Key Categories for School Review
I. Unwavering focus on academic
achievement
• Quality classroom instruction
• Forming a professional teaching
and learning culture and
professional development
• *Data based decision making to
guide and personalize instruction
and intervention
II. School culture, climate, &
infrastructure that support
personalization and academic
achievement
• Respectful, responsive, safe
environment that maximizes
learning time
• Personalized environment for
all students and staff
• Collaborative parent &
community engagement
Required Tool
Quality
Schools
III. Leadership that supports high
achievement for students and
staff
• *School-based leadership focused
on instructional improvement
• Strategic alignment and
management of resources (time,
people, and money)
• Shared leadership with staff,
family and community with clear
goals of supporting academic
achievement
School Review Doc #6| Key Categories
Key Categories: Quick Reference Guide to the School Review Rubric
Unwavering Focus on Academic Achievement
Classroom Instruction:
Intellectual Engagement
Classroom Instruction:
Learning Environment
Classroom Instruction: Classroom Talk
Classroom Instruction:
Assessment
Professional Development
Professional Teaching Culture
Ongoing Use of Data to Guide and
Personalize Instruction: School Practices
◦Cognitive engagement
◦Cultural relevance and differentiation
◦Classroom safety
◦Physical environment
◦Classroom climate
◦Discussion techniques and student participation
◦Quality and purpose of questions
◦Assessment criteria
◦Monitoring of student learning
◦Collaborative meeting and planning
◦Focus on content and pedagogy
◦Staff self-expectations
◦Distributed leadership
◦Principal & leadership use data-driven decision making
◦Ongoing feedback and teacher capacity-building
◦Standards-based projects, activities and assignments
◦Opportunity to respond
◦Teacher knowledge of individuals
◦Expectations for behavior
◦Management of routines, procedures, and transitions
◦Use of academic language
◦Feedback to students
◦School-wide instructional strategies
◦Evidence of PD in classrooms
◦Support from experts
◦Monitor progress
School Culture, Climate, and Operations that Support Academic Achievement
Safe, Clean, Welcoming Environment
Environment and Schedule that Maximize
Learning Time
Personalized, Respectful, Responsive
Environment for All Students and Staff
Collaborative Family and Community
Involvement
◦Physical safety (campus)
◦Orderly i.e. respect, discipline strategy
◦Cleanliness
◦Attendance
◦Welcoming environment
◦Student access to Core Content
◦Uninterrupted instructional time
◦Personalization of students’ and adults’ experiences
◦Support to address socio-economic needs of students
◦Student access to structures that connect to adult support
◦Regular communication between school and home
◦Families have access to updated student information
◦Opportunities for high-quality family & community
engagement to support student achievement
Leadership that Supports High Achievement for Students and Staff
Leadership Focused on Instructional
Improvement
Mission and Data-Driven Resource
Alignment and Management
Shared Leadership with Staff, Family, and
Community with Clear Goals of
Supporting Academic Achievement
Required Tool
◦Engaging stakeholders to set student learning goals/targets
◦Shared direction, coherent policies, practices, procedures
◦Creates teacher leadership and learning opportunities
◦Aligns resources to school-wide goals
◦Manages resources
◦Reciprocal accountability
◦Distributed leadership
◦Partnership with other schools
◦Clear communication of goals and expectations
◦Core Curriculum & Intervention program and selection
◦Creates and monitors a staff retention strategy
◦Expectations for school culture of respect and trust
◦Partnership with community
◦Partnership with parents
School Review Doc #6| Key Categories