MODIFIED FOR USE IN THE WORLD BANK PROJECTS

Using the Stallings Snapshot Observation, we learned that in classrooms where students were achieving academically, the teachers provided 50% or more active instruction activities and sp

JANUARY 2007

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

CENTER FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITIES

COLLEGE STATION TEXAS

COPYRIGHT 2001

PERMISSION GRANTED FOR MODIFICATIONS

Stallings Snapshot Observation Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION 4

CLASSROOM SNAPSHOT OBSERVATION CODING MANUAL 5

DESCRIPTION 5

PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING THE DEMOGRAPHIC PAGE 5

PROCEDURES FOR TIMING THE 10 SNAPSHOTS 5

PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING THE SNAPSHOT 6

STEPS TO RECORD THE SNAPSHOT PICTURE 7

CODING OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS AND PROCEDURES 8

C LASSROOM S NAPSHOT A CTIVITIES 8 C LASSROOM S NAPSHOT M ATERIALS 14 OTHER CODING RULES 15

CALCULATIONS 15

REVIEW YOUR CODING FOR ACCURACY 17

APPENDIX 1: CLASSROOM INFORMATION SHEET/SNAPSHOT COVER SHEET 18

APPENDIX 2: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SNAPSHOTS (1-10) 19

OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION

The Stallings’ Observation System was developed in the 1970’s to evaluate how elementary teachers and students used their time in classrooms Early findings found that, most students in the United State attended school six hours a day, but on the average, they spent less than an hour engaged in academic activities This was a shocking finding In many studies, student engaged rates have been positively related to student achievement When engaged rates are low, student achievement is low

Using the Stallings Snapshot Observation, we learned that in classrooms where students were achieving academically, the teachers provided 50% or more active instruction activities and spent 35% or less of the time actively monitoring students as they did their seat work Further, effective teachers were very efficient in managing the organization details, spending 15% or less of the class time (i.e taking the roll, passing papers, grading papers, making assignments) Little classroom time was wasted and students spent significantly more time on academic tasks During the 1980s and 90s the Stallings Observation System was modified for use in middle schools, high schools, and continuation schools

Data collected from the Snapshot has been used as a teacher training program to make teachers aware of how they use classroom time By giving teachers specific, factual information about the activities they offer their students, the materials used, the groups of students with whom they work, and when their students are Off Task, teachers have significantly modified how they used their time

In 2002 Helen Abadzi, representing the World Bank, requested Dr Stallings to provide training on the Snapshot in a variety of countries To answer educational questions raised by the World Bank, and simplify the system so that it can be used in a wide variety of countries, some modifications have been made, while retaining the integrity of the instrument

CLASSROOM SNAPSHOT OBSERVATION CODING MANUAL

DESCRIPTION

The Classroom Snapshot records the environment and the participants in the classroom as if they were being photographed at one instant It records every person in the classroom in the activity in which they are engaged and shows with whom they are engaged

The distribution of adults and students among the activities that are occurring simultaneously are recorded as the observer places first the teacher on the grid and then going clockwise around the room places all of the students on the grid Essentially, the Snapshot provides data to assess the teacher activities, the student activities, the materials being used, and grouping patterns The snapshot can be implemented by computer, resulting in a database that can be used for immediate statistical analysis, by Scantron, or paper and pencil for later entry into a database The directions that follow are for the pencil

and paper-based version of the instrument

PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING THE DEMOGRAPHIC PAGE

On the first page of the Snapshot, the observer records the demographic data i.e the school, the teacher’s name and identification number, the observer’s name and number, the number of adults in the classroom, the number of students in the classroom, the subject being observed, the period or time of the class observed, grade level (including combination of grades in the room) The observer also records the percentage of students who have textbooks and the language or languages used in instruction in the class The observer should obtain some of this information from the teacher before or after the

observation (See the Snapshot Cover Page in Appendix 1)

PROCEDURES FOR TIMING THE 10 SNAPSHOTS

Prior to starting the observation, ask the teacher how long the period will last If it is 50 minutes, the observer will record one Snapshot every five minutes If the period is 30 minutes in duration, the observer records a snapshot every three minutes The point is to distribute the ten Snapshots evenly over the entire class period To record the data for the snapshot, the observer sits at the back of the classroom

or from a point where he/she can have a good view of the entire class Allow three minutes to pass after the bell rings and take the first Snapshot

PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETING THE SNAPSHOT

Look at the Snapshot grid in Appendix 2 Across the top of the grid are 7 materials that may be used in the activities These seven form the columns

Along the left side there is a list of 15 activities that may occur in the classroom (The “Other” activity

is reserved for some special activity It is not often used) The 15 activities form the rows of the grid Within each Activity row are the letters

T = Teacher

I = Students working independently, without a teacher

The 1, S, L, and E bubbles located on the T line and on the I line indicate the number of students who are in the group that is being recorded S, L and E vary on the basis of class size The following table

(Table 1) can be used for reference to decide the category (Table 1: N denotes the class size or the total

number of students present in the class S, L and E refer to small group, large group and everyone (or whole group) respectively and the number of students in these groups can be calculated using Table 1

“<=” refers to less than or equal to)

Table 1: Calculation of Group Sizes

Class strength

or Group size

students

11 to 29 students 16 to 44 students 21 to (N-1) students

E : Whole

Group

STEPS TO RECORD THE SNAPSHOT PICTURE

The following steps should be implemented using the classroom snapshot during classroom observations

(See Appendix 2 for the Snapshot)

The observer scans the classroom going clockwise around the room First determine where the Teacher

is In what activity is she/he involved Find the activity row What material is being used? Find the material column (The activities and materials are operationally defined later in the manual) Is the

teacher working with 1 child? A small group? A large group? Or everyone? Fill in the ONE bubble on

the T line that indicates the Activity, Materials, and the student group with whom the teacher is involved Now scan the room going clockwise and place all of the students on the grid There may be several

small groups of students involved in several different activities Continue until all students and the teacher have been recorded If you mark E, this includes the teacher and all the students If you mark E

do not mark any other code (E= everyone)

A Golden Rule 1: The Teacher must be placed only one time on each of the ten Snapshots

Golden Rule 2: If you mark E do not make any other mark on that Snapshot E is only marked on the T line

Golden Rule 3: Never mark “1” in the co-operative column

CODING OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS AND PROCEDURES

Classroom Snapshot Activities

C ODE I TEM O PERATIONAL D EFINITION C ODING P ROCEDURE & E XAMPLES

A CTIVE I NSTRUCTION (A CTIVITIES 1-5)

Teacher or Students are reading aloud

One or more students are reading connected text from a textbook, trade book, periodical, their own writing, or reproduced material

When reading aloud, generally students take turns reading sections from the material The teacher or student may also read aloud while the rest of the class follows along in their own texts

all students are coded as engaged in the oral reading activity with the teacher

• This activity is usually coded on the

T line It can be coded on the I line using the 1, S, L, if the teacher is not present and the children are reading aloud to each other

reading aloud

2 Instruction/

Demonstration/Lecture

The teacher, television or some form of media is informing a student or groups of students about a subject i.e reading, mathematics, science, history

•Code this activity if a teacher models

a procedure or shows students how to

do something (example: science experiment, math problem, use of materials)

•To provide the instruction, the teacher may use books, paper pencil, manipulatives, audio visual tools, chalkboard, or no materials

•Code this category if the teacher is showing one student how to do a math problem or sound out a word

•Code this category if the student(s)

are learning a new song

•If the teacher is not present in the class a student is conducting the class

or playing the role of the teacher, mark the student on the I line

an academic discussion i.e a verbal exchange of ideas or opinions This may be, slow paced questions and answers regarding reading material, science, mathematics, political science or any problem where there is not one right answer This could also be a check by the teacher or student for comprehension and understanding

of material

•This code may be used with no materials and when students are discussing in small groups or large groups, without books or any other material It may be coded in the cooperative group column to show that

a cooperative group is discussing an assignment

material such as multiplication tables or spelling words The teacher and students or several groups of students interact in oral questions and answer session where there is one right answer

The teacher asks the students repetitive questions in order for the students to memorize the correct answer

•If the teacher is leading drill and practice, code on the T line Code on the I line if two or more students are practicing addition facts, spellings words, the alphabet, or any rote learning activity The materials used may be manipulatives, the chalk board,

or paper/pencil

•If students are singing a song they know already or have been taught already, code here

on the I line, since for the most part, the students, individually or

• Art and craft activities e.g Projects include - Constructing a bird house, painting a mural, making puppets,

in groups are involved in any activity which requires them to use information to create a project i.e hands on activities that result

in a product and can extend over one or more class sessions

Code here kinesthetic activities which require body movement as

in dance, marching to music or any physical activities (Make a note in the log describing the kinesthetic activity)

making a pottery bowl, or creating a book

agriculture projects is coded here

•The Projects category may often be coded with Cooperative Groups when two or more people are involved in a joint project

P ASSIVE I NSTRUCTION (A CTIVITIES 6-7)

papers, doing computation, or are involved in any other silent written work at their seats

Reading silently is also coded as

seatwork

•Code Written Assignments if students are completing assignments They will most likely be using paper/pencils in the materials column If a student is writing and reading, use the Written Assignment activity If the teacher is not actively monitoring the seatwork, Code students on the I line

•If the teacher is walking around the room actively monitoring the children

as they do their seatwork, code this activity on the T line using 1, S, L, or

E E will imply that all students are working on their assignment as the teacher monitors

•If students are reading a comic book when they should be doing a

mathematics assignment, code them as off task, uninvolved

•Written test taking is coded here Please note in the Log when test-taking occurs

exercises from the blackboard

The primary purpose of the activity is to transfer the text on the board verbatim to the students’ paper or copybooks

If students are interacting with the material to learn or practice concepts or procedures or to apply knowledge (work math problems, conjugate verbs), then code as Written Assignments on the activity line

blackboard (not interacting with students) and the students are copying at their seats, code the teacher in the Teacher Management Alone (activity 15) and code students on the I line (1,S,

or L) with notebook or slate

the students are copying, code the teacher and students on the T line with

S, L or E

O RGANIZATION AND M ANAGEMENT ITEM : 8, 13, AND 15

assignments for the work expected during the day or for homework He/she is explaining the procedures to be followed, the amount of work to be finished, or rewards for completing the assignment

•Code the discussion of grades and clarification of behavior expectations

on the Assignment activity line

•This activity does not focus on the academic content, but on the information that students need to carry out the assignment

O FF T ASK A CTIVITIES (A CTIVITIES 10-12)

Student Off Task: 10,11,12

Teacher Off Task: 10, 14, 16

or laughing about activities or subjects other than what the teacher expects for the class to be engaged They could be passing notes, or having negative interactions that disrupt the class

• Code here if students are passing notes, or having negative interactions that disrupt the class This could include physical interaction between students

• If the teacher has a social interaction with students mark this on the T line

• If a teacher interacts socially with visitors to the classroom code on Teacher Social Interaction line (14)

11 Student Uninvolved This category is recorded when

one or more students are not involved in instructional activities, for example, if a student is staring out the window, resting the head on the desk, or sleeping

•If the teacher has not specified an instructional activity and all of the children are waiting, then record an L

on the I line

• Code students who are arriving or departing as uninvolved

•Code students who are waiting for the teacher in order to begin an assignment

or take an exam as uninvolved

reprimanded for their behavior or are being sent out of the room for disciplinary reasons

punishment When corporal punishment occurs please record the incident in the snapshot log

management: passing out papers, changing activities, putting away materials, preparing to leave

•Mark No Materials Even though materials are being handled, they are not being used

•If students are performing classroom management activities without the teacher involved, code this under the I line in Classroom Management