Accreditation Review

1
Accreditation Review

• Universal School Prep Meeting
• Team Visit March 22nd through March 25th

2
Meeting Goals

• To review the 7 studies done by the Self-Study
  team
• To develop an awareness and understanding of the
  schools current status in meeting academic
  standards set by the Middle States Commission
• To define focus for overall school improvement
  needs based on results of the Self-Study

3
The Self Study

• Mission and Beliefs
• Community Study
• Program Study
• Student Services and Activities
• Leadership and Organization
• Resource Study
• The Planning Process

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1 - Mission and Beliefs

• Driving force for all decision making
• How and When is it reviewed?
• Twice a year at school wide meetings and
  in-school workshops/orientation

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Mission Statement

• The Universal School espouses the ideal of
  academic and spiritual excellence. Our curriculum
  is designed to educate the whole student by
  addressing development of the moral, spiritual
  and social qualities of each student. The school
  strives to instill in our students the commitment
  to their being lifelong learners who learn, love
  and live their spiritual and academic experience
  in every aspect of their lives as community
  leaders, collaborators, educators and ambassadors
  of knowledge. Our students are being prepared to
  be able to share and model values of the
  Prophetic vision as a way to become visionaries
  themselves.

6
Beliefs Statement

• We believe
• Children are our most precious asset as they will
  be the future leaders of our community.
• Each child has inherent self worth as a creature
  of Allah.
• Effective education develops the whole person
  spiritually, intellectually, emotionally,
  socially, and physically.
• All students deserve to be treated with kindness,
  caring and fairness.
• Every child has the ability to learn but they
  learn in different ways and at different rates.
• The school teaches skills that prepare children
  on how to deal with issues in a changing
  environment and making decisions when unpredicted
  situations arise.
• The school community values safety, and as such
  teaches safety skills, for care of one self and
  others.
• The fostering and development of proper akhlaq is
  an essential component in the educational
  process.

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• The school staff are important role models for
  the students and should at all times model
  appropriate behavior.
• Belief in the learn, love, live philosophy.
• The school should always provide a safe learning
  environment.
• Effective communication skills are an essential
  component of success.
• Implementation of the use of technology in the
  classroom.
• Belief that the ideal human being is the one who
  devotes his/her life seeking the pleasure of God
  through obedience to God and service to His
  creation.
• Life long learning is essential for success and
  continued self-improvement.
• We are accountable not just for what we say but
  also for what we do.
• The staff are life-long learners and as such, the
  school must be committed to providing continuing
  education with professional and spiritual growth
  opportunities.
• Continually striving to ensure Islamic values
  based on the Quran and Sunnah shape any action
  (educational decisions) undertaken at the school.
• We believe that following the commands of Allah
  will guide us to the very best in ourselves.

8
Social Attribute

• Relationships of students with
• Allah
• Family
• Teachers
• Each other
• Community
• Environment

9
Physical Attribute

• Verily, your body has a right over you
  (Bukhari)
• Physical Education Program
• 20 minute daily recess
• Child Nutrition Program
• Developmental Health education

10
Intellectual Attribute

• Critical thinking skills
• Logical reasoning
• Problem-solving skills
• Preparing students to with real-life application
  for unpredictable situations

11
Spiritual Attribute

• Verily, in the body there is a piece of flesh.
  If it is sound, the whole body is sound. If it
  is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Verily, it
  is the heart. (Ahmed)
• Purifying our hearts for
• Nearness to our Creator
• Self-discipline
• Good Character
• Contentment under all circumstances
• Humbleness
• A balanced nature between faith/family/community

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2 - Community Study
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Community Study
Modified Projections for Enrollment
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Subgroups - Diversity
15
Subgroups - Income
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Student Departures
17
Student Stability
18
Assessments
19
Entrance Exams
20
Education Female
21
Education - Male
22
Occupation Female
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Occupation - Male
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Students Residence
25
Distance to School
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Collaborative and Supportive Programs

• MPAC
• MSA
• ISNF Afterschool/Hifz
• Buffalo News (News in Action)
• Project Life
• UB Dental School
• United Way Girls in

• Sports/ Gifts in Kind
• BOCES
• Williamsville School District
• Amherst Police Dept
• Catholic Diocese
• International Day
• Scoring
• Ed Tech Day
• Workshops

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Program Study- Strengths

• Program is defined
• Textbooks are newer
• Most of materials are up to date
• Aligned to mission and beliefs
• Staff involved in updating
• Horizontal and vertical coordination
• Elem focus psychomotor skills, critical
  thinking, problem solving, reasoning, social
  skills with adults and peers
• Middle focus Self-decision making, self worth,
  transition from elementary grade
• Assessments used to allocate resources

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Program Study Improvements Needed

• Library skills
• Teach technology as a tool for learning
• Science and PE equipment
• Centers lack of space
• Ineffective use of information technology
• Transitioning from middle to high school
• Analyzing assessments for reporting to parents
  and state

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Student Services and Activities

• Strengths
• Food Service (all meals, snacks and service)
• Guidance (program, protocols defined)
• Transportation (maintenance free)
• Weaknesses
• Not cost-effective
• Lack of storage (kitchen)
• Increased selection (food varieties)

30
Transportation

• DMV or 1st Student riders ONLY!
• Emergency evacuation drills 2xs a year
• Discipline issues arise from long rides and no
  bus aides

31
Special Services

• No special education classes
• District support dual enrollment
• ESL and tutoring requested use of Title I funds
• After-school Program
• Williamsville Nurse record updating and
  screenings

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Student Activities - Strengths

• Hifz
• Tutoring
• Afterschool
• Clubs
• School presentations in school
• School presentations at other schools

33
Student Activities - Improvements

• Space needed for PE
• Space needed for clubs
• Space needed for meetings
• Need to be cost effective and under control of
  authorities
• Supervision of programs done by qualified staff

34
Leadership and Organization

• Board of Directors
• Administration (Principal, Vice Principal, Dept
  Chairs and Directors, Office Manager)
• Finance Office (Treasurer, Manager, Bookkeeper)

35
Leadership Organization

• Administrative duties
• Curriculum development
• Prep for school annual opening
• Records
• Fed and state funding
• Vision implementation
• Staff accountability
• Hiring and recruitment
• Board reporting
• Parent communication
• Community/district relations

• Board duties
• Policy development
• Vision development
• Short term planning
• Long term planning
• Admin accountability
• Advocacy vision given to community
• Develop strategies and implement plan for fiscal
  stability

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Spiritual Development

• Islamic Studies Dept
• Administration
• Board

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Profiles

• Strengths
• Show shura and PLC
• Opportunity for school wide involvement (SIC)
• Weaknesses
• Little focus on development of PR
• Communication between Board-Admin-Staff
• Perceptions too much power to admin
• No evaluations done on admin (other than
  self-evaluations)
• Student governance

38
Instructional Groups

• How do we decide class combinations?
• Prior curriculum coverage
• Number of students
• Subject content overlapping
• Promotion of students
• Advancement entering 4th or higher
• All teachers involved, records review, parent
  meeting
• Remediation

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(No Transcript)
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Long Term Needs - Organization

• Academic Dean
• Nurse Station
• Board room
• Board secretary and record keeper
• PTA room

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Organization

• Strengths
• Meeting the needs of different learners
• Professional training
• Differentiation of Instruction
• Multiple Intelligences
• Professional Development
• 300 Reimbursement staff development
• Tuition vouchers for college
• All Title funding (- Title 1) for staff
  development

42
Organization

• Weaknesses
• Minutes at all meeting to be shared school wide
• Board
• Dept
• School-wide
• Administrative
• Transportation for AIS
• Assessments common and rubric based
• School emailing system
• Consistent use of Orbund for transcripts and
  progress reporting

43
Leadership
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Leadership
45
Leadership
46
Leadership
47
Leadership
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Leadership
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Resource Study

• Learning Media and Technology
• Quantity, Quality, Adequacy
• Trends
• 5th and higher depend on internet for resources
  and research
• PK 4th more softward than Middle School
• 3-8th grade tech classes without computers

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Expenses Projections
51
Income Projections
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Information Technology

• Opportunities resources we have
• Listening centers
• Tech classes
• Science videos
• Public library
• Cybersafety seminars
• DEAR time
• Project based learning
• Acceptable Use Policy

53
Allocating Funds

• How do we allocate funds for information, media
  and technology?
• Grant money is used with the collaboration of
  staff, tech team and administration
• State Software program
• State Library program
• State Hardware program
• Title I funds

54
Media Services - Space

• How is media used in
• Large group instruction
• Small group instruction
• Independent study and research
• Shelving and storage
• Cataloging and inventories

55
Resource Planning

• Short term
• AUP policy implementation
• Copier networking
• Working printers, and computers
• Long term
• Computer lab
• Library
• Hire a librarian

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Facilities Review

• Space
• Cleaning
• Maintenance
• Codes
• Security

57
Facilities

• Security and safety
• Strength Monitor at door
• Students 2 by 2 to rest room
• Procedures for Juma
• Building Codes
• Annual fire inspection for State Department
• Local, county and state codes met through
  collaboration of ISNF and Universal School

58
Facilities

• Space - Adequacy Standards
• X - Work area for staff
• (1/2) Admin
• X Guidance
• (1/2) Storage
• X Conference rooms
• X Reception
• (1/2) Playground
• (1/2) Custodial rooms
• Financial office

• X none
• done
• (1/2) somewhat

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Facilities

• Cleaning and Maintenance
• Maintenance contract between ISNF and school for
  12 hour week maintenance person
• Current negotiations between ISNF and school on
  full time cleaning person
• Currently the school is cleaned 3 days a week
• Students participate in daily 5 minute clean up
  time before dismissal

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Financial Planning

• Based on projections, we need to
• Increase funding activities
• Increase tuition
• Stop programs that are not cost effective
• Long term planning
• Endowment building for investments
• Increase enrollment in each class
• Increase parent base with enrollment for
  increasing the donor base

61
The Planning Process

• How were the goals established?
• Parent, student and staff annual surveys from
  2006-2008
• Goals that will produce desirable school-wide
  development

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The Planning Process