Private School Evaluation

School Evaluation, Assessment, & Improvement Planning For Short- & Long-Term Private School Development

Private School Evaluation and Improvement Plans are Critical To Ensuring Your School is Heading in the Right Direction

Thank you for considering HEG to support the continued improvement of your School’s operations and leadership. We’re confident that HEG’s combined experience with independent school operation, improvement, and evaluation (along with short- and long-term improvement plans) will broaden the capacity of your school and its sustainable operation. We’re ideally positioned to carry out the comprehensive 360 degree evaluation to assess your school’s performance, covering governance, administration, academic, financial, operations, and our detailed summative school improvement report with a comprehensive set of strategies and supporting action plans for your Board and Administration to lead your school’s ongoing improvement.

Our evaluation process identifies areas needing organizational improvement to support school revitalization and sustainability. To establish a clear picture of your school’s performance against established benchmarks, and to determine areas of priority that your school needs to focus on, we’ll implement a four-pronged approach to assess your school’s current situation and gather measurable data, focusing primarily on:

  • On-site focus groups, interviews, and observations;
  • Multiple on-line surveys with your school’s community;
  • One-on-one interviews with your School’s Board and Administration; and
  • Summative Report and Action Plan.

Our thoughtful evaluation process provides your Board of Trustees with a concise set of strategies and actions to guide your school’s leadership with the ongoing development of your institution, identifying areas needing short- and long-term improvement. Our evaluation process focuses on the following critical benchmarks for effective school performance:

  • The School’s Overall Effectiveness;
  • Marketing, Admissions, And Retention System;
  • Teaching/Learning Practices;
  • Human Resources;
  • Care, Guidance, And Support For Students;
  • School Leadership And Management;
  • Physical Plant, Grounds, And Resources;
  • Infrastructure And Operations;
  • Communications And Community Relations; and
  • Finance And Operations.

Our Approach

We will structure our comprehensive evaluation process into six parts applying our in-depth background with starting, leading, and managing independent schools world-wide. After our online surveys and on-site focus group sessions are completed, we will follow up with a Summary Report and Action Plan that provides a range of recommendations and action plans to improve your school. The Summary Report and Action Plans prioritize critical issues you need to improve upon, as well as the "indicators of success" to move towards in the continued improvement of your school. Our methodology focuses on a “SWOT” analysis identifying your:

  • Strengths;
  • Weaknesses;
  • Opportunities, and;
  • Threats / Trends.

Our methodology utilizes a four-step approach based on analyzing key performance benchmarks of your school, which involves evaluation of relevant school data, onsite focus groups, 360 degree survey process to gauge school performance and stakeholder perception, in-depth discussions with your trustees, and then four weeks to develop and deliver the Summary Report and Action Plan for school improvement.

Our approach will:

  • Determine Scope and Direction: Meeting with the Client to finalize goals, process, critical issues, timing, schedule, situational scan, and deliverables;
  • Collect and Review School Documentation and Data: Collect and review school documentation and data prior to the onsite visit to determine schools’ present (e.g., Marketing/enrollment materials, enrollment data, tuition overview, financial aid, student/parent enrollment contract, strategic plan, sample report cards, sample staff contracts/teacher grids/policy handbook, other handbooks, society/board bylaws and constitution, staff and board list, map of the school plant, history of school’s fundraising record, overview of school educational program(s), accreditation documentation, staff evaluation instrument and professional development plan);
  • Onsite Focus-Group Interviews With Key Stakeholder Groups: Two days onsite focus group sessions with key constituents of your community to determine your schools’ strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities and trends to take advantage of, including: Board Executive Committee, one-on-one meeting with trustees, administration, parents, students, staff, former parents, etc. We will also tour the schools and hold several classroom observation sessions as needed, with follow-up and debriefing with Board Chair on the final day;
  • Confidential Statistically-Based Online Surveys: Statistically-Driven Online Surveys for staff/faculty, board, and parents to gather data on school performance prior to the onsite visit (e.g., staff, board/administration, parents);
  • Summative Report and Action Plans: Develop a customized strategic report including an that identifies areas needing immediate focus and ‘roll-out’, strategies, and action plan to enhance your schools’ overall development. This will include strategies, timelines, and designated staff, and appendices with the questionnaires and interview outcomes. We will provide a virtual presentation to the appropriate representatives to the Client of the study’s outcomes with an MSWord and PDF format.

The final report prioritizes steps for improvement, reviewing the following benchmarks:

  • School’s vision, mission, core values, educational philosophy;
  • Strategic plan;
  • Board Governance;
  • Bylaws and constitution;
  • Administrative leadership;
  • Head of School evaluation and support;
  • Physical plant and grounds;
  • Financial plan;
  • Development and fundraising;
  • Curriculum and programming;
  • Crisis management;
  • Staff evaluation systems, contracts, compensation, and professional development;
  • Tuition, bursaries, and financial aid;Infrastructure, handbooks, protocol, and reporting systems;
  • Marketing and communications;
  • Admissions, recruiting, and retention systems;
  • School Climate.

School Types We've Reviewed

HEG and our team of experienced associates have evaluated a variety of school types globally, as well as within a broad range of internationally recognized accreditation associations (e.g., IBO, WASC, British Columbia, NAIS, CAIS, CASE, MSACS, NEASC, CIS, Ontario). Our team has evaluated for- and non-profit schools in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, UK, Middle East, and South East Asia. We can assemble a team for any school type and/or region, including:

  • Private or Independent Prekindergarten to Grade 12 University Preparatory Schools
  • For-Profit or Non-Profit Schools
  • Accredited Curriculum from the US, Canada, or any other International Jurisdiction
  • British Columbia Offshore School Program
  • British
  • Ontario Offshore Schools
  • Religious Schools (e.g., Christian, Catholic, Sikh, Muslim)
  • Canadian or US International Schools
  • International Baccalaureate Program (PYP, MYP, DP)
  • Advanced Placement
  • Special Needs Schools (Dyslexic, Therapeutic)
  • Boarding Schools
  • ESL/Language Schools
  • Preschool and Daycare
  • Montessori and Waldorf SchoolsElite Multi-Sport Academies
  • And more...call us for further details

Recent School/District Evaluation and Accreditation Projects:

  • URBAN ACADEMY - K TO 12 PRIVATE ART-INFUSED PREP SCHOOL EVALUATION AND BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP – VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA: HEG was retained to complete school evaluation- and full board governance workshop for a K-12 private school in Vancouver.

  • EVALUATION OF IMAN ACADEMY SCHOOLS – HOUSTON, TEXAS: HEG evaluated and developed a school improvement plan for Board of Directors of the Iman Schools in Houston, Texas.

  • EVALUATION OF AÇI SCHOOLS ISTANBUL– ISTANBUL, TURKEY: HEG evaluated and developed a school improvement plan for Board of Directors of the ACI Schools Istanbul in Istanbul, Turkey.

  • EVALUATION OF AL-MANAHIJ SCHOOLS – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: HEG evaluated and developed a school improvement plan for the Board of Directors of a K-12 Private School in Saudi Arabia.

  • EVALUATION OF EMIRATES NATIONAL SCHOOLS – ABU DHABI, UAE: HEG evaluated and developed a school improvement plan for Board of Directors of the Emirates National Schools in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

  • EVALUATION OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MAINFRANKEN – Frankfurt, Germany: HEG evaluated and developed a school improvement plan for Board of Directors of a K-12 IGCSE/IBO Private School in Germany.

  • INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL EVALUATION AND BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP OF ULAANBAATAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA: HEG was retained to complete school evaluation-assessment and full board governance workshop for a K-12 international baccalaureate school in Mongolia. 

  • ACCREDITATION EXPERIENCE – US, CANADA, EUROPE, AND MENA: HEG Principal Consultants were team leaders of Accreditation Teams in US, Canada, Europe and Middle East for Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and CIS-Council of International Schools, IB Authorization and Reauthorization for the PYP, MYP and IB Programs. Working with the Council of International Schools (formerly European Council of International Schools) and led accreditation and evaluation of public and international schools in Brazil, Central America, Middle East, USA, and major public school districts in Canada.

  • UK OFSTED: HEG Senior Associates OFSTED trained inspectors for +30 inspections completed in Primary and Secondary Schools.  Lead for ICT on ten Primary inspections.

  • QUALITY ASSURANCE – MENA: HEG Senior Associates engaged in quality assurance activities for private schools in Kuwait, Qatar and UAE.

  • EVALUATION OF A K-9 ISLAMIC SCHOOL - ONTARIO, CANADA: HEG evaluated and developed a school improvement plan for a K-9 private Islamic School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  • SCHOOL ASSESSMENT - CALGARY, ALBERTA: HEG was retained to perform a school performance assessment of a private K-7 Sikh School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

  • DEVELOP TEACHER CONTRACTS & STAFF POLICY HANDBOOK FOR A K-8 SIKH SCHOOL- ALBERTA, CANADA: HEG reviewed and developed the Teacher Contract and Staff Policy Handbook for a K-8 Private Sikh School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

  • SCHOOL INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT - VANCOUVER, BC: HEG was retained to perform an institutional assessment and financial projections related to the acquisition-merger of a Private K-12 School in Vancouver.

  • DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN OF PROVINCIAL ACCREDITATION – BRITISH COLUMBIA: HEG Principal Consultant part of development and design team member for the K-12 public school accreditation/evaluation framework for the Province of British Columbia, Canada.DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN OF PROVINCIAL ACCEDITATION – BRITISH COLUMBIA: HEG Principal Consultant part of development and design team member for the K-12 public school accreditation/evaluation framework for the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

  • ACCREDITATION EXPERIENCE – US, CANADA, EUROPE, AND MENA: HEG Principal Consultants were team leaders of Accreditation Teams in the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East for Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and CIS-Council of International Schools, IB Authorization and Reauthorization for the Primary Year Program (PYP), Middle Year Program (MYP) and IB Programs. Working with the Council of International Schools (formerly European Council of International Schools) and led the accreditation and evaluation of public and international schools in Brazil, Central America, the Middle East, the USA, and major public school districts in British Columbia, Canada (rural/urban).

  • UK OFSTED: HEG Senior Associates OFSTED trained inspectors for +30 inspections completed in Primary and Secondary Schools.  Lead for ICT on ten Primary inspections.

  • QUALITY ASSURANCE – MENA: HEG Senior Associates engaged in quality assurance activities for private schools in Kuwait, Qatar and UAE.


Next Step


If you are interested in our private school evaluation consulting services and would like to receive written material about HEG, or would like to discuss your particular needs, please contact HEG directly to find out more about our services. You can set this up by sending an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling directly at +1-800-687-1492. We invite you to continue browsing our web site.

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