A Rubric for Assessing Schools; Plans for Rapid Improvement
School improvement planning has become more prevalent and important due to increased calls from federal and state governments, state education agencies (SEAs), and the general public for more accountability in education. In many cases, the school principal is responsible for conceptualizing, drafting, and submitting the plan. However, there are very few publicly available tools that assess the content and quality of school improvement plans (SIPs). This new publication is designed for use by schools, districts, and state education agencies (SEAs). Schools can use the rubric to help create, organize, and assess their improvement plans and efforts; districts can use it to facilitate and coach co-creation of effective SIPs; and SEAs can use it to better conceptualize how they support districts — especially those with low-performing schools — in analyzing their SIPs. Although this rubric is useful for all types of schools, we feel it is especially valuable for low-performing schools because it can help them better jump start the process of planning for success, building momentum, and, ultimately, turning themselves around.