A review of (elementary) school self-assessment processes: Ontario and beyond

Abstract

This review draws attention to issues related to school self-assessment. This process has been similarly implemented in a variety of jurisdictions globally in the past decade hence their inclusion herein as an attempt to understand the school self-assessment process which has also been developed for use in local Ontario (Canadian) elementary schools. This review includes an examination of the foundational components of effective schools, the purpose of school self-assessment, and the successes and challenges of school self-assessment both locally and internationally.

Keywords

• School
• self assessment
• self-evaluationIntroductionSchool Self-Assessment (SSA) as a means to improve schools is an important tool and mode to move forward (McNamara
• O'Hara
• Lisi
• & Davidsdottir
• 2011). Conceptually school self-assessment is understood as a course of action undertaken by a school
• “whereby carefully chosen participants describe and evaluate the functioning of the school in a systematic manner for the purposes of making decisions or undertaking initiatives in the context of ...overall school development”(Van Petegem
• 2005
• p.104 ). Within an Ontario
• (Canada) context
• it has been similarly defined as a process carried out collaboratively by a school
• in which chosen staff members systematically gather and analyze evidence to improve the schools *Corresponding author : E-mail:[email protected] College Drive
• North Bay
• ON.
• self evaluation