Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Educational Services Reviews Offer Paths to Improvement


The former superintendent of Westmoreland County Public Schools in Virginia, Rebecca Lowry oversaw strategic planning and implementation efforts for academic programs. Rebecca Lowry belongs to the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS), which helps schools assess their current programs and operations by conducting professional Educational Services Reviews (ESR). 

Designed for new and incumbent superintendents, an ESR highlights a school’s strengths from an administrative, instructional, and operational perspective and identifies areas for improvement within those functions. An ESR works especially well for superintendents who are considering adding new programs or making modifications to educational programs. 

Feedback generated from an ESR can inspire new ideas for improving communications, handling daily operations, and implementing instructional programs. ESRs can also evaluate the effectiveness of school policies, personnel, and response procedures. VASS offers two forms of the ESR - a comprehensive review of all divisions and a focused review that examines a specific area.