School Improvement: 10 Questions for Leader Reflection

Dan Beerens
Director of Instructional Improvement, Christian Schools International
Click here to read the original post on the Nurturing Faith blog.

Through my work with schools via accreditation and school improvement visits, I often come away impressed by how much individuals can make a difference in the decision making process and how much one individual can impact the direction of an organization.

This is undoubtedly one of the more difficult times of testing in the history of Christian education. So, how does a leader keep an organization from retreating into just thinking about budgets, enrollments, and marketing?  May I suggest 10 questions for reflection and discussion?

1. Is your mission strong, understood by faculty and parents, and actionable? How do you know you are meeting it?
2. Do your teachers know how to articulate a Biblical perspective at the unit level?
3. Does your entire staff model and develop Christlike relationships with students and parents?
4. Do your staff development and teacher evaluation processes reflect a balance between grace and truth, between helping people grow and holding them accountable? Do you regularly encourage your teachers?
5. Do your budget choices keep teaching and learning in the forefront and are funds administered justly?
6. Are you reaching out to, and impacting, your local community where God has placed your school?
7. Are you asking students, teachers, parents, alumni, and broader community if you are meeting the mission of your school?
8. Are you encouraging teachers to collaborate, share ideas, and are you providing  opportunities (time) for them to discuss and improve their practice?
9. As a leader are you building capacity into, and developing the skills of, the next generation of those who can lead our schools?
10. Are you committing to a process of improvement such as accreditation?