|
School Self-Study and Rating Rubric
Is
Your School a School to Watch?
If you’re
not certain, or you know you don’t meet the application's
minimum requirements, you can still benefit
from the Schools to Watch–Taking Center Stage program.
In addition to taking “virtual” tours of the STW-TCS
model middle schools,
you can use a practical tool – the School
Self-Study and Rating Rubric (PDF) – to
gain valuable insight into the perceptions of your faculty, the strengths and weaknesses of your programs, and your school's facilities,
safety, vision, support, and outreach.
Read further to learn
more about how the Schools
to Watch-Taking Center
Stage School Self-Study and Rating Rubric was developed, then download a copy to use
at your school site.
What Makes a High-Performing Middle-Grades School?
In the mid-1990’s, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades
Reform translated their beliefs about the characteristics of a high performing
middle-grades school into a set of evaluation criteria. The
purpose of the
criteria was to provide guidance to classroom teachers, administrators,
parents and community members as they evaluate school programs to determine
the need for further school improvement.
Criteria for Assessing a Middle Grades School
There are 37 specific criteria identified in the School Self-Study and Rating Rubric.
These criteria are divided into four sections - academic excellence,
developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structures
and processes. Each section is complementary to, and interdependent
with, the others. Though each section of the criteria is presented separately,
a high-performing middle-grades school would find it difficult to succeed
without significant success in each of the four areas. In California,
the 37 criteria in the School Self-Rating have been modified slightly
to reflect the 16 recommendations found in the California middle-grades
reform document, Taking Center Stage (California Department of
Education, 2001).
Using the School Self-Study and Rating Rubric at Your School Site
The Self-Rating is an easy tool to use with an entire school faculty,
small groups or individuals. For best results, involve the entire staff.
Devote a portion of faculty meetings to discussion of the criteria
and how your school rates. In addition, you may choose to have your
school site council, PTA or others complete the self-assessment.
Results of the self-assessment
can be used to redirect efforts by school site councils, boards of
education, community service groups and others
interested in school improvement. Results can also be used in developing
school improvement plans and in seeking grant funds to support school
improvement and assessing the success of those improvements.
Any way you look at it, the California Schools
to Watch-Taking Center Stage School Self-Rating is a powerful tool for schools, districts and
communities. Download the PDF version of the School Self-Study and Rating Rubric.
|