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ACS WASC Visiting Committee Chair Training
ACS WASC ©2015-16 1
Focus on Learning
On Target for 21st Century Schools
ACS WASC Update: Topics
• ACS WASC organization—new personnel, facilities
• ACS WASC Accreditation Expectations
• Child Protection Expectations approved
• Revised and refined protocols (SDA, GDOE, HIDOE, CDE, ACSI)
• Substantive Change (see website)
• iNACOL Standards – now embedded in documents
• Supplementary Programs—revised and refined
• Pilot District Accreditation
ACS WASC ©2015 6
ACS WASC Study on Focus on Learning for CA Public Schools: Preliminary Findings
• ACS WASC: widely respected, motivator, improvement focus
• Strong accreditation model
• Accreditation fosters school conditions for improvement
• Principals: important influence on accreditation process
• Opportunities:
District offices working with schools to support accreditation
Increased ACS WASC support to schools
Aligning ACS WASC, SPSA, LCAP
Uneven parent and community engagement
ACS WASC Update: LCFF Big Ideas
• In conjunction with the new funding formula, CA adopted a new system of support and technical assistance for districts and counties—Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)
• Founded on annual plans, updates, and use of LCFF evaluation rubrics
• Districts develop, adopt and implement 3-year plans to improve student performance
• Assumes a continuous improvement model of accountability
8
Local Control and Accountability Plans: Guiding Principles
• Performance-focused – relationship among plans, funding use, outcomes for students
• Simplicity and transparency
• Student-focused – local identification of needs, provide equitable opportunities
• State priorities – define metrics, but rely on local determination of measurement
• Stakeholder engagement – parents, students educators, broader community
9
Accountability and Continuous Improvement Goals
• Strengthen teaching and learning
• Increase the individual capacity of teachers and school leaders
• Increase the institutional capacity of schools, districts, and state agencies to continuously improve
• Carefully phase in policy changes as state and local capacity grows
• Consider federal accountability requirements relative to the new state system once established.
10
Accountability Model Foundation
Based on progress toward the LCFF state priorities. Priority 1 (Appropriately Assigned Teachers, Access to
Curriculum-Aligned Instructional Materials, and Safe, Clean and Functional School Facilities)
Priority 2 (Implementation of State Academic Standards) Priority 3 (Parent Engagement) Priority 4 (Achievement) Priority 5 (Pupil Engagement) Priority 6 (School Climate) Priority 7 (Access to a Broad Course of Study) Priority 8 (Outcomes in a Broad Course of Study) Priorities 9 and 10 (Coordination of Services for Expelled and
Foster Youth)
11
State and Local Performance Indicators
Priority 1 – Local Williams Reporting Priority 2 – Local Surveys Priority 3 – Local Survey and/or Measures Priority 4 – Smarter Balanced Assessment Data Priority 5 – Suspensions Priority 6 – Healthy Kids Survey and/or Local Measures Priority 7 – College and Career Indicator Priority 8 – College and Career Indicator Priorities 9 and 10 – Surveys
12
Implications for Accreditation
• School plans are more closely aligned to district LCAP goals and priorities
• Use of the Evaluation Rubrics’ data need to be included in the Self-Study—dashboard (exception: alternative education)
• Schools will need to describe their actions and services to better meet student needs in their action plans
• Goals of LCFF related to increased student success mirror Focus on Learning processes and goals
During the Full Visit: VC Chair Reminders
14
• Reimbursement Policy
• ACS WASC Anti-Discrimination Policies and Procedures
• Check report includes ALL sections
• Ensure grade levels on ballot are accurate
• Ensure signatures on ACS WASC ballot (do this early in the visit)
• Draft visiting committee report left with school
• Complete evaluations of each team member
Other Visits: VC Chair Reminders
15
• Chair submits ballot, doc/just statement, and visiting committee report to ACS WASC within two weeks after the visit using the Document Upload link on the ACS WASC Website: www.acswasc.org/document-upload/
• Chair makes sure that the school receives a copy of the final visiting committee report
• Chair understands that school already invoiced for any type of revisit or mid-cycle visit
• School and chair are notified 2-3 weeks following Commission action
After the Visit: Report Submissions Commission Meeting Deadlines
• December 15, 2017, for Winter Commission meeting
16
What’s the Question?
• Six weeks
• 10 working days
• 1 ½-2 hours
• Daily meetings with Leadership Team
• Daily meeting with Principal
• Consensus on Status
ACS WASC ©2014 17
Remember to check
• Document used by School— Note: ACS WASC/CDE 2017 Tasks reordered and re-aligned Visiting Committee Report Format
• Alignment of Single Plan for Student Achievement (schoolwide action plant ) to district Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
- Child Protection Issues, e.g., staff screening, policies
ACS WASC ©2014 18
Remember to check
• Certification and adherence to rules for UC a-g subject requirements and authorization (e.g., 2 years lab science with 20% hands-on activities)
• AP Authorization (e.g., wet lab experience)
• Safety issues: Examples: science labs, earthquake supplies, emergency procedures, first aid supplies, fire, evacuation, earthquake procedures
ACS WASC ©2014 19
ACS WASC Website Features
• Some of the features include:
• Document Upload link where you can easily upload all reports and documents directly to ACS WASC
• Calendar of Events where you can view all upcoming events
• Visiting Committee Chair and Member pages have been combined into one page
ACS WASC ©2014 21
Checklists
ACS WASC ©2015 27
Condensed
Chair Expectations
Checklist (in manual)
Previsit, Visit, Post-visit
Preparing for the Visit
ACS WASC ©2015 28
Planning
Students
Staff
Technology Evidence
Schedule
Staff
Accommodations
Schedule/Activities
ACS WASC ©2015 30
Daily feedback meetings between Visiting Committee members and school leadership committee
Classroom/campus observations
Informal interviews
Meetings with Focus Groups and others
Daily meeting of VC Chair and principal
VC report editing/reviewing
School: Previsit Discussion Areas • The Visit Schedule — developed collaboratively
• 2 people at all schoolwide focus groups ( 1 ½‒2 hours) • Daily leadership team meeting with entire visiting team • Daily chair-principal meeting • Visit all teachers(keep record) and talk to all • Examples of other meetings based on school
• Parents • Students • Support Staff
• Administrators • Subject Areas/Departments/ Programs/PLCs • Counseling Dept., Special Ed, AVID, Title I
• District • Other individual or groups
Previsit Work: Visiting Committee Members
• Regular Communication
• Areas of Expertise
• Attending Training
• Receipt of Self-Study and Evidence via drop box or hyperlink
• Previsit Worksheet
• Draft Visiting Committee narratives
ACS WASC ©2014 32
Comparison of School Report and VC Report:
School Report : Student/Community Profile VC Report: Brief Analytical Summary plus key excerpts of Student/Achievement Data
ACS WASC ©2015 34
School Profile
ACS WASC ©2015 35
School Information/Programs Data and Findings
Perception or Survey Results Schoolwide Learner Outcomes
Appendices
College, Career, and Life Skill Oriented who:
- Take initiative and work independently
- Follow through with plans and goals
- Handle praise, feedback, and criticism well
- Are organized
- Are productive and accountable
- Are self-directed and don’t give up
Sample Schoolwide Learner Outcomes
ACS WASC ©2015 37
Sample Schoolwide Learner Outcome
Students will be: INNOVATIVE THINKERS
• Build on the ideas, explanations, and reasons of others
• Summarize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate information
• Define problem and use problem-solving strategies appropriate to the context
• Create original work
• Use technology to create products of high quality
ACS WASC ©2015 38
School Report: Summary of Progress since last WASC Visit VC Report: Brief Analytical Summary of School’s Progress
ACS WASC ©2015 39
School Report: Action Plan Progress Report
• Significant developments
• Schoolwide critical areas for follow-up
• Procedures to monitor/adjust plan
• Progress on school plan segments showing integration of schoolwide critical areas for follow-up from visiting committees Focus area Growth targets Major activities
• Comment on any schoolwide critical areas for follow-up not in the current plan
ACSWASC © 2016 40
School Report: Summary of Data and Progress VC Report: School’s Self-Study Process based on self-study outcomes (in preface for ACS WASC/CDE FOL 2017 Edition)
ACS WASC ©2015 41
School Report Summary of Data and Progress
ACS WASC ©2015 42
Implications of the profile and progress data
Questions for focus group work
Critical Learner Needs correlated to Schoolwide Learner Outcomes
Critical Learner Needs
Approximately 40% of our 9th grade students are unprepared for
Algebra.
Students’ academic writing generally is weak.
EL students have limited academic vocabulary in English.
Students seem uninterested in current activities and clubs.
43 ACSWASC © 2016
School Report-Summary of Findings for Each Criteria VC Report: Analysis, Strengths, Critical Areas for Follow-up
ACS WASC ©2015 45
Process
Leadership
Team
Home Groups
Focus Groups
Professional knowledge Data Observations Surveys/interviews Student work Documents
Analytical response to criteria
Evidence
Strengths
Key areas for follow-up
Product
A. Organization: Vision and Purpose, Governance, Leadership and Staff, and Resources
B. Standards-based Student Learning: Curriculum
C. Standards-based Student Learning: Instruction
D. Standards-based Student Learning: Assessment and Accountability
E. School Culture and Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth
ACS WASC/CDE Criteria Categories
ACS WASC ©2015 46
A. Organization for Student Learning
B. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
C. Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth
D. Resource Management and Development
ACS WASC Criteria Categories
ACS WASC ©2015 47
FOL B3 : How Assessment Is Used-Sample Indicator
ACS WASC ©2015 49
Modification/Decisions based on Assessment Data
Indicator:
Assessment data is collected, analyzed, and used to make changes and decisions about curriculum, instruction, professional development activities, and resource allocation. Teachers modify and revise the curriculum and instruction as a result of student assessment, both collectively and individually.
Prompt:
Evaluate the effectiveness of how assessment data is collected, analyzed and used to make changes about curriculum, instruction, professional development activities and resource allocation.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Big Questions
ACS WASC ©2015 51
Do the findings respond to what is being asked in the criteria, indicators, and prompts?
Does the evidence support Findings? Strengths? Prioritized growth areas?
What insight has the school gained about student learning, the critical learner needs, the standards and the schoolwide learner outcomes?
Visiting Committee Analytical Findings:
Writing to Criteria and Indicators/Prompts
ACS WASC ©2015 53
VC Analytical Comments/Observations
ACS WASC ©2015 54
What currently exists?
Indicate the impact on student learning
Highlight areas of strength
Highlight key issues to be addressed
Indicate evidence that supports comments
Use appropriate vocabulary; avoid being prescriptive
Previsit Work with VC Members
Staying Organized
ACS WASC ©2015 55
If paired, work together in previsit work; share, collapse/combine before coming to you! Then you must complete draft.
YOU start writing Chapters I, II, and III; use their comments
Remind regularly of deadline for member input to you
Continue communicating!
Sample
VC Analytical Comments by Indicator
• D2 or B3 Criterion on Use of Assessment Results
Indicator: Modification Based on Assessment Results (one of indicators)
Although the report was silent on how the school was using results of assessment data through the visit it was discovered that staff members are beginning to make use of reports generated in PowerSchool and make determinations on areas that need to be modified based on assessment results.
ACS WASC ©2015 56
Sample
VC Analytical Comments by Indicator
• A5. Leadership and Staff Criterion To what extent are leadership and staff involved in ongoing
research or data-based correlated professional development that focuses on identified student learning needs?
Measurable Effect of Professional Development (one of indicators)
The school’s survey found that teachers believe that their quality teaching strategies are addressing the needs of all learners. However, at this time, analysis of student performance data is inconclusive about the degree to which these strategies have improved achievement.
ACS WASC ©2015 57
Example From the VC report
B2: How Students Learn
Professional Development
Professional Development Cycles, including Peer Observation:
Over the past three years, teachers have participated in professional development sessions led by teachers. They have learned and practiced a variety of strategies to engage and challenge students. Using both peer and administrative observations as checks, a majority of staff regularly use two to five different strategies during each class period to more actively engage students. Writing, speaking, questioning, and responding strategies are all incorporated.
Teachers openly speak with one another about their own growth and continuing areas of weakness. Students are clear in expressing that “things are different all the time” and yet “all the teachers do sort of the same things. That makes it easier for me.” This model will be used as staff moves more directly to improve writing.
58 ACS WASC ©2016-17
VC Schoolwide Critical Areas for Follow-Up
2016 ©ACS WASC 59
Support those areas already identified by the school in the Action Plan sections
Strengthen those identified areas in the Action Plan sections
Address additional areas identified by the Visiting Committee
Why
VC Report: Critical Areas for Follow-up CLARITY Prepare a matrix of key issues from all the criteria categories. This will assist the VC Committee in forming the concrete and specific critical area for follow-up.
Reminder: Include the “Who”, “What” and “Why”
When do you start discussing the major strengths and critical areas for follow-up during the visit?
ACS WASC ©2015 60
The leadership, instructional staff, and other stakeholders increase the use of the results from analyzing student achievement data in modifying instruction, particularly in the areas of reading, writing, math and critical thinking skills.
Who
What
Sample critical area for follow-up
Evaluate:
ACS WASC ©2015 62
The VC concurs with the school’s following identified areas:
• The school leadership and the teachers develop systems and procedures for analyzing student work that is consistent with standards-based assessment and research-based practices so student growth and improvement can be monitored effectively.
In addition, the VC has identified areas that need to be strengthened:
• The school leadership and the teachers deepen their understanding of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and how they affect instruction and assessment practices.
VC Report
Analysis based on criteria and indicators
Schoolwide strengths
Schoolwide critical areas for follow-up Support identified areas
Strengthen identified areas
Address additional areas
Conclusions --- Schoolwide Action Plan
ACS WASC ©2015 63
Visit’s Purpose
ACS WASC ©2015-16
Provide insight about student learning and school program
Validate school program
Celebrate school strengths
Provide recommendations on growth areas
Note: team size is based on
school enrollment.
Personal Preparation
Greatest Difficulty/Benefit
ACS WASC ©2015 69
How will we focus our work with staff on the continuing
efforts of the school over time to
improve student learning?
Meetings: Committees
ACS WASC ©2015 70
Leadership Team
Schoolwide Focus Groups
Department/Subject Area/Program Groups, Small Learning Communities (PLCs), Career Academies, Pathways, etc.
Visiting Committee Questions: Sample Areas
• Understanding and use of data
• Modifying learning and teaching
• Preparing student to be college and career ready — implementing the Common Core
• Understanding the variety of programs/courses provided for students and their impact on learning
• Feedback to students
• Coaching of colleagues in new strategies
• Focus of action plan ― impact
• Intended impact on student learning
• Follow-up process
ACS WASC ©2015 73
Sample Discussion Starters
• Help us understand… • Could you clarify…? • We recognize that… • We understand from the self-study that…. What
led to this conclusion? • Is this characteristic of ….? • What factors contributed to these results? • What elements of the student/ community
profile are related to….?
See Reference Card 2
Sample Questions:
• What have you learned?
• What insights have you had since you prepared the summary?
• Talk about evidence that led to the conclusions made.
• What have you learned about student learning and success?
• What can you as a school do to improve learning for each and every student?
See Reference Card 2
How do you ensure the VC report reflects accurately school findings and the unified
Visiting Committee perspective?
ACS WASC ©2015 76
Accreditation Status
• Six-Year Accreditation Status
Progress report at mid-cycle
Progress Report and one-day visit at mid-cycle
Progress Report and two-day visit at mid-cycle
• One-or-Two-Year Probationary Status with an in-depth progress report and a two-day visit
• Accreditation Status Withheld
ACS WASC ©2014 80
In the Visiting Committee Report…
Profile Data-Critical Student Needs (subset of Schoolwide
Learner Outcomes)
Progress Report
Criteria/Indicators ― Analytical Comments
Schoolwide Strengths
Critical Areas For Follow-up (Concur with School’s and other VC Areas)
Accreditation Status Worksheet
Documentation/Justification Statement
VC Tools for Status Recommendation
ACS WASC ©2015 83
Accreditation Status Factors: VC Recommendation & Commission Action
ACS WASC ©2014 84
Highly effective
Effective
Somewhat effective
Ineffective
To what extent is the school demonstrating quality student achievement/improvement?
1. Meeting the ACS WASC international criteria and indicators
2. Clear globally minded purpose and schoolwide learner outcomes
3. Quality processes to analyze student achievement
4. Action plan aligned to areas of greatest need
5. Capacity to implement/monitor action plan
6. Use of prior accreditation findings
7. Involvement and collaboration of all
Accreditation Status Factors: VC Recommendation and Commission Action
ACS WASC ©2015 85
Accreditation Status Factors: Unpacking the Criteria and Indicators
What are the criteria concepts?
What is the ideal? What evidence supports
meeting the criteria/indicators?
VC Reviewing and Analyzing Data/Information
ACS WASC ©2015 86
DOC/JUST ― Supporting Narrative
• Status options seriously considered
• Cite the reasons for the status recommended
• Provide compelling evidence that supports the VC recommendation
• VC discussions and process
• Degree to which students are learning
• Strengths and growth needs of school
• Capacity of school to implement and monitor action plan
ACS WASC ©2014 87
89 ACS WASC ©2016-17
Coherence Making ACS WASC Focus on Learning
Focusing Direction
•Purpose Driven
•Goals that Impact
•Change Leadership
•Clarity of Strategy
Cultivating Collaborative Cultures
•Culture of Growth
•Learning Leadership
•Capacity Building
•Collaborative Work
Securing Accountability
•Internal Accountability
•External Accountability
Deepening Learning – well-being of the whole student and other stakeholders
•Communication
•Critical Thinking
•Collaboration
•Creativity
•Character
•Citizenship
Fullan and Quinn, 2016
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