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CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL

SCHOOL

Annual Progress Report (2014 - 2015)

Dr. Darnay S.K. Chan

October 7, 2015

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Contents

1. A Brief Description of Concordia International School

- The mission of the school - The School-wide Learner Outcomes

2. Student / School Profile Data of the Year - Enrolment - Teaching Personnel - Active School Days in 2014-15 - Student Demographic Data - Student Government - The Graduating Class - Whereabouts of Graduates - Scholarships and Awards - External Competitions - Progression to 2015-16

3. Student Performance - Self-management - Performance on Literacy Skills for Academic Study - Performance on Global Leadership Activities

4. Report on Student Performance towards Achieving the Content Standards and the School-wide Learner Outcomes - The Content Standards - The School-wide Learner Outcomes - Through Curricular Subjects Offered - Through an Interdisciplinary Group Project on Global Issue

5. Report on Progress on the Action Plans (2014-15)

6. Report on Assessing the Impact of Professional Development on Student Learning

7. Report on Following-up the Critical Areas Identified at the Initial Visit

8. Conclusion

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A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL SCHO OL Concordia International School is located at a quiet little residential corner of Yau Yat Chuen, far away from the noise and intensity of daily life in Hong Kong. The school was founded in 1990 by the President of the Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod. It offers grades 7 to 12 North-American patterned programs to students who want to learn in a total English environment. Students learn in small classes in school, with an average class size of 15 students per class. The campus accommodates a maximum capacity of 100 students only. For this reason, the school operates only one class for each grade level at Grade 7 to Grade 12. In the last twenty years, the enrolment has been maintained at 80-90 students yearly. The school is registered with the Education Bureau, Hong Kong as an international school (Registration No. 21599), it is co-educational and is fully managed by the Lutheran Church. The school’s curriculum is built and modified from the California Curricular Framework with Common Core standards and the high school program lays a good foundation for the College Board’s SAT and AP. Our students write the globally recognized PSAT, SAT Reasoning, SAT Subject Tests, and AP Exams as well as the TOEFL. Therefore, successful students at Concordia are assured of having their work recognized by universities and colleges around the world. Concordia International School is a private and independent school, but is non-profit making. The school is totally financed by the tuition fees, which is high compared to schools receiving financial grants from the government. For this reason, parents’ socio-economic background is strong and students are from middle and upper class families in various residential areas in Hong Kong. Like other international schools, students’ nationality and ethnic background are multiple: as of September 2014, 22% of the student population are locals, 35% are Chinese from the Mainland, Taiwan and overseas. The remaining mix is of nationals from Japan, Korea, America, Europe, Oceania and various other Asian countries. Over 95% of our students are English language learners whose mother-tongue is a language other than English.

The mission of the school is

Concordia International School aims to promote student learning for college readiness and to transform students’ lives with passion and purpose through a quality and balanced education for local and expatriate families alike.

The school seeks to achieve this vision by:

• providing quality and holistic education from a Christian perspective to students by constant review of its curricula, services and policies;

• equipping students with the latest skills, knowledge, attitudes and technology necessary for the next stage of learning and for life-long education as responsible global citizens;

• providing learning environments to help students develop systematic and logical thinking, a sense of responsibility and justice as well as the development of effective communication skills;

• creating a caring and supportive campus where both students and staff may positively interact and learn while pursuing knowledge and the development of cooperative and collaborative strategies for life.

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The School-wide Learner Outcomes are

Students of Concordia International School will: (1). Be Independent Learners to prepare for Life-long Learning a. Seek knowledge and equip themselves with the latest skills and technology for learning. b. Develop problem solving and research skills for the next stage of education. c. Analyze information and ideas with critical thinking (2). Be Global Citizens a. Possess a worldwide perspective and an understanding of multiple perspectives and diversity in values. b. Be ready to provide service to others in our local and global communities. c. Function effectively in an interdependent world, demonstrating respect for multi- cultures and the environment. (3). Communicate Effectively a. Express themselves clearly through forms of speech, writing, media and non-verbal behaviors. b. Listen, read and observe to gain understanding and respond appropriately in a variety of settings. c. Work cooperatively and collaboratively in group settings to achieve common goals. (4). Be Responsible and Ethical Persons a. Demonstrate through self-management or otherwise a sense of responsibility, a sense of justice, and an understanding of right and wrong. b. Act in ways that promote physical health and well-being in others and in their own lives. STUDENT / SCHOOL PROFILE DATA OF THE YEAR

1. Enrolment (as of September 2014)

Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Total

Girls 3 5 6 13 7 10 44

Boys 6 9 7 8 13 8 51

Total 9 14 13 21 20 18 95

2. Teaching Personnel Principal: 1 Administration: 2 (FT equivalent = 1) Instruction: 11 (FT equivalent = 8.9) Teacher to Student Ratio = 1 to 11 Other: 2 (FT equivalent = 0.6)

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3. Active School Days in 2014 – 2015

4. Student Demographic Data

Age as of September 2014

Nationality (by passport)

Quarter Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Quarter 1: 42 days 9 8 8 8 9 Quarter 2: 43 days (excluding 3 exam days, 2 PD days and 1 Home Study Day) 9 9 9 8 8 Quarter 3: 40 days 8 8 8 8 8 Quarter 4: 46 days (excluding 3 exam days, 2 PD days and 1 Home Study Day) 9 10 10 9 8 School days = 183 days (total for teaching = 171 days)

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Spoken Language at Home

District of Residence

5. Student Government Student Council - President : Jae Lim Treasurer : Mihaku Kamiya Members : Cynthia Lam Jimmy Shi Ishita Bampal Tia Woo Rutkay Alici (Term 1) Sami Au-Yeung(Term 2) Kelly Kim (Term 2) Peter Ho (Term 1) Aily Sui (Term 2) Autumn O'Reilly (Term 2) Maheen Ahmed Sahar Sheik Athletics Council - President : Mihaku Kamiya Vice-President : Sakurako Koseki Treasurer : Jimmy Shi Spirit Coordinator : Cynthia Lam

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6. The Graduating Class

1st Class Diploma

2nd Class Diploma 3rd Class Diploma

Pass Diploma

Completion Certificate

Lam, Cynthia Arabella Lim, Woo Jae Takeda, Neo

Chuenchit, Niracha Chui, Long Hin (Ken) Farah, Sandy Kawano, Kana Leung, Kit Ying Mak, Siu Hin Christopher Mo, Lin (Merlin) Mohn, Christopher Promise Tang, Kaylie Yuen, Joyce Yuen, Siu Chung Jonathan

Gonzales, Alyssa Joy Lui, Cheuk Him Jeff

Nil Tse, Hing Cheung

Total graduated / Total in Grade 12 = 16/17

7. Whereabouts of Graduates 2014

University/College No. of Graduates

Program of Study

New South Wales University, Australia. 1 Foundation course Simon Fraser International College, Canada 1 General Studies Ohio Wesleyan University, USA 1 Economic & Management

Leeward Community College, Hawaii, USA 1 Associated Degree in Business Technology

HKMA, Hong Kong 1 BA in Marketing SCAD, Hong Kong 2 Graphic Design Raffles, Hong Kong 1 Graphic Design University of Manitoba, Canada. 1 Foundation course Andrews University- Adventist College 1 Health & Fitness Marymount California University, USA 1 Bio-med and media studies

New York City Technology, USA 1 Accounting Royal Brisbane International College 1 Advanced Diploma in

Hospitality Yokohama National University, Japan 1 Human Science Marymount California University, USA 1 Business studies Delaware County Community College, Pennsylvania, USA

1 No information

Diablo Valley College, California, USA 1 Human Resources No information 1 Mandatory Military Service, Singapore 1

Total: 19/19

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2015

University/College No. of Graduates

Program of Study

University in Thailand 1 Hotel Management

SCAD 4 Graphic Design

University of Perpetual Help, Philippines 1 Dentistry

California State of University Monterey Bay, USA 1 Culture & Communication

Brigham Young University, USA 1 Mathematics

University of Sydney, Australia 1 No information

Nottingham University, UK 1 Computer Studies

Northumbria UK 1 Fashion

Southern New Hamsphire University, USA 1 Mathematics

University of Navarra 1 No information

Institute of Vocational Education, HK 1 Diploma in Computer studies

Hong Kong Arts Institution 1 Diploma in Arts and Design

Working in hotel industry 1 -

No information 1 - Total: 17/17

Over 85% of our graduates of the last two years are engaging in college study. As an indicator of student achievement towards “ independent learners (SWLO- 1a &1b) “, these data support that this school goal is met by our graduates.

8. Scholarships and Awards

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Prize : Lam, Cynthia Arabella Academic Achievement Award : Neo, Takeda

Academic Achievement SAT Award : Lim, Woo Jae Leadership & Service Award : Lam, Cynthia Arabella

Certificate Awards:

Subject

Name of Student

Subject Name of Student

English 7 Ahmed, Maheen Aqeel Computer Studies 10 Woo, Seo Jung (Tia) English 8 Chiu, Chun Hei (Wilson) Computer Studies 11-

12 Knaus, Cameron

English 9 Kim, Joo Eun Arts 7 Ahmed, Maheen Aqeel English 10 Woo, Seo Jung (Tia) Arts 7 Sheikh, Sahar Imran English 11 Knaus, Cameron Arts 8 Zhang, Chaofan (Elvira) English 12 Gonzales, Alyssa Joy Graphic Design 9 Au-Yeung, Sammi Heu Doe Math 7 Huang, Jianming (Tony) Arts 10 Woo, Seo Jung (Tia) Math 8 Chiu, Chun Hei (Wilson) Arts 11-12 Chang, Nae Rong (Rita) Math 9 Wu, Qianchen (Annie) World Issues 7-8 Chiu, Chun Hei (Wilson) Math 10 Zhang, Zixuan (Billy) Speech & Drama 7-8

(Term 1) Sui, Aili

Pre-Calculus Ito, Atsuki Speech & Drama 7-8 (Term 1)

Zhang, Yating (Cici)

AP Calculus Lam, Cynthia Arabella Speech & Drama 7-8 (Term 2)

O Reilly, Autumn Patrice

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SAT & Business Math Yuen, Siu Ching Jonathan

Speech & Drama 10 (Term 1)

Xia, Jing (Amanda)

Science 7 Ahmed, Maheen Aqeel Speech & Drama 10 (Term 1)

Zheng, Yixiao (Sarah)

Science 8 Chiu, Chun Hei (Wilson) Speech & Drama 10 (Term 2)

Jung, Woo Hyub Woody

Science 9 Kim, Joo Eun (Kelly) Drama 11-12 Koseki, Sakurako Science 10 Woo, Seo Jung (Tia) Chinese Studies 7-8

B(T1) Sheikh, Sahar Imran

SAT Physics Ito, Atsuki Chinese Studies 7-8 A(T2)

Zhang, Yating (Cici)

SAT Chemistry Takeda, Neo Chinese Studies 7-8 B(T2)

Kim, Hyo Sang Mickey

Social Studies 7 Ahmed, Maheen Aqeel Chinese Studies 9 A Wu, Zhijing Social Studies 8 Chiu, Chun Hei Chinese Studies 9 B Kim, Joo Eun (Kelly) Social Studies 9 Kim, Joo Eun (Kelly) Chinese Studies 10

A(T1) Ho, Mei Yee

Social Studies 10 Woo, Seo Jung (Tia) Chinese Studies 10 B(T1)

Woo, Seo Jung (Tia)

AP Psychology Kamiya, Mihaku Chinese Studies 10 A(T2)

Chen, Yiseng (Vivian)

AP Microeconomics Atsuki Ito Chinese Studies 10 B(T2)

Xia, Jing (Amanda)

Computer Literacy 7-8 Chiu, Chun Hei (Wilson) Chinese Studies 11-12 A

Lee, Nicholas Jia-Jing

Computer Studies 9 Kim, Joo Eun (Kelly) Chinese Studies 11-12 B

Ito, Atsuki

9. External Competitions

History Bee and Bow: Hong Kong Championships - Wilson Chiu Celab Doebler Peter Ho Rexon Lo Vic Wang Asia Regional Championships (Thailand) - Celab Doebler Peter Ho Rexon Lo Vic Wang Logistics Coordinator : Mihaku Kamiya World Scholar’s Cup: Hong Kong Championships – Team 1: Peter Ho Wilson Chiu Autumn O’Reilly Team 2: Tia Woo Ryan Agus Kaylie Tang Team 3: Atsuki Ito Daniell Elower Norikazu Horiuchi Asia Regional Championships (Kuala Lumpur) – Team 1: Peter Ho Autumn O’Reilly (Aily Sui) Team 2: Tia Woo Kwan Wai Man Mihaku Kamiya Team 3: Norikazu Horiuchi Takuhiro Kikuchi Atsuki Ito

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10. Progression to 2015-2016

No. Percentage Students promoted to a higher grade

68

75.6

Students to repeat

3

3.3

Students asked to leave (discipline, attendance)

2

2.2

Students Graduated/Completed HS

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18.9

Total 90 100 Number of students registered for 2015-16 = 56 (Registration Rate = 56/71 = 78.87%) STUDENT PERFORMANCE

1. Self-management At CSHK, students are evaluated on achievement of the school-wide learner

outcomes besides the content standards. School attendance pattern and discipline records are useful indicators to see whether a student achieves the school goal of “be a responsible and ethical person- SWLO 4”. Evacuation time for fire drill is an indicator to check whether students achieve the school goal of “listening actively and responding appropriately, working cooperatively and collaboratively in group settings- SWLO- 3b,3c”

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Note: Late by 2 times is counted as absent for one session, a school day has 2 sessions. For example, an attendance rate of 95% means having been absent from school for 4-5 days in a term or for about 9 days over the school year.

The school has a 95% attendance requirement policy for all students. In the year 2014-15, improving the school attendance was action-planned. I am glad to report that students have showed significant improvement in meeting this requirement in 2014-15: over 74% in Term 1 and 56% in Term 2 of the total student population

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achieved this 95% attendance goal. We will continue to monitor the attendance pattern so that absences due to personal attitudes and habits will be further reduced. Students with persistent low school attendance will not be invited to register for the next year. We will continue to have school attendance action-planned in 2015-16 to educate our students to be the School-wide Learners.

As for school discipline, the number of incidences served with discipline action due to violation of school policy is dropping or maintained steady during the 3-year cycle, although one more student was terminated in 2013-14.

The evacuation time for fire drill indicates that we could improve further our

collaboration effort in group working situations.

2. Performance on Literacy Skills for Academic Study

The Scholastic Reading Program Communication skill is an important school-wide learner outcome that all CISHK students should master. Among the many student performance data that teachers collect, the standardized Lexile scores students achieved under the Scholastic Reading Program at the beginning and also at the end of a school year are useful indicators on student achievement in reading and comprehension in English. In

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both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, all classes showed an increase in score over the year

Note: The 1st measures were taken at the beginning of the first term, or when a student first joined the class. The year-end measures were taken at the end of the second term. The 2012-13 data were pilot data of the Scholastic Reading Program for classes selected.

The WIDA Writing Tasks

Note: Task 1 was taken at the beginning of the first term. Task 2 was taken at the end of the second term. In 2014-15, English teachers started to measure student improvement in writing

proficiency using the WIDA tasks. The chart above shows that all classes showed an increase in proficiency level over the school year.

Since data from the relevant external tests and exams have indicated that our students are performing under the national average, although improvement on literacy skills is observed through the Scholastic Reading Program and the WIDA

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Writing Tasks, we still need to put much effort and resources on these two programs in the coming years to further enhance students’ communication skills to achieve the School-wide Learner Outcomes in communication (SWLO 3a, 3b).

3. Performance on Global Leadership Activities

Evidence and data collected under this section are indicators to measure student achievement of the School-wide Learner Outcomes on “global citizenship SWLO- 2” and also on “being responsible and ethical person SWLO-4”.

(1). Regular Global Leadership Activities Participated on Fridays Service Learning: Q1

Date Place Activities Staff No. of Hours No. of Participants

Sep. 12 Silver Strand Beach

Beach cleaning Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 11

Sep. 19 School Poster-making for animal welfare fundraising

Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw Ms. Lin

1- 1.5hrs 11

Sep. 26 School Activities feedback & instruction and information on visiting elderly centers

Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 11

Oct. 10 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre

Visit the center as well as elderly who are living near the center

Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 11

Oct. 17 School Activities Summary Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 10

Service Learning: Q2


Nov. 7 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre


Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 7

Nov. 28 SPCA Wan Chai

Visit the center and educational talk

Mr. Shaw Ms. Yang

1-1.5 hrs 7

Dec. 12 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre


Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 7



Jan. 23 A primary school at Kwun Tong

English games , teaching English

Mr. Shaw Ms. Yang

1-1.5 hrs 8

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Jan. 30 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre


Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 8

Feb.13 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre


Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 8

Mar. 13 SPCA Wan Chai


Mr. Shaw Ms. Yang

1 -1.5hrs 8

Mar. 20 Silver Strand Beach

Beach cleaning Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 8

Mar. 27 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre


Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 8



April 24 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre


Ms.Yang Mr. Shaw

1- 1.5hrs 8

May 15 SPCA Wan Chai


Mr. Shaw Ms. Yang

1 -1.5hrs 8

May 22 Martha Boss Lutheran Community Centre

Visit centre as well as elderly who are living near the centre

Mr. Shaw Ms. Yang

1- 1.5hrs 8

May 29 Kei Faat Primary School

English games , teaching English

Mr. Shaw Ms. Yang

1- 1.5hrs 8

Total person-hours for Friday Service Learning Activities = 193.75 (2). Other Global Competence Activities Participated in 2014-15

a. 1-Day Team Building Workshop organized by Indier Outdoor Education & Service Learning:

Participated by all students on November 17, 2014 during the Activity Week. (Person-hours = 475 )

b. Food Drive: Participated by all students during February 9-11, 2015, four boxes of canned and dry food collected and sent to St. James Settlement People’s Food Bank. (Person-hour = 92)

c. Terry Fox Run Hong Kong 2014:

15 students participated and raised $2,000 for the Fox Foundation. (Person-hour = 30)

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d. 24 Hours Race 22 students participated and raised $14,000 for Running To Stop The Traffik (person-hour = 44)

e. Cultural Day:

Participated by all students of the school on May 28, 2015. (Person-hours = 184 )

REPORT ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE CONTENT STANDARDS AND THE SCHOOLWIDE LEARNER OUTCOM ES Starting from the 2014-15 school year, CISHK begin to collect data intentionally to measure student performance towards achieving the content standards and the School-wide Learner Outcomes. (1). The Content Standards To measure the performance towards achieving the content standards, students in each curricular course write a one-hour “pre-test” at the beginning of the school year to assess the content knowledge on a course prior to learning the course. At the end of the school year, students write a 2-hour term examination on the course. The data from the pre-test and those from the term examination are collected yearly for all curricular subjects. The following charts show student performance at the pre-test and at the final term examination for curricular subjects offered with written exams:

Total participated = 1019 person-hours Average per student = 11 hours

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Note: A Group comprises of native-Chinese speakers, B Group comprises of speakers of other languages. Conclusion: It is generally observed that students show “added-value” over the year in all curricular courses offered. However, the class average at the final term exam is mediocre for most curricular courses (40%-70% only). As the data on SAT Subject Tests and AP exams have already informed us that our students are performing under the national level, professional development activities on teaching strategies and on motivating students should continue be organized in the future to further raise the academic performance of students.

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(2). The School-wide Learner Outcomes The performance towards achieving the School-wide Learner Outcomes are measured at two levels. (a). Through curricular subjects offered Students of each curricular course complete a piece work which is subject-related during Quarter 2 of the year. This piece of work is assessed by rubrics or rating criteria based on the total or parts of the School-wide Learner Outcomes, and data collected. The following charts show student performance for curricular subjects offered:

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As only one year’s data were collected and analyzed, not much comment can be provided at this stage on how students have performed towards achieving the School-wide Learner Outcomes. (b). Through an Interdisciplinary Group Project on Global Issue Students of Grades 9 and 10 completed a group project during Quarter 3. In 2014-15, the project title is: Water, the Source of Life. There were altogether 6 groups, each with 4-5 students. At the end of the Quarter, the groups gave a presentation on their work in front of parents, guests and teachers who assessed the projects using rubrics which were constructed based on the four elements of our School-wide Learning Outcomes. Data on performance towards achieving the School-wide Learner Outcomes were thus collected. The projects were also exhibited in the Chapel for the information of the other parents and students during the week following. The chart below shows the average scores of the groups on the four elements and on the total SWLOs.

It seems that students performed slightly better on “Effective Communication”, the performance on “Independent Learners” receives the lowest score. Conclusion: From the charts presented above, it is noted that the performance towards the SWLOs as measured through the curricular subjects and the performance as measured through the group project all receive mediocre scores in 2014-15. The average scores are in the range of 40%-80% only. As data from the external tests and exams have already informed us that our students’ achievement towards the School-wide Learner Outcomes on areas such as problem solving, analytical and critical thinking and effective communication is still inadequate, it is concluded that professional development opportunities should continue be provided to teachers and trainings to students in the future to further raise the performance towards the SWLOs.

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REPORT ON PROGRESS ON THE ACTION PLANS At the year-end faculty meeting, the 2014-15 Action Plans were reviewed and evaluated thoroughly together with the relevant data collected. The results of the evaluation are presented below: Action Plan (1): To improve the overall level of students’ literacy skills for academic study (School-wide learner outcomes addressed: 1a, 3a, 3b ) Rationale for identifying this learning need: Most CISHK students learn English as a second language and many students’ English skills are still weak for academic study, especially students from China. This is reflected in students’ performance at the PSAT, TOEFL and SAT taken annually. Present data: Average scores on PSAT(Reading & Writing), SAT Reasoning (Reading & Writing parts) and on TOEFL are below international / national average. Lexile Measures • About 50% of students in 2013-14 showed score increase over the year in their Lexile Measures. • The number and percent of students in 2014-15 who showed increase in score over the year in Lexile Measures are: Grade 7 : 3/9 (33.33%) Grade 8: 11/15 (73.33%) Grade 9: 9/9 (100%) Grade 10: 12/19 (63.16%) Grade 11: 17/19 (89.47%) Grade 12: 11/17 (64.71%) Overall, 71.5% of students in 2014-15 showed score increase over the year in Lexile Measures. The target of 70% set for the year was met. WIDA Writing Tasks The number and percent of students in 2014-15 who showed increase in WIDA Proficiency Level over the year are: Grade 7: 8/9 (88.89%) Grade 8: 8/15 (53.33%) Grade 9: 6/9 (66.67%) Grade 10: 13/19 (68.42%) Grade 11: 10/18 (55.56%) Grade 12: 9/16 (56.25%) Overall, 62.79% of students in 2014-15 showed increase in Proficiency Level over the year in the WIDA Writing Tasks. The target of 50% set for the year was met. Based on the performance in 2014-15, a target of 80% of students to show score increase in Lexile Measures and a target of 70% of students to show increase in Proficiency Level over the year in the WIDA Writing Tasks are set for 2015-16 Action Plan (2): To improve students’ school attendance (School-wide learner outcomes addressed: 4a)

Rationale for identifying this learner need: Many students are habitually late, and some students do not attend school for very minor reasons. Present data: In 2013-14, 56% of students in Term 1 and 54% of students in Term 2 met the 95% school attendance rate.

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In 2014-15, 74% of students in Term 1 and 56% of students in Term 2 met the 95% school attendance rate. The percentage of students meeting the school policy is satisfactory for Term 1, with an increase of 18% as compared to the year before. However, there is only a 2% increase in Term 2. The average percent of students meeting the 95% school attendance rate is only 65% over the year. The target of 70% set for the year was not met in Term 2. We must continue to encourage students to improve in school attendance. A target of 75% of students to meet the 95% school attendance policy is set for 2015-16. Action Plan (3): To nourish global citizenship and worldwide perspective among students (School-wide learner outcomes addressed: 2a, 2b and 2c) Rationale for identifying this learner need: This is a very important educational goal which is not taught as a regular course in the classrooms, and yet we need to address this learner need seriously to ensure CISHK students meet the school-wide learner outcomes. We could achieve this goal by engaging students in multiple community activities and raising their understanding, attitude and effort in Global Leadership projects. Present data: The average time students participated in GL and Community Service projects in 2013-14 is 25 hours per student. The average time students participated in GL and Community Service projects in 2014-15 is only 11 hours per student. The target of 25 hours set for the year was not met because the planned GL tour to Malaysia was not made due to insufficient number of participants and one Friday afternoon activity has been cancelled every month for teachers to attend PD and collaborative meetings. To continue engaging students on GL and Community Service activities so as to be global citizens, a target of 15 hours per student is set for 2015-16. Action Plan (4): To promote the physical and mental well-being of students through sports (School-wide learner outcomes addressed: 4b and 3c )

Rationale for identifying this learner need: We feel that by expanding the athletics programs, it is a great opportunity to develop a school community and sense of togetherness for our student body. Participation in sports strengthens a student’s confidence both in the competition and in the classroom and is a great way for them to socialize and meet new peers. Promoting the physical and mental well-being of students is an important educational goal. In previous years, PE lessons were not provided to the senior classes because of facilities and manpower constraints. At the suggestion of the Parent-Teacher Association, PE lessons are provided to all classes in 2014-15. As the school campus is small, we would continue to utilize off-campus sports facilities e.g. the sport center at YMCA and the government’s various outdoor and indoor playgrounds to realize this goal.

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Present data: In 2013-14 Only Grades 7-10 were offered PE class. 17% of students participated in at least one sports team. In 2014-15 • PE class (2 periods per week) was provided to all grade levels in the class time- table. • 11 school teams in four sports were organized: Cross Country: Boys U16 and U20, Girls U16 and U20 (Total: 20 players) Basketball : Boys U16 and U20 (Total: 18 players) Badminton : Boys U16 and U20, Girls U16 and U20 (Total: 20 players) Soccer : Boys U20 (Total: 14 players) Number of students participated in at least one sports team is 51/95 (53.68%) based on Term 1 enrolment, and 51/92 (55.43%) based on Term 2 enrolment. The target of 30% set for the year was met. To continue promoting the physical and mental well-being of students through sports, a target that every student will participate in PE class and 40% of our students will be involved in at least one extra-curricular sports team is set for 2015-16. After this thorough evaluation and review of the 2014-15 Action Plans, the action planning teams were asked prepare the Action Plans for 2015-16 in September based on discussions and inputs from the faculty collected at this and other meetings. REPORT ON ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON STUDENT LEARNING In a continuous effort to assess the impact of professional development on student learning, CISHK proposed in 2014-15 that the following measures would be used:

1. At the beginning of the school year, students of a selected group evaluate a teacher’s teaching performance with the “Student Feedback on Teaching” questionnaires. At the end of the school year, this is done again by the same group of students. By comparing these two evaluations, a reference could be inferred on the effect of the PD’s that the teacher has participated based on “student satisfaction” of the teacher’s performance.

2. In 2014-15, the school begins to collect school-wide baseline student data to evaluate student performance on achieving the content standards and the School-wide Learner Outcomes. At the end of the school year, the baseline data from a group of students who are taught by the teacher could be used to see whether this group of students have acquired the particular skill/knowledge that the teacher has imported from PD.

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3. The process of attending a PD course would involve 3 forms for a teacher to fill out. An application form to be approved by the principal, one evaluation form to be filled out immediately after the course, and a final evaluation form to be filled out 6 weeks later. This would provide a rounded evaluation of the PD and show evidence of the impact it has had on a teacher’s classroom practice in the longer term.

Assessing the impact of PD using Methods (1) and (2)

According to what has been planned, perception data from students on teaching performance were collected at the beginning and at the end of the 2014-15 school year for every teacher. Please refer to the file named “Evaluation of Teaching Performance 2014-15” for the data collected and for the charts generated based on the data.

Baseline data on student performance on the content standards and on the School-wide Learner Outcomes were also collected starting from 2014-15. Please refer to the file named “Content Standards and SWLOs – Data File” and a relevant report named “Performance towards Achieving the Content Standards and SWLOs” for the data collected and for a brief analysis.

After studying both sets of data, it is concluded that although CISHK teachers have participated and spent much time and effort on professional development activities during the 2014-15 school year, it is difficult and impossible to attribute student achievement to the PD opportunities taken by a teacher. In fact, the perception data from students on teaching performance and the baseline data on student performance do not produce any explicit implications on the effect of PD a teacher has taken on student learning. However, the perception data on teaching performance do indicate the areas of focus for PD for a teacher, and the baseline data on student performance do indicate the need of professional development in raising the performance level in content standards and the SWLOs. So these two set of data do provide a supporting factor for PD to be organized and provided to CISHK teachers in the future, however, the data could not be used to evaluate the impact of PD

Assessing the impact of PD using Method (3)

Starting from 2014-15, teachers filled out an evaluation form (Form 2) right after attending a PD activity. The following questions were asked:

1. How has your perception/attitude been changed? 2. What new teaching strategies/classroom practices did you learn about? 3. How will you implement these in your teaching? 4. What impact will this have on your pupils? 5. Would you recommend this PD to other staff? Why/Why not?

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Six weeks after the PD activity, teachers filled out another evaluation form (Form 3). The following questions were asked:

1. How has your classroom practice changed as a result of the PD? (Please include/attach evidence of these changes – lesson plans/ power points/ worksheets)

2. What has been the impact on student achievement? Please include evidence where possible.

3. If appropriate, would you be willing to share your learning with other teachers during staff development time?

Answers to these questions for PD activities attended by CISHK teachers in 2014-15 were filed in the PD binder. For the purpose of evaluating the impact of the PD on student learning, the answers to Question 4 in Form 2 are summarized below:

Question: What impact will this have on your pupils? Kely SEN Workshop on November 14, 2014 (participated by all teachers)

• It will be a positive step for students as I will look at their deficits and be able to try in a different way to teach the same contents.

• I hope students will accept me more. • They may become comfortable in class. • Less stress at home. • This will help students with concentration issues to concentrate and get the required

work done on time. • The student body has been more responsive and understanding of the difficulties

faced by an ADHD student. • SEN students will make progress together with the others. • I have a better understanding of the SEN students.

Shekou EAL Conference on November 22-23 (participated by 5 teachers)

• Students will be encouraged to speak more without guidance from the teachers. • Students will be able to conduct research at a level more to their ability without

sacrificing standards. • Students will find materials and content more accessible. Students will be able to

demonstrate their knowledge through alternative methods of submission. Students will have a clearer understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. Confidence boosting.

• Quiet students will be given the opportunity to communicate with one other without having to speak out in class.

• With the strategies learned, student learning would improve, as they could improve their reading comprehension when more emphasis is placed on contents.

Research-based Teaching Strategies Workshop (Bloom’ s Taxonomy) on February 6, 2015 (participated by all teachers)

• The work will be pitched at a level most rewarding for each student. • This will help students of various ability to learn better. • I can better plan and deliver the curriculum so students will be better motivated and

they will understand the concepts presented. • It is envisaged that students will be more engaged, leading to better learning. • Students of different abilities would be better challenged. • Students will be more confident and active to learn. The teacher will support

students to reach the different levels. • Students will become more aware of their abilities (what they can do) and have an

understanding of what is to be achieved, to improve and get out of the ESL program.

• All will be sufficiently challenged. • Students will experience a clearer progression in teaching and a more systematic

learning structure. PDGE Program (participated by 2 teachers in 2014-15)

• I hope that by implementing new teaching strategies and having better classroom management, students will be able to learn effectively and have a higher rate of success.

• Pupils will experience positive and effective teaching and learning environment.

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The answers to Question 2 in Form 3 are summarized below:

Question: What has been the impact on student achievement? Please include evidence where possible. Kely SEN Workshop

1. More completed assignments, better grades observed. 2. Students are able to make progress in term exam. 3. None observed 4. Student participation and the level of work completed has improved

somewhat. 5. Students are more alert to complete their work. 6. Better concentration in class observed. 7. Students are slightly more engaged.

Shekou EAL Conference

1. Students in ESL classes have enjoyed learning, where they are at by knowing what they can do. Also boosted confidence and responsibility.

2. Students contributing more in class, has led to increased results/grades. 3. Better understanding of the content knowledge, only one student need to

write the sup. Exam. (several in last year). 4. Students motivated to talk more and share their opinions.

Research-based Teaching Strategies Workshop (Bloom’ s Taxonomy)

1. Students who wish to learn have been gifted from the higher levels of the pyramid.

2. When students read, they are now not just for understanding, they also analyze the comments and values.

3. Students have shown a wider and deeper expression of what they have learned in class. This is seen in personal art work and short reflections of productions.

4. The overall result is mixed. Most students have improved, but some with poor English do not show signs of improvement.

5. Academically inclined students are able to learn and achieve higher learning levels.

6. Students are able to understand of what they have learned, able to communicate on what has been learned, and can apply the concepts to solve new problems.

7. The work provides more appropriate level challenges for students of diverse learning abilities.

PDGE Program

1. Students are more able to grasp the meaning of the materials in class, understand the materials and can use the knowledge in new situations.

2. Students are valued for their work completed as well as for their potentials. They receive more encouragement, this has had a positive impact in some students’ learning attitude and art production.

Conclusion

The answers listed in the first table indicate that CISHK teachers are ready to make strategic changes in class teaching and in handling with student issues with the insight obtained from the PD activities attended. They foresee what changes will happen to the students if they incorporate the ideas from the PD into their work and teaching practice in the future.

The second table lists teachers’ observations and perceptions on their students some six weeks after the PD activity. Teachers’ answers to the question generally confirm that students have become more engaged and learning has been increased. Therefore, it is

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concluded that the PD activities that CISHK teachers participated in 2014-15 do have a positive impact on student learning.

REPORT ON FOLLOWING-UP THE CRITICAL AREAS IDENTIFIE D AT THE INITIAL VISIT

1. Child Protection Policy: A team of staff consisting of the Counseling Committee coordinator, the School Social Worker and the Vice Principal was set up right after the Initial Visit to develop and adopt a Child Protection Policy for CISHK. The Child Protection Policy developed by the team is adopted from a relevant document from the Social Welfare Department of the Government of the HKSAR. So our policy complies with the practices recommended by the Hong Kong Government and is legitimate as far as laws in Hong Kong are concerned. According to this policy, the Coordinator of the school’s Counseling Committee (Ms. Michelle Yang) is the Child Protection Officer appointed. The Child Protection Policy of Concordia International School is appended in our revised School Policy Manuel.

2. Support for new teachers: The Principal and the Executive Director are always anxious and ready to help new teachers integrate into the school community and to adjust to living in Hong Kong and working at CISHK. A comprehensive Staff Handbook is edited every year to guide staff members working at CISHK. The Principal has on and off conversations with staff members, especially the new ones to learn about their work and the difficulties they faced. It is the Principal’s practice to check every new staff members’ work during the first three months working at CISHK to ensure that the performance is up to the expectation. A new staff is usually paired with an experienced staff of the school so that he/she can then learn and/or adapt through peer coaching. After the Initial Visit, the Staff Development Officer has modified the CISHK Staff Mentor Program to provide more support for the mentor and the mentee. Now, the program is more structured and guidance around mentoring activities are provided to ensure both the mentor and the mentee would benefit from the process as much as possible. Please refer to P.29-31 of the Staff Handbook (2015-16) for the revised CISHK Staff Mentor Program.

3. CISHK teachers continue to ask students to do independent and/or collaborative group projects as part of their school work. More student-driven choices are now made possible through student government in extra-curricular activities and through diversifying instructional materials and/or assessments in class. In the 2015-16 Activity Week to be held on November 23-27, the Indier Outdoor Education & Service Learning has been contracted to do a one-day Team Building Workshop on campus: effective collaboration skills, independent organization and time management skills, and effective communication strategies are the themes of the workshop. It is expected that students can learn and master these important skills through project work, student driven choices, leadership training workshops and day-to-day class instructions so that they could be successful in resolving conflicting views amongst their peers and in meeting the SWLOs.

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4. The Counseling Committee together with the School Social Worker has documented and revised the guidelines and procedures on referring students to the Counseling Committee and to the School Social Worker. Please refer to P.102 of the Staff Handbook and to the Counseling Referral Form on P.107-108 for the details. Now, the practice for identifying student need and at what point teachers are advised to seek support from the School Social Worker is clear. As the document is appended at the Staff Handbook and also at the Student & Parent Handbook which is available to everyone, the process should be clearly understood by all teachers, parents, and students.

5. The Principal and CISHK teachers can now document and monitor student progress toward the SWLOs and content standards through electronic/digital means such as Google Doc, Google Classroom so that

a. the information can be efficiently backed up and protected, b. the processes of collaboration, analysis and reflection can become

embedded in normal operating practices, c. the data can be more easily accessed, manipulated, and represented for

analysis and reflection by teachers and by students. 6. Improvement on recognition of good practices: The Executive Director and the

Principal are always ready to provide time and recognition to celebrate the multiple initiatives of the teachers and to honor their passionate commitment to the students and to their colleagues, which result in enhanced student learning opportunities and an improved learning process. The school leadership is also ready and happy to find ways to celebrate and recognize teachers’ efforts that go above and beyond minimal expectations. These practices would encourage retention of the hard-working and committed educators and continue to help CISHK develop and improve their educational programs. Increased conversation with the faculty to encourage good practices, to recognize contributions, to praise professional commitment, to meet important dead-lines and to celebrate success etc. is on-going.

7. The following practices are already happening at CISHK, we are committed to continue with the practices in the years to come and seek for further improvement/enhancement:

a. The school leadership and the teachers continue to develop systems and procedures for analyzing student work that is consistent with standards-based assessment and research-based practices so student growth and improvement can be monitored effectively. These procedures will allow for triangulation of data results from a variety of sources, will not rely solely on standardized exam results, and will allow for disaggregation of data instead of the data being averaged.

b. The school leadership and teachers continue to deepen the understanding and integration of SWLOs in a variety of ways and continue to explore opportunities for assessing and monitoring student progress in communicating effectively, in becoming independent learners, in acting as global citizens and in becoming responsible and ethical people.

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c. The school leadership continues to provide time and structures for the teachers to collaborate and discuss student progress across grade levels, within grade levels and across subject areas.

d. The school leadership and the teachers continue to refine assessment and instructional strategies to improve student literacy in English so the majority of students are reading and writing at or near grade level.

e. The Board of Governors and the school leadership continue to explore ways for enhancing and developing the facilities to include appropriate science labs, and library/research spaces.

f. The school management and the teachers continue to deepen their understanding of the implementation of the Common Core standards and how they affect instruction and assessment practices.

In Response to (e.) stated above, the Executive Director and the School Management Board are always anxious to explore with the Education Bureau the opportunity of getting a larger campus for the school. In response to (f.) stated above, a 2-day professional development conference on Common Core standards and how they affect instruction and assessment practices in the classroom where most students are English learners has been planned on November 20-21, 2015 for teachers and administrators working in international schools affiliated to the Lutheran Church.

Action planning is not required for the critical areas identified at the Initial Visit. CONCLUSION The 2014-15 has been a year of success for Concordia International School. The Initial Visit for accreditation by ACS WASC on April 21-22, 2015 completed successfully, leading to the award of Candidacy Status for three years through June 30, 2018. The school continues to improve on its strengths in the school year 2014-15, we are committed to make continual improvement in the years to come. With the WASC FOL tools, CISHK leadership and teachers are now at a better position to look at what currently exists in the school and what needs to be improved to make CISHK a real place to support student learning and growth. Therefore, we are ready to answer:

1. How CISHK students are achieving? 2. Is the school doing everything to support high achievement for all its

students?

- End –

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