Yet the criteria are broad enough to suit diverse school contexts and to accommodate new or changing goals and strategies within any particular school. The criteria are interrelated. There is a dynamic linkage among the criteria as they address the multiple, embedded, and interacting contexts of school life. The systematic use of a broad composite of criteria should help schools to ensure that school improvement goals and strategies are balanced. The criteria are nonprescriptive.
Wide latitude is intended and accepted in how schools choose to meet the criteria.
The focus is on results rather than on specific means or procedures. Schools often use the Blue Ribbon criteria and process in conjunction with more targeted or specific school improvement strategies. The criteria are a basis for collaborative self-assessment. School responses to the overall framework should provide a profile of school strengths and areas for improvement. The criteria are a useful tool for self-assessment, reflection, strategic planning, and involvement of all relevant stakeholders in a common project.