Classroom Data Collection
Over the course of the 2023-24 school year, you will visit each classroom twice, about 4 weeks apart. During each visit, you will record normal classroom instruction (including some SEL-related instruction) for at least 40 minutes and complete the SELOC-E for at least two 15-minute observation periods.
This is a change from our previous request of two 80-minute visits with four 15-minute observation periods each. If you’re able to do 60-minute visits with 3 SELOCs or 80-minute visits with 4 SELOCs, we will thankfully use those videos and SELOCs!
Please do not begin classroom data collection until the SELOC-E team confirms that we have received the following items:
- Completed consent materials for each participating classroom (consent tracker returned via upload, guardian permission and student assent forms received via postal mail)
- Completed teacher consent form for each participating classroom
- Test video with adequate image and audio quality for each classroom
- Completed SEL Leader Training, including Reliability Surveys #1, 2, and 3 from Part 3
Before each classroom visit:
Work with your classroom teacher to schedule your classroom visit at a time when the teacher expects to be providing some SEL-related instruction.
Confirm that your classroom teacher has completed the Student Consent Process. Conduct a SELOC-E classroom visit ONLY IF the teacher has received a SELOC-E parent permission form AND a student assent form for at least 80% of students in the classroom.
Make sure you bring enough paper copies of the SELOC-E Observation Sheet to each classroom visit (2 copies for a 40-minute visit, 3 copies for a 60-minute visit, or 4 copies for an 80-minute visit). Paper copies were mailed to your school, but you can print more by clicking here: SELOC-E Observation Sheet. The observation sheet was revised in late November. Please be sure to use copies marked 11/2023 (mailed on yellow/orange paper).
During each classroom visit:
Set up for recording, as described in pages 2-3 of the SELOC-E Technology Instructions (available here). Remember to position the camera at the side of the classroom to allow the camera to capture both the teacher and their interactions with the students.
Work with your classroom teacher to identify students without parent permission and/or student assent for SELOC-E video-recording; position these students outside of the camera’s view.
As described on pages 5-6 of the SELOC-E Technology Instructions (available here) and shown below, observe for at least two 15-minute observation periods, taking a 5-minute break between consecutive observation periods.
During each 15-minute observation period, take factual notes (quotes, descriptions) in the space next to the SELOC-E indicators; this will improve your accuracy.
During each 5-minute break, use your notes to mark the SELOC-E indicators that you observed during the 15-minute period that just ended.
Hold the green/start card in front of the camera when you are starting each 15-minute observation period and hold the red/stop card in front of the camera when you are ending each 15-minute observation period.
Video-record the teacher and students continuously throughout your visit—do not stop and start the recording.
Make sure you finish completing your SELOC-E forms before you leave the classroom, since accurate recall decreases as time passes.
At the end of each classroom visit, you should have a completed SELOC-E form for each 15-minute observation period (2 forms for a 40-minute visit, 3 forms for a 60-minute visit, or 4 forms for an 80-minute visit).
After each classroom visit:
Use the Genius Scan app on the iPad to scan the completed SELOC-E forms to your secure SELOC-E SharePoint folder. (For detailed instructions, see pages 7-12 of the SELOC-E Technology Instructions (available here).
Figure 1: Two 40-minute classroom visits, about one month apart
Figure 2: Example of an extended (80-minute) classroom visit, if feasible
Please email yaleseloc@yale.edu with any data collection questions or concerns.