This Audit of Educational Effectiveness was commissioned by the Board of Education of the Exeter Region Cooperative School District and Superintendent, Dr. Arthur Hanson, with support from The Portsmouth Herald and its publisher, John Tabor, local citizens and corporate, philanthropic and professional organizations as a means of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the school district. We would like to extend our thanks to Seacoast Newspapers, The Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation and the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce for their support.
We are also grateful for the support of the following individual and corporate contributors: Bank of New Hampshire, Bernier Corporation, Choice One Communications, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, Dunkin Donuts (Exeter Donuts, Inc., Islington Dunkin Donuts), Federal Savings Bank, Kevin Gayette, Ocean National Bank, Sawtelle Company, Ostram Sylvania, Tyco International, United Underwriters, Inc., Unitil Service Corporation.
Since August 2000, SchoolMatch has collected and analyzed data from each regular elementary, middle and high school in Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16. The Audit program was initiated in a similar fashion to that which has assisted hundreds of school systems throughout the country. The SchoolMatch site team conducted an on-site visitation to the Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16 on March 29-30, 2001.
Commendations to Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16 Personnel
SchoolMatch evaluators commend school system personnel in attendance during the on-site visit of the SchoolMatch team of consultants for the assistance given, information provided, and the many courtesies extended. It was a pleasure to work with courteous and congenial school personnel, and school District colleagues. In particular, the team extends thanks for their time during the site visit to the Board Members:
In addition, the site team is grateful for the input received from:
The members of the audit team who visited the Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16 were especially pleased to have a chance to visit students and teachers in the classroom. The students are vivid reminders of how this study might assist the school District and the community to create enhanced educational opportunities for Exeter School’s students.
History of the Audit of Educational Effectiveness
In the mid-1980s, Dr. M. Donald Thomas initiated the "Audit of Educational Effectiveness" process using carefully designed levels of effectiveness and the SchoolMatch databases. Dr. Thomas, Superintendent Emeritus of the Salt Lake City Public Schools, has achieved national recognition as a widely respected school administrator, state education reformer, researcher, author and speaker.
A few years ago, SchoolMatch assumed the responsibility of working directly with school systems to continue this important process. This educational effectiveness audit compares the Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16 to similar student and staff population demographics nationwide.
Using a variety of data sources, including SchoolMatch records, data available from the U.S. and state departments of education, professional judgment and research techniques (data analysis, interviewing, polling, and others), our auditors examined a wide range of performance indicators in the Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16. These indicators range from test scores to student and staff attendance to public support for the school system (without which no school system can succeed). In each case, the results have been compared against those of the best of similar student and staff demographic populations nationwide.
The SchoolMatch Team of Consultants
In initiating the Audit for the Exeter Region Cooperative District--SAU 16, SchoolMatch involved four on-site visitation consultants, its databases, editorial consultants, and support staff. The consultants include:
Dr. William L. Bainbridge, currently serves as President and CEO of SchoolMatch, and as a Distinguished Research Professor at The University of Dayton. He is the former superintendent of three school districts in Ohio and Virginia, and former Assistant to the Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was named Educator of the Year by the Ohio PTA and has served as educational consultant to over 400 corporations and hundreds of school systems. The Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners and Diplomate of the National Academy for School Executives is a Lecturer in Educational Leadership and Change for Nova Southeastern University. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, CBS radio and over 400 national and local television and radio programs. He earned his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, and completed post-doctoral studies at Columbia University.
Dr. Suzanne Burkholder, Executive Director of the Ohio Association of School Personnel Administrators, education consultant, is a Past President of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, Past President of The Ohio State University chapter of Phi Delta Kappa and the Columbus Mortar Board Alumni. She is a former administrator in the Mayfield City and Southwestern City School Districts in Ohio. She has served as Interim Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Director of Personnel and Field Experience Supervisor. Dr. Burkholder also was an adjunct professor in the College of Education at The Ohio State University, where she earned her Ph.D. and received the Alumni "Award of Distinction."
Dr. Sherry A. Lahr, Associate Professor of Education at Ashland University, former superintendent and administrator in four school districts, former regional director for curriculum technology integration for a major national curriculum software developer, and the first and only female president of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. In 1998, she was named Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Columbus, where she serves as Scholarship Committee Chair. Dr. Lahr earned her doctorate from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Steven M. Sundre currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of SchoolMatch and as a Distinguished Research Professor at The University of Dayton. He is a former Executive Director of the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration, Washington, D.C., where he currently serves as the elected public member of the Board. He has been a Kellogg Fellow and former graduate faculty member, The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He serves on the Board of Directors of Support for Talented Students, a non-profit organization assisting low-income children with special gifts and talents. He earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership and organizational behavior at The Ohio State University, where he received the Thomas Holy Award in educational research.
Martine L. Stephens, M.A. (editor), Senior Editor and Audit Coordinator at SchoolMatch, Faculty member in the English Department and Writing Resource Center at Ohio Wesleyan University and former Instructor in English for the Osaka (Japan) International University for Women/Summer Institute at Ohio Dominican College. She is completing work on a Ph.D. in English at The Ohio State University.
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