Measuring the vision : a model for school self-evaluation

Most schools espouse and ascribe to some sort of vision or mission statement. Very few schools, however, test whether their vision or mission statements are actually translated into practice. The present study provides a robust methodology for schools that may wish to determine the extent to which their vision and mission statements are perceived by their student bodies to be enacted in practice. In particular, the study provides an illustration as to how one school evaluated the extent to which students at the school perceived the vision and mission of their school to be implemented. All 841 students at the school were surveyed concerning various aspects of the school's vision and mission: including the perceived quality of the school's curriculum, its focus on excellence, its contribution to students' preparation for life, its values, etc. Using this study, the paper demonstrates how a survey can be designed to measure specific aspects of a school's vision/mission, how the data gathered through such a survey may be analysed to determine its validity and reliability, and finally how the survey results may be interpreted to determine the extent to which the school is perceived to be fulfilling its mission statement by its key "clients"" the student body. Implications for school administration and assessment are highlighted throughout the paper.