1. SQAAF rests on the following seven domains which ensure school effectiveness:

(1.1) Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

(1.2) Infrastructure – Adequacy, Functionality and Aesthetics

(1.3) Human Resources

(1.4) Inclusive Practices

(1.5) Management and Governance

(1.6) Leadership

(1.7) Beneficiary Satisfaction

2. These domains are the key performance areas of school.

3. The seven domains are not independent of each other but interlinked and interdependent in a systematic and seamless manner. An example would be that of leadership that develops capacity of teachers by providing resources and training benchmarked with best practices and good governance leading to enhanced learning outcomes in all students in all curricular areas.

1. Specifies what constitutes each domain

2. Ensures uniformity in understanding and interpretation across all users and stakeholders

3. Example: Sub domains of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment is:

(3.1) Curriculum Planning

(3.2) Teaching Learning Process

(3.3) Student Enrichment Programmes

(3.4) Mainstreaming Physical Education and Sports

(3.5) Values and Ethos

(3.6) Student performance, Assessment of Learning Outcome and Feedback etc.

4. Sub-domains having some sort of similarities would be subsumed under a particular domain.

Standard is benchmarking statement under the sub domain. It is a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgement. In School Quality Assessment Framework, standards are the benchmarking statements expressed in terms of behaviours and attributes of practices of an effective and well-functioning school.

All standards set under any sub-domain tend to qualify various aspects of the concerned Sub-domain.

Example: Under Curriculum Planning – a sub domain of domain ‘Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment’, we would find following Standards or Benchmarking Statements:

• Principal and teachers are familiar with the spirit and content of NCF and recommendations of NEP

• The Principal and teachers are familiar with the curriculum documents and support material brought out by CBSE

• There is an integrated Annual Curriculum and Pedagogical Plan.

• Curriculum develops skills and abilities which prepares students for lifelong learning and fosters global citizenship leading to attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

As compared to Domain and Sub Domain, Standards:

• are more concrete and specific

• tend to give operational definition of concerned Sub-domain

Due to concreteness and distinctiveness of each Standard or Benchmarking Statement, assessment exercise would be objective and reliable in nature. This is the reason why Standards are given central stage within any assessment framework.

Performance Levels, Performance Indicators and Rubrics answer the following questions:

• How School would be assessed on each standard?

• How to determine where school stands on each standard so that school may aspire for continual improvement?

• How to determine appropriate performance level on standard for school?

For facilitating assessment of school on each standard, four performance levels ranging on scale of 1 to 4 have been specified. Performance Level-IV would be highest and Performance Level-I would be lowest. Performance Level indicates the developmental stage of the school.

Further to determine on which performance level school stands, along with each performance level, observable actions or practices termed as performance indicators are specified. Technically, if against each standard or benchmarking statement, performance levels and associated performance indicators are specified, resultant scoring guide tool is called ‘Rubric’.

Note: Performance levels are ordered incrementally from low to high, it means for getting higher performance level, requirements of previous levels would be met by school. It means for attaining performance level-IV which is the highest level, school would have to meet requirements of preceding performance levels.

The school has flexibility to self-assess its maturity level, define its aspirational level and then devise its plan of action after each domain of the framework to achieve the aspired level.

Against each standard, Performance levels have been specified ranging on four-point scale. Level-IV of Performance Indicators under each standard depicts the best practice(s) carrying a weightage of 4. In order to get a score of 4, the performance indicators at other three levels must stand true/appropriate for the school. Similarly, Performance level-III, II and I are carrying weightage scores of 3, 2 and 1 respectively.

Against each standard, set of records and evidences have been specified which support that observable actions or practices are happening in school as per requirements specified for performance levels of concerned standard. (Availability of documents at all levels: 5+3+3+4 is preferred)

Note: One document can also be an evidence for other domains and their sub-sub domains.

Schools are expected to upload/make available only those documents (not more than 10 evidences per domain) that reflect planning, implementation, mentoring and monitoring practices, reflection, improvement plans in school processes leading to enhanced student learning outcomes.

Against each standard, policy or reference documents are mentioned which are acting force or principles behind the concerned standard. It means for more detailed information regarding any standard concerned policy or reference document(s) may be referred.

In SQAAF along with each standard, four Performance levels ranging on scale of 1-4 have been specified. These four levels of performance namely Performance level-IV, III, II and I denotes ‘Dynamic-Evolving’, ‘Stable’, ‘Transient’ and ‘Inceptive’ maturity levels respectively. These are given in the figure below:

The school can refer the above criteria or developmental stages of performance to know where it stands in terms of developmental stage and formulate appropriate and achievable plans for self-improvement and enhance accountability. Although it is expected that each school meets the best practices as depicted in these performance indicators, not all indicators will apply to or be appropriate for each school.