Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO)

The Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observations (PLATO) is a classroom observation protocol designed to evaluate thirteen elements of English Language Arts (ELA) instruction. It was originally developed for a study of the relationship between teachers' classroom practices and their impact on student achievement. It is currently being used as a professional development tool to support teachers' use of rigorous, research-based teaching practices. PLATO is designed to work across a variety of curricula and instructional approaches.

Content

Domains

Schooling

Subdomain

Teaching

Topics

Classroom Instruction

Grades

3-9

Languages

English

Respondent

Observer

Administration information

Length

12 elements that are scored in 15-minute segments. Length of scoring is 8 minutes in live observations. Videos may be paused in video-based scoring. A minimum of 4 visits per teacher (with the first and last visit occuring a week apart) is recommended in

Price

Online training pricing is $650 per person; some bulk discounts available. Contact CSET for additional information.

Administration

Individual,

Observation

National Sample

Access and Use

Contact

cset@stanford.edu

Instrument Use in Peer-Reviewed Studies

Alston, C., & Brown, M. T. (2015). Differences in Intellectual Challenge of Writing Tasks among Higher and Lower Value-Added English Language Arts Teachers. Teachers College Record, 117(5)

Grossman, P., Cohen, J., Ronfeldt, M., & Brown, L. (2014). The Test Matters: The Relationship Between Classroom Observation Scores and Teacher Value Added on Multiple Types of Assessment. Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X14544542

Psychometrics

Scoring

Manual scoring

Open Access

Resources on Psychometric Properties

Cor, K. (2011). The measurement properties of the PLATO rubric. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

Grossman, P., Cohen, J., & Brown, L. (2014). Understanding Instructional Quality in English Language Arts: Variations in PLATO Scores by Content and Context. In T. J. Kane, K. A. Kerr, R. C. Pianta (Eds.), Designing Teacher Evaluation Systems: New Guidance from the Measures of Effective Teaching Project. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Grossman, P., Loeb, S., Cohen, J., & Wyckoff, J. (2013). Measure for Measure: The Relationship between Measures of Instructional Practice in Middle School English Language Arts and Teachers’ Value-Added Scores. American Journal of Education, 119(3), 445–470.