, focus
note taking on that activity. Try to provide as complete a description as possible of the
activity. Your notes should address:
• The type of activity
• the way the teacher sets up the activity
• materials used, including technology and instructional
• questions the teacher asks the students
• responses the teacher gives to students’ questions
• students’ comments and responses
• grouping of students and how long they were grouped
Small-group work
When students work in small groups you will have to decide if you should follow the
teacher to see what she is doing with each of the small groups or stay with a group long
enough to determine what they are doing and how they are understanding the activity. A
balanced approach will help you get the most out of the observation. To get a sense of the
teacher’s instructional approach and rapport with students, shadow the teacher and record
as much of the conversations and interactions he/she has with individuals and groups as
possible. Then spend some time with individual students or small groups. Notice the way
students approach the task/activity, what they are doing and how much they seem to
understand about the task and knowledge/concepts taught through the task.
Completing the Observation Forms
The following forms should be completed as soon after the observation as possible. The
sooner you complete the form, the easier it will be to remember the observation and
expand on your hand-written notes. The form includes five sections: Part I: Descriptive
information, Part II: Narrative; Part III: Objectives emphasized in the classroom; Part IV:
Authentic Instruction Principles; and Part V: Classroom context.

AMSTI Classroom Observation Form
Part I. Descriptive information
Date:
Observer:
Teachers’ name and school:
Time of observation:

From:

to:

Grade level:
Subject area:
Number of children in the room:
Race/ethnic breakdown of children:
African American:
White:

Latino:

Gender breakdown of children:

Boys:

Asian:

Not sure:
Girls:

Brief description of the classroom setting: How are the seats arranged (you may draw a map or
describe)? How is the room decorated? What materials are available?
Part II: Narrative
Please describe in narrative form the activities that took place in the class. This should be a
sequential account of the session. In your description, address the following:
What was the nature and objective of the activity(ies)? What were the instructions for the
activity(ies)? Please attach the written instructions that students received for any aspect
of the assignment. Explain any additional instructions (i.e those that were given orally,
put on the blackboard or displayed visually in some other manner). Describe the materials
and resources that were provided for the students for this activity (e.g. text books,
encyclopedias, trade books, calculators, teacher made materials, etc.)
1. List the curriculum/textbook used during the observed class:
2. Was the lesson from the AMSTI materials provided in the summer training (if it is not
clear based on your observation, ask the teacher during the follow-up interview)?
Yes
No
Partially
If partially, describe what part was AMSTI and what part was not AMSTI.

Part III. Objectives Emphasized in Classroom
Rate the classroom on the degree of emphasis the teacher placed on having students learn
the following objectives. Emphasis here does not necessarily refer to the frequency or rate
that students were engaged in related tasks. Rate level of emphasis based on the priority or
value the teacher placed on developing students' skills within each area. Ask the question to
yourself, "How central was this objective to the substance of the lesson?" Explain and
provide examples of each.
1. Knowledge (e.g., recalling information or memorizing facts or principles)
Level of Emphasis: 0 = None

1 = Low

2 = Moderate 3 = High

Explain and provide examples for your rating:
2. Comprehension (e.g., interpreting or showing understandings of facts, such as interpreting
the meaning of a graph, inferring the principle underlying a science experiment, or
estimating)
Level of Emphasis: 0 = None

1 = Low

2 = Moderate 3 = High

Explain and provide examples for your rating:
3. Application (e.g., using principles or knowledge to solve novel or real-life problems, such
as applying knowledge of the relationship between temperature and pressure to understand
why a balloon is larger on a hot day than on a cold day, or applying an algorithm to a math
problem)
Level of Emphasis: 0 = None

1 = Low

2 = Moderate 3 = High

Explain and provide examples for your rating:
4. Analysis (e.g., breaking down complex information or ideas to understand how the parts
are related or organized; such as describing the strategy for solving a multi-step problem)
Level of Emphasis: 0 = None

1 = Low

2 = Moderate 3 = High

Explain and provide examples for your rating:
5. Synthesis (e.g., using knowledge and skills to create completely new products, such as
designing a science experiment, or deriving a mathematical rule).
Level of Emphasis: 0 = None

1 = Low

2 = Moderate 3 = High

Explain and provide examples for your rating:
6. Science only: Evaluation (e.g., making value judgments against some criterion or

standard, such as evaluating the adequacy of science experiment to answer a particular
research question)
Level of Emphasis: 0 = None 1 = Low
2 = Moderate 3 = High
Explain and provide examples for your rating:
Part IV. Authentic Instruction Principles
Instructions: For each of the five dimensions below, indicate the rating that most accurately
describes the observed lesson. Provide examples that support your rating.
1. Coherence of Material
0 = Material is presented in superficial fragments with very little connection between parts.
1 = Some over-arching concepts or ideas are covered, but they are not well connected to the
whole lesson content.
2 = Some over-arching concepts or ideas are covered in moderate depth. There are periods
of sustained focus on these significant topics that are key to the whole lesson content.
Coverage is uneven though; other key concepts or ideas are superficially covered.
3 = Key concepts/ideas are covered in depth. The lesson content is presented as a whole,
and is structured in a way that allows for the sequencing and structuring of a complex topic.
Each topic appears to build on another in an effort to foster deeper student understanding.
Provide examples that support your rating:
2. Connection to Students' Out-of-School Experiences
0 = Lesson topic and activities have no clear connections to out-of-school-experiences.
1 = Students encounter a sub-topic of the lesson and the teacher tries to connect it to
students' experiences (e.g., the topic of "beach" is encountered and teacher says, "how many
of you have been to a beach..."). The purpose of activating prior knowledge is to aid in
describing the topic or making concrete something abstract.
2 = Students study a topic or issue that is directly connected to their experiences. For
instance, they may do a word problem related to their community environment. Students do
not, however, explore these connections in ways that create personal meaning or significance
for their lives.
3 = Students see the connection between lesson material and their lives. The lesson allows
them to enhance their understanding of their cultural and self values, and their aspirations.
For instance, students may have to solve a mathematics problem that involves estimating the
size of their apartment building based upon the length of the shadow the sun produces at
midday.

Provide examples that support your rating:
3. Connections with other content disciplines.
0 = Lesson topic and activities have no clear connections to other content disciplines.
1 = Students find that topics on one content discipline are related to topics in other content
disciplines, but only on a factual level. For instance, students use data collected on
temperatures to explore the differences among means, modes and medians, or math is used
as part of an experiment to investigate properties of buoyancy. Students do not, however,
explore these connections in ways that create a deeper understanding of the connections
between subjects.
2= Students find that topics on one content discipline are related to topics in other content
disciplines, but on a conceptual level (e.g. using math to examine personal and societal
issues, such as conducting analysis of demographic and economic data to determine the best
location for a new pharmacy). The lesson allows students to enhance their understanding of
the connections between subjects.
Provide examples that support your rating:
4. Substantive Conversation
0 = There is no probing of student answers and no discussion of the lesson material
1 = Teacher occasionally probes for student answers. Students are not solicited by the
teacher for their opinions, but they're not discouraged from providing them either.
2 = Students are encouraged to state their ideas/opinions, but there is little conversation
occurring among students --most dialogue is directed through the teacher. The lesson is not
completely scripted by teacher or lesson material. Teacher tends to probe answers.
3 = Students are encouraged to converse among themselves about the lesson material. The
teacher may or may not engage in the conversations. There is evidence that the purpose of
sharing ideas is to arrive at a deeper understanding.
Provide examples that support your rating:
5. Teacher Support for Students
0 = The rapport between teacher and students is not good. The working relationship
between teacher and students is rarely constructive. Many students do not appear to like the
setting.
1 = Teacher support for students is mixed. Teacher praises students occasionally. At other
times student effort goes unnoticed. Students are not encouraged to support one another.

2 = Teacher support is usually positive. Teacher-student rapport is good. There is some
evidence of high expectations for learning and trying hard. Teacher focuses on student
successes and does not dwell on failures.
3 = A strong friendship and mutual trust develops between teacher and students. The
atmosphere clearly supports student effort. Lowest achieving students receive support from
all.
Provide examples that support your rating:
6. Student Engagement
0 = Most students appear to be inattentive. They may look as though they are bored and
preoccupied with thoughts unrelated to the task at hand. One or more students may be
disruptive.
1 = Most students appear to be occasionally on-task. For those that are on-task, however,
they seem to be rather lethargic and/or not trying very hard.
2 = Most students for most of the time are on-task pursuing the substance of the lesson.
Students have, however, occasional lapses in concentration. A few students are only
occasionally off-task.
3 = All but one or two student(s) are deeply engaged in the lesson (paying attention, clearly
interested in learning the material, concentrating) for all but a few short instances of the
lesson.
Provide examples that support your rating:
Part V. Classroom Context
1. Technology
Technology includes: overhead projector, calculator, graphing calculator, headphones,
computers, TV, VCR, LCD displays, etc.
0= no technology was used during the lesson.
1= Technology was used by the teacher, but not the students.
2= Students used technology during instruction and/or to work on an assignment. However,
the students used the technology procedurally (in a step-by-step method).
3= Students used technology to investigate and arrive at a deeper understanding, rather than
procedurally.
Describe the technology used by the teacher and students:
Teacher:

Students:
List the technology present in the classroom that was not used by either the teacher or the
students during the observed lessons:
2. Manipulatives (e.g. counting cubes, Cuisenaire rods, blocks, geoboards,
pegboards, tiles, fraction circles, geometric shapes, etc.)
0= no manipulatives were used during the lesson.
1= manipulatives were used by the teacher, but not the students.
2= Students used manipulatives during instruction and or to work on an assignment.
However, the students used the manipulatives procedurally (in a step-by-step method).
3= Students used manipulatives to investigate and arrive at a deeper understanding, rather
than procedurally.
List the manipulatives used during the observed lessons:
3. Student grouping
For each type of student grouping, describe the activity students worked on in that grouping
and approximately how long they were grouped in that configuration.
A) students worked individually
Yes

No (skip to B)

If yes, what was the activity they were working on?
How long were they grouped like this?
less than 25% of the time
More than 25% but less than half of the time
Between 50% and 75% of the time
More than 75% of the time
B) Students worked in pairs
Yes

No (skip to C)

If yes, what was the activity they were working on?
How long were they grouped like this?
less than 25% of the time
More than 25% but less than half of the time
Between 50% and 75% of the time
More than 75% of the time
C) Students worked in small groups

Yes

No (skip to D)

If yes, what was the activity they were working on?
How long were they grouped like this?
less than 25% of the time
More than 25% but less than half of the time
Between 50% and 75% of the time
More than 75% of the time
D) Students were taught as a whole class
Yes
No (skip to next question)
If yes, what was the activity they were working on?
How long were they grouped like this?
less than 25% of the time
More than 25% but less than half of the time
Between 50% and 75% of the time
More than 75% of the time
4. Assessments: formal and informal
List specific student assessment instruments used during the class and where they came from
(teacher made, from the text/curriculum, district etc.). Formal assessment instruments might
include: quiz, test, portfolio, student presentation, homework, etc. Informal might include
individual, small group and whole group questioning.
Formal assessments used in class:
Type of Assessment

□ quiz
□ test
□ student presentation
□ homework
□ portfolio
□ other (specify):

Source of assessment (e.g. teacher made,
text/curriculum, district, etc.)

Informal assessments used in class:
Type of Assessment

Source of assessment (e.g. teacher made,
text/curriculum, district, etc.)

□ individual questioning
□ small group questioning
□ whole group questioning
□ worksheets/workbooks
□ board problems/to do problems
□ other (specify):
5. Teacher comfort level with lesson
How comfortable did the teacher appear to be with delivering the lesson and materials
she/he was presenting during your observation?
Not at all comfortable
A little comfortable
Fairly comfortable
Very comfortable
Please explain your rating.
6. Teacher knowledge of subject matter
To what extent did the teacher show a solid grasp of the subject matter content inherent in
the lesson?
____Not at all
____A small extent
____A moderate extent
____A great extent
Please explain your rating.
7. Any additional comments about the class?