WCEA 2015

1. WCEA2015 Welcome| Sacred Heart Nativity Schools | St. Catherine School | St. Elizabeth Seton School | St. Justin School | St. Simon School

2. A Step Along The Way • It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. • The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. • We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. • Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying • that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. • No statement says all that could be said. • No prayer fully expresses our faith. • No confession brings perfection. • No pastoral visit brings wholeness. • No program accomplishes the Church's mission. • No set of goals and objectives includes everything. • This is what we are about. • We plant the seeds that one day will grow. • We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. • We lay foundations that will need further development. • We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities. • We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. • This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. • It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. • We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. • We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. • We are prophets of a future not our own. • Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw

3. Let’s ReFocus • WCEA: Improving Student Learning • SELF-Study: A Reflective Process • Outcome: NOT A PRODUCT but a culture of CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

4. Let’s Check-In Check List • Where are you in the process? What’s Due Now? • Draft of Chapters 2, 3 What’s Next? • Update School Profile (enrollment, staffing) • Update with 2014 Assessment Data in October Schedule a Time to Meet • Let’s discuss any revisions to your drafts • Let’s talk about your Action Plan

5. Reviewing the Self-Study • The Rubric: Taking the English Teacher’s Approach • How did you involve shareholders? • How did you assess SLEs? • How did you connect Catholic Identity? • An Example from Portland • Apply to your Self-Study: BE the Visiting Committee

6. The Rubric: Be Consistent • Consistency in conventions: naming, spelling, abbreviation, capitalization • WCEA, ACS WASC, IOWA Assessments, NWEA MAP, NCEA IFG (ACRE) • Diocese of San Jose; Diocese; diocesan • Principal, Pastor, faculty, teachers, staff • SAC, parents/families, community

7. The Rubric: Substantiate • If you name it, is it evident? Will the VC see it? What does it/will it look like? • Do you have data to back it up? • Do you have evidence for it? It is OK to write up evidence for a claim that you don’t have room for in the narrative.

8. The Rubric: Be Concise • Respond to the writing prompt NOT the discussion prompts! • Stories of “how we do” things can be left to evidence, to the visit, to informal conversations and interviews. If you name it the narrative, it will give the VC a chance to check it out or ask more about it.

9. The Rubric: Follow Conventions • Did you respond to the writing prompts? • Did you adhere to parameters of length?

10. The Rubric: Be Intentional • Highlight your use of SLEs, varied assessment strategies, Catholic Identity • Name your shortfalls and follow it up by identifying it as a goal • Connect your conclusions to analysis using PDSA process: show that you gathered data, analyzed it, identified shortfalls, applied research-based solutions, assess success, adjust for improvement. • ALWAYS build in measures of effectiveness in evaluating program! If they don’t exist, say so.

11. The Rubric • Be Consistent • Substantiate • Be Concise • Follow Conventions • Be Intentional

12. ArchbishopHoward@St.Rose

13. Break

14. Finding the Evidence Where’s the Beef? • What types of assessment strategies helped you gain valuable insights? • How/where can we find solid data? • What was useful/useless? Share insights on flip charts. THINK: “If I were to do this again, I would …”

15. EvidentEvidenceEvident • Listed throughout the book • Evident throughout the school TO BOXOR NOT TO BOX… …that is the QUESTION! No matter your decision, align evidence to your self-study.

16. SignificantSignificance • List of accomplishments • How were these referenced in the narrative? • List of goals • How were these referenced in the narrative? • List of evidence • Will these be evident to the VC?

17. Vamos a comer

18. Ch. 4 pp. 57-60 • The School’s Need for Continuous Improvement Focused on High Achievement of ALL Students • What is a GOAL? S-M-A-R-T • What is a STRATEGY? • What is an ACTIVITY, a TO-DO, or an ACTION ITEM?

19. CriticalGOALS • Top 5 Significant Goals • Action Plan Goals: Top 2 Significant Goals Top 2 Significant Goals + Curriculum In-Depth = ACTION PLAN

20. Writing the Action Plan • Goals borne out of Self-Study • Strategies tied to goals (from Ch. 3) • Rationale for increasing student achievement • Alignment with mission, philosophy, SLEs • Template in Appendix F-1 • Upon completion: share with commissioner; together determine revisions

22. Preparing for the Visit • The Chair & the Committee • Hospitality, expectations, communications • The Pre-Visit • 4-6 weeks prior to Visit Date • The Visiting Committee Documents • The Report of Findings • The Justification Statement • Recommendation for a Term of Accreditation

23. Recap|Feedback|Scheduling • Future Meetings with Commissioner • Self-Study & Action Plan Review After the Visit: CSI • Annual Reports • Action Plan Progress • Curriculum In-Depth • Catholic Identity Ongoing Review

24. Western Catholic Educational Association http://westwcea.squarespace.com/documents/elementary-documents/isl-2012/ National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Elementary and Secondary Schools http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/ Sample Benchmark Rubrics: http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/benchmark-rubrics-overview/standard-4-rubrics

25. Evidence Essential in the Visiting Committee Meeting Room Reference materials (on paper or electronic): budgets, annual progress reports, IOWA data, copies of surveys Classrooms: curricular evidence Preparing for the Visit Own printer and network dedicated to visiting committee—everything was there to help with writing Access to school website or portals (log in, etc.) Prepare shareholders to speak about the report—articulate history, plans for school Clearly labeled evidence boxes (with brightly colored papers) to differentiate from “other” boxes

26. Burning Question How do we differentiate between goals, strategies, activities HELPFUL TOOLS Using technology for data gathering & communication Survey: CTN or SurveyMonkey via Communications MOST CHALLENGING Challenging to write reports without sounding redundant, particularly in addressing Catholic Identity in every section. Suggestion: visit http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/. Use this language and use rubrics to help articulate your ideas Suggestions: provide samples (Dept. of Ed keeps copies of books in library); get leaders on visiting committees. Having to provide lesson plans tied to student work to rubrics to assessments is a challenge Develop thinking and analysis skills MOST CONFUSING Format with bulleted questions. Key is to focus on discussion: person who will be writing the narrative takes notes; not all bullets have to be covered; focus discussion—more conversation, less writing

27. I WISH I KNEW TO… • Assess/incorporate SLEs • EVANGELIZE YOUR MISSION: Create files (google docs) of data, evidence, etc. as the work is being done the first year—very helpful in preparing for visit • Do short parent survey during conference week; make computers available. CTN • Prepare shareholders (teachers, staff, students, families, SAC, parish staff) to know school’s strengths, challenges, what you’re working on-that’s evidence!