School Quality Assessment & Assurance Framework (SQAAF)
A standards-based self-evaluation and improvement framework developed by CBSE and NCERT aligned with NEP 2020. SQAAF helps schools measure quality, collect evidence, plan improvements, and achieve continuous institutional growth.
Purpose
Provide an objective instrument for schools to review and strengthen their systems.
Audience
School leadership, teachers, management committees, accreditation teams.
Outcome
Actionable improvement plans, documented evidence and maturity mapping.
SQAA PROCESS
Reflective Self-Assessment
SQAA Framework recognizes the significance of self assessment in ensuring whole-school improvement through reflective practices
Collaborative Review
SQAA process involves all school stakeholders in collaboratively reviewing the school’s performance across a wide range of domains, sub domains and sub-sub domains/standards
Continuous Development
SQAA process enables the schools to move further on their developmental continuum
Leadership & Collaboration
SQAA Framework can be used by school leaders to share and collaborate with Management to ensure enhanced student learning outcomes
School Quality Assessment and Assurance (SQAA) Process – SELF ASSESSMENT
An overview of self-assessment process to be undertaken against SQAA Framework is depicted below:
Self-assessment by School on the SQAA Framework
Development of School Improvement Plan
Implementation of School Improvement Plan
Note:All the CBSE affiliated schools will undertake self-assessment against the SQAA Framework every year on the CBSE SQAA Portal
Phases of SQAA Process
Phase-1: Self-Assessment by schools
In order to initiate the process of SQAA which will help the schools to assess the maturity leve l of the existing practices on the developmental continuum and plan for further continual improvement, the school leaders may follow a ‘Quality Cycle’.One such ‘4R’ Quality Cycle has been explained below so that the required initial readiness could be accomplished by the schools. There are 4 main steps of Review, Reflect, Respond and Rate denoting four steps of quality cycle. Further along with each step, a set of driving questions has been mentioned so that fair ideas could be developed about concerned step.01
REVIEW
02
REFLECT
03
RESPOND
04
RATE
The ‘4R’ Quality Cycle has been aligned with the phases of self-assessment in the following passages.
Who created SQAAF?
School Quality Assessment and Assurance (SQAA) Framework is a set of standards and best practices as paradigms for attaining individual and institutional excellence. It is a tool for educationists, leaders, management and all those involved in making a difference in the lives of children. It is an attempt to allow all of us to make informed choices, articulate what we want and compare it with a realistic assessment of current reality, collectively aspire for a goal, reflect and initiate dialogues, recognize and manage the complexities at large and thus deal effectively with the forces that shape the consequences of our actions.
Objectives
Domain 1: Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment
Ensures alignment of curriculum to NEP, innovation in pedagogy and robust assessment practices. Emphasis on competency-based learning and evidence-driven assessment that supports learning outcomes.
Domain 2: Infrastructure
Covers physical, digital and academic resources—safety, accessibility and optimization for learning.Includes inventory practices and maintenance planning.
Domain 3: Human Resources
Focuses on teacher recruitment, deployment, continuous professional development and welfare. Includes performance appraisal and succession planning.
Domain 4: Inclusive Practices
Emphasizes equity and inclusion—gender sensitivity, support for learners with special needs, and policies that ensure no child is left behind.
Domain 5: Management & Governance
Reviews recordkeeping, statutory compliance, financial management and administrative efficiency. Promotes transparency and predictable processes.
Domain 6: Leadership
Examines clarity of vision, leadership capacity and governance processes. Focus on accountability structures, stakeholder engagement and strategic school development.
Domain 7: Beneficiary Satisfaction
Focus on physical, emotional, social and co-scholastic development. Health, safety and life-skills are central.
Maturity Levels & Performance
In SQAA along with each standard, four Performance levels ranging on scale of 1-4 have been specified. These four levels of performance namely Performance level-IV, III, II and I denotes ‘Dynamic-Evolving’,‘Stable’, ‘Transient’ and ‘Inceptive’ maturity levels respectively. The school can refer the above criteria or developmental stages of performance to know where it stands in terms of developmental stage and formulate appropriate and achievable plans for selfimprovement and enhance accountability. Although it is expected that each school meets the best practices as depicted in these performance indicators, not all indicators will apply to or be appropriate for each school.
Level-I (Inceptive) : System is at initial stage.Practices are individual based. Level-II (Transient ) : System is in early constructive years. Practices are generally corrective in nature. Level-III (Stable) : Evidences of database improvement processes. System is defined and documented. People are aware of their roles in the institution and practicing it. Practices are preventive and corrective in nature. Level-IV (Dynamic-Evolving) : Demonstrates strong benchmarked defined and documented processes. Governance and leadership exhibits accountability, responsibility, selfevaluation and improvement planning.How the SQAAF flow works
Domains
The foundational areas of quality assessment.
Sub-domains
Specific categories within each domain.
Standards
Required levels of performance or quality.
Indicators
Observable criteria for meeting standards.
Rubrics
Scoring guidelines based on evidence.
Evidence
Data and documentation that supports the indicators.
Score
Quantitative rating determined by the rubrics.
Maturity
Overall quality level and scope for improvement.
Click any card on the Domains page to see expanded flow with examples.
Performance, Rubrics & Evidence
Performance Levels, Performance Indicators and Rubrics answer the following questions: How School would be assessed on each standard? How to determine where school stands on each standard so that school may aspire for continual improvement? How to determine appropriate performance level on standard for school? For facilitating assessment of school on each standard, four performance levels ranging on scale of 1 to 4 have been specified. Performance Level-IV would be highest and Performance Level-I would be lowest. Performance Level indicates the developmental stage of the school. Further to determine on which performance level school stands, along with each performance level, observable actions or practices termed as performance indicators are specified. Technically, if against each standard or benchmarking statement, performance levels and associated performance indicators are specified, resultant scoring guide tool is called ‘Rubric’. Note: Performance levels are ordered incrementally from low to high, it means for getting higher performance level, requirements of previous levels would be met by school. It means for attaining performance level-IV which is the highest level, school would have to meet requirements of preceding performance levels. The school has flexibility to self-assess its maturity level, define its aspirational level and then devise its plan of action after each domain of the framework to achieve the aspired level.
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