Florida-Georgia District and National Lutheran School Accreditation

1. Florida-Georgia District and National Lutheran School Accreditation Initial Visit for the Ongoing Improvement Process Blank Lutheran School City, State Date

2. Why NLSA Ongoing Improvement? • Schools Identify Needs • Clear Direction/Vision • Continuity • Students Grow • Most of all…God is Glorified and His People are Blessed!

3. Key Participants • Administrator • Teachers and Support Staff • Lay Leaders • Pastor • School Parents • Students • NLSA Consultant & Team Captain

4. Who is Responsible for Managing the Process? • The OI Steering Committee… • Names Subcommittee Members • Establishes the Schedule • Secures Materials and Supplies for Subcommittees • Edits Subcommittee Reports • Makes Final Decisions

5. How Long Can the Process Take? • The Team Visit must take place no fewer than nine months and no more than three years after application.

6. What are the Key Components? • General Information/School Profile & Exhibits • Standards Checklist • School Improvement Plan • Needs Assessment • Goals, Objectives & Strategies

7. The Standards Checklist • 18 Required Indicators of Success • 167 General Indicators of Success • Questions to Answer

8. Sample Indicator (Standard) Statement • 2:11 “An effective public relations program communicates about the school to its constituents and to all segments of the community in which it is located.”

9. Examples of Indicators of Success that Must be Met w/Out Exception • 2:21 “A developmentally appropriate teaching environment is evident.” • 3:03 “The governing authority provides for grievance and due-process resolution procedures.” • 5:02 “The written curriculum is evaluated regularly and appropriate changes are made to ensure student growth.”

10. The Standards Checklist Subcommittee • Review, Adapt and Rate • Met in Full • Mostly Met • Rarely Met • Not Presently Met • Write Explanatory Comments for Standards not “Met in Full • Write “School Profile Summary” • Complete Work Before Other Subcommittees

11. School Improvement Plan Subcommittee • Oversees Needs Assessment Process • Determines 3-7 Goals • Oversees Committee Work on Each Goal • Submits Developed Goals to Faculty first, and then to the Steering Committee

12. Needs Assessment • Identifying needs which, when fulfilled, will benefit students in your school.

13. Conducting the Needs Assessment • Review School Mission Statement • Standardized Test Scores (and other testing measurements) • Surveys (see samples) • Teacher Interviews • The Standards Checklist • Others?

14. The Ongoing Improvement Process • Goals • Objectives • Strategies

15. The Heart and Soul of Ongoing Improvement If Goals, Objectives and Strategies aren’t properly developed, the entire OI process is in jeopardy.

16. GOAL… A statement of a desired future condition that is consistent with the mission of your Church and School and NLSA standards, and is based upon the identified needs of the students.

17. Remember… • Goals tell Whatthe desired future is (Present Tense). • Goals don’t tell Howto get there. • Goals are not time-limited.

18. GOALS • Short Range: Accomplished in less than three years. • Long Range: Accomplished in more than three years.

19. What Do You Think? • Students utilize and apply technology skills proficiently. • Students benefit from parental and community involvement in the learning process. • Students will score at or above the 70th percentile in mathematics on the SAT.

20. By January 15, 2010 a new procedure for morning drop-off will be instituted. • Students and staff model a Christ-like attitude of servanthood. • The school is consistently affirmed as a vital and vibrant mission of the congregation. • Reading scores improve each year through Hooked on Phonics.

21. Objectives…Are Necessary Achievements or Prerequisites for Accomplishing a Goal. Are Measurable. Are Time-Limited. They tell Whatmust be done, but not Howit is to be done.

22. Goal:The school is consistently affirmed as a vital and vibrant mission of the congregation. O1:Develop Mission Statement for the Congregation by June 1, 2010. O2:Develop a Strategic Plan for Communicating Regularly to the Congregation by Sept. 1, 2010. O3:Clarify the Role of the School Ministry in the Mission of the Congregation by November, 2010. O4:Develop and implement a plan to provide “Mission Training” to all existing and futurestaff members and lay church leaders by January 1, 2011.

23. Strategies are ideas, plans and action steps that lead to reaching a stated goal. • Strategies are all aboutHowthe Objectives will be met. • Strategies are aboutAction! • Strategies will eventually sayWhois to doWhat byWhen.

24. O1:Develop Mission Statement for the Congregation by June 1, 2010 S1:Principal Schmidt and School Board Director meet with Pastor and Cong. Pres. 1/10 S2:Present to Parish Planning Council. 2/10 S3:Establish “Mission Discovery” Task Force. 3/10 Goal:The school is consistently affirmedas a vital and vibrant mission of the congregation.

25. Other… • NLSA/FG District Accreditation is for 5 years • There is NO Mid-Cyle Visit • You are Required to Make a Presentation to the District Accreditation Commission at the Educators Conference in the year prior to your Accreditation Visit • You May Wish to Seek Simultaneous SACS/CITA Accreditation

26. More • “On-Going” includes… • Annual Reports • New Goals as Others are Accomplished • Regular Progress Reporting to the School Board • Levels of Accreditation • Exemplary • Accredited • Provisional

27. Important Contacts • Consultant’s Name Here • Consultant’s Email Address • Consultant’s Phone Number • Florida-Georgia District • Mark Brink, Ex.Dir.School Ministries • 877-457-5556 x3 • mbrink@flga-lcms.org • Lynda Voss, Admin. Asst. • lvoss@flga-lcms.org