The Road to Continuous Improvement: Standards 1 and 2

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The Road to Continuous ImprovementStandards 1
and 2

• A Review of the District Accreditation Process
  through AdvancED

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What is District Accreditation?

• A national protocol for school systems
  committed to systemic, systematic, and
  sustainable continuous improvement

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Benefits of District Accreditation
1. Mark of Quality
2. Meet and exceed local, state, national
requirements
3. Coherence and continuity
4. Resources and peer support
5. Professional opportunities
6. Benefits for students
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How do districts earn accreditation?

• Meet quality standards.
• Engage in a continuous process of improvement.
• Demonstrate quality assurance through internal
  and external review.

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AdvancED Accreditation Standards

• The district provides evidence of meeting the
  Standards for Quality Systems
• 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

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Standard 1 Vision and Purpose

• The system establishes and communicates a shared
  purpose and direction for improving the
  performance of students and the effectiveness of
  the system.

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Standard 1 Vision and Purpose

• Quality School System Indicators
• Establishes a vision for the system in
  collaboration with stakeholders
• Communicates the vision and purpose to build
  stakeholder understanding and support
• Identifies system-wide goals and measures to
  advance the vision

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Standard 1 Vision and Purpose

• Develops and continuously maintains a profile of
  the system, its students, and the community
• Ensures the systems vision and purpose guide the
  teaching and learning process and the strategic
  direction of schools, departments, and services
• Reviews its vision and purpose systematically and
  revises when appropriate

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Vision and PurposeEssential Artifacts

• District vision and mission statement
• District annual report to the community
• District demographic and community profile
  information
• Other

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Standard 2 Governance and Leadership

• The system provides governance and leadership
  that promote student performance and system
  effectiveness.

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Standard 2 Governance and Leadership

• Quality School System Indicators
• Establishes and communicates policies and
  procedures that provide for the effective
  operation of the system
• Recognizes and preserves the executive,
  administrative, and leadership authority of the
  administrative head of the system

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Standard 2 Governance and Leadership

• Ensures compliance with applicable local, state,
  and federal laws, standards, and regulations
• Implements policies and procedures that provide
  for the orientation and training of the governing
  board
• Builds public support, secures sufficient
  resources, and acts as a steward of the systems
  resources

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Standard 2 Governance and Leadership

• Maintains access to legal counsel to advise or
  obtain information about legal requirements and
  obligations
• Maintains adequate insurance or equivalent
  resources to protect its financial stability and
  administrative operations

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Governance and Leadership Essential Artifacts

• District organization chart
• District policy manual
• District personnel manual
• Personnel evaluation plan
• Other

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Guiding Questions for Artifact Review

• How does this artifact support information shared
  in the districts Standards Assessment Report?
• Does this artifact provide evidence of adherence
  to one or more of the District Accreditation
  standards?

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Guiding Questions, cont.

• Is the artifact consistent with other evidence
  gathered to date through artifact review,
  interviews, and school visits?
• What questions does the artifact raise that you
  want to ask of district or school personnel?

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Guiding Questions, cont.

• What will you want to listen for during
  interviews and/or look for during school visits
  to verify that what is stated in the artifact is
  practiced and/or implemented?

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Preparing for the Interview

• Interview
• Sample interview questions

Question Vision and Purpose
What is the vision the school district is seeking to achieve?
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Sample Interview Question
Question Current Profile
How well is the district doing in achieving its vision?
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Sample Interview Question
Question Governance and Leadership Superintendent, Board, and Central Office Administrators
What is the nature of the relationship between the Board and district leadership? How does this relationship support the effective operation of the district?
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Sample Interview Question
Question Governance and Leadership School Leadership Team and School Improvement Team
As school leaders, how do you provide direction and support to achieve the district and school vision? How does the district support your leadership efforts?
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Interview Probe Protocol
Vision and Purpose Superintendent, Board, and Central Office Administrators School Leadership Team and School Improvement Team
What is the vision the school district is seeking to achieve? Does the vision serve as the focus for assessing student performance and system and school effectiveness? Is there evidence that the vision guides allocations of time, human, material, and fiscal resources? How are the stakeholders involved in the development of the vision? What is your role in accomplishing the district vision? Does the vision serve as the focus. . .? Is there evidence. . .? How are the stakeholders. . .?
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Interview Probe Protocol
Current Profile Superintendent, Board, and Central Office Administrators Students
How well is the district doing in achieving its vision? What does the data say about student performance and district effectiveness? What trends are you seeing? What are the districts strengths and weaknesses? How is the school performing? What are the strengths/weaknesses of the school?
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Governance and Leadership Listen and Probe for
As school leaders, how do you provide direction and support to achieve the district and school vision? How does the district support your leadership efforts? What role does the Leadership Team and School Improvement Team play in the school? Does the school leadership promote student performance and school effectiveness? How does the district help? How does the school involve stakeholders and encourage collaboration and shared responsibility? How does the school leadership ensure equity of learning opportunities and support for innovation? How does the district help?
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Next Steps

• Share information with your staff, parents, and
  students
• Continue preparation
• Quality Assurance Review Team Visit April 19-22

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Quality begins on the inside. . . and then works
its way out. Bob Moawad, Chairman
CEO, Edge Learning Institute