Practical Measures, Routines & Representations (PMR²) Whole Class Discussion Survey
Expert NotesStrengths:Easy to use practical measure; Designed for use of teachers to guide improvement efforts
Cautions:Not validated with external measures; Should not be used for evaluation
Topics: Student LearningThe Practical Measures, Routines & Representations (PMR²) Whole Class Discussion Survey is a short student survey to gather quick feedback about what happens during a whole-class discussion in mathematics. It is part of the PMR² suite of tools developed by researchers to support continuous…Practical Measures, Routines & Representations (PMR²) Small Group Work Survey
Expert NotesStrengths:Easy to use practical measure; Designed for use of teachers to guide improvement efforts
Cautions:Not validated with external measures; Should not be used for evaluation
Topics: Student LearningThe Small Group Work Survey is a short student survey used to understand how small-group activities are working during math lessons. It is part of the broader PMR suite of practical measurement tools designed to support continuous instructional improvement, not formal evaluation. The survey is…Teaching for a Robust Understanding (TRU) Mathematics
Expert NotesStrengths:Designed for use of teachers to guide improvement efforts (Grades K-12)
Cautions:Should not be used for evaluation; Calibration required for research purposes
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe Teaching for a Robust Understanding (TRU) Mathematics framework is an observation and reflection tool used to examine the key dimensions of high-quality mathematics instruction. It identifies five areas that shape strong learning environments: the richness of the mathematical content,…Practical Measures, Routines & Representations (PMR²) Task Analysis Tool
Expert NotesStrengths:Easy to use practical measure; Designed for use of teachers to guide improvement efforts
Cautions:Not validated with external measures; Should not be used for evaluation
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe Practical Measures, Routines & Representations (PMR²) Task Analysis Tool is an observation and planning tool used to examine the level of cognitive rigor built into a mathematics task before it is taught. It helps teachers and instructional teams look closely at what students must actually…Mathematics Scan
Expert NotesStrengths:Validated in Grades 6-12
Cautions:Should not be used for evaluation; Requires multiple observations; Calibration required for research purposes; Primarily used by researchers
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe Mathematics Scan (M-Scan) is a classroom observation tool designed to show how well mathematics instruction aligns with the vision set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). It focuses on what high-quality, standards-based math teaching looks like in practice and provides a…REAL Math Toolkit Observation and Debrief Protocol
Expert NotesStrengths:Designed for use of teachers to guide improvement efforts; Tested with teachers in grades 7-12; Easy to use practical measure
Cautions:Not validated with external measures; Should not be used for evaluation
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe REAL Math Toolkit Observation and Debrief Protocol is a pair of tools designed to support teachers and coaches in examining how culturally responsive and sustaining mathematics instruction shows up in a single lesson. The Observation Protocol provides a focused set of indicators tied to key…CARES Classroom Observation Tool
Expert NotesStrengths:Validated with multiple instruments; Validated with video from Grades 4–9 classrooms; Evidence suggest relationship between observed practices and students’ academic achievement
Cautions:Should not be used for evaluation; Requires multiple observations; Calibration required for research purposes; Most reliable in racially heterogenous classrooms
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe CARES Observational Assessment Tool (CARES) is a classroom observation protocol designed to capture how teachers use culturally responsive practices in their daily instruction. It focuses on five core areas of culturally responsive teaching, which together give districts a structured way to…Culturally Inclusive and Responsive Curricular Environments (CIRCLE scale)
Expert NotesStrengths:Quick and easy to administer
Cautions:Validated with only Grade 7 students; Has been used primarily for research and not in school improvement efforts
Topics: Student Well-BeingThe Culturally Inclusive and Responsive Curricular Environments (CIRCLE) Scale is a student survey that captures how culturally inclusive, respectful, and responsive a school’s learning environment feels to students. It was developed using interviews with middle school students from multiple…