INSTRUCTOR RPT REGARDING ALTDEV ON IFR APCH DSNDING FROM ASSIGNED ALT. CONFUSION BTWN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT REGARDING ALT CLRED TO.

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I WAS ON AN IFR TRAINING FLT WITH 4 STUDENTS. THE WX WAS OVCST FROM 2000 FT TO LESS THAN 5000 FT WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN. THE WINDS FROM 3000-5000 FT WERE ABOUT 40 KTS FROM THE SSW. WE WERE CLRED TO FLY OUTBOUND FROM RITTS ON THE 340 DEG BEARING; DSND FROM 5000 FT TO 3000 FT. DURING DSCNT; THE VSI AND ALT INDICATED INSTANTANEOUS; VERY LARGE DSCNT RATES DUE TO WATER IN THE STATIC PORT. THERE WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. THIS DISTR MY STUDENT. AS WE LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT; CTR TOLD US TO START OUR PROC TURN. AS WE TURNED; I CHKED THE DME AND BECAME CONCERNED THAT WE WOULD EXCEED THE 10 NM LIMIT FOR THE PROC TURN. AT THE SAME TIME; MY STUDENT ASKED IF WE COULD DSND TO 2000 FT FOR THE PROC TURN. I ASKED HIM IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED; AND HE SAID YES; SO I TOLD HIM DSND TO 2000 FT. AS WE NEARED 2500 FT; CTR ASKED IF WE WERE MAINTAINING 3000 FT. I REALIZED WE WERE TOO LOW AND HAD MY STUDENT CLB; TOLD CTR WE WERE LEVELING AT 3000 FT; AND ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. CTR SAID NO. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD CONFIRMED THE APCH CLRNC WITH CTR INSTEAD OF MY STUDENT. THE SIT WAS THE SAME AS 2 CREW MEMBERS NOT AGREEING ON A CLRNC. IT SHOULD BE VERIFIED WITH THE CTLR. IN THIS CASE THERE WAS NO NEED TO DSND AT THAT TIME. IT TOOK ABOUT 15 MINS TO GET BACK TO THE OM.