Self-evaluation and improvement options at school level

If the self-evaluation information is to be used to identify whether a specific quality standard, other than the ISC standard, is met it is recommended that one, or more, focus groups meet to go through the quality criteria requirements of the standard under review to identify if there is any additional, relevant self evaluation information. A print-out of self-evaluation information gathered to date may be useful as described in department self-evaluation.

From the workbook menu which is accessed by clicking Help>View workbook templates you can access a workbook for each Quality Standard each of which which sets out the detailed criteria for each standard with space to type in self-evaluation information against each assessment indicator. The short headings of quality statements (issues) that may be relevant for each indicator are listed with those directly relevant to the criteria being noted by an asterisk. An asterisk should be added to the short heading of any additional quality statement that is considered appropriate to the points made.

The Import workbook text feature which is accessed by clicking File>Import workbook text will automatically transfer text from a workbook to the identified quality statements in a self-evaluation file in the software. Such a file may be a discrete file for a quality standard or a general, central school self-evaluation file.

The text from several workbooks can be imported to a central self-evaluation file where it can be edited. The source of the text can be identified by making sure that the 2 character identifier is completed on the front page of the workbook.

The ISR 'champion' is a school may require to move either the self-evaluation 'Notepad' text or the action points from between files, or create new files. This can be done by using the transfer text feature which is accessed by clicking File>Transfer Text

This feature enables the user to:

• import or export Notepad, or Action Points text to, or from, an open file;
• merge Notepad text where the text being transferred between files is added to any existing text. This enables self-assessment data from a CSCI self-evaluation file, for example, to be transferred to the scjhool's the main self-evaluation file which itself may have been compiled from a number of department files or workbooks.

After bring Notepad information together in this way there will be the need to edit the notepads to remove duplication and fine tune the text. Edited self-evaluation reports can then be prepared

Having manipulated the self-evaluation information in the notepads of quality statements between ISR software files this informationcan be organised and printed-out, automatically, against reports against the criteria of 7 quality standards and for collated areas of the school. These automatic print-outs can be accessed either from the Support, Model or Standards menus on the main menu bar. There are print-outs for the following quality standards:

It is also possible to produce collated reports for Academic or Non-Academic Departments, for Department Management or for the school as a whole depending on the collation file in the ISR software. These reports will show the notepad self-evaluation information for the relevant quality statements in the files as related to various parts of the school. The space above each of these quality statements will show the edited summary comments for related, or group of, quality statements. As the reports are in MS Word the author can edit the text as compiled and summarise the position for the section in the space provided.

These documents can be the reporting tool for departments. Click here to view/ download a document that describes all the workbook and report options that are available.

It is possible to customise the front pages of these reports and the associated workbooks, e.g. by adding the school logo etc. To access the master Workbooks or Report Documents go to C:\Program Files\Independent School Review 3.4\Workbook Templates (or Automasters).

These documents cannot create high quality narrative to explain the position against a quality standard but the feature does provide the self-evaluation information, as gathered and collated, that is relevant to each part of a quality standard.