CLASSESS (short for CLASSroom ASSESSment system, with emphasis on the second syllable!) is groundbreaking new software currently being tested by the Mechner Foundation. Developed over the past 7 years, CLASSESS allows real-time, accurate classroom tracking of any child’s non-academic, social-emotional skills and behaviors.
Valid assessment is an essential first step to addressing social-emotional learning (SEL). Traditional SEL assessment methods involve teachers completing questionnaires that reflect their opinions, and not in real time. With CLASSESS, teachers record individual instances of social-emotional behavior as they occur, throughout the school day or not long after, when they have some free time.
The software generates summary reports that provide teachers and principals with information that helps them make informed decisions about what kinds of SEL learning supports each student needs. CLASSESS comes pre-loaded with a set of ten distinct, easily observable classroom behaviors that research has shown to be important for success, both in school and in life. CLASSESS also enables schools to create and include customized behaviors that they consider important to observe and track. With CLASSESS software, teachers can communicate and coordinate with each other to support their students’ social-emotional development.
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If you are a teacher, principal or school administrator and think you or your school would be interested in testing the latest version of CLASSESS for free, please email us at amm@mechnerfoundation.org. We will be pleased to provide you with training materials and software support to help you succeed with CLASSESS.
