WCEA Visiting Committee Training

1. Improving Student Learning September 2010 WCEA Visiting Committee Training 1

2. The premise/purpose for the Visiting Committee Report of Findings is to provide validation, analysis and professional feedback to a school based on the Visiting Committee’s review of the Self Study, evidence, observation, discussion, review of student work, and an analysis of data in relation to the twelve WCEA Accreditation Factors. Our focus is on: CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Introduction 2

3. Verify the reality of the school in relation to the school’s Self Study. Reaffirm school’s significant accomplishments and critical goals to improve student learning. Support and give input in relation to the school’s plan to address their critical goals. Recommend a term of accreditation that will assist the school in its growth process. Visiting Committee Mission: 3

4. Review the school’s Self Study Report. Visit the school – full 3-day visit. Dialogue with the Leadership Team and Self Study Committees. Write a Report of Findings. Assesses the school on each Accreditation Factor. Recommend a term of accreditation. Visiting Committee Responsibilities Are: 4

5. To what extent has the school completed a Self Study that accomplishes the 6 Key Outcomes of the study? The assessment of the school’s Catholic Identity. The involvement and collaboration of all shareholders in affirming evident strengths and promoting ongoing school improvement. The clarification of the school’s mission, philosophy, and Schoolwide Learning Expectations for all students. The use of high quality criteria to assess the actual learning program and its impact on student learning and spiritual development. The development of an Action Plan that addresses identified goals to enhance student learning. The development and implementation of an accountability system for monitoring progress in meeting or redefining goals and strategies found in the Action Plan. Overview 5

6. Visiting Committee Training by WCEA Elementary Commissioner. Pre-Visit approximately 4-5 weeks before the actual school accreditation visit: Meet the Chair of the Visiting Committee. Learn of the Chair’s expectations. Receive writing assignments from the Chair. Receive a copy of the school’s Self Study Complete necessary forms for emergency contact info, meal likes/dislikes/allergies, etc. Meet the faculty and staff. Tour the school. Visiting Committee 6

7. 3-Day School Accreditation Visit First day is spent visiting classes and observing evidence to support the statements made in the Self Study. Meetings with staff and parents as scheduled. Second day is spent visiting classes, observing evidence, and working on the Report of Findings. Third day is spent completing the Report of Findings and sharing this with the Leadership Team, completing the Justification Statement and Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation. The visit ends with the presentation of the Report of Findings to the school. Visiting Committee 7

8. Distribute copies of the Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation and the Justification Statement BREAK 8

9. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 6. Justification Statement 5. Report of Findings 4. School accreditation visit and evidence observation 3. Reading the Self Study 2. Pre-visit 1. Visiting Committee Training UbD: Begin with the end in mind 9

10. The Visiting Committee recommends a term of accreditation that will assist and support the school in its growth process. A “6” means that the school is focused on high achievement for all students, that all structures and processes support this focus, curriculum and assessment support this focus, and that the school is well positioned to continue this focus without any serious threats to its continued growth. There are no significant findings (critical goals) identified by the Visiting Committee in the Report of Findings. The school is required to send in an Annual Report of Progress to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 10

11. The Visiting Committee recommends a term of accreditation that will assist the school in its growth process. A “6 R” usually means that the school is focused on high achievement for most students, that most structures and processes support this focus, curriculum and assessment mostly support this focus, and that the school is positioned to continue this focus without any serious threats to its continued growth. There may be an additional significant findings (critical goals) identified by the Visiting Committee in the Report of Findings. The school is required to send in an Annual Report of Progress to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner. The school is required to submit a mid-term, comprehensive, cumulative report at the end of three years to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 11

12. The Visiting Committee recommends a term of accreditation that will assist the school in its growth process. A “3” usually means that the school is not completely focused on high achievement for all students, that some, but not all structures and processes support this focus, that curriculum and assessment don’t always support this focus, and that there may be serious threats to the future of the school. There is a significant finding (critical goal) identified by the Visiting Committee in the Report of Findings. This term usually indicates a serious threat to the school requiring intervention by the central school office. The school is required to send in an Annual Report of Progress to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner. A 2-member Visiting Committee will revisit the school in 3 years to look for evidence of how the school has responded to the Report of Findings. The WCEA Elementary Commissioner may schedule additional visits to monitor how the school has responded to the Report of Findings. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 12

13. The Visiting Committee recommends a term of accreditation that will assist the school in its growth process. A “2 or 1” means that the school is not focused on high achievement for all students, that structures and processes do not support this focus, that curriculum and assessment don’t support this focus, and that there are significant threats to the future of the school. There are one or more significant findings (critical goals) identified by the Visiting Committee in the Report of Findings. This term always indicates a serious threat to the school requiring intervention by the central school office. The school is required to send in an Annual Report of Progress to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner. A 2-member Visiting Committee will revisit the school in 1 or 2 years to look for evidence of how the school has responded to the Report of Findings. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 13

14. The Visiting Committee recommends a term of accreditation that will assist the school in its growth process. There is no quantitative criterion for the relationship between the number of ratings and a given term (e.g., 7 Highly Effectives does not automatically equal a 6 rather than 6R term). The Visiting Committee chooses a term to assist the school. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that a school with mostly “Highly Effective” ratings would receive a limited (1, 2, or 3 year) term. Nor is it likely that a school with many “Ineffective” ratings would receive a full term. A recommended term is reached by consensus of the Committee and the rationale for the term is written in the Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 14

15. The Visiting Committee recommends a term of accreditation that will assist the school in its growth process. The Visiting Committee’s recommendation is reviewed by a Reading Team of WCEA Elementary Commissioners. The Reading Team will look for a correlation between the narrative and the rating in the Justification Statement, the ratings given, and the term recommended. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 15

16. If the Reading Team feels that the term recommended by the Visiting Committee is not justified based on 1) the ratings, 2) the narratives in the Justification Statement, and/or 3) the rationale for a term chosen found in the Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation, the Reading Team will propose a different term in consultation with the Chair of the Visiting Committee. The Reading Team recommends a term of accreditation (the same as or different from the Visiting Committee) to the entire WCEA Elementary Commission. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 16

17. The WCEA Elementary Commission votes on the term of accreditation recommended by the Reading Team. A majority vote determines the WCEA Term of Accreditation. The WCEA term is shared with any partnering agency (e.g., ACSWASC, NAAS, NCA CASI) who then issues their own Term of Accreditation. WCEA issues a certificate of accreditation, and sends it to the school, usually in late Summer. 7. Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation 17

18. Review each of the 12 Accreditation Factors. Based on the rubrics (ISL Appendix D), is the school Highly Effective, Effective, Somewhat Effective, or Ineffective for each Factor? What evidence from the Report of Findings supports the rating given by the Visiting Committee? Evidence and, where possible, direct quotes from the Report of Findings should be included in the succinct and informative narrative. The rating should be consistent with the tone/statements found in the Report of Findings. 6. Justification Statement 18

19. IMPORTANT: if the Visiting Committee chooses to use rating terminology such as “Highly Effective” in the Report of Findings, that same terminology should be used in the Justification Statement, and the rating should match the terminology used. NEVER use different rating terminology in the Report of Findings and Justification Statement narratives. Ensure that what you say in the Report of Findings is repeated in the narratives for the Justification Statement. Justification Statement 19

20. Involvement and collaboration of shareholders in completing the Self Study. Use of Prior Accreditation Findings to Support High Achievement of All Students. Assessment of the School’s Catholic Identity. Defining the School’s Purpose. Organization for Student Learning to Support High Achievement of All Students. Data Analysis and Action to Support High Achievement of All Students. Accreditation Factors 20

21. SLEs and Standards-Based Curriculum to Support High Achievement of All Students. Instructional Methodology to Support High Achievement of All Students. Support for Student Spiritual, Personal, and Academic Growth. Resource Management and Development to Support High Achievement of All Students. Design and Alignment of the Action Plan with the Self Study Findings. Capacity to Implement and Monitor the Action Plan. Accreditation Factors 21

22. Distribute copies of the Report of Findings template BREAK 22

23. Preface Completed by Chair Insert name of partnering accrediting agency Insert names, schools, addresses of all Visiting Committee members Insert school’s name in preface. Modify as desired. Writing the Report 23

24. NOTE: a separate 8-page document titled “ISL 2010 Visiting Committee Discussion Prompts and Writing Questions” is available. This document is designed to help Visiting Committees focus on writing narratives for the Report of Findings. Chairpersons have reviewed this document as a part of their training. Visiting Committee members should respond to the writing questions in the Report of Findings template and answer the questions based on evidence found in the Self Study and school visit. Writing the Report 24

25. Chapter 1: Introduction How the Self Study was Conducted Short, general narratives describing how the school used ISL protocol for their Self Study What process has the school used to complete the Self Study (schedule of meetings, timeline, involvement of shareholders, etc.)? What obstacles, if any did the school experience in completing their Self Study? Writing the Report 25

26. Chapter 1: Introduction Involvement and Collaboration of Shareholders in Completing the Self Study Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school involved all shareholders in data review and analysis, dialog about student progress, school accomplishments and needs, etc.? How effective are the school’s plans to keep shareholders involved in ongoing systematic analysis of the school’s effectiveness? Writing the Report 26

27. Chapter 2: Context of the School School Profile Short, general narratives describing how the school compiled and analyzed data To what extent has the school compiled and analyzed annually updated data (cultural, demographic, financial, survey, interview) that identified major changes or trends since the last Self Study? What do parent/student/staff surveys tell about satisfaction with the school? Writing the Report 27

28. Chapter 2: Context of the School Use of Prior Accreditation Findings to Support High Achievement of All Students Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study, through observation, and in the school’s Annual Reports of Progress How effectively has the school used the prior accreditation findings and other pertinent data to support faith formation and high achievement of all students? How effectively has the school implemented the concept of continuous school improvement, e.g. data analysis and action, focus on high achievement, etc. in non-accreditation years? Writing the Report 28

29. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Assessment of the School’s Catholic Identity Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school improved the spiritual formation of students, staff, and parents? How effectively has the school implemented changes to improve their Catholic Identity and fully integrated it into the life of the school? How effectively has the school analyzed changes they’ve made in Catholic Identity to determine how these changes have strengthened their Catholic Identity? Writing the Report 29

30. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Defining the School’s Purpose Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively does the school’s mission and philosophy reflect the Catholic nature of the school? How effectively has the school integrated their mission, SLEs, and standards into the total reality of the school? How effectively has the school communicated their mission and purpose, including any governing authority expectations, to their shareholders? Writing the Report 30

31. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Organization for Student Learning to Support High Achievement of All Students Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively have the organizational structures of the school supported the school’s mission and created an environment that is focused on high achievement of all students? How effectively have the organizational structures of the school communicated student progress to the shareholders? Writing the Report 31

32. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Data Analysis and Action to Support High Achievement of All Students Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school used educationally sound assessment processes to collect, disaggregate and analyze student performance data? (Note: include information about the use of standardized tests, teacher-made tests, and text-created tests; as well as the school’s use of clear interpretations of the data analysis.) How effectively has the school assessed SLEs and academic standards? How effectively has the school used data analysis, trends, etc. as a basis for improving student learning such as: modifying instruction, challenging students to achieve, implementing new curricular materials, etc.? Writing the Report 32

33. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program SLEs and Standards-Based Curriculum to Support High Achievement of All Students Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school developed a curriculum based on SLEs and curriculum standards? How effectively has the school measured student achievement of the SLEs? How effectively has the school measured student achievement of the curriculum standards, e.g., the use of multiple assessments to measure student progress, etc.? How effectively has the school ensured that each student is making acceptable progress toward the achievement of SLEs and curriculum standards? Writing the Report 33

34. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Instructional Methodology to Support High Achievement of All Students Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school integrated Catholic values throughout the curriculum? How effectively has the school used research-based instructional techniques to improve student learning? How effectively has the school integrated technology into the teaching/learning process? How effectively has the school used assessment to modify instruction/curriculum to help all students achieve the SLEs and curriculum standards? Writing the Report 34

35. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Support for Student Spiritual, Personal, and Academic Growth Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school provided services, resources, and activities to help all students achieve at high levels? How effectively has the school used parents and community resources, including Federal Program funding, to assist students? Writing the Report 35

36. Chapter 3: Quality of the School Program Resource Management and Development to Support High Achievement of All Students Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study and through observation How effectively has the school developed, implemented, and monitored a financial management system, to support high achievement of all students? How effectively has the school used external resources to supplement tuition, fees, and fund-raising? How effective is the school at planning for its long-term viability? Writing the Report 36

37. Chapter 4: The Action Plan Design and Alignment of the Action Plan List of Significant Accomplishments and Critical Goals Narratives based on critical goals focused on improving student learning How effectively did the school identify critical goals that are focused on improving student learning? How effectively does the Action Plan align with and address the school’s critical goals in order to support high achievement of all students? Writing the Report 37

38. Chapter 4: The Action Plan Design and Alignment of the Action Plan OPTION A: the Visiting Committee may ask the school to modify a critical goal in their Action Plan. This is ordinarily done to make the critical goal more focused, or to be more inclusive. The Visiting Committee is not required to ask the school to modify a critical goal in their Action Plan. Writing the Report 38

39. Chapter 4: The Action Plan Design and Alignment of the Action Plan OPTION B: the Visiting Committee may ask the school to replace a critical goal in the school’s Action Plan (or in a future Action Plan) with one created by the Visiting Committee. This is ordinarily done because the school overlooked something that the Visiting Committee feels is critical to the future of the school. The Visiting Committee is not required to ask the school to replace a critical goal in their Action Plan. Writing the Report 39

40. Chapter 4: The Action Plan Capacity to Implement and Monitor the Action Plan Narratives based on evidence found in Self Study, through observation and in the school’s Annual Reports of Progress How effective are the monitoring processes (assessment/evaluation, communication to shareholders, involvement of shareholders in implementing and monitoring the Action Plan, etc.) that are incorporated into the Action Plan? How effective is the school plan to evaluate the goals in the Action Plan on the basis of their impact on student achievement? What impediments, if any, must the school address in order to accomplish the Action Plan? Writing the Report 40

41. There must be alignment and agreement between Report of Findings and Justification Statement. What is said in the Justification Statement must be found in the Report of Findings. What is said in the Report of Findings(tone, direction), must be exemplified in the Justification Statement. A positive Report of Findings must be followed by a positive Justification Statement. Writing the Report 41

42. Confidentiality must be maintained. Outside of the Visiting Committee meeting, there can be NO discussion of the Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation. Anything said in the Justification Statement must be found in the Report of Findings. Writing the Report 42

43. The Visiting Committee’s responsibilities are: Review the school’s Self Study Report. Visit the school. Dialogue with the Leadership Team and Self Study Committees. Write a Visiting Committee Report of Findings. Assesses the school on each Accreditation Factor in the Justification Statement. Recommend a term of accreditation. Recap: 43

44. Reviews the school’s Self Study: Reviews Accreditation Factors, guide questions, indicators, and appropriate curricular references. Reads the Self Study. Compares the school’s Self Study findings to the concepts of the Accreditation Factors. Writes questions about concerns, clarifications, and evidence to be pursued during the visit. Writes tentative narrative statements for the Report of Findings. As a group of professional educators, THE VISITING COMMITTEE 44

45. Visits the school for 3 days. Day 1 meets with leadership team, witnesses start of school, visits classrooms, meets with pastor(s) interviews students, meets with focus groups, meets with parent group/governance (evening). Meets as a Committee to review findings. Revises/adds to tentative narratives. As a group of professional educators, THE VISITING COMMITTEE 45

46. Day 2 meets with leadership team, witnesses start of school, visits classrooms, interviews student council, meets with focus groups, if necessary Meets as a Committee to revise initial Report of Findings. As a group of professional educators, THE VISITING COMMITTEE 46

47. Day 3 meets with leadership team, finishes writing Report of Findings, shares draft Report of Findings with Leadership Team, begins work on Justification Statement, reviews ROF with Leadership Team, finishes work on Justification Statement completes and signs the Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation. Shares Report of Findings with school community Goes Home. THANK YOU! As a group of professional educators, THE VISITING COMMITTEE 47

48. Special Note: Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation A Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation is a consensus document. This document must include a narrative describing the terms of accreditation considered by the Visiting Committee and the rationale for their choice of term. An original copy of this document must be signed by all Visiting Committee members and given to/sent to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner at the end of the visit. As a group of professional educators, THE VISITING COMMITTEE 48

49. Has validated the school’s self study. Has observed student learning in the school. Has supported the direction set by the school for future school improvement, and possibly added to the focus of the school for the next 3-5 years. As a group of professional educators, THE VISITING COMMITTEE 49

50. The school receives a copy of the Report of Findings before the Visiting Committee leaves the school. A copy of the Report of Findings is sent to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner (hard copy and electronic copy). The Justification Statement and signed Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation is given/sent to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner (hard copy and electronic copy). NOTE: These documents are finalized at the end of the Visit. They may be taken home for grammatical editing by the Chair. FINIS: 1 of 4 50

51. The Self Study, Report of Findings, Justification Statement, and Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation is sent to a Reading Team (usually 3-4) of WCEA Elementary Commissioners. The Reading Team will review the Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation, Justification Document, and the Report of Findings, and, if needed, read the Self Study and call the chair of the Visiting Committee. The Reading Team will recommend a term of accreditation for the school. FINIS: 2 of 4 51

52. The Reading Team will share its recommended term of accreditation with the WCEA Elementary Commissioners at their May meeting. The entire body of WCEA Elementary Commissioners will vote on the term of accreditation for each school. The term determined by the Commissioners is forwarded to the joint accrediting agency. Schools are notified of the term during the summer after the school visit. FINIS: 3 of 4 52

53. The school modifies its Action Plan based on the findings of the Visiting Committee. The school implements the Action Plan and provides annual reports to the WCEA Elementary Commissioner. In about 4½ years the process begins again. CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT FINIS: 4 of 4 53