CLASS® 2nd Edition Infant–Toddler FAQs

The 2nd Edition of CLASS reflects research and feedback-based advancements to CLASS 2008 to better meet the needs of today’s educators and children. As part of this advancement, the CLASS 2nd Edition Infant–Toddler Product Suite introduces key updates specific to infant and toddler settings. 

The 2nd Edition Infant–Toddler Product Suite is a comprehensive and cost-effective resource designed to enhance professional development by integrating the infant and toddler age groups for a better experience. This new edition includes a more structured course layout, clearer guidance and practical strategies for both educators and administrators. This update aims to enhance the impact of CLASS across distinct contexts and increase the consistency of scoring across observers.

Infants and toddlers have rapidly growing developmental needs, and educators can adopt similar approaches for both age groups to foster meaningful interaction in classrooms. The combined framework allows users to focus on one system, ensuring consistent evaluation across age groups and making it easier to track progress.

Additionally, it is more cost-effective, requiring only a single training program instead of two separate certifications in the CLASS 2008 version.

All products are available for purchase now for delivery starting August 1st, just in time for the 2025-2026 school year.

CLASS 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler packs significant updates, including a single tool and observation certification process, making it distinct from the CLASS 2008 version. Due to these substantial changes, anyone aiming to certify on the 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler (even CLASS 2008 Infant and/or Toddler Observers) must complete the new Observer Certification Training. 

Due to the changes in the new tool, there is no transition training for the 2nd Edition Infant–Toddler. Current Infant and Toddler Observers must complete Observer Certification Training to transition.

The first step in the transition process for Affiliate Trainers and CLASS Group Coaches is to attend CLASS 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler Observer Certification Training and achieve certification. The next step depends on your already-earned certifications. Check out the 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler transition pathways for more detail on these processes.

The first step in getting certified as a CLASS 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler trainer is to attend the Observer Certification Training and achieve certification. The next step depends on your already-earned certifications. Check out the 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler transition pathways for more detail on these processes.

All CLASS 2008 Infant and Toddler observers transition to CLASS 2nd Edition by attending CLASS 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler Observer Certification Training and passing the certification test. The timing of your transition depends on when your organization needs to begin collecting CLASS 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler data. Depending on your timeline, it could make sense to transition right away or to wait until your observers are due for recertification.

Since there is not a transition training, observers do not need to maintain Infant or Toddler certification to attend the 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler Observer Certification Training if they are no longer collecting CLASS 2008 data. If there is a transition period when they will need to collect CLASS 2008 data, they should maintain an active certification.

The new CLASS 2nd Edition Infant-Toddler tool still measures feedback interactions. All of the elements of Quality of Feedback are measured in two of the four indicators in Facilitated Exploration: enhanced learning and scaffolding. We designed the tool this way, because Quality of Feedback doesn’t work from a technical standpoint as a dimension in Infant-only settings.

All of the elements of Quality of Feedback are measured in two of the four indicators in Facilitated Exploration, enhanced learning and scaffolding. The ranges for the indicators can provide information to support educator interactions related to children’s cognition and persistence. 

Because indicator ranges are captured in the CLASS 2nd Edition scoring process, it is now easy to set improvement goals at the indicator level. All of the elements of Quality of Feedback are measured in two of the four indicators in Facilitated Exploration, enhanced learning and scaffolding. So, educators and coaches who want to improve feedback interactions can set improvement goals for these indicators.

Infants and toddlers learn what behaviors are safe and positive because we share expectations and model and monitor behavior. Measuring these interactions will help educators identify and engage in these behaviors. There are scoring notes and descriptive pages to tell observers how to assess developmentally informed behavior expectations for infants, and how to score when few behavior challenges occur. 

There is information in the Observer Field Guide on infant-toddler development and indicator-level examples of how infants and toddlers might display a certain behavior. These examples will be discussed in the training and included in training activities and video discussions. 

Stay tuned! This information is forthcoming as a component of our external validation study.