School Quality Assessment and Assurance (SQAA) developed by CBSE
Central Board of Secondary Education
CBSE/DIR(ACAD)/2020
Date : January 20, 2020
Circular No. Acad-07/2020
All the Heads of Schools affiliated to CBSE
Subject: School Quality Assessment and Assurance (SQAA)
With the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals 2030 by India wherein one of the goals is improving the quality of education, raising the quality of school education in the country is one of the priority areas. Comprehensive approaches and strategies are being devised to address the issue of improving the quality of school education in the country. Accordingly, CBSE has developed a mechanism of School Quality Assessment and Assurance (SQAA) for comprehensive school evaluation aiming at continuous quality improvement through self-analysis and self-monitoring of quality enhancement processes. CBSE recognizes the importance of self-assessment as an integral part of schools’ ongoing review and improvement plan.
SQAA is an exhaustive, objective, transparent and implementable self-assessment tool benchmarked by best global standards and also rich in its local requirements for educationists, leaders, management and all those involved in making a difference in the lives of children. It is an affirmation of ‘Quality’. It highlights the fact that Self-Assessment as an internal accountability is intrinsically important in building a sense of responsibility and ownership.
SQAA is different from Outcome Based Inspection for Affiliation. Although both of them focus on Qualitative Enhancement in School Processes, SQAA is process driven and Outcome Based Inspection for Affiliation is outcome driven. The detailed comparison between the two is placed at Annexure A.
Benefits of SQAA
SQAA empowers and enables schools to self-assess their performance in different domains by providing them guidelines, tools and instruments to achieve a self- set target and goal thus helping to move further on developmental continuum. It would reassure stakeholders such as employees, professional bodies, general public that the school aspires for continual improvement and thus will benefit the student learning outcomes. SQAA will help a school to:
- assess how well it is doing in different areas of school functioning
- review its ongoing process of improvement of the institution
- use the feedback to plan for the future.
Eligibility for SQAA Process
Each school affiliated to the Board must undergo the process of SQAA and update its information online on the eight domains of school functioning (Scholastic Processes, Co-Scholastic Processes, Infrastructure, Human Resources, Inclusive Practices, Management and Governance, Leadership and Beneficiary Satisfaction) once every three years, starting from the year, 2020.
Process of School Quality Assessment and Assurance
The process of School Quality Assessment and Assurance involves two essential phases:
Phase 1: Self-Assessment using different instruments of SQAA through an online method
Phase 2: Validation by External Peer Assessor Team by visiting the Assesse School
| Phase 1 | Self-Assessment | Mandatory: Outcome of Self-Assessment to be uploaded on the CBSE Portal once in every three years |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 | Validation by External Peer Assessor Team | On demand by school
May be done by members of Hubs of Learning On random basis by the Board |
At the introductory level, CBSE is only focusing on Phase 1 of SQAA i.e. Self-Assessment for quality improvement of its affiliated schools.
Support and Mentoring
Support and mentoring may be provided either by Lead Collaborators of Hubs of Learning and/or by a neighborhood school that has exhibited high standards of quality assurance. CBSE will also be available for any support and assistance required in terms of organizing Capacity Building Programmes as per the need of the school.
CBSE SQAA does not rank schools/institutions, but establishes a level of acceptable quality for all the schools affiliated with the Board. The complete guidelines have been detailed out in the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Manual available at the following link:
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web material/Manuals/SQAA FINAL.pdf
Action to be taken by Schools
The Board encourages all its affiliated schools to undertake the exercise of self-assessment to review their dimensions of quality and excellence.
Submission of Self-Assessment Report
The online platform for uploading the self-assessment report by the schools will be prepared shortly by the Board. Till then, the schools may upload the report on their school website by filling the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Form as given in School Quality Assessment and Assurance Manual.
In case of any queries, please email at [email protected]
(Dr. Joseph Emmanuel)
Director (Academics)
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