Staff Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)
Measures school staff perceptions across nine key dimensions of school effectiveness.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Staff Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) was developed by Seattle School District and the University of Washington (1984). It is designed to measure School Effectiveness Characteristics. The scale is intended for use with School teachers and staff.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 94 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: Strong Leadership, Dedicated Staff, High Expectations, Frequent Monitoring, Early Identification, Positive Learning Climate, Curriculum Continuity, Multicultural Education, Sex Equity.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Strong Leadership | 12,17,34,39,42,46,50,55,58,59,62,63,67,68,72,74,77,79,82,87,90,91 | 22 |
| Dedicated Staff | 33,38,45,47,51,60,61,69,76,81,83,85,88,93,94 | 15 |
| High Expectations | 31,35,36,43,44,48,53,66,70,71,73 | 11 |
| Frequent Monitoring | 6,8,15,16,22 | 5 |
| Early Identification | 9,13,21,23 | 4 |
| Positive Learning Climate | 30,32,37,40,41,49,52,54,56,57,64,65,75,78,80,84,86,89,92 | 19 |
| Curriculum Continuity | 1,3,18,25,28 | 5 |
| Multicultural Education | 2,7,10,11,19,20,24,26,29 | 9 |
| Sex Equity | 4,5,14,27 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Undecided, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 94 to 470. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low School Effectiveness: 94 – 219
- Moderate School Effectiveness: 220 – 344
- High School Effectiveness: 345 – 470
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha coefficients range from 0.70 to 0.97 across subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.