Analysis and Reasoning

Question

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When scoring Concept Development, I put my soft scores beside each indicator after looking at each behavioral marker. During a 20 minute cycle, I have yet to come across someone who hits all 5 behavioral markers for Analysis and Reasoning. Can a teacher that has a high number of How/Why questions and questions/activities for 1 or 2 other markers score high in Analysis and Reasoning or does the teacher have to show evidence of all 5 behavior markers?

Answer

A great question! And one I'm so curious to hear others' responses to as well. I think it's important to remember that behavioral markers aren't meant to be used as a checklist; they are just examples of behaviors that may support the indicator. Instead, it's better to think more broadly and remember that High scores (6-7) are assigned when the classroom interactions were highly characteristic of a dimension during the observation. High-range behaviors are those that are meaningful, consistent, and sustained. I find it helpful to reread the full range description. There could be many ways a teacher could often use discussions and activities that encourage analysis and reasoning without demonstrating all 5 behavioral markers.
Other than rereading the full range of descriptions, I'd recommend reviewing the coding resources on the Reliability Support page. There are great videos and downloadable that cover how to assign soft ranges and then assign a holistic score.
Lastly, if you're looking to support a teacher with Analysis and Reasoning, this blog post may have some good ideas.

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