Palm Beach County

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Palm Beach County

• The District Accreditation and Continuous
  Improvement Journey

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Benefits of SACS CASI District Accreditation

• Supports Academic Business Plan and School
  Improvement Plans
• Ensures continuity and collaboration in
  improvement planning through a common language
• Utilizes an evidence-based process developed by
  the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE)
• Provides the district, schools, and communities
  with validation and recognition for improvement
  efforts

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SACS CASI District Accreditation Components

• Engage in ongoing improvement planning process
• Meet Accreditation Standards
• Demonstrate Quality Assurance

SACS CASI is an accreditation division of
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SACS CASI Quality Standards

• Standard 1 Vision and Purpose
• Standard 2 Governance and Leadership
• Standard 3 Teaching and Learning
• Standard 4 Documenting and Using Results
• Standard 5 Resources and Support Systems
• Standard 6 Stakeholder Communication and
  Relationships
• Standard 7 Commitment to Continuous
  Improvement

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SACS CASI Guidelines

• The SACS CASI Guidelines can be found at
  www.sacscasi.org/florida
• Go to Forms, then to Standards. The guidelines
  are located below the standards.
• Additional information can be found at
  http//advanc-ed.org/

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Florida School Districts District Accreditation

• The following Florida school districts are
  pursuing district accreditation
• Escambia County Palm Beach County
• Hamilton County Pasco County
• Holmes County Santa Rosa County
• Lake County Suwannee County
• Lafayette County Union County
• Osceola County Walton County
• Broward, Brevard, Franklin, Nassau, Okaloosa,
  Volusia, and Wakulla counties have received
  district accreditation.

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Palm Beach CountyAccreditation Status

• All 23 High Schools are accredited.
• 60 Elementary Schools and 8 Middle Schools
• 3 Alternative/Special Purpose Schools

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Palm Beach CountyAccredited Schools

• High Schools (23)
• Alexander W. Dreyfoos Palm Beach Central William
  T. Dwyer
• Atlantic Palm Beach Gardens
• Boca Raton Palm Beach Lakes
• Boynton Beach Park Vista
• Forest Hill Royal Palm Beach
• Glades Central Santaluces
• John I. Leonard Seminole Ridge
  
• Jupiter Spanish River
• Lake Worth Suncoast
• Olympic Heights Wellington
• Pahokee West Boca

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Palm Beach CountyAccredited Schools

• Elementary Schools (60)
• Addison Mizner Del Prado Highland
• Banyan Creek Egret Lake J.C. Mitchell
• Barton Forest Park K.E.C./Canal Point
• Beacon Cove Frontier Lantana
• Belle Glade Galaxy Liberty Park
• Berkshire Glade View Lighthouse
• C.O.Taylor/Kirklane Gove
  Meadow Park
• Citrus Cove Grove Park Morikami Park
• Coral Reef H.L. Johnson Northboro
• Coral Sunset Hammock Pointe North Palm Beach
• Crystal Lakes Heritage Orchard
  View

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Palm Beach CountyAccredited Schools

• Elementary Schools (60) contd
• Pahokee Seminole Trails West Riviera
• Palm Beach Public South Grade Westward
• Palm Beach Gardens South Olive
  Wynnebrook
• Palmetto Starlight Cove
• Pine Grove Timber Trace
• Plumosa U.B. Kinsey/Palmview
• Rolling Green Jupiter
• Roosevelt Jupiter Farms
• Rosenwald Verde
• Royal Palm Beach Washington
• S.D. Spady Waters Edge

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Palm Beach CountyAccredited Schools

• Middle Schools (8)
• Bear Lakes L.C. Swain
• Carver Roosevelt
• John F. Kennedy Wellington Landings
• Lake Shore Woodlands
• Special Purpose/Alternative Schools (3)
• Royal Palm School
• Adult Education Center
• Gold Coast

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District Accreditation Quality Assurance Review
(QAR) Visit

• Sunday evening
• Monday
• QAR Interviews with
• Superintendent District Leadership Team
• School Board Members
• Curriculum Team
• Principals
• PTA
• Business/Community Partners

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District Accreditation QAR Visit

• Tuesday
• School visits
• 20-25 schools
• Two schools/QAR team/day
• Tour schools with Principal
• Interview School Leadership team and School
  Improvement team
• Meet with group of school stakeholders (parents,
  community business partners, new teachers,
  counselors, etc.)
• Provide copies of School Improvement Plan

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District Accreditation QAR Visit

• Wednesday
• Follow-up interviews with District staff
• Finalizes Accreditation Standards verification
  reports
• QAR Chair, Vice Chair, Superintendent, and key
  staff members meet to review report
• SACS CASI QAR Team shares Exit Report with School
  Board members

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District Accreditation and Currently Accredited
Schools

• Accredited schools NO LONGER need to
• Write a Guided Self-Study and
• Prepare for a 2-3 day SACS CASI Peer Review visit
• Accredited schools WILL need to maintain quality
  standards.

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District Accreditation and Non-Accredited
Schools

• Non-accredited schools must meet quality
  standards.
• Non-accredited schools need to
• Complete a SACS CASI application form and return
  it to the Dept. of School Improvement
• Review SACS CASI Quality Standards
• Maintain SACS CASI Quality Standards and
• Inform staff of district accreditation process.

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Impact for School District of Palm Beach County

• District Leadership Team Tasks
• Write Guided Self-Study.
• Develop internal QAR review process to ensure
  standards are maintained at all schools.
• Plan and coordinate QAR visit every 5 years.

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Broward CountyReflection

• Sustain and strengthen a system-wide framework
  for continuous improvement
• Use technology and training resources to build
  teacher capacity to use and analyze data that
  directs classroom instruction
• Establish an operational definition of equity
• Support systemic alignment efforts

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Next Steps

• Distribute Accreditation for Quality Schools A
  Practitioners Guide to principals.
• Prepare for District Accreditation QAR visit
  (April 2008).
• Identify internal facilitators (school and
  district).
• Update and maintain District Accreditation
  information on School Improvement website.

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Next Steps

• Create accreditation Leadership Team and
• sub committees.
• Write Guided Self-Study.
• Plan and present district accreditation
  workshops.
• Communicate information to ALL stakeholders!

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District Accreditation Contacts

• For additional information, please contact
• Denise E. Doyle, Director
• Department of School Improvement
• [phone] (PX 48848)
• Dr. Shawn Servos, Instructional Specialist
• Department of School Improvement
• [phone] (PX 47667)