Andrea Alvarez

If you are a VPK teacher preparing for a CLASS observation this school year, there is an important change you need to know about: CLASS has transitioned to the 2nd Edition. That means teachers should not prepare for their CLASS observation using only information, examples, or materials based on the older CLASS 2008 version. While the heart of CLASS remains the same—high-quality, meaningful teacher-child interactions—CLASS 2nd Edition includes updated language, definitions, indicators,...

Every August we decorate our classrooms, organize our centers, laminate our labels, and prepare exciting activities. But here's the question that matters most... When your students walk out of your classroom in May... what will they truly know? Not just the alphabet song.Not just counting to 20. Not just recognizing a few letters. Will they have the strong literacy foundation they need to become confident readers? Will they have the math thinking skills they'll need to succeed in...

The PM3 (End-of-Year) STAR assessment window is OPEN, classrooms everywhere are beginning to wrap up a year full of growth, learning, and discovery. Now what? As you begin testing your VPK students, it’s important to remember something that every experienced teacher knows deep down: Results may surprise you — some scores will go up, and some may go down. It happens! This final assessment is simply a snapshot of where each child is right now, not a full reflection of everything they’ve learned...