School ADvance offers a complete integrated set of school leader performance assessment and development tools for both building and district level school leaders. These include tools for leaders who oversee instructional programs and leaders who oversee support services. These tools are also appropriate for leaders within the local district and intermediate or regional service districts. Each of the School ADvance evaluation frameworks and rubrics was developed from an in-depth analysis of extant research on effective school leadership with an emphasis on the leadership of complex systems for adaptive change and growth. Where possible, the performance characteristics reflect research that links the performance of school leaders with a positive change in student outcomes.
School ADvance authors, Reeves and McNeill, published the 1.0 versions of the School ADvance evaluation frameworks and rubrics in 2009. In 2017, the authors completed a comprehensive analysis of most current research findings and current school leader standards to publish the 2.0 versions. The authors maintain their ongoing analysis of current research findings and conduct extensive fieldwork to keep School ADvance current. The School ADvance trainers also provide an ongoing means for maintaining currency and applicability to the real situations, opportunities, and challenges school leaders encounter in their schools as they strive to continuously enhance student success.
This page offers prospective School ADvance adopters the opportunity to review examination copies of the 2.0 School ADvance performance frameworks and evaluation rubrics for school and district level leaders. School leaders are encouraged to review the examination copies and dialogue with their leadership teams about how they might use School ADvance to foster collaborative processes and continuous growth of leadership capacity.
School ADvance rubrics are developmental in nature. Each performance level builds on the previous one and the developmental progression for each performance characteristic is the same. The developmental labels used in the examination copies linked to this page are those required by the State of Michigan. The School ADvance authors also offer an alternate set of performance level labels for those users who prefer the growth-oriented language and are not required by law to use the listed terms.
Michigan users are required by statute to use the following terms for each developmental level: Ineffective, Minimally Effective, Effective, and Highly Effective
For users not required by statute to use the above rating labels, School ADvance offers and recommends the following terms as they are more in keeping with a growth mindset approach: Not Yet Evident, Developing, Developed, and Extended
Regardless of the performance level labels School ADvance adopters use, we encourage users to think of each developmental level as a space a school leader can be working in over an extended period of time. Since each developmental level builds on the preceding one, highly effective or extended performance will actually include ongoing efforts by a school leader in both the developing and developed (or minimally effective and effective) performance levels.
School ADvance offers a simple key for understanding the developmental levels:
At the Ineffective or Not Yet Evident level, the school leader is not able to show evidence of beginning to build a personal knowledge base or take ownership or responsibility for the area of leadership that characteristic addresses.
At the Minimally Effective or Developing level, the school leader can produce evidence of working to build a personal knowledge base and taking steps to address the area of leadership that characteristic addresses.
At the Effective or Developed level, the school leader has developed sufficient knowledge and personal capacity and is actively working with others to build their knowledge, capacity, and shared ownership and responsibility for the area of leadership that characteristic addresses.
At the Highly Effective or Extended level, the school leader has also developed the capacity of others to the point where they share leadership for the area of leadership that characteristic addresses and contribute to ongoing improvement and innovation around that characteristic.
School ADvance offers three distinct school leadership frameworks with performance rubrics (both formative and summative).
- For principals, assistant principals, and other school-level positions on administrative contracts, School ADvance provides the Principal and Building Leader Framework and Rubric.
- For superintendents, and other local districts (LEA) or intermediate/regional service district (ISD/ESA) level leaders with responsibility for instructional programs and services, School ADvance provides the Superintendent and District Leader Framework and Rubric.
- For either building level or district level leaders with no responsibility for instructional programs and services, School ADvance provides the Non-Instructional Administrator Framework and Summative Rubric.
School ADvance also provides a non-instructional rubric for building level and district level positions.
For highly specialized school leadership positions, School ADvance can also provide guidance on adapting or customizing a performance rubric where necessary to fit.
Please use the link below to access examination copies of each of the above-listed School ADvance performance evaluation tools and let us know how we can help you adopt the tools you wish to use and arrange for the training to help you use them for optimal results. Contact saraleeshriver@gmail.com for more information.