What is District Wide Accreditation?

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What is District Wide Accreditation?
AdvancEd
Leon County Schools District Wide
Accreditation
A powerful systems approach to improving student
performance. District is accredited rather than
individual schools. Schools and District work
together in harmony. Entire school system
focuses on improving student learning. System is
designed for continuous self-evaluation and
improvement.
Ensure Desired Results Improve Teaching
Learning Foster a Culture of Improvement
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What It Means For Schools
AdvancEd

• Schools are no longer individually
• accredited with SACS
• Schools participate in a self study with
• the school district
• Schools evaluate themselves based
• on seven (7) Standards and their
• accompanying Indicators.

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What this Means to the District
AdvancEd

• The District evaluates itself and schools based
  on the seven (7) standards.
• The District is responsible for insuring
  accreditation for our system and its schools.
• As a District, we must demonstrate that we work
  together, as a system, with a clear focus on
  student performance and continuous improvement,
  regardless of our position.

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AdvancEd
Local Funding - Dependent on Property Tax -
Large segment of property is non-taxable - Share
resources with local government - State
Restrictions millage and use of funds -
Constitutional Amendment limits increases in
millage rates - Stagnated and depressed property
values - Nearly peaked on use of taxing
authority State Funding - State revenue
shortfall results in major cuts to education -
Decrease in funding but increase in mandates -
Job losses and funding cuts to our major local
employer cuts in state program support to
schools cuts in local program support to
schools - Further cuts anticipated
Issues Trends
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AdvancEd
3) Population Shift Migration from south to
north Under populated schools in south of
county Over utilized schools in north of
county Efforts to Attract
Students Millions invested to provide program
and facility equity Schools rezoned to balance
student demographics Magnet programs
instituted Public awareness campaigns
implemented Studies indicate busing students far
from their neighborhoods might reduce family
involvement and student learning, yet cost of
maintaining underutilized schools is becoming
increasingly difficult to fund in face of
diminishing resources.
Issues Trends
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AdvancEd
Strengths The ongoing professional and
collegial working relationships The quality of
teaching staff On-going communications Strong
stakeholder support Pride, ambition, and focus
of employees
Strengths Needs
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AdvancEd
Needs A steady and sufficient revenue source to
continue the work of the district Providing
instructional support by expanding the progress
monitoring tools Continuing to increase student
performance for identified subgroups
Strengths Needs
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Our Self-Evaluation
AdvancEd
To determine if we meet the high AdvancEd
standards 1. The entire district collected
evidence for each indicator of a standard. 2.
Based on the evidence we found, each school and
the district administration determined the extent
to which we meet each indicator.
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There are 7 Standards for measurement
AdvancEd

• Vision and Purpose
• Governance and Leadership
• Teaching and Learning
• Documenting and Using Results
• Resources and Support Systems
• Stakeholder Communications and Relationships
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Standards
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AdvancEd
Each Standard has a set of indicators
STANDARD 1 Vision and Purpose The district
(school) establishes and communicates a shared
purpose and direction for improving the
performance of students and the effectiveness of
the system (school).
School Indicators 1.1 Establishes a vision and
purpose for the school in collaboration with its
stakeholders. 1.2 Communicates the vision and
purpose to build stakeholder understanding and
support. 1.3 Identifies goals to advance the
vision. 1.4 Develops and continuously maintains
a profile of the school, its students, and the
community. 1.5 Ensures that the schools vision
and purpose guide the teaching and learning
process and the strategic direction of the
school.
Vision and Purpose
Identifies . . .
Communicates . . ..
Establishes . . .
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AdvancEd
Each Standard has a set of indicators
STANDARD 1 Vision and Purpose The district
(school) establishes and communicates a shared
purpose and direction for improving the
performance of students and the effectiveness of
the district (school).

• District Indicators
• 1.1 Establishes a vision for the system in
  collaboration
• with its stakeholders.
• 1.2 Communicates the systems vision and purpose
  
• to build stakeholder understanding and support
• 1.3 Identifies system-wide goals to advance the
  vision.
• 1.4 Develops and continuously maintains a
  profile
• of the system, its students, and the community.
• 1.5 Ensures that the systems vision and purpose
  guide the teaching and learning process and the
  strategic direction of schools, departments and
  services.
• 1.6 Reviews its vision and purpose systematically
  and revises them when appropriate.

Vision and Purpose
Identifies . . .
Communicates . . ..
Establishes . . .
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AdvancEd
Each school collected evidence and evaluated
themselves on the School Indicators.
Each district committee collected evidence and
evaluated themselves on the District Indicators.
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AdvancEd
Meeting the Standards

• Not Evident
• Emerging
• Operational
• Highly Functional

Rubric
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AdvancEd
District Results
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AdvancEd
Standard 1
Vision and Purpose
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AdvancEd
Standard 1
Vision and Purpose
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system has committed to a shared purpose
and direction. The system and its schools have
clearly defined expectations for student learning
aligned with the systems vision that is
supported by system and school personnel and
external stakeholders. These expectations serve
as the focus for assessing student performance,
system and school effectiveness. The vision
guides allocations of time and human, material,
and fiscal resources.
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AdvancEd
Standard 2
Governance and Leadership
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AdvancEd
Standard 2
Governance and Leadership
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system has leaders who are advocates for
the systems vision and improvement efforts. The
leaders provide direction and systematically
allocate resources to implement curricular and
co-curricular programs that enable students to
achieve expectations for their learning. Leaders
encourage collaboration and shared responsibility
for system and school improvement among
stakeholders. The systems policies, procedures,
and organizational conditions ensure equity of
learning opportunities and support for
innovation. While these processes and conditions
are being implemented, the implementation is not
systemic across the system, and the results are
varied. .
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AdvancEd
Standard 3
Teaching and Learning
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AdvancEd
Standard 3
Teaching and Learning
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system implements a curriculum based on
clear and measurable expectations for student
learning that provides opportunities for all
students to acquire requisite knowledge, skills,
and attitudes. The system demonstrates evidence
of alignment between the curriculum and
instructional practices with systematic
implementation across the system. Teachers use
proven instructional practices that actively
engage students in the learning process.
Teachers provide frequent opportunities for
students to apply their knowledge and skills to
real world situations. Teachers give students
regular feedback to improve their performance. .
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AdvancEd
Standard 4
Documenting and Using Results
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AdvancEd
Standard 4
Documenting and Using Results
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system uses a comprehensive assessment
system based on clearly defined performance
measures that yield valid and reliable results.
The assessment system is used to assess student
performance on expectations for student learning,
evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and
instruction, and determine interventions to
improve student performance. The assessment
system yields timely and accurate information
that is meaningful and useful to system/school
leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders in
understanding student performance, school and
system effectiveness, and the results of
improvement efforts. .
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AdvancEd
Standard 5
Resource and Support Systems
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AdvancEd
Standard 5
Resource and Support Systems
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system has human, material, and fiscal
resources to implement a curriculum that enables
students to achieve expectations for student
learning, to meet special needs, and to comply
with applicable regulations. The system employs
and allocates staff members who are well
qualified for their assignments. The system
provides ongoing learning opportunities for all
staff to improve their effectiveness, including
both professional and support staff. The system
ensures compliance with applicable local, state,
and federal regulations. .
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AdvancEd
Standard 6
Stakeholder Communications and Relationships
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AdvancEd
Standard 6
Stakeholder Communications and Relationships
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system has the understanding, commitment,
and support of stakeholders. System and school
personnel seek opportunities for collaboration
and shared leadership among stakeholders to help
students learn and advance improvement efforts
and can demonstrate good participation by some
stakeholder groups.
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AdvancEd
Standard 7
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
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AdvancEd
Standard 7
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Overall Assessment Rubric Operational   The
school system implements a collaborative and
ongoing process for improvement that aligns most
functions of the system and its schools with the
expectations for student learning. Improvement
efforts are sustained and the system demonstrates
progress in improving student performance, system
and school effectiveness. New improvement
efforts are informed by the results of earlier
efforts through reflection and assessment of the
improvement process. .
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AdvancEd

• Vision and Purpose operational
• Governance and Leadership operational
• Teaching and Learning operational
• Documenting and Using Results operational
• Resources and Support Systems operational
• Stakeholder Communications and Relationships
  operational
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement operational

• Vision and Purpose
• Governance and Leadership
• Teaching and Learning
• Documenting and Using Results
• Resources and Support Systems
• Stakeholder Communications and Relationships
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Standards
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AdvancEd
v School Improvement Plans developed with
stakeholders v School Leadership Teams
implement plans, analyze data to track student
performance, and adjust plans as needed. v
School Improvement Central Council oversees all
School Improvement Plans, ensures realistic goals
and a focus on improvement. Mid-Year
Progress Reports End-of-Year Review
District Intervention Assistance Plan and
Team v Staff Development is integrated and
coordinated to support school improvement
needs. v Department of Testing, Research, and
Evaluation provides meaningful feedback to
schools allowing them to assess their progress
with students.
Quality Assurance
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AdvancEd
v Schools and District Departments work
together to collect evidence and undergo an
annual self-assessment to evaluate how well they
are meeting the seven research-based standards of
a quality school district. v A new system of
monitoring AdvancED Standards for Quality Schools
was developed in addition to ongoing monitoring
of school directors and other district
administrators in school visits and
walkthroughs. v At the district level,
district and school staff members meet under the
leadership of the deputy superintendent to review
evidence and determine to what extent the
district is meeting standards. Information is
used to amend plans and allocate resources. v
Information and feedback is provided to the Board
at their annual retreat as they develop goals for
the following year.
Quality Assurance
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AdvancEd
Peer-to-Peer Review Best Practice Submitted
on-line. Our Submission Early Intervention
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AdvancEd
Conclusion
? Leon County Schools enjoys a strong, positive
and professional working relationship between and
among an elected superintendent, board members,
employees, and the community. ? The district
emphasizes the importance of focusing on
classrooms and student performance. ? There is
a district-wide focus on research-based
strategies to enhance student performance. ?
The district supports high quality teaching by
well credentialed teachers, a strong teacher
induction and mentoring program, and a well
designed staff development program. ? Community
stakeholder input, support, and resources are an
important part of district operations. ?
Continuing efforts of school improvement have
become a routine way of work for schools in our
district.
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AdvancEd
Our Greatest Challenges Maintaining quality
programs in the face of declining
revenues. Finding resources to expand progress
monitoring tools in core curriculum areas.
Continuing to increase student performance for
identified subgroups, particularly
African-American, economically disadvantaged,
English language learners, and students with
disabilities Finding innovative,
researched-based, cost effective solutions to
long and short term challenges.
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Next Steps

• Submit our Standards Assessment Report
• Standards Assessment Team Chair appointed.
• Chair arrives to plan team visit.
• Schools and district offices are selected for
  in-depth visit.

• Team arrives Sunday, January 25th, and begins its
  work.
• Team reports recommendations to Board and
  Superintendent at open Board meeting on
  Wednesday, January 28th.

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AdvancEd
We are on our way to District-wide Accreditation
and continuous improvement!