AdvancED Accreditation for Quality School Systems

1. Oklahoma Regional NCA Meetings AdvancED Accreditation for Quality School Systems

2. Agenda for Today • Our goal is to take a simplified look at the following: • AdvancED District Accreditation • Understand District Readiness • Meeting the Standards • Continuous Improvement • Quality Assurance

3. In a nutshell….. • Systemic Improvement • Stakeholders • Data – Information – Evidence • Standards Assessment Report • Quality Assurance Review • Progress Report

4. District Accreditation

5. What is District Accreditation? • AdvancED District Accreditation: • Is a systems approach to improving student performance results over time. • Recognizes that increasing student achievement is more than improving instruction. • Is a result of how effectively all the parts of the education system work together to meet the needs of students.

6. Why District Accreditation? • Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy (Marsh, 2000) • Provides evidence that Districts can play a critical role in improving teaching and learning. • Supovitz and Taylor, 2005 • Recent reforms in K-12 education have increasingly emphasized the educational system as the unit of change.

7. The Essence of the District Accreditation Process • Educators choosing District Accreditation: • Want to move beyond the compliance focus of government mandates and laws. • Are focused on creating and sustaining a quality school district. • Recognize that the role of district leaders is to build the capacity of their schools to improve student learning.

8. Benefits of the District Accreditation Process • Mark of Quality • Vehicle to meet and exceed government requirements • Coherence and Continuity • Resources and Peer Support • Professional Opportunities and Growth • And………..

9. It benefits the students. • When a district is aligned and focused on a shared vision for student learning, WHO WINS? • WHY? • Enhanced focus on student performance • Greater articulation and coordination as they move from one level to the another within the district.

10. District Readiness

11. A Systems Approach • Is the process that has to be adopted by a district seeking District Accreditation • It is the first step in preparation. • It requires all the parts or subsystems of the district to be aligned and focused on improving student learning and school/district effectiveness.

12. Setting the Foundation • A Systems Approach • Using Research

13. 3 Concepts of Systems Approach • Systemic Improvement • Using and aligning the interdependent functions within and across the district to produce improvement • Systematic Improvement • Fostering improvement efforts that are regular and predictable at all levels of the district • Sustainable Improvement • Maintaining and supporting improvements over time

14. A Systems Approach must… • Be informed and guided by research. • National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE) • 5 Organizational Conditions • 3 Core Tasks and Effective Practices

15. Organizational Conditions of Improving Districts • Quality Teachers • Effective Leadership • Quality Information • Policies and Procedures that Foster and Sustain Improvement • Resources and Support Systems to Sustain Improvement

16. Core Tasks and Effective Practices • Ensure Desired Results • Improve Teaching and Learning • Foster a Culture for Improvement

17. Meeting Standards

18. The Seven Standards • The AdvancED Standards create a comprehensive picture of a quality district and its operations. • Statements of Quality practices and conditions that research and best practice indicate are necessary for improving student performance. • Based on the organizational conditions, core tasks and effective practices (NSSE)

19. Standards Assessment Report • The district continuously reviews the standards • To ensure they are being met • To identify areas that the district may need to strengthen or improve • This needs to be an internal review process that engages the entire district community. • Thorough and honest self-examination

20. Standards Assessment Report • Are we meeting the standard? • How do we know? • Determination of Meeting Standards • Identifies data that is relevant to the standards • Organizes the data into information • Analyzes and documents the information into evidence

21. Types of Data • Product • Something that is created or achieved • Something that impacts teaching and learning • Process • Describes actions that need to be taken in order to meet a desired end

22. Product or Process • Teacher Certification • Regular evaluation of instructional effectiveness • Curriculum Guide or Curriculum Map • School Improvement Plan • Collection of attendance data and reporting • Data analysis of test scores

23. Sources of Data • Assessments: • Achievement data • Exit data • Observation data • Participation data • Perception data • Artifacts • External communications • Materials • Organizational documents • Records

24. The Transformation • From Data to Information • Must be analyzed and arranged in meaningful patterns • Organized and its meaning interpreted

25. The Transformation • From Information to Evidence • Is it fair? • Must be honest and free of bias • Is it reliable? • Must be consistent and representative • Is it valid? • Must be relevant and matched to the standards

26. Word of Caution • The documentation of evidence for a standard is not a storeroom filled with boxes or a plethora of electronic files. Rather it is a summary of the evidence, prepared by the district, and related to a specific standard.

27. Continuous Improvement

28. Continuous Improvement • Accreditation is more than just meeting the standards at a given time, but a commitment…… • It is about living the standards and using them to continuously improve. • Accredited districts are committed to being better today than they were yesterday. • We want to be districts in motion!

29. Four Elements of Continuous Improvement • Vision • Profile • Plan and Implementation • Results • Have you heard these before?

30. Four Elements of Continuous Improvement • Vision – • expectations for student learning • Profile – • Current reality • Plan and Implementation – • The goals for intervention and the action • Results – • Performance gains directly related to interventions

31. Districts that implement a systems approach to improvement • align and connect the district’s systems to the district’s vision (SYSTEMIC), • foster improvements that are regular and predictable (SYSTEMATIC), and • maintain and support improvements over time (SUSTAINABLE).

32. Quality Assurance

33. Internal Review + External Review = the most POWERFUL aspect of Accreditation

34. Tasks for Internal Review • Review of systems and processes • Assessment of current status • Continuous readiness for external review • Communication and use of results

35. Putting Into Practice • Districts that integrate internal review into their daily practices continually review and address the following questions: • What is important to us? • How are we doing in those areas? • How do we know? • What are we going to do based on what we know?

36. Benefits of Internal Review • Taps the tremendous power of people • Raises the understanding of all district stakeholders • Allows district stakeholders to: • Collectively review and analyze information • Use the information to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their district • Take responsibility for acting on the findings • Enables districts and their schools to be ready for external review with minimal preparation.

37. External Review • AdvancED Quality Assurance Review • Purpose – • Determine the extent to which the district and its schools meet the standards • Assess the efficacy of the district’s and its schools’ improvement efforts • Evaluate the effectiveness of the districts and its schools’ methods for quality assurance • Provide high-quality feedback with clear recommendations and actionable next steps.

38. QAR TEAM • AdvancED trained and certified Team Chair • Will lead the team • Will be appointed by AdvancED • Teachers • Principals • central administration staff • Superintendents • AdvancED Professional Staff • Representatives from appropriate agencies

39. The QAR Visit • SAR – 6 months to 6 weeks prior • 3 Day Visit – TBA by AdvancED • Oral Exit Report – Given on day 3 • QAR Report submitted to a nationally trained reader • District will receive final report • Progress Report – 2 years after QAR visit

40. Internal vs. External • Internal Review • The District demonstrates status in meeting accreditation standards and continuous improvement planning by providing relevant evidence. • External Review • The District confirms its progress through commendations and recommendation by peers.