CGMI-F v1.0 · Scoring

Governance Maturity Score

The GMS is a 0–100 composite score that summarizes a school's governance maturity across all five CGMI domains. It is calculated from practice-area-level assessments and serves as both a diagnostic tool and a gate requirement for advancement.

How the GMS is calculated

The Governance Maturity Score is the sum of five domain scores. Each domain score is the sum of four practice area scores. Each practice area is scored 0–5 based on the maturity level achieved in that area.

0–20

4 PAs × 0–5

0–20

4 PAs × 0–5

0–20

4 PAs × 0–5

0–20

4 PAs × 0–5

0–20

4 PAs × 0–5

GMS

0–100

Practice area scoring

Each of the 20 practice areas is scored 0–5 based on the maturity level achieved in that area. Scores are assigned from objective evidence — not self-reported.

Score	Level	What it means
0	Not assessed	Practice area has not been evaluated or school is non-compliant with foundational requirements.
1	Emerging	Governance activity exists but is ad hoc, inconsistent, and dependent on individuals.
2	Developing	Basic processes in place. Minimum compliance requirements met consistently.
3	Established	Documented, repeatable processes that go beyond compliance. Proactive governance culture.
4	Advanced	Data-driven, measured, benchmarked. Year-over-year improvement demonstrated.
5	Exemplary	Systemic, institutional capability. Continuous improvement. Sector model.

Domain score composition

Each domain's score is the sum of its four practice area scores. Here is an example using D1: Board Composition & Competency.

D1 · Board Composition & Competency

D1.PA1

Board Composition

4/5

D1.PA2

Member Competency

4/5

D1.PA3

Succession Planning

3/5

D1.PA4

Diversity & Independence

5/5

Domain score:16/20

Capability profile example

Every appraisal produces a domain-level capability profile alongside the composite GMS. Schools see exactly which domains are strong and where to focus improvement.

Example Charter Academy

/20

Governance Maturity Score

/100

Overall Level

Established

Overall level determined by lowest domain (D4 at avg 3.25 → Level 3). GMS of 75 satisfies the ≥ 70 gate requirement.

Score interpretation

The GMS maps to a set of governance quality benchmarks. These ranges align with the maturity level thresholds used in gate requirements.

GMS Range	Label	Interpretation
0–29	Critical	Critical governance gaps. Immediate attention required across multiple domains.
30–44	Foundational	Foundational governance in place but inconsistent. Significant improvement needed.
45–62	Compliant	Basic processes established. Compliance-focused. Room for proactive governance.
63–69	Approaching Established	Governance culture emerging. Approaching Level 3 gate threshold.
70–79	Strong	Strong governance culture. Proactive, documented, consistent across domains.
80–89	Distinguished	Data-driven governance. Measurable improvement. Benchmarked against peers.
90–100	Exemplary	Institutional governance capability. Sector model. Sustained excellence.

GMS as a gate requirement

At Levels 1–2, the GMS serves as a diagnostic indicator. Starting at Level 3, the GMS becomes a formal gate requirement — a school cannot advance without meeting the threshold. At Levels 4–5, the threshold must be sustained across two consecutive appraisal cycles.

Level	Type	GMS Threshold	Note
L1 · Emerging	Signal	0–45	GMS is a diagnostic indicator at this level. Not a gate requirement.
L2 · Developing	Signal	45–62	GMS is a diagnostic indicator. Score reflects compliance-level governance.
L3 · Established	Gate	≥ 70	First level where GMS becomes a gate requirement. Must be met in a single appraisal cycle.
L4 · Advanced	Gate	≥ 80	Must be sustained for two consecutive appraisal cycles.
L5 · Exemplary	Gate	≥ 90	Must be sustained for two consecutive appraisal cycles.

Scoring by appraisal tier

All three appraisal tiers produce a GMS. The tier determines the rigor of evidence collection and whether the score can be used for level advancement.

Self-Assessment

How scores are assigned: Board and school admins self-score each practice area 0–5 based on collected artifacts and evidence.
Score authority: Informational. GMS is calculated but cannot be used to claim Level 3 or above.
Level cap: Capped at Level 2

Guided Appraisal

How scores are assigned: Platform analyzes evidence across all 20 practice areas and assigns scores using standardized criteria.
Score authority: Authoritative. GMS is used for gate requirement evaluation and level determination up to Level 4.
Level cap: Capped at Level 4

Certified Appraisal

How scores are assigned: CGMI Certified Appraiser validates practice area scores through interviews, document review, and observation.
Score authority: Official. GMS carries the highest evidentiary weight. Can appraise at any level (1–5). Required for Level 5.
Level cap: No cap — required for Level 5

GMS and level determination

The GMS is a companion metric to the CGMI maturity level — it does not replace it. A school's overall level is still determined by its lowest domain rating (the staged model). The GMS provides a single-number summary of governance health and serves as an additional gate requirement at Levels 3–5.

A school could theoretically have a high GMS but a low overall level if one domain lags significantly behind the others. This is by design — the staged model ensures balanced capability, while the GMS rewards overall strength.

View maturity level requirements →