Improving Instructional Quality in Jewish Day Schools and Yeshivot ...

ubric of “professional development.” My doing so should not minimize theimportance of a well-planned supervisory program, as will be discussed later.7. The instructional quality audit, as I term it, is one in which I do not use achecklist or prescribed format. Rather, after speaking with school officials, Itailor make the audit based on what the school desires to know. However, Igenerally look at teaching practices, PD (including supervision andevaluation procedures or processes), and the state of curriculumdevelopment. I interview all constituents, including all administrators, arepresentative sample of teachers, staff, parents, lay leaders, and students. Ialso request to view all instructional documents, including test data andanalyses. A good part of my time is spent observing many classrooms at allgrade levels and subjects in both Judaic and General studies. I then write myreport and share it with school leaders. Based on my report and theirperceptions of its relevance and accuracy, they develop an action plan ineach of the three areas: teaching, curriculum, and PD. Often, my work is bestunderstood as part of an overall strategic plan or effort. Importantly, unless Iwas hired by a board for the specific purpose of “evaluating” a school or aparticular administrator, I do not share my report with any board member,unless I am hired to do so with the consent of the principal. My aim is toassist the school and its leaders in moving forward to heightened levels ofinstructional excellence. Therefore, even when requested by boards toconduct an instructional audit, I first share my findings (an oral and thenwritten report) with school leaders who, in turn, are expected to chart anaction plan establishing goals in teaching, curriculum, and professionaldevelopment. I ensure, of course, that their plan reflects, in its essence, mykey findings, but this plan is written by the leaders themselves who can thenshare it with Board members. I thank Dr. Harry Bloom for his keen insightsin helping develop such an approach to presenting the results of the audit.8. In the same light as note 4 above, “professional development of teachers” ispreferred over the commonly used term “in-service training.” In-service, likepre-service is “sometimes conceived as a deficit word” which “implies thatsomething is wrong with initial teacher preparation that necessitates furtherattention after employment” (Spearman, 2009, p. 56). Aside from otherreasons for not employing the term “in-service” or even “pre-service,”continued professional development in contrast, “is a growth term whichconnotes continual learning that supplements existing knowledge” (p. 56).9. Jewish leaders have different titles. A Head of School, in some schools, isthe chief instructional leader; in others, s/he is the educational manager incharge of public relations, fund raising, and similar administrative duties. In88