Taking Charge of Continuous School Improvement—NCA and P.L. 221

Fall 2001

North Central AssociationIndiana Department of Education

What is NCA CASI?

NCA CASI is a voluntary accrediting organization with over 8,600 elementary, middle, and high schools in 19 states, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, and the Navajo Nation.

NCA CASI includes school planning and accreditation and district planning and accreditation.

The NCA CASI Protocol

Continuous Improvement with reporting of results within five years of plan development (three years of implementation)

Peer Review Visitations Preliminary Chair Visit First Team Visit Second Team Visit

Self-Study: First Chair Contact/Visit Report

Profile: Gathering and Analysis of Data--doneMission/Beliefs--doneStudent Performance Goals--first draft

First Peer Team Visit: Validation

Second Peer Team Visit:

Documentation

School Improvement Planning

1. What is the current status of educational programming and student achievement?

2. Where do we need to go from where we are now?

3. How do we get from where we are now to where we need to be?

The names of the processes and the specific requirements differ; however, the basic premises (either explicit or implicit in the planning model) fit into three categories:

Professional Development

The Indiana State Board of Education defines the core principles for professional development:

A. Address issues that are relevant to the priorities of education improvement and reflect the knowledge base of the profession.

B. Engage educators in an effective learning process that impacts practice.

C. Contribute to developing an environment that supports educators’ professional growth.

Participants in Continuous School Improvement

P.L. 221 specifies roles for the following people: School Principal School Staff Members Parents Community and Business Leaders School Board Members Superintendent

Involving other people in the process can provide additional perspectives:

Other Central Administrators Students

Locating Information

Office Location: 151 West Ohio, Indianapolis(NEW!! Office Location as of August 2001)

Mailing Address: Room 229, State House Indianapolis, IN 46204-2798

Website Address: www.doe.state.in.us/pl221www.doe.state.in.us/pba

Office Phone: 317-232-9060 OR 1-800-894-4044

Office FAX: 317-233-6940

Mary Mickelson, Director Ron Green, Assistant Director Division of Performance-Based Accreditation Center for Assessment, Research and Information TechnologyIndiana Department of Education

School-Based Plan

Research basedCollaborativeInvolves the school/communityData drivenResults orientedIncludes professional

developmentContinuously monitoredFocuses on student learning

The Continuous School Improvement Process

Data Gathering and Data Analysis Implications/

TasksMission/BeliefsStudent

Performance Goals Strategies Professional Dev Multiple

Assessments

NCA CASI Continuous School Improvement and 1999 Indiana Legislation

Membership Criteria

Legal Standards

NCA CASI Continuous School Improvement and 1999 Indiana Legislation

Gathering and Analyzing Data Student Performance Goals Multiple Assessments

• Gathering and Analyzing Data– Student Performance Goals– Multiple Assessments

NCA CASI Continuous School Improvement and 1999 Indiana Legislation

Professional Development

Professional Development Program

NCA CASI Continuous School Improvement and 1999 Indiana Legislation

Peer Review Teams Plan Validation Documentation of Student Progress

Onsite Review

Student Performance Goals

InterventionsProfessional DevelopmentMultiple Assessments

Making or Renewing the Commitment

Getting Started

Collecting and Analyzing Data

Narrative Description of School, Community, Education Programs1 Unique Local Characteristics2 Follow-up of Promoted or Graduated Students3 Student Instructional Data: attendance rates, graduation rates, test scores (graphs of data from the annual performance report), climate issues, Indiana standards, etc.4 Teacher Instructional Data5 CommunitySummarize data (drawing conclusions, identifying implications and tasks). Set stage for development of mission and selection of goals.

2

1

3

Developing Mission Statement and Selecting

Appropriate Goals

4

Developing the School

Improvement Plan (including

Strategies/Interventions, Professional Development,

and Assessment Tools)

Use conclusions (goals) drawn from the data as the basis of the plan.For each goal, define interventions (curriculum and alignment of standards, use of technology, parental involvement, safe environment), multiple assessments, and professional development.Complete Capacity Assessment Instrument.

5

Implementing the

School Improvement Plan

6

Each year review results, revise interventions, professional development if learning impact not strong.Measure results for NCA in terms of standard units (use Data Analysis software).

Monitoring the Implementation of theSchool Improvement

Plan and Documenting Student Progress

7

Prepare documentation (for each goal and each assessment tool) for second NCA CASI peer review visit. Second measure for Capacity Assessment Instrument.

Continuing the Process 8

Timeline

Plan due to your superintendent on March 1, 2002

Opportunity to reviseSent to BoardJune 30, 2002