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Checklist: Observable Indicators of an Effective School
Columbus Public Schools’ Review Team uses a specific, consistent checklist to evaluate Triple-A schools, including Arlington Park Elementary School.
Based on School Continuous Improvement Indicators, the checklist helps schools to prepare and reviewers to document progress on student achievement.
How do schools document progress?
From the checklist directions, data sources may include
- Observations
Interviews outside the classroom with students, parents, community members, and staff - Newsletters and letters to parents
- Discipline records
- Case management files
- Summer school records
- Agendas or minutes of meetings
- Bulletin boards or displays
- Sign-in sheets
- Daily bulletin
- Formative assessment data
- SCIP/SIP data
SCIP Objectives and Indicators
As district reviewers acknowledge, it’s about leadership. Essential principal practices:
1. Principal develops collaborative decision-making processes.
- Principal delegates duties to other staff members, as appropriate.
- Instructional staff members have input into instructional decisions.
- Parents participate in the decision-making process, as appropriate.
2. Principal stimulates professional discussion and growth.
- Professional development plan is based on an assessment of staff and student needs.
- Evidence shows that there is ongoing support for professional development.
- Principal provides opportunities for staff to attend professional conferences and workshops that are relevant to their SCIP goals.
3. Principal allocates instructional resources effectively and efficiently.
- Teachers have necessary curriculum guides, textbooks, kits, and other materials.
- Every student has a textbook and access to a computer.
- All classrooms, including Special Education, ESL, and PEAK, have adequate space and resources.
- General fund budgets are expended, based on student needs.
- Grant monies are expended for the intended purpose.
4. Principal establishes an organized working environment.
- School’s regular schedule runs smoothly during the review period.
- Class size is equitable and appropriate.
- Expectations for staff are communicated frequently and appropriately.
- Staff meetings begin and end on time, with a written agenda.
- Activities and events are well planned and executed.
- Instructional time is protected during the school day; interruptions are infrequent.
5. Principal ties faculty together around issues of teaching and learning.
- Staff agendas reflect relevant academic issues.
- Parent/teacher and student discipline conferences focus on learning opportunities.
- Principal recognizes outstanding academic contributions of faculty and student body.
- Teaching and learning goals are visible throughout the school, i.e. displays
of SCIP.
