Important questions to ask in the policy process:
By consistently using a defined approach to policy analysis and by asking the right questions, a school board can see beyond immediate circumstances and formulate sound policy on the basis of agreed-upon criteria. The logical starting place is a policy analysis model that recognizes legal and other practical constraints yet remains focused on objective outcomes. Local criteria are important, including the mission and goals of the school district and the context of the community being served. When considering policy options, these questions should be asked:
1. How does the policy advance the best educational interests of all students?
This question might seem obvious, but it can easily be overlooked in the heat of a policy debate on specific issues. Policies must be carefully formulated to address the needs and results of all students and must not ignore the concerns of any specific demographic group.
2. How does this policy support the mission and goals of the district?
The conscious comparison of policy to the mission and goals of the district is a crucial component in effective policy analysis. Reviewing the policy in light of the mission statement or goals might reveal little or no correlation or even a negative correlation. If so, the board should closely examine the policy or revise its mission and goals.
3. What do current literature and research say that is relevant to the policy?
Reviewing the literature and current research can point the board in productive directions and keep it from making policy mistakes. For example, studies of student achievement in relation to class size, a perennial debate, are worth investigating in relation to policies on teacher assignments.
4. What is the relationship of the policy to recent changes in education?
This criterion justifies updating and revising school board policy on an ongoing basis. It is important to eliminate policies that are obsolete or no longer appropriate due to adoption of new programs. For example, a policy that calls for disciplining students who do not do their own work would be inappropriate in a classroom that values cooperative learning.
5. How is the policy related to other district policies?
By asking this question, the board can guard against one policy contradicting another and ensure that individual policies support each other.
6. How consistent is compliance with the policy likely to be?
High expectations are an important attribute of effective schools and the board’s expectations of compliance with policy should be high. If the board cannot reasonably expect a high degree of compliance with a policy, it should rethink the policy.
7. How can the effectiveness of the policy be evaluated?
To answer this question, look again at the first question—the relationship of the policy to the best educational interests of students. The board should develop a comprehensive system to measure the effectiveness of its policies to ensure that reasonable progress is being made toward achieving policy goals.
8. What external support does the policy require?
As soon as a policy requires external support, the board’s control over compliance is diminished. Parents can be asked to help support attendance or homework policies, for example, but they cannot be forced to comply.
9. What will it cost, in human and fiscal terms, to implement the policy?
The time administrators and teachers will spend implementing a policy is obviously an important consideration. Also important are costs related to the physical plant or other budgetary concerns, all of which must be weighted against the importance of the policy issue. Cost is not, nor should it be, the single controlling factor in formulating policy. If a specific policy is vital to supporting the primary mission of the district, the board should shift the necessary human and fiscal resources from low-priority items to those identified as crucially important.
10. What steps will be taken to implement and enforce the policy?
A policy that is a well-kept secret will not fulfill its purpose. The administration must clearly define what strategies it will employ to achieve the policy’s desired results and continuously monitor the effectiveness of the strategies.
11. Is the policy understandable and clear?
Ask someone who is not involved in the school district to read and interpret the proposed policy or policy change as written to gauge its clarity. If the policy is directed at students, one or more students should review it before it is adopted.
12. How is the policy affected by federal and state legal mandates?
This is an important criterion because the autonomy of the district’s operation depends on the board’s ability to operate within the limits of federal and state legal mandates. However, the complexity of the law should not be used as a barrier to thoughtful policy discussions.
Colorado Association of School Boards