STANDARD

NOT EVIDENT

EMERGING

OPERATIONAL

HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL

VISION AND PURPOSE

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system has not committed to a shared purpose and direction. The system has little or no evidence that expectations for student learning are aligned with the system’s vision with little support by system and school personnel and external stakeholders. Expectations for student learning do not serve as the focus for assessing student performance, system and school effectiveness. The vision has little influence on allocations of time and human, material, and fiscal resources.

The school system has begun the process of engaging its stakeholders to commit to a shared purpose and direction. The system is developing expectations for student learning aligned with the system’s vision that is supported by system and school personnel and external stakeholders. These expectations will serve as the focus for assessing student performance, system and school effectiveness but the process is not fully in place. The vision has some influence on allocations of time and human, material, and fiscal resources.

The school system has committed to a shared purpose and direction. The system and its schools have clearly defined expectations for student learning aligned with the system’s vision that is supported by system and school personnel and external stakeholders. These expectations serve as the focus for assessing student performance, system and school effectiveness. The vision guides allocations of time and human, material, and fiscal resources.

The school system has achieved a wide commitment by all groups of stakeholders to a shared purpose and direction. The system and its schools have clearly defined expectations for student learning aligned with the system’s vision that is fully supported by system and school personnel and external stakeholders. These expectations serve as the focus for assessing student performance, system and school effectiveness. The vision guides allocations of time and human, material, and fiscal resources.

GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system has leaders who have not established or are currently establishing processes to develop the system’s vision and improvement efforts. The leaders’ process of allocating resources provides little support to implement curricular and co-curricular programs that enable students to achieve expectations for their learning. Leaders do not encourage or promote collaboration and shared responsibility for system and school improvement among stakeholders. The system’s policies, procedures, and organizational conditions have little influence and impact on equity of learning opportunities and support for innovation.

The school system has leaders who have established processes to develop the system’s vision and improvement efforts. The leaders allocate resources to implement curricular and co-curricular programs that enable students to achieve expectations for their learning. Leaders allow collaboration and shared responsibility for system and school improvement among stakeholders. The system’s policies, procedures, and organizational conditions attempt to create equity of learning opportunities and support for innovation, but implementation of these processes and conditions is sporadic, and results are varied.

The school system has leaders who are advocates for the system’s vision and improvement efforts. The leaders provide direction and systematically allocate resources to implement curricular and co-curricular programs that enable students to achieve expectations for their learning. Leaders encourage collaboration and shared responsibility for system and school improvement among stakeholders. The system’s policies, procedures, and organizational conditions ensure equity of learning opportunities and support for innovation. While these processes and conditions are being implemented, the implementation is not systemic across the system, and the results are varied.

The school system has leaders who are advocates for the system’s vision and improvement efforts. The leaders provide direction, lend support, and systematically allocate resources for systemic and sustainable implementation of curricular and co-curricular programs that enable students to achieve expectations for their learning. Leaders ensure collaboration and shared responsibility for system and school improvement among stakeholders with clearly defined expectations for each stakeholder group. The leaders provide stakeholders meaningful roles in the decision-making process that promote a culture of participation, responsibility, and ownership. The system’s policies, procedures, and organizational conditions ensure equity of learning opportunities and support for innovation and are deeply embedded in the way the system and its schools functions.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system implements a curriculum based on expectations for student learning that has not been fully aligned with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The system demonstrates little or no evidence of alignment between the curriculum and instructional practices. Teachers use instructional practices that reflect little engagement of students in the learning process. Teachers provide few opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real world situations. Teachers give students limited feedback to improve their performance.

The school system implements a curriculum based on expectations for student learning that provides opportunities for most students to acquire requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The system demonstrates some evidence of alignment between the curriculum and instructional practices, but implementation is not systematic across the system. Teachers use instructional practices that actively engage some students in the learning process. Teachers provide limited opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real world situations. Teachers give students random or periodic feedback to improve their performance.

The school system implements a curriculum based on clear and measurable expectations for student learning that provides opportunities for all students to acquire requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The system demonstrates evidence of alignment between the curriculum and instructional practices with systematic implementation across the system. Teachers use proven instructional practices that actively engage students in the learning process. Teachers provide frequent opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real world situations. Teachers give students regular feedback to improve their performance.

The school system implements a curriculum based on clear and measurable expectations for student learning that provides multiple opportunities for all students to acquire requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The system has a formalized process to align instructional practices with the curriculum and demonstrates results through systemic and sustainable implementation across the system. Teachers use proven, research-based, instructional practices that actively engage students in the learning process and encourage students to take ownership of their learning. Teachers consistently provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real world situations. Teachers give students frequent feedback using a variety of methods to improve their performance.

DOCUMENTING AND USING RESULTS

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system is currently using assessments that are not aligned with student expectations or has no comprehensive assessment system based on clearly defined performance measures. The assessment system has limited capability to assess student performance on expectations for student learning, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction, and determine interventions to improve student performance. The assessments do not yield timely and accurate information that is meaningful and useful to system/school leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders in understanding student performance, school and system effectiveness, and the results of improvement efforts.

The school system is currently using assessments that have limited alignment with student expectations and/or is developing a comprehensive assessment system based on clearly defined performance measures and plans to administer the assessments in the near future. The assessment system will be used to assess student performance on expectations for student learning, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction, and determine interventions to improve student performance. When fully operational, the assessment system will yield timely and accurate information that is meaningful and useful to system/school leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders in understanding student performance, school and system effectiveness, and the results of improvement efforts.

The school system uses a comprehensive assessment system based on clearly defined performance measures that yield valid and reliable results. The assessment system is used to assess student performance on expectations for student learning, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction, and determine interventions to improve student performance. The assessment system yields timely and accurate information that is meaningful and useful to system/school leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders in understanding student performance, school and system effectiveness, and the results of improvement efforts.

The school system uses a comprehensive assessment system based on clearly defined performance measures that yield valid and reliable results, including multiple measures of individual student achievement that assess higher order thinking skills and are of adequate technical quality. The assessment system is used to assess student performance on expectations for student learning, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction, design and improve instructional strategies and practices, and determine interventions to improve and enhance student performance. The assessment system yields timely and accurate information that is meaningful and useful to system/school leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders in understanding student performance, system and school effectiveness, and the results of improvement efforts for individual students and groups and subgroups of students.

RESOURCE AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system has very limited human, material, and fiscal resources to implement a curriculum that enables students to achieve expectations for student learning, to meet special needs, and to comply with applicable regulations. The system does not systematically employ and allocate staff members who are qualified for their assignments. The system provides limited learning opportunities for staff to improve their effectiveness, including both professional and support staff. The system ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

The school system has limited human, material, and fiscal resources to implement a curriculum that enables students to achieve expectations for student learning, to meet special needs, and to comply with applicable regulations. The system employs and allocates staff members who are generally qualified for their assignments. The school system provides learning opportunities for most staff to improve their effectiveness, including both professional and support staff. The system ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

The school system has human, material, and fiscal resources to implement a curriculum that enables students to achieve expectations for student learning, to meet special needs, and to comply with applicable regulations. The system employs and allocates staff members who are well qualified for their assignments. The system provides ongoing learning opportunities for all staff to improve their effectiveness, including both professional and support staff. The system ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

The school system effectively uses human, material, and fiscal resources to implement a curriculum that enables students to achieve and exceed expectations for student learning, to meet special needs of all students, and to comply with applicable regulations. The system systematically employs and allocates staff members who are well qualified for their assignments in all content areas. The system provides and fully supports ongoing, job-embedded learning opportunities for all staff to improve their effectiveness, including both professional and support staff. The system ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system has little understanding, commitment, and support of stakeholders. System personnel seek few opportunities for collaboration and shared leadership among stakeholders to help students learn and advance improvement efforts and can demonstrate little or no participation by stakeholder groups.

The school system has begun the process to gain the understanding, commitment, and support of stakeholders. System personnel are seeking opportunities for collaboration and shared leadership among stakeholders to help students learn and advance improvement efforts and can demonstrate some participation by stakeholder groups.

The school system has the understanding, commitment, and support of stakeholders. System and school personnel seek opportunities for collaboration and shared leadership among stakeholders to help students learn and advance improvement efforts and can demonstrate good participation by some stakeholder groups.

The school system has the understanding, commitment, and support of all stakeholders. System and school personnel actively promote and provide regular, systematic opportunities for collaboration and shared leadership among all stakeholders to help students learn and advance improvement efforts and can demonstrate a high level of meaningful participation by most stakeholder groups.

COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

□ Not Evident

□ Emerging

□ Operational

□ Highly Functional

The school system has not developed a collaborative and ongoing process for improvement that aligns the functions of the system and its schools with the expectations for student learning. The system cannot demonstrate progress in improving student performance, system and school effectiveness.

The school system is developing a collaborative and ongoing process for improvement that aligns the functions of the system and its schools with the expectations for student learning, but the plan has not been implemented. Improvement efforts are being developed, but the system cannot yet demonstrate progress in improving student performance, system and school effectiveness. New improvement efforts are not informed by the results of earlier efforts through reflection and assessment of the improvement process.

The school system implements a collaborative and ongoing process for improvement that aligns most functions of the system and its schools with the expectations for student learning. Improvement efforts are sustained and the system demonstrates progress in improving student performance, system and school effectiveness. New improvement efforts are informed by the results of earlier efforts through reflection and assessment of the improvement process.

The school system fully implements a collaborative and ongoing process for improvement that aligns all functions of the system and its schools with the expectations for student learning. Improvement efforts are systemic, sustained, and fully embedded, and the system demonstrates significant progress in improving student performance, system and school effectiveness. New improvement efforts are clearly informed by the documented results of earlier efforts through reflection and assessment of a highly sustained, continuous process of improvement.