Using a classroom observation protocol like PLATO to improve teaching & learning

This brief reports on research on the The Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observations (PLATO), a classroom observation protocol focused on middle and high school English/language arts (ELA) instruction. Stanford Professor Pam Grossman and her team developed PLATO during a research study on classroom practices. Grossman found that structured observation tools:

− Provide a common technical vocabulary for describing instruction
− Provide a consistent lens for looking at instruction
− Allow for rating teachers across different components of instruction
− Allow us to compare quality of instruction across classrooms