The school provides godly leadership and governance that promote student performance and school effectiveness within its mission and vision perspectives.

The school has a clearly defined governance structure that adheres to recognized best governance practices allowing the leaders to advocate for and guard the school’s mission and vision, for the school head and professional staff to operate with sufficient freedom towards those ends, and for the school’s continued efforts towards effectiveness and improvement. Leaders provide clear direction and allocate sufficient human, material, and financial resources necessary to carry out high quality instruction and support programs. Leaders encourage collaboration among stakeholders/ministry partners and provide avenues to support the program with financial gifts and prayer.

The school’s policies, procedures, practices, and organizational structure ensure equity of learning opportunities for all students admitted into the school and support for ongoing innovation and improvement.

Standards

1. School is Incorporated as an Independent Christian School

   The school is incorporated as an independent Christian school or a ministry of a Bible-based church guided by Reformed/transformational beliefs, with a written constitution and bylaws containing adoption/incorporation dates.

   Artifacts Articles of Incorporation School’s Constitution/ByLaws

2. School is an Early-Childhood or Day School

   The school is an independent early childhood or day school, offering a quality academic program in Christian education with written curriculum guides for all age/grade levels, and is not an independent day care center, home school association, or boarding school.

   Artifacts Curriculum Guide * Public Relations pieces School Website

3. School Recognizes and Preserves Administrative Perogatives

   The school recognizes and preserves by policy and practice the executive, administrative, and leadership perogatives and functions of the administrative head of the school.

   Artifacts Board Policy Manual * Governance flowchart

4. School Ensures Compliance with Laws and Regulations

   The school ensures compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, standards, and regulations.

   Artifacts ADA Policy Non-Discriminatory Statement Non-Harassment Policy

5. School Maintains Board Manual and Minutes

   The school maintains a reviewed and up-to-date policy manual and a separate record of all board minutes.

   Artifacts Board Policy Manual * School Board Meeting Agendas, Minutes & Reports

6. School Adheres to Board Member Policies

   The school adheres to the policies and processes contained in the policy manual for recruiting, nominating, electing, selecting officers, and establishing spiritual qualifications and duties of all candidates, nominees, and current board members.

   Artifact Board Qualifications and Selection Process

7. School Operates under a Governing Board

   The school operates under a governing board that establishes written policies and procedures within a constitution, bylaws, and board manual that provide for the effective operation of the school.

   Artifacts Board Committees Board Policy Manual * Clearly Defined Church/Board Relationship Evidence of Board Involvement in Strategic Planning

8. Board Utilizes Process for Strategic Planning

   The board utilizes a process for strategic and master planning to address the present and future needs of the school.

   Artifact School’s Strategic Master Plan

9. School Delegates to Chief Administrator

   The school delegates executive and administrative functions to the chief administrative officer who is recognized as the head of the school.

   Artifact School Head Job Description

10. School Has Written Organizational Plan of Leadership

    The school has a written organizational plan of leadership that articulates the responsibilities, accountabilities, and reporting systems from one level of leadership to the other.

    Artifact Governance flowchart

11. School Board Maintains Relationship with and Evaluation of School Head

    The school board employs a process to maintain a strong, open, mutually honoring relationship with the school head and annually conducts a formal, written evaluation of her/his performance.

    Artifact Annual Written Evaluation of School Head / Chief Administrator

12. School Maintains Communication with Stakeholders

    The school employs a process to maintain good communication and mutual respect between the board, the administration, the faculty and staff, the parents, the students, and all other ministry partners/stakeholders.

    Artifact Interviews with appropriate stakeholders

13. School Maintains Relationship with Church

    The school, if church-operated or affiliated, defines and maintains a strong, open relationship with the governing body of the local church, and works to maintain a similar relationship between the senior minister and the school head.

    Artifacts Evidence of school head / pastor relationship Governance flowchart

14. Proprietary School Compliance

    The proprietary school must comply with all Leadership and Governance standards with some modifications.

    See Explanatory Standards for artifacts

    Explanatory Standards 3.14.1–5

15. School Fosters Learning Community

    The school fosters a learning community.

    Artifacts Evidence of grade-level sharing Evidence of mentoring processes Evidence of new teacher orientation Faculty meeting agendas/minutes

16. School Exemplifies Servant Spirit

    The school exemplifies a servant spirit exercised through high quality spiritual, professional leadership.

    Artifacts Evidence of training in or application of Transformational Education Mission trips Student service opportunities

17. School Provides Opportunities to Lead and Innovate

    The school provides teachers and students opportunities to lead and to innovate.

    Artifacts Evidence of student leadership Evidence of teacher initiatives Faculty meeting agendas/minutes Student Council agendas/minutes

18. School Provides Meaningful Roles to Stakeholders

    The school provides stakeholders/ministry partners meaningful roles in the decision-making process that promote a culture of participation, responsibility, and ownership.

    Artifacts Evidence of Board Committee Work Evidence of Community Involvement Parent/Teacher Association Meeting Minutes and Reports

19. School Controls All School-Sponsored Activities

    The school controls all business, financial, curricular, extracurricular and support activities that are sponsored by the school.

    Artifact Governance flowchart