Assessment

Assessments are powerful vehicles for promoting growth and building capacity in day schools. Although PEJE does not conduct assessments, as a funder and provider of expertise, we do offer financial and coaching support to help schools conduct institutional assessments, and we have gathered a number of self-assessment tools for school use. Read more in the Timeless Wisdom feature, Assessment: Making Data-Based Decisions in Day Schools.

PEJE has classified assessment into two types: the comprehensive institutional assessment which is conducted by an independent, external expert and covers all areas of key school operations, and a self-assessment tool or survey which can be adapted and used by a trusted and experienced volunteer or professional within the school.

The Institutional Assessment

A comprehensive institutional assessment requires engaging the services of an assessment consultant and the close attention of school stakeholders for several weeks. Activities associated with the assessment process include: gathering the school's primary documents and records for analysis by the assessment consultant, organizing appointments and interviews for school stakeholders with the assessment consultant, and attending the consultant's presentation of findings and recommendations.

PEJE's School Improvement Journey (SIJ) grant program recognizes the important leverage that an institutional assessment offers. To support schools in this program, PEJE has contracted with Independent School Management (ISM) and Fieldstone Consulting, two firms with many years of experience conducting assessments for independent secular and Jewish day schools. Schools receiving a SIJ grant award package work with PEJE coaches to integrate learning from the assessment report and to prioritize activities that address issues raised by the assessment.

To learn more about the institutional assessment process please contact Bonnie Hausman. To inquire about the School Improvement Journey grant program, contact Stephane Acel.

Self-Assessment and Management Tools

Many schools would like to improve their performance without engaging an external consultant for a whole-school institutional assessment. For these schools, PEJE is making available—with the permission of their authors—a collection of self-assessment tools that have been used successfully by schools, non-profits, and businesses and private consultants.

In addition, PEJE has developed the Day School Peer Yardstick™, a comprehensive management tool, with Measuring Success, Inc. to help schools measure their progress in key areas of school operations such as admission, student recruitment, board, and financial management.

To learn more about the Day School Peer Yardstick, or to recommend a self-assessment tool for this site, please contact Bonnie Hausman.