DEVELOPMENTAL AUDIT FAQs

   - What is a developmental audit?  

A developmental audit is an observational assessment, diagnosis and analysis of a teacher's strengths and challenges, with planning for professional development.  It is done for supportive mentoring, performance analysis and improvement, retention and remediation of teachers.  A developmental audit is usually done for an individual teacher and supported by administration.

   - How is an audit accomplished? 

Prior to an audit, I develop a relationship of trust with the teacher and explain the entire process and its goal:  to help him or her become a more effective professional.  I observe the teacher in many different capacities:  in the classroom and in other settings, and in work with individual students, groups and other professionals.   In meetings that follow, I review that teacher's strengths and developmental needs, and (with her or him) co-create a written assessment, including goals, objectives, methods of achieving goals, and a timeline.  The assessment outlines specific strategies the teacher can use to solve some current problem(s), plan to solve others, enrich instruction and support needed skill-building.

   - What are the benefits?

An audit provides immediate administrative awareness of teacher strengths, problems, and developmental needs, and improves the likelihood that those needs will be addressed in a timely way.  The process offers the teacher awareness, encouragement and support, and an administrative benchmark for measuring progress or for re-contracting the employee.   The expense and psychological cost of teacher turnover or burnout is reduced or eliminated.

   - Who can benefit from a developmental audit?  

Any teacher who desires feedback and positive change can benefit from an audit.  Most audits are with new or probationary teachers.  Administrators have much to gain from learning about new-teacher behavior early in employment, and an immediate opportunity to offer or encourage professional development.  Periodic inclusion of more experienced teachers in the audit process is an important step in building the cultural expectation of continuous professional growth.

   - Can I see a sample plan? 

At the top of this page, click the blue SAMPLE TEACHER AUDIT link.  Or scroll to the bottom of this page and click the black SAMPLE TEACHER AUDIT link.  The same audit sample (in its original format) can be sent as a Microsoft Word document attachment in e-mail.

     - What is the cost of an audit?