1. Research & Initiatives
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  3. Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning
  4. CASTL Measures

CASTL Measures

The following measures have been developed by faculty at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning. For more information about any of the measures listed below, please contact us.

CLASS - Classroom Assessment Scoring System
CLASS™ is an observational instrument developed at the University of Virginia to assess classroom quality in PK-12 classrooms. It describes multiple dimensions of teaching that are linked to student achievement and development, and has been validated in over 2,000 classrooms. The CLASS™ can be used to reliably assess classroom quality for research and program evaluation, and also provides a tool to help new and experienced teachers become more effective. 

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inCLASS - Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System™
The inCLASS is the first rigorously tested instrument to assess preschool children’s patterns of interactions with teachers, other children and learning activities, based on systematic observations in the classroom. This tool can provide educators with a thorough, objective report of a child’s capabilities in a classroom setting, so they are better able to target instruction and support to meet a child’s needs. When used as a research tool with large samples of children, inCLASS gives scientists the opportunity to describe preschoolers’ individual experiences in a classroom setting and examine how their engagement with teachers, peers and tasks may contribute to early learning.

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Teacher Beliefs Q-Sort (TBQ)
The TBQ is a tool that measures three aspects of teachers' beliefs and priorities: Discipline and Behavior Management, Teaching Practices, and Beliefs About Students. The TBQ method offers the opportunity to describe characteristics of a sample of teachers in relation to these three dimensions as well as compare a group of teachers' beliefs to an "ideal" teacher. For more information and an online TBQ demo, visit the Social Development Lab website.

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MyTeachingPartner
MyTeachingPartner™, or MTP, is a system of professional-development supports developed through the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning. MTP improves teacher-student interactions, which in turn increases student learning and development. The suite of MTP professional-development supports contains three specific resources that may be used either individually or in tandem. All three MTP resources rely on a standardized observational assessment of teacher-student interactions—the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, or CLASS—as the primary way to observe and define effective practice.

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Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP)
VKRP measures mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills to complement Virginia's statewide assessment of literacy skills. VKRP builds a more comprehensive understanding of school readiness and success in the fall and spring of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. 

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Additional Measures

These measures were created by Bob Pianta, Batten Bicentennial Professor of Early Childhood Education and founding director of CASTL. Included below are three measures developed by Pianta, along with manuals explaining their use and related articles. There is no charge for the use of these measures in educational research. No wording or rating scales of any items on the measures should be modified. It is permissible to translate a measure for use in educational research; please send a copy of completed translations to [email protected]. Permission is also granted to publish studies in which one of the measures has been used.

Student Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS)

The STRS is a teacher-report instrument designed for teachers of children between the ages of 3 and 12 that measures a teacher’s perception of conflict, closeness and dependency with a specific child.


Reaction to Diagnosis Interview (RDI or RXDX)

The RDI is a standardized, reliable interview asking parents to describe their diagnostic experience of a chronic disability in their children. Based on their responses, parents are classified as either 'resolved' or 'unresolved' with regards to the child's diagnosis. This measure is no longer used or supported in Pianta's research, but may be used at no charge.

Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS)

The CPRS (Pianta, 1992) is a self-report instrument completed by mothers or fathers that assesses their perceptions of their relationship with their son or daughter.  The 15 items are rated on 5-point Likert scales and the ratings can be summed into groups of items corresponding to conflict and closeness subscales.  It is applicable to children ages 3-12. This measure is no longer used or supported in Pianta's research, but may be used at no charge.