Highlighting the Power of Observation-based Assessment

In a move that echoes the Montessori approach, the Minnesota Department of Education announced earlier this summer its intention to move toward observation-based assessment in kindergarten classrooms. The initial assessments will roll out across 45 Minnesota public school districts.

As reported by Rochester, Minn. news outlet KTTC, the assessments will be “embedded in every day classroom experiences.” Three of the 70 schools chosen for the initial roll-out are Montessori public charter schools —  Cornerstone Montessori Elementary, Oak Hill Montessori Community School, and Swan River Montessori Charter School.

The MDE expects a wider roll-out of the assessments during the 2027-28 school year. While further details on the nature of the assessment are scarce at the moment, the move calls to mind a tool created by the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector.

Observation is key

The Developmental Environment Rating Scale (DERS) is an observation-based classroom assessment tool designed to measure child and adult behaviors as well as environmental attributes. Built around a convenient web-based platform, DERS is used by public and private Montessori schools to guide observation and support continuous improvement.

“DERS makes the magic of Montessori visible. It uses 60 items to observe children, adults, and the physical environment and captures whether a classroom is truly supporting optimal child development — not just whether it has the right materials or looks aesthetically pleasing,” said NCMPS Tools and Assets Lead Katie Grabowski.

Interested schools can request a 14-day free trial of DERS. The six-hour DERS training and certification course comes automatically bundled with the one-year DERS app subscription required for use of the DERS ($130), for a total cost of $435.

“With concrete, observable indicators and defined scoring, the tool gives observers and teachers a shared, precise language for what high-quality learning environments that support children’s executive function growth, social-emotional development, and deep literacy actually look like,” Grabowski said.

Andrew Marshall

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Andrew Marshall is an award-winning journalist and visual artist.

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