Quality Review

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The Quality Review is a process that evaluates how well schools are organized to support student learning and teacher practice. It was developed to assist New York City Department of Education (DOE) schools in raising student achievement by looking behind a school’s performance statistics to ensure that the school is engaged in effective methods of accelerating student learning.

Experienced educators conduct a two-day school visit. They observe classrooms, speak with parents, students, teachers, and school leaders, and use the Quality Review Rubric to evaluate how well the school is organized to support student achievement. Before reviewers visit schools, school leaders complete a self-evaluation based on the rubric. Reviewers draw upon this document and other school data during conversations they have with principals, teachers, students, and parents during the school visit.

After the school visit, the school receives a Quality Review Report that is published on its NYCDOE webpage. The Quality Review Report rates 10 indicators of the Quality Review Rubric and includes narrative information on six indicators. The report provides the school community with evidence-based information about the school's development and serves as a source of feedback for school leaders to improve the school's support for students.

General Resources

Resources for Schools

  • Principal's Guide to the Quality Review
    The Principal’s Guide, updated for 2019-2020, serves as an overview of the Quality Review process and outlines the five stages of the process in detail: pre-review work, school visit, the Quality Review Report, verification, and the appeal process.
  • School Self-Evaluation Form
    An editable Word version of the 2019-20 School Self-Evaluation Form that principals submit prior to the QR school visit. This document serves to capture the principal and school community’s evaluation of school practices and the impact of those practices. It is an entry point to understanding key practices, decisions, goals, and impact that are not captured elsewhere.
  • Sample School Visit Schedules
    Sample schedules for schools with fewer than 1,500 students and 1,500 students or more are provided. These schedules are suggestions for how the review may be organized, and together, the principal and the reviewer will determine the schedule for the school visit.
  • Report Verification Form
    An editable Word version of the 2019-2020 Quality Review Report Verification Form. Prior to publication of the final Quality Review Report, the principal will have the opportunity to confirm the factual accuracy of a draft report using the report verification process.
  • Report Template
    This template is used for the Quality Review Report.
  • Appeal Request Form
    An editable Word version of the revised 2019-2020 Quality Review Appeal Request Form. If principals wish to appeal any indicator rating, they must submit a completed appeal form within 10 school days after receiving the school draft of the report.

Resources for Reviewers

  • Record Book
    The 2019-2020 Record Book is an evidence-gathering tool for reviewers that includes guiding questions for each sub-indicator of the Quality Review Rubric.
  • Classroom Visitation Tool
    This tool is used by reviewers to document findings and evidence during classroom visits.
  • Preliminary Ratings Form
    This form is used during the feedback conference. At the end of the school visit, principals receive preliminary ratings and verbal feedback on 10 Quality Indicators, including an Area of Celebration (AoC) and an Area of Focus (AoF).