Enhancing Student Performance: The Accreditation for Growth Framework

1. ACCREDITATION FOR GROWTH School Improvement Through Improving Student Performance

2. AGENDA • The Value of Accreditation • What Is AFG? • Rationale for Choosing AFG • Components of AFG • Key Components • Measurable Student Performance Objectives • Action Plans

3. Middle States Association • Region includes: • New York • New Jersey • Pennsylvania • Delaware • Maryland • D.C. • Parts of the Caribbean • American-style schools and colleges in • Africa • Europe • Middle East • Sub-continent of Asia

4. Why Accreditation? • Accreditation encourages and facilitates educational growth and improvement… • Accreditation provides a means for public accountability… • Accreditation fosters stakeholder involvement and commitment… • Accreditation builds positive public relations…

5. What is AFG? AFG is a unique accreditation process that uses strategic planning as a vehicle for growth and improvement in student performance and in the institution’s capacity to effect that growth.

6. What is Strategic Planning? • Strategic planning is the means by which an organization continually recreates itself for extraordinary purposes. • Implicit in this definition is the concentration of all efforts, resources, activities, and energies toward a single goal. William J. Cooke, Jr., The Cambridge Group

7. What is Strategic Planning? • The locus of control is inside the organization because planning is based on the organization’s vision of a preferred future. • Assumes that a human organization has the ability to exercise control over external factors and create the future.

8. Why AFG? • Focus • Traditional: retrospective, input or means • Strategic Planning: future orientation, results • Stakeholder involvement • Traditional: primarily school staff • Strategic Planning: broad cross section of stakeholders

9. Why AFG? • Structure • Traditional: • Staff-driven committees • One year self-evaluation • Strategic Planning: • Single Planning Team develops and manages improvement plan and accreditation activities • Planning Team remains active throughout term of accreditation

10. Why AFG? • Review • Traditional: • Onsite visit every ten years • Five-Year review report and short visit • Strategic Planning: • Onsite visit every seven years • Annual Review carried out onsite by Planning Team • A mid-point, one-day onsite visit by a member of the original Validation Team (2 ½ years following visit)

11. Why AFG? • Drive • Traditional: • based on past accomplishments • deductive process that reviews Middle States’ externally developed standards • emphasis on programs and practices • minimum attention to results

12. Why AFG? • Drive • Strategic Planning: • based on future expectations and desired results • focus on student performance • based on a school’s vision for itself • validates internal vision and actual results

13. AFG Parameters and Commitments • A focus on student performance and growth • A culture of accountability in student performance • A planning ethic [Plan - Do - Plan - Do - Plan - Do . . .] • Commitment to continuous improvement • Involvement of representative constituents

14. Standards Component of AFG • Standards include: • Philosophy/Mission/Beliefs/Objectives • Governance and Leadership • Organizational Design and Staff • Educational Programs • Learning Media Services and Technology • Student Services

15. Standards Component of AFG • Standards – continued • Student Life and Student Activities • Facilities • Health and Safety • Finances • Assessment of Student Learning • Planning

16. Reporting Survey Results • Description of the survey process • Results of the surveys • May disaggregate each group surveyed to look for trends • Description of significant findings, strengths, and weaknesses • Comments returned with surveys

17. Process Component of AFG • Context of the Institution • Planning Team • Roles of Various Key Players • Communication & Awareness Activities • Action Plan & Implementation Teams • Annual Reviews

18. The Planning Team • Planning Team • An ongoing body – does not disband following the self-study and team visit • The oversight and decision-making body for improvement planning • Responsibility and authority to develop, approve, implement, and monitor the Improvement Plan • A cross section of the school’s stakeholders • “Spear fishing” and “Net fishing”

19. Action TeamsImplementation Teams • Optional • Gets more faculty and staff involved • An Action Plan Team may be responsible for each objective • An Implementation Team may be responsible for implementing each action plan • Reporting back to the Planning Team

20. Content Component of AFG • Plan for Growth and Improvement • District Strategic Plan • Mission • Beliefs • Profile of Graduates • Results of Internal & External Scans • 2-4 Measurable Student Performance Objectives with Technical Reviews • Action Plans

21. Mission Statement • A mission statement should reflect in broad and visionary terms what the institution is and is striving to become. • While the mission must acknowledge the current status of the institution, it should also identify shared hopes and aspirations.

22. Mission Statement Components • Audience -- whom do you serve? • Action -- what do you do? • Aim -- what is your purpose for existing? • Identity -- what makes you unique? • Means -- how, in broad terms, will you do what you do?

23. Sample Mission Statement The mission of Harry S. Truman High School, as a unique, culturally-diverse learning community, is to ensure that every student achieves his/her personal and academic potential by providing a safe learning environment, a broad, challenging curriculum and the knowledge and skills necessary for a meaningful productive life.

24. Belief Statements • The guiding lights for the institution • Compass points – the “true north” • Not all are focused on school/learning/ teaching • Maximum of 8 to 10 • Should reflect walking the talk • What you are ready to go to the mat for • WTTW: Give adequate time for development and “digestion” of beliefs. This is a substantive and thoughtful part of the process.

25. Student Performance Objectives • 2-4 Measurable Objectives • Stated as a desired end result: what students need to know, to achieve, to be able to do • Measurable right now • Measurable over time WTTW: Measurable means… I can see it, I can hear it, I can count it!

26. Student Performance Objectives • Should relate to a wide population within the institution, not just a single grade level or subgroup • Should relate to the “aim” portion of the mission statement – what you hope to realize

27. Student Performance Objectives • Common Topics for Objectives • Academics – at least one objective must be academic • Citizenship • Student engagement • Technology - can be a tricky one • Critical thinking • Community Service • Career Preparation/Readiness

28. Action Plans The “doing” part of the plan for growth and improvement Serve as a road map for implementation – the “Mapquest” analogy SPECIFIC action steps to be taken to achieve the student performance objectives

29. Action Plans Elements of an Action Plan • Description of the activity – Include sufficient detail • Who is responsible? • Timeline during which the activity will be completed • Resources needed • Indicators of success • Status of completion WTTW: Be sure that your Action Plans span all seven years of the term of accreditation; begin with more detailed plans, and fill in later years during each Annual Review

30. The Validation Team Visit Five-person team • Three and one-half day visit • Numerous short, informal class visits • Interviews with stakeholders • Is your plan reflective of your institution? • Do you have the resources and commitment to achieve your plan?