Staff Assessment Questionnaire – SAQ
Measures school staff perceptions across nine characteristics of effective schools, including leadership, climate, expectations, and equity.
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 and staff perceptions of school climate and leadership. The scale is intended for use with School teachers and staff.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 94 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: Curriculum Continuity, Multicultural Education, Sex Equity, Frequent Monitoring, Early Identification, Strong Leadership, Dedicated Staff, High Expectations, Positive Learning Climate.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Frequent Monitoring | 6,8,15,16,22 | 5 |
| Early Identification | 9,13,21,23 | 4 |
| 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 | 33,38,41,45,47,51,60,61,64,69,76,81,83,85,88,94 | 16 |
| High Expectations | 31,35,36,43,44,48,53,66,70,71,73 | 11 |
| Positive Learning Climate | 30,32,37,40,49,52,54,56,57,65,75,78,80,84,86,89,92,93 | 18 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 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.
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 25 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.