Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education

NESS

The Jewish School Assessment and
School Improvement Process
(JSASIP)

FOUNDATIONS, Inc., has coordinated the development of the Jewish School Assessment and School Improvement Process (JSASIP), an assessment tool specifically designed for synagogue schools. FOUNDATIONS had previously designed two assessment tools for use in secular schools: the Quality Assurance System that was designed for after-school programs, and the School Assessment and School Improvement Process (SASIP) that was developed for use in charter and district schools. The JSASIP was modeled on these two assessment tools.

A task force of nationally known Jewish educators plus teachers, parents, and religious school directors from the Greater Philadelphia area guided the development of the JSASIP, providing input on the major areas included in the assessment. These are: curriculum, instruction, co-curricular programs, leadership, professional development, family/parenting education, school culture, facilities, human resources, and practices and procedures. In order to implement the assessment, a team of family/parent education assessors gathers critical data in each school through document review, observation, and interviews with major stakeholders in the school, including professionals, parents, and students. It provides the school with a report explaining their findings and making recommendations for school improvement.

The JSASIP provides synagogue school communities with a common vocabulary for talking about their schools, identifies what they are doing well and which areas need improvement, and serves as a mechanism for planning school improvement.