Clasroom Observation

PREL -Classroom Observation Protocol

Date:

Observer:

School/District:

Teacher:

Grade:

Class ESL/ELD
(circle one)
Topic:

Class Hours:
Solo Observation
Paired Observation
Paired with_________________

Lesson Type:
(circle one)

ELA

Multi-day

Single-day

Number of Students:

Directions: Using the rubrics on the following pages, check the number that best reflects
what you observe in the lesson. You may give a score from 0-4 (or NA on selected items).
Cite under “Comments” specific examples of the behaviors observed.

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

I. Preparation
4
1. Clearly defined content
objectives for students

3

2
Content objectives
for students implied

1

0
No clearly defined
content objectives
for students

3

2
Language objectives
for students implied

1

0
No clearly defined
language
objectives for
students

3

2
Content concepts
somewhat appropriate
for age and
educational
background level of
students

Comments:

4
2. Clearly defined
language objectives for
students
Comments:

4
3. Content concepts
appropriate for age and
educational background
level of students

1

0
Content concepts
in- appropriate for
age and
educational
background level
of students

Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

4
4. Supplementary
materials used to a high
degree, making the lesson
clear and meaningful (e.g.,
computer programs,
graphs, models, visuals)
Comments:

3

2
Some use of
supplementary
materials

1

0
No use of
supplementary
materials

4
5. Adaptation of content
(e.g., text, assignment) to
all levels of student
proficiency

3

2
Some adaptation of
content to all levels
of student proficiency

1

0
No significant
adaptation of
content to all levels
of student
proficiency

3

2
Meaningful activities
that integrate lesson
concepts but provide
little opportunity for
language practice with
opportunities for
reading, writing,
listening, and/ or
speaking

1

0
No meaningful
activities that
integrate lesson
concepts with
language practice

Comments:

4
6. Meaningful activities
that integrate lesson
concepts (e.g.,surveys,
letter writing, simulations, constructing models)
with language practice
opportunities for reading,
writing,
listening, and/ or speaking
Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

NA

II. Building Background
4
7. Concepts explicitly
linked to students'
background experiences

3

2
Concepts loosely
linked to students'
background
experiences

1

0
Concepts not
explicitly linked to
students'
background
experiences

3

2
Few links made
between past learning
and new concepts

1

0
No links made
between past
learning and new
concepts

3

2
Key vocabulary
introduced but not
emphasized

1

0
Key vocabulary not
emphasized

Comments:

4
8. Links explicitly made
between past learning and
new concepts
Comments:

4
9. Key vocabulary
emphasized (e.g.,
introduced, written,
repeated, and highlighted
for students to see)

Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

NA

III. Comprehensible Input
4
10. Speech appropriate for
students' proficiency level
(e.g., slower rate,
enunciation, and simple
sentence structure for
beginners)
Comments:

3

2
Speech sometimes
inappropriate for
students' proficiency
level

1

0
Speech
inappropriate for
students' proficiency
level

4
11. Explanation of
academic tasks clear

3

2
Explanation of
academic tasks
somewhat clear

1

0
Explanation of
academic tasks
unclear

Comments:

4
12. Uses a variety of techniques to make content
concepts clear (e.g., modeling, visuals, hands-on
activities, demonstrations,
gestures, body language)
Comments:

3

2
Uses some techniques to make
content concepts
clear

1

0
Uses few or no
techniques to make
content concepts
clear

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

IV. Strategies
4
13. Provides ample opportunities for students to use
strategies

3

2
Provides students
with inadequate
opportunities to use
strategies

1

0
No opportunities for
students to use
strategies

4
14. Consistent use of
scaffolding techniques
throughout lesson, assisting
and supporting student
understanding (e.g., thinkalouds)
Comments:

3

2
Occasional use of
scaffolding
techniques

1

0
No use of
scaffolding
techniques

4
15. Teacher uses a variety of
question types, including
those that promote higherorder thinking skills (e.g.,
literal, analytical, and interpretive questions)
Comments:

3

2
Teacher infrequently
poses questions that
promote higherorder thinking skills

1

0
Teacher does not
pose questions that
promote higherorder thinking
skills

Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

V. Interaction
4
16. Frequent opportunities
for interaction and discussion between teacher /
student and among students, which encourage
elaborated responses about
lesson concepts
Comments:

4

3

3

17. Grouping
configurations support
language and content
objectives of the lesson

2
Interaction mostly
teacher-dominated
with some
opportunities for
students to talk about
or question lesson
concepts

2

1

0
Interaction
primarily teacherdominated with no
opportunities for
students discuss
lesson concepts

1

0
Grouping
configurations do
not support language
and content
objectives

Grouping
configurations
unevenly support
language and content
objectives

Comments:

4
18. Consistently provides
sufficient wait time for
student responses

3

2
Occasionally provides
sufficient wait time
for student responses

1

0
Never provides
sufficient wait time
for student
responses

3

2
Some opportunity for
students to clarify key
concepts in L1

1

0
No opportunity for
students to clarify
key concepts in L1

Comments:

4
19. Ample opportunities
for students to clarify key
concepts in L1 as needed
with aide, peer, or L1 text
Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

NA

VI. Practice/Application
4
20. Provides hands-on
materials and/ or
manipulatives for students
to practice using new
content knowledge

3

2
Provides few handson
materials and/ or
manipulatives for
students to practice
using new content
knowledge

1

0
Provides no handson
materials and/ or
manipulatives for
students to practice
using new content
knowledge

3

2
Provides activities for
students to apply
either content or
language knowledge
in the classroom

1

0
Provides no
activities for
students to apply
either content or
language
knowledge in the
classroom

3

2
Uses activities that
integrate some
language skills

1

0
Uses activities that
apply only one
language skill

Comments:

4
21. Provides activities for
students to apply content
and language knowledge
in the classroom

Comments:

4
22. Uses activities that
integrate all language skills
(i.e., reading, writing,
listening, and speaking)
Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

NA

VII. Effectiveness of Lesson Delivery
4
3
23. Content objectives
clearly
supported by lesson
delivery
Comments:

2
Content objectives
supported somewhat
by lesson delivery

1

0
Content objectives
not
supported by lesson
delivery

3

2
Language objectives
supported somewhat
by lesson delivery

1

0
Language
objectives not
supported by lesson
delivery

4
25. Students engaged
approximately 90% to
100% of the period
Comments:

3

2
Students engaged
approximately 70% of
the period

1

0
Students engaged
less than 50% of the
period

4
26. Pacing of the lesson
appropriate to the students’
ability level

3

2
Pacing generally
appropriate, but at
times too fast or too
slow

1

0
Pacing
inappropriate to the
students’ ability
level

4
24. Language objectives
clearly supported by lesson
delivery
Comments:

Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

VIII. Lesson Review/Evaluation
4
3
27. Comprehensive review
of key vocabulary
Comments:

2
Uneven review of key
vocabulary

4
28. Comprehensive review
of key content concepts

3

2
Uneven review of key
content concepts

1

0
No review of
key content
concepts

4
29. Regularly provides
feedback to students on
their output (e.g., language,
content, work)
Comments:

3

2
Inconsistently provides
feedback to students
on their output

1

0
Provides no
feedback to
students on
their output

4
30. Conducts assessment of
student comprehension and
learning of all lesson
objectives (e.g., spotchecking, group response)
throughout the lesson

3

2
Conducts assessment
of student
comprehension and
learning of some lesson
objectives

1

0
Conducts no
assessment of
student
comprehension
and learning of
lesson
objectives

1

0
No review of key
vocabulary

Comments:

Comments:

Copyright @ 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. Reproduction of this material is restricted to use with Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.