Power and assessment: A genealogical analysis of the CLASS

The CLASS (classroom assessment scoring system) has become integrally linked with quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) throughout the United States and other international locations. This relationship reinforces the neoliberal consumer-based perspectives of quality and devalues localized perspectives. This article challenges the notion of assessing quality in this manner and provides a genealogical analysis of the literature supporting the CLASS. The analysis focuses on three specific aspects of the CLASS research literature: the type of research used, how school success is defined, and the use of attachment theory in teacher–child relationships. The article also proposes further areas of study and analysis regarding the cultural appropriateness and international use of the assessment as well as questioning the line between research and marketing.