2016-17 ACS WASC · ACS WASC ©2016 3 Western Association of Schools and College (WASC) •Private, nonprofit, regional accrediting association in the United States •Serves schools

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2016-17

ACS WASC

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Western Association of Schools and College (WASC)

• Private, nonprofit, regional accrediting association in the United States

• Serves schools in California, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, and worldwide, especially East Asia (Hague, 1961)

• Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS WASC)

• Other separately incorporated nonprofit WASC groups

– Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, e.g., Stanford University

– Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, e.g., Santa Monica Community College

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Accrediting Commission for Schools, WASC

• Works closely with the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Schools

• 5,000 pre-K to 12 elementary and secondary public and private schools of various types (370 worldwide)

• Collaborates with 18 other associations in joint processes, such as California and Hawaii state departments of education; Chinese, Thailand, and Qatar Ministries; CIS; IB

• ACS WASC Commission (Board) composed of 32 members from various organizations

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The School Community’s Work

Previsit Work of VC Members/Chair

Visit and Status Recommendation

ACS WASC

WHAT DOES ACCREDITATION MEAN?

ACS WASC Focus on Learning

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ACS WASC Accreditation

• Coaching and feedback

• Learning support: effective structures and habits

• Student focused

• Improving student learning

• Research-based analytical design

• Collaborative work

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ACS WASC Accreditation: A Focus on Learning

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Assess: WHAT?

Evaluate: SO WHAT?

Design and Plan: NOW WHAT?

Implement, Monitor, and Refine: ONGOING

MONITORING

Focus on Learning

Focus on Learning: Reflective Cycle

SELF- STUDY

VISIT

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FOLLOW UP

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What is my Role as a Visiting Committee Member?

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ACS WASC

HOW HAS THE SCHOOL EVALUATED WHO THEY ARE? WHAT HAS IMPACTED STUDENT LEARNING?

ACS WASC Focus on Learning — ASSESS, DEFINE, EVALUATE

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Self-Study Outcomes

• Involvement and collaboration

• Clarification and measurement of schoolwide learner outcomes and academic standards

• Data analysis

• Program assessment and its impact on student learning

• Long-range action aligned to school’s areas of need to support student learning

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ACS WASC Focus on Learning : Reflective Cycle

Assess: WHAT?

Evaluate: SO WHAT?

Design and Plan: NOW

WHAT?

Implement, Monitor, and

Refine: ONGOING

MONITORING

Focus on

Learning

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What? So What? Now What?

NOW WHAT? Design, Plan, Implement, Monitor

What to continue? How to design our next steps?

SO WHAT? Evaluate

What currently exists? How effective? Which evidence?

WHAT? Assess and Define Who are we? What is our ideal?

School Organization

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Leadership Team

Profile Team

Home Groups

Focus Groups

Chapter I: Profile

Data and School Background

Data

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Demographic

Outcome

Process/Perception

Visual and Narrative

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The enrollment at Success High School has varied between 3,490 and 3,299 over the past five years.

Trends, Irregularities, & Anomalies

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The enrollment at Success Elementary School has varied between 490 and 537 over the past five years.

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Schoolwide Learner Outcomes: What do We Believe? What do We Intend?

• Global Competencies

– Apply knowledge and skills; research current global issues; integrated disciplines

– Interdependence (i.e., economic, political, social, environmental)

– Multiple perspectives

– Valuing diversity

– Communication: multi-lingual literate, technology

– Responsible service and action: local and global

– Able to function in interdependent world

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What does ACS WASC mean by Schoolwide Learner Outcomes?

What are our schoolwide learner outcomes?

c

Are our Schoolwide Learner Outcomes meeting the criteria listed below?

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Global Interdisciplinary

All students Assessable

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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

Chapter II: Progress Report

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1. Significant developments

2. Schoolwide critical areas for follow-up (last full visit and any midterm or special visit)

3. Ongoing follow-up processes

4. Progress, evidence, impact on student learning for Action Plan sections/goals showing integration of schoolwide key issues

5. Critical areas for follow-up not currently in Action Plan

Chapter II: Progress Report

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1. Significant developments

2. Schoolwide critical areas for follow-up (last full visit and any midterm or special visit)

3. Ongoing follow-up processes

4. Progress, evidence, impact on student learning for Action Plan sections/goals showing integration of schoolwide key issues

5. Critical areas for follow-up not currently in Action Plan

Chapter III: Profile/Progress Summary

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Implications of data and progress with respect to student performance

2 to 3 critical learner needs based on data, noting correlated schoolwide learner outcomes

Important questions that have been raised by the analysis of the student data about the critical learner needs (Used by home and focus groups)

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Student centered

Supported by school’s goals and data

Generally related to literacy, numeracy, and/or affect

Studied in Chapter IV

Reflected in Action Plan

Critical Learner Needs

Chapter IV: Criteria

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Analysis of Student Data & Achievement and Assessment of Program Effectiveness

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Criteria/Indicators Findings

Supporting Evidence

(Addressed identified Critical Learner Needs and related Schoolwide Learner Outcomes )

Criterion:

Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment

B1. What Students Learn Criterion

The school provides a challenging, coherent and relevant international curriculum for each student that fulfills the school’s purpose and results in student achievement of the schoolwide learner outcomes through successful completion of any course of study offered. Indicators with Prompts Current Educational Research and Thinking

Indicator: The school provides a comprehensive and sequential documented curriculum that is articulated within and across grade levels for the improvement of programs, learning, and teaching. The curriculum is modified as needed to address current educational research and thinking, other relevant community, national, and international issues; and the needs of all students.

Prompt: Comment on the effective use of current educational research related to the curricular areas in order to maintain a viable, meaningful instructional program for students. Examine the effectiveness of how the school staff stay current and relevant and revise the curriculum appropriately within the curricular review cycle.

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Examples of School’s Conversation Prompts:

• What patterns and trends do we find in our learnings from each section?

• What are the key findings that impact student learning? Major Student Learning Needs?

• What are our reflections?

• What might we design for the future using the Focus on Learning inquiry process?

• What do we do now?

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FOL Results: Findings from Each Category

Strengths Areas for Growth: Content Knowledge

Areas for Growth: Thinking Skills

Areas for Growth: Character and Schoolwide

Learner Goals

ACS WASC Categories

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What do we do now? Design and Implement

• Based on our findings….

–What might we do to (continue to) improve student learning?

–What might we change to ….?

–How might we better support …..? –What do we need to do to ....?

One Schoolwide Action Plan

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ACS WASC Self-Study

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Comments? Questions?

WHAT ARE THE DESIGN ELEMENTS OF THE ACS WASC FOL THAT GUIDED THE SELF-STUDY AND NOW MY WORK AS A VISITING COMMITTEE MEMBER?

ACS WASC Focus on Learning

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• Students’ accomplishment: mission and schoolwide learner outcomes (define)

• Student achievement: academic standards and schoolwide learner outcomes (design and deliver)

• Multiple ways to analyze data (demonstrate)

• Evaluation of program effectiveness based on ACS WASC criteria (demonstrate)

Research-based Design: Focused on Student Learning

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Research-based Design: Focused on Student Learning

• Alignment of schoolwide action plan to areas of greatest student and therefore teacher/school needs (deliver)

• Ongoing improvement and accountability and refinement (design, deliver and demonstrate)

• Culture of involvement and collaboration (deliver and demonstration)

• Culture that nurtures and supports well being (define)

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ACS WASC


Basics Pre-visit

How do I prepare for the visit?

(understanding what is accreditation, my role/responsibilities)

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Connecting with the Chairperson

Assignments in Chapter IV Information in initial contact with school personnel

Hotel/Schedule

Visiting Committee Member Checklist

Visiting Committee Member Checklist

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Visiting Committee Report

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Preparing for the Visit

VC Member Checklist

Review criteria, indicators, and appropriate curricular references.

What are the major concepts of the criteria and indicators? What critical data/information should be reviewed?

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Organization for Student Learning

A1 Focus Group

Criterion:

The school has established a clear vision and mission (purpose) that reflects the beliefs and philosophy of the institution.

The purpose is defined further by adopted schoolwide learner outcomes that reflect defined global competencies and form the basis of the educational program for every student.

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A1 Focus Group

Criterion:




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A1 Focus Group

Criterion:



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A1 Focus Group

Criterion:



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A1 Focus Group

Criterion:



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A1 Focus Group

Criterion:



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Global Competencies

• Apply knowledge and skills; research current global issues; integrated disciplines

• Interdependence (i.e., economic, political, social, environmental)

• Multiple perspectives

• Valuing diversity

• Communication: multi-lingual literate, technology

• Responsible service and action: local and global

• Able to function in interdependent world.

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B2. How Students Learn

The professional staff

a) uses research-based knowledge about teaching and learning; and

b) designs and implements a variety of learning experiences that actively engage students at a high level of learning consistent with the school’s purpose and schoolwide learner outcomes.

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Instruction: How Students Learn

B2 Focus Group

Criterion:




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B2 Focus Group

Criterion:




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B2 Focus Group

Criterion:




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B2 Focus Group

Criterion:




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B2 Focus Group

Criterion:




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Global Competencies

• Apply knowledge and skills; research current global issues; integrated disciplines

• Interdependence (i.e. economic, political, social, environmental)

• Multiple perspectives

• Valuing diversity

• Communication: multi-lingual literate, technology

• Responsible service and action: local and global

• Able to function in interdependent world.

Criterion:

Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment

B2. How Students Learn Criterion The professional staff

a) uses research-based knowledge about teaching and learning; and b) designs and implements a variety of learning experiences that actively engage students at a high level of learning consistent with the school’s purpose and schoolwide learner outcomes.

Indicators Research-based Knowledge: The administrators and teachers use a variety of approaches to remain current in research-based professional knowledge and apply the knowledge to improve teaching and learning. All students regardless of background and ability are actively involved in the learning that is based on the schoolwide learner outcomes and academic standards.

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Preparing for the Visit

Read the whole report!

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Mark it up-Annotate

Look for alignment

Complete previsit worksheet

Comments-Questions

Complete your assignments

Your Prewriting Responsibilities

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Comments/questions on all chapters

Chapter IV: Criteria Category Assignments

Use Previsit Worksheet

Example From the self-study

B2: How Students Learn

Professional Development

At [school] we have created a four to six week professional development cycle

that includes: learning a schoolwide strategy, practicing with teachers, practicing

in class, being observed by a peer and analyzing the student work. This cycle

has benefitted our teachers, who are mainly new to the profession. They have

developed in their instructional skill exponentially, rather than gradually over

time.

Peer observation has provided our teachers the opportunity to not only observe

their peers using the school-wide strategies, but also to observe their own

students in different academic classes and settings. This has proven to be

invaluable to our grade level discussions and department meetings particularly

as we look to improve writing. Teachers can see what other teachers do to

engage students and to challenge them, which fosters tremendous collaboration

among our professionals. Cycles have included: Rituals and Routines, Cornell

Notes, 7 Habits, Accountable Talk, Frontloading Vocabulary and a cycle of writing

instruction is forthcoming.

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Big Questions

Do the findings respond to what is being asked in the criteria?

Does the evidence support the findings? Strengths? Prioritized growth areas?

What insight has the school gained about student learning, the critical learner needs, and the schoolwide learner outcomes?

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During professional development sessions led by teachers,

staff members have studied a variety of strategies to engage

and challenge students and then implemented these. They

have been supported by peer and administrative observations

and the report states that teachers improvement “has been

exponential.” It will be important to learn more about the

impact of the use of these strategies have had on student

learning. This same model will be used as they move forward

to improve writing.

Example Pre-write

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B2: How Students Learn Professional Development

Possible Strength:

Leadership and staff ― professional development program itself ― staff and data driven, research-based ― build internal expertise to further student growth

Possible Growth Area:

Leadership and staff ― Continue and expand professional development program ― writing

Example Pre-write

Example From the VC report



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.

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B2. Instruction

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Strength: School leadership and staff’s close working relationship and respect that have helped produce an inexpensive, viable, and effective professional development program designed to support high quality student learning.

Growth Area: school leadership and staff expand their strong professional development program to include writing strategies including both assignments and assessment tools to support high quality academic writing for all students.

Evidence: Self-Study Report, classroom and professional development observations, conversations with students and teachers.

Layers of a Criteria Response

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Different Programs and/or Departments

Individual Groups of Students

Critical Learner Needs

General

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Validation Language

try verbs like these achieve coincide exhibit prepare

accomplish confirm finish provide

close contribute fulfill relate

complete correlate identify revise

conclude demonstrate improve support

contradict distinguish isolate systematize

contribute enhance observe unite

contrast ensure perform validate

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Organization: Membership on the governing board has fluctuated greatly during the past 7 years in terms of personnel and outlook/goals. This lack of overall stability has contributed to a serious detriment in allowing professional staff to carry out their responsibilities.

Instruction: Observations and interviews by the focus group members have validated that instructional activities are widely varied for the majority of students. However, for high-performing students enrolled in Honors and Advanced Placement classes, the classrooms center primarily on teacher-directed instruction with few opportunities for alternate learning activities, instructional materials, or products.

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Instruction

Current Knowledge including Online Instruction Each classroom is set-up for active use of technology plus there are three mobile carts of laptops and several document cameras available. However, there are no printing capabilities for students. Both Read 180 and the College Readiness classes use computers almost daily. There is also a newly instituted Digital Arts class. Teacher interviews indicate that a “significant number” of the laptops do not work and that the school’s wireless network is “slow and unreliable with insufficient bandwidth to support a class of students.” These deficiencies make it difficult to regularly and effectively use multimedia and other technology in the classroom.

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To the chair on time! 79

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ACS WASC

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As you think about your own school and its accreditation visits, what do you feel are the important characteristics of a quality accreditation visit?

Schedule

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VC Sunday Meeting

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What have we learned from our previsit preparation?

What types of evidence need to be our focus?

What strengths and growth areas emerging?

VC Sunday Meeting

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How can we focus our review and analysis of evidence through

Examining student work and other information

Observing students and other aspects of the program

Interviewing students and other

What are the primary areas of interest to discuss with school personnel at our initial meeting?

Notes

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Careful & Confidential

Observations

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Who Where When How

Know what you need to find out!

Interviews

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By Mosborne01 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3

Your assigned areas of study Key issues Plan

Documents

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Student work

Handbooks

Curriculum documents

Recruiting brochures

School and District website

Meetings

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Thoughtful Meeting

Preparation

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Room arrangement Timekeeper

Ensure clear agenda

VC Team consensus on important

questions

Action plan

All students

Critical learner needs

Criteria

Learner outcomes

Academic standards

Evidence analyzed

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Powerful Questions about

Understanding and use of data

Modifying learning and teaching

Feedback to students

Coaching colleagues in new strategies

Intended impact on student learning

Follow-up process

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Powerful Questioning

Strategies

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Some General Rules

Phrase your question to presume they are doing it (whatever you want to know more about) - not “do you do this…” rather “Share how you do/did this…”

Call on individuals, if not by name, then by role. “Let’s hear from a student/family member/science teacher…..”

Ask ONLY one question at a time. Save the rest for the follow-up question or two

Phrase open ended questions – “How could we…?”

Allow wait time. Start with easy and friendly dialogue.

Share your questions with the other members of the visiting committee

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Sample Discussion Starters…

Help us understand…

Please clarify…?

We recognize that…

We understand from the self-study that...however,…

What led to this conclusion?

Is this characteristic of ...?

Which factors contributed to these results?

What elements of the student/community profile are related to...?

Reference Card 2

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Sample Questions What insights have you had since you prepared the report?

How might this impact your identified critical learner needs?

Talk about evidence that led to the conclusions given.

Share what you personally have learned about student learning and success in your classroom/department/grade level? Was this a surprise?

We understand from the self-study that this has occurred. Help us understand what we have observed in relation to this.

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VC Sunday Meeting

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How will we increase our understanding of the school’s self-study findings and student learning through the initial dialogue with school leaders?

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Questions for Focus Groups

Think about your assigned areas

Write a question or two

Share with a partner

Report to the group for discussion

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One Schoolwide Action Plan

Adequacy

Action steps

Understandable

Feasible

Commitment

Support

Barriers

Follow-up process

Alignment with

student learning needs

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One Plan

Through implementing the action plan, what will be different for students as global citizens?

One year from now?

Two years from now?

Three years from now?

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Visiting Committee Synthesis Meetings What should the VC include at these daily meetings based on the key concepts of the criteria, the Self-Study, and findings during the visit?

How do you ensure the report reflects accurate school findings and a “Whole Visiting Committee” view?

Rewriting and Revising

Critical Areas for Follow-Up

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Critical Areas for Follow-Up

Who

What (diagnostic not prescriptive)

Why

Sample Critical Area for Follow-up

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Improve these Samples

The development of a systematic review process to assess the impact of education programs and materials on student learning. The school needs to explore professional development that meets the instructional needs of the students. Continue to move forward with curricular integration among the various disciplines.

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Staff members must ensure all students have access to appropriate materials. Mr. Smith should lead a team to evaluate possible credit recovery online courses for students. Confirm that all 9th grade students are enrolled in college/career preparatory classes to guarantee graduation.

How do you ensure the VC report reflects accurately school findings and the unified

Visiting Committee perspective?

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What accreditation status best supports the school’s improvement needs?

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Alignment Status Rationale based on Findings

Important learning needs of the students

Correlation of major areas for follow-up to key issues

Rationale for accreditation status recommendation

Doc & Just- ratings, comments, & VC report findings

Alignment, Alignment, Alignment

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Accreditation Status Factors: VC Recommendation and Commission Action

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Highly Effective

Effective

Somewhat Effective

Ineffective

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What’s the evidence?

Have our questions and does our

writing support this conclusion?

Six-Year Accreditation Status

Progress Report and two-day visit at mid-cycle and annual progress reports (special conditions can be added, e.g., special visit or report)

One- or Two-Year Probationary Status with an in-depth progress report and a two-day visit

Accreditation Status Withheld

Accreditation Status for International Schools

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Documentation & Justification

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Short-short-form of the analytical summary of

self-study looking at “to what extent” the school

meets the criteria

plus rationale for status

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Visiting Committee

Report

Documentation & Justification

Thursday

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VC and Leadership Team meeting Whole school presentation

On the visit

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Don’t

Try to solve their problems; diagnostic not prescriptive

Argue over words; do ensure ideas are captured and clear

Focus on small things

Talk about your school

Over eat or over sleep

Do Be a team player

Validate & extend, not evaluate

Support, not judge

Celebrate successes

Prepare and plan

Listen

Focus on important issues

Work for consensus

Work toward the action plan

Confidentiality

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W A S C

We

Are

Student

Centered

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