C.L.A.S.S.

Connecting
Learning
Assures
Successful
Students

C.L.A.S.S. was started ten years ago in the state of Indiana by a
classroom teacher from Lebanon, Indiana, Barbara Pederson, who now serves as the state director of C.L.A.S.S. Central Elementary School in Lebanon was the first C.L.A.S.S. school in the state and there are now over three hundred designated C.L.A.S.S. schools. The C.L.A.S.S. philosophy began when research started to become available on how the brain processes information and what schools can do to foster a brain compatible environment. The C.L.A.S.S. philosophy embraces the eight components needed to create a brain compatible learning environment:

1. Absence of Threat - Children should feel comfortable and
safe in their learning environment and have nurturing teachers
to guide them.
2. Meaningful Content - The content of instruction should be
meaningful to the children and relate to their world in order to
make connections in the brain.
3. Choices - Research has shown that all children do not learn
in the same way and that teachers need to provide
opportunities for children to develop skills and demonstrate
mastery in a variety of ways.
4. Adequate Time - Brain research has proven that children
need adequate time to practice and develop connections
throughout the curriculum.
5. Enriched Environment - The environment in a school should
provide children with many resources and opportunities to
expand their experiences.
6. Collaboration - A C.L.A.S.S. school sets up an environment
which encourages children to work together collaboratively
and develop Lifeskills. It also encourages teachers to work
collaboratively in planning curriculum which best meet the
needs of the children.
7. Immediate Feedback - Research has shown that children
learn more from school activities when feedback is immediate.
8. Mastery - C.L.A.S.S. schools stress high standards through
the use of state proficiencies and innovative teaching methods
that connect the proficiencies to real world experiences.