A Know how for Schools

Dr. Dheeraj Mehrotra VP-Academics, Next Education

CBSE makes accreditation a must via School Quality Assessment and Accreditation

(SQAA)

A Quality School Environment:Which delivers Quality of Work Life !

Integrated with Parents’ Satisfaction & Students’ Surprises !!

The Clarion Call !!!Get accredited in three years or lose your

affiliation. While Central Board of Secondary Education is planning to roll out the accreditation process for its schools from the new academic year, it has also stated that School Quality Assessment and Accreditation is a mandatory process and all schools with three years of affiliation experience have to apply for accreditation within three years starting April 2013. "Otherwise they stand to lose their affiliation ," CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi said.

The Need:"It is to encourage qualitative enhancement. The

aim is to provide quality benchmarks in the concept, establishment and running of effective systems within an institution in accordance with changing socio-economic and cultural contexts and new research. It has also been made mandatory that the school get accredited once every three years,"

What is Accreditation?It is a process of Quality Assessment based on

self-analysis and peer interaction and assessed on the basis of predetermined norms in pre-defined areas, namely, Scholastic and Co-Scholastic Domains, Infrastructural Areas, Human Resources, Management and Administration, Leadership and Beneficiary Satisfaction.

Benefits:Promotes Excellence and

fosters pride in the institution.Provides external recognition

of the school’s commitment to quality

Provides a detailed evaluation of the institution’s processes for quality improvement

Identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses

Enhances stakeholders confidence in the institution.

CBSE has designed School Quality

Assessment and

Accreditation

manual (SQAA)

School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Scheme (SQAA)Is a process of Assessment and Accreditation

Aiming at Continuous Quality improvement through self-analysis and self-monitoring of quality enhancement process.

Assessment of schools through standardized instruments of

internal [self] and external [peer review] assessments to facilitate

a sustained qualitative improvement in affiliated

schools has been initiated .

The empanelled agencies and CBSE while

recommending willgenerate a report that

highlights strengths in the top three domains. There is

no ranking ofschools.

Those who do not get accredited in the first

instance get a School QualityEnhancement Report (SQER)

with an opportunity to improve in the next six

months.

Certification is based on the assessment of the school’s functioning on the basis of

predeterminednorms in pre-defined domains of scholastic

processes and outcomes, co-scholastic processes and

outcomes, human resources, infrastructure, management

and administration, leadership and beneficiary

satisfaction.

It is now mandatory to apply for

Accreditation from June 2014. Those schools who get

accredited will retain their status for the next 5 years.

Understanding the process:::

Accreditation is ameans of demonstrating confidence in the

school’s purpose, performance, human and financial resources

process of quality assessment based on self-analysis and peer interaction

process by which schools continuously upgrade their educational quality and services through constant reflection

certificate or status granted to a school which meets commonly accepted standards of quality and excellence.

Who should apply and when?Every school affiliated to Central Board of

Secondary Education should apply.The schools should apply to the CBSE by

filling up the FORM OF INTENT online (Form of Intent is available on the website accreditation.cbseacademics.in )

Who will do Accreditation?Assessment for Accreditation will be done

by the CBSE/ private empanelled agencies. The final view on Accreditation will be taken by the CBSE only, initially. The assessing team called Peer Assessor Team (PAT) will consist of three members who would be school Principals/ Experts and who have been certified to be Assessors for Accreditation by CBSE.

What is the process of Accreditation?

Phase I: Submission of School Quality Assessment and Accreditation form Online/ by post along with related evidence to support the data.

Phase II: School visit by Peer Assessor Team (PAT) for validation of data and collection of supporting evidence.

Phase III: Final Reporting on the applicant school’s accreditation status by PAT/ Agency to CBSE

THE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION [SQAA] PROCESS

Readiness for AccreditationSuggestions …… Ensure Management Commitment.Create an Accreditation Calendar with timelines.Set up a core group which will ultimately be a part of

SAC - School Accreditation Committee (Principal, Vice Principal, Head Mistress, Co-ordinators, Examination In charge, Activity In charge, Life Skills In charge, Counselors/ Special Educators, Admin In charge, Parents, Students, Alumni, and representative of Management.

Read and understand the SQAA Manual within the core group.

Map existing evidences in your school with the statements and evidences given in the SQAA Manual.

Suggestions…Do a gap analysis.Plan qualitative and quantitative interventions

wherever required.Ensure that all evidences are in place- create

templates and implement processes if evidences are missing.

Ensure that there are enough processes and evidences for monitoring, review, feedback and follow up, etc.

Organize and collect documents/evidences at one place and flag them.

The core group to do the first self-audit.Request the agency to plan out the first visit.

Readiness: Evidences for a Quality SchoolCBSE Manuals, NCF 2005, RTE CBSE Circulars and

Curriculum Documents, Website of the school, Newsletters/Magazine, School Profile, Record of budget, Building Plan, Minutes of Management Meetings, Staff Meetings and PTA, Database of Parents and Alumni, List of number of books in Library, Record of community outreach, Annual Curriculum Plan/Academic Calendar, CCE Records, Record of workshops, field trips, guest lectures and interaction with parents, Attendance Registers of each class, Teachers’ Log book, Lesson plans, Teacher’s and Students’ Time table, Anecdotal Records, Progress Reports, Details of remedial classes, Students’ Counseling Records.

Areas of Inspection/ Observation: Clear statement of school’s philosophy and mission. Board policies in accordance with best practices and

guidelines Safety and Security checklist Sound financial policies Purposeful and realistic planning for the future Clearly defined admission and recruitment policy Clearly defined written curriculum Adequate amount of staff (teaching, non-teaching and

administrative) to carry out the school work Well qualified and effective teaching faculty Qualitative instructional material Proper balance between Scholastic and Co-Scholastic

activities Documentation of all evidences and records Safe and

aesthetically maintained school campus

Fees::The Board has fixed a consolidated non-

refundable fee of Rs.55,000/- (inclusive of all taxes, TA/DA and honorarium) for this process of Assessment and Accreditation. The total fee (Rs.5,000/- as processing fee and Rs.50,000/- as registration fee) should be submitted along with ‘Form of Intent’ in the form of draft by the school. The draft should be made in the name of Secretary, CBSE payable at Delhi.

Domains: Important Share

http://49.50.126.244/accreditation/

Learning to Learn towards QUALITY LITERACY FOR ALL

Feedback:Mail: dheerajm@nexteducation.in

Attention Schools: Measure your Academic Climate via Peer Academic Review (PAR)/ Academic Audits:

Duration: 3 Man Days

Requirements: Working Hours with School on in full swing !!!

M: dheerajm@nexteducation.in

T: 09335358916

Shared in interest for academic peer review for schools to excel::::

Resources:http://www.cbse.nic.in/http://www.cbseacademic.in/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

2013-02-10/news/37020147_1_school-quality-assessment-accreditation-process-cbse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH_cqwwD4K8