Why is Instructional Classroom Assessment important? There are several important reasons for
developing an assessment plan integral to the teaching program.  First, a careful assessment of classroom
organization, behavior management, and instructional design before instruction begins allows the teacher to
develop a teaching program that actually decreases the potential of behavior problems.  If assessment is
completed carefully and systematically, it can be an effective tool for preventing classroom behavior and
learning problems.

What is Instructional Classroom Assessment?  Instructional Classroom Assessment is a comprehensive
assessment procedure that teachers can use to evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of their teaching and
classroom management plan. The multifaceted model is composed of three assessment phases: (1) Before
Instruction, (2) During Instruction, and (3) After Instruction.  In addition, each phase employs a three-level
assessment approach that examines class organization, behavior management, and instructional design. To
complete the assessment plan, the teacher focuses on specific instructional design features related to
classroom management. Finally, the information collected during assessment is ultimately converted into a
plan for developing proactive modifications in the areas of classroom organization, behavior management,
and instructional design.

What is Phase 1: Assessment Before Instruction?  In the Before Instruction phase, the primary focus is on
preparing instructional activities that must be in place before the instruction is delivered. Assessment in this
phase begins long before students enter the classroom by collecting information on classroom organization,
behavior management, and instructional design. Assessment questions for this phase are presented below.

1. Does the classroom organization allow for smooth transition between groups, classes, or activities?
2. Is adequate time allocated for instruction in critical academic areas?
3. Is the plan for organizing and managing the classroom proactive?
4. Are the classroom rules clear, established, and posted in the classroom?  
5. Is a delivery system in place for praising, acknowledging, and rewarding students’ academic accomplishments and social responsibilities?
6. Are classroom routines clearly defined, established, and posted in the classroom?
7. Will students require more practice examples of the new target skill?
8. Will students be directed by the teacher during the target lesson in a  group, or independently?
9. Does the target lesson involve new skills, operations, or strategies for the learner? 

1. Are you facilitating orderly transition between instructional sessions?
2. Are you monitoring students during independent seatwork?
3. Are students following classroom rules and routines?
4. Do you review the rules?
5. Are students attending, following along and responding to the lesson?
6. Is the rate of reinforcement high, and is it delivered contingently?
7. Are students meeting the specified criterion level of performance?
8. Is the lack of prerequisite knowledge and skills interfering with acquisition of new knowledge?
9. Are academic errors occurring at too high a rate?

 1.  Did you accomplish the goals you set at the beginning of the lesson?
 2.  Is more instructional time required to meet learning objectives?
 3.  Does the plan for managing instructional transitions need to be revised?
 4.  Are the rules appropriate for the current learning objectives?
 5.  Is the reinforcement system effective?
 6.  Is the mechanism for managing serious behavior problems effective?
 7.  Does the instructional lesson require more examples or different sequence of  examples?
 8.  Are students transferring learned skills to new learning contexts?
 9.  Do procedures for teaching classroom rules and routines need to be modified?

To utilize the 27 assessment questions provided, teachers employ a three-point rating scale. The scoring
mechanism is designed to allow the teacher to quickly prioritize necessary teaching modifications. For
example, after a teacher completes the Before Instruction phase of assessment and answers each of the
assessment questions. If the teacher feels that the area being evaluated is not in need of change, then a “1”
(Acceptable) is scored next to the question, indicating that no teaching modifications are needed. 
However, if the teacher finds teaching modifications necessary, then either “2” (Monitor) or “3” (Change)
is marked.  By checking either 2 or 3, the teacher immediately prioritizes her assessment activities. For
example, if a teacher is evaluating the adequacy of classroom rules for the Before Instruction phase and
decides that the rules need adjusting but not  immediately, then “2” is checked in the appropriate box. This
tells the teacher that modification of classroom rules should be completed after all priority changes (i.e.,
those indicated by checking 3 are made.

Resources

Kameenui, E. & Darch, C.  (1995). Instructional classroom management: A proactive approach to
Behavior management. Longman, New York. 

Olson, J. & Platt, J. (2000). Teaching children and adolescents with special needs. Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey.