The Core Practice Audit (CPA) is an objective, hands-on evaluation of current teaching and learning practices that provides recommendations for improvement and strategies for aligning practices with those of higher performing school systems. Educators are provided the tools and knowledge necessary to build a comprehensive improvement plan consistent at the district, school and classroom levels.
Benefits of a Core Practice Audit
- Obtain a blueprint for school improvement planning
- Lay the groundwork for meeting Common Core State Standards across your entire district
- Align teaching and learning practices with higher performing schools
- Increase student achievement and college and career readiness
- Discover how practices at the district level affect the school and classroom levels
- Learn exactly what the district is doing right versus what needs strengthening
- Reduce professional development costs by building capacity from within
The Process
During the CPA process, our audit team of 2-4 members reviews district-submitted documents and spends three to five days visiting schools in your district. Site visitors interview district leaders, principals, and core content teachers at each school to understand the impact of current district practices and policies on school and classroom-level practices.
The process consists of 4 phases:
- Phase I: Data Collection (2 weeks) - Review all written and online materials provided by district leaders during the Core Practice Audit. Conduct site visits to various campuses in the district. During these visits, ACT staff will conduct interviews at the district and school levels using protocols based upon indicators obtained from more than 10 years of school investigations.
- Phase II: Data Analysis (3 weeks) - ACT staff will study all documents, synthesize interview and observation notes, and integrate all field data into the final recommendations and findings.
- Phase III: Report Writing (3 weeks) - Our staff will prepare a district report within six weeks of the site visits.
- Phase IV: Report Delivery (2 days) - ACT staff members who led the Core Practice Audit present findings to the superintendent and any additional audiences the superintendent designates.