& Learning
STAR Protocol
Improving Learning: Skills/knowledge, Thinking, Application, Relationships
The STAR Classroom Observation Protocol™ was developed by and for The BERC Group Inc. The BERC Group designed the STAR Classroom Observation Protocol™ as a research instrument to measure the degree to which Powerful Teaching and Learning™ is present during any given period of observation time in a classroom. By popular demand, The BERC Group also developed modified versions of the original research instrument to be used by professional development groups. The purpose of the STAR Protocols (Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3) are to bring the research into instructional practice via a tool that is easy to understand and easy to use. From what we can tell, it seems to help educators reflect on their own instructional practices and to develop instructional practices that align with educational reform efforts and brain-based research. Through fifteen indicators, STAR protocol efficiently assesses student learning in the areas of Skills/knowledge, Thinking, Application, Relationships.
The focus of The BERC Group is to conduct sound research and disseminate the findings in a way that helps inform, inspire, and improve schools. Related to instruction in general, we want to help people know what Powerful Teaching and Learning Is, know How Teachers Develop It, and know How School Systems Support It (the focus of our research).
Around the STAR protocol, some of the research dissemination/support activities provided by The BERC Group include (1) providing presentations on the STAR Classroom Observation Protocol and the research surrounding it; (2) conducting instructional reviews to determine the extent to which the Essential Components of Powerful Teaching and Learning are present in classrooms; (3) publishing video sample lessons of Powerful Teaching and Learning with researcher commentary tracks, and (4) consulting with system leaders around their data.
If a school or district is interested in professional development, The BERC Group refers interested parties to The Powerful Teaching and Learning Group, LLC. The Powerful Teaching and Learning Group provides ongoing training and coaching to principals, teacher-leaders, and classroom teachers using the STAR Classroom Observation Protocol as a tool to increase the levels of Powerful Teaching and Learning in the classroom. Additionally, The Powerful Teaching and Learning Group offers coaching institutes designed to train educators who are planning on becoming educational coaches within their own system.
Improving Teaching: See, Talk, Apply, and Reflect
The STAR Classroom Observation Protocol™ is used by teachers as a way to reflect and improve on their own Powerful Teaching and Learning. When using STAR, teachers progress through powerful stages of discovery. Educators will:
Talk about what they observed with others.
Apply their learning from the observations and discussions into their own practices. Reflect on the alignment of the instruction to Powerful Teaching and Learning.
The BERC Group has created three specific phases of the STAR protocol that can be used by educators in their development:
- Phase I: Personal Reflection
- For use by individual teachers to begin to understand and recognize the employment of Powerful Teaching and Learning in their own classrooms.
- Phase II: Professional Learning Community
- For use by groups of teachers in a professional environment to foster communication and feedback between individuals for collective improvement.
- Phase III: Calibration
- For use by groups of teachers to continue collective improvement and to help develop a common language within a group related to Powerful Teaching and Learning concepts and practices.
For more information on STAR protocol or Powerful Teaching and Learning, please contact us at 425.882.7555 or use our Contact Form