Team Member Training Reflections on Standards of Quality: Career & Technical Institutions

1. Team Member Training Reflections on Standards of Quality: Career & Technical Institutions The Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools

2. The Focus of the Training is: • What is MSA-CSS accreditation for career and technical schools? • What is the protocol and Standards for accreditation? • What are the responsibilities of a Team Member? • What part does the Visiting Team play in the accreditation process?

3. The Middle States Region MSA accredits more than 2600 schools in 39 states and over 100 countries.

4. What is Accreditation and Why is it Important for CT Institutions? CT Accreditation… • Encourages and facilitates school improvement • Provides accountability for expectations for student performance and organizational capacity • Fosters stakeholder involvement and commitment • Builds positive public relations • Authorizes post-secondary, non-degree granting institutions to apply for Title IV funding

5. Profile of an Accredited CT Institution • Adheres to the Middle States Standards for Accreditation • Uses its Mission as the basis for daily decision making • Operates in the public interest • Accepts responsibility for expected performance of students • Remains committed to continuous improvement • Operates in a collegial and collaborative way with all of its stakeholders

6. Who Uses this Protocol? • Secondary CTE Institutions • Secondary CTE Institutions that also offer adult education certificate programs • Postsecondary, non-degree granting career and technical institutions that intend to use MSA accreditation to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs

7. What are the Components of the Protocol?

8. Essential Question for the Institution Where are we now in terms of student performance and organizational capacity in relation to where we want to be as stated in our Mission?

9. Descriptive Summary:The Institution Context of the Institution: • History • Traditions • Trends • Staffing • Student population • Socio-economics and demographics of the community

10. Descriptive Summary:Students and Their Performance • Enrollment Data and Trends • Demographic Data and Trends • Withdrawal Rates and Trends • Institutional Data for Student Performance • Post-Completion Intentions

11. Descriptive Summary:Organizational Capacity Self-Assessment of Compliance with the Indicators of Quality for Middle States Standards for Accreditation of CT Institutions

12. What are the Standards of Quality? • Mission • Governance and Leadership • Institutional Planning • Finances • Facilities • Climate, Organization and Staff • Health and Safety • Educational Program • Assessment and Evidence of Student Learning • Student Services • Student Life and Student Activities • Information Resources

13. The Role of the Indicators for the Standards of Quality • Amplify a Standard • Provide greater clarity on how a Standard is met • Provide multiple ways that a Standard can be met • Respect the individual integrity of the school • Do NOT act as a checklist

14. Organization of the Self-Assessmentof the Standards • Issues Related to the Standard • Self-Assessment of Compliance with the Indicators • Evidence to Support the Assessment • Self-Assessment of Compliance with the Standard

15. Standard Format Finance Standard for Accreditation The Standard: The institution has financial resources that are sufficient to provide its students with the educational program defined in the institution’s philosophy/ mission. Its finances are currently stable and projections indicate continuing stability. The institution uses business practices that are ethical and follow accepted budgeting and accounting principles and that promote confidence in the institution’s ability to manage its fiscal and material resources in a responsible manner. The institution dedicates the majority of its financial resources to implementing its educational program, services, activities, and operations.

16. Sample Indicators The governing body and leadership ensure the institution has and implements written financial policies and procedures that: FI.1 Ensure business practices are in accordance with accepted business practices. FI.2 Ensure current and future financial resources are sufficient to provide for achieving the institution’s mission and goals. FI.3 Require the governing body and leadership to exercise prudent control over all financial operations. FI.4 Govern the collection and refund of students' tuitions and fees.

17. Documentation of Compliance • Description of the evidence or lack of evidence that supports the rating for the Indicators • Self-assessment that the institution is in compliance with the Standard for Accreditation • Self-assessment that the institution is not in compliance with the Standard for Accreditation • Identified areas of strength • Identified areas for improvement

18. Evidence to Support the Self-Assessment • Climate, Organization and Staff • Contracts (e.g. union, collective bargaining agreements) • Results of climate surveys • Health and Safety • Emergency crisis plans • Records of most recent health and safety inspections

19. Program Assessment • Self-Assessment of Compliance with the Indicators of Quality for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment • Compliance with the Student Performance Rates

20. Curriculum • CI.1 Content and instructional activities that are consistent with the institution's philosophy/mission • CI.2 Program/course objectives that are simply stated and understandable to students. • CI.3 Program/course objectives and expectations for learning that are understood and supported by the institution's stakeholders.

21. Instruction • II.1 Instructional methodologies that are appropriate for ensuring students achieve the expected knowledge, skills, and competencies in the career/technical programs. • II.2 A variety of teaching strategies and techniques to meet the needs of individual students in the career/technical programs. • II.3 The amount and pacing of knowledge, skills, and competencies to be mastered are appropriate and reasonable.

22. Assessment • AI.1 Assessment of student learning and performance is aligned with curriculum and instruction in the curriculum. • AI.2 A variety of appropriate methods for assessing student learning and performance is used in the career/technical programs. • AI.4 The methods used for assessing student learning and performance enable students to monitor their own learning progress and teachers to adapt their instruction to students’ specific learning needs.

23. Student and Organizational Performance Rate Program Completion Rate The Standard for the completion rate is at least 70% of enrolled students completing the program within 150% of the time designated for completing the program.

24. Student and Organizational Performance Rate Licensing Pass Rate The Standard for the licensing passing rate is at least 70% of program completers passing the assessment for a program in which licensing is required.

25. Student and Organizational Performance Rate Program Completer Job Placement Rate The Standard for the job placement rate is at least 70% of program completers within 180 days of the day they received their certificate, or other recognized educational credential, obtained gainful employment in the recognized occupation for which they were trained or in a related comparable recognized occupation

26. Student and Organizational Performance Rate Student Loan Default Rate. The Standard for the student loan default rate is set annually by the U.S. Department of Education.

27. External Scan • The Steering Committee appoints a committee to conduct the External Scan. • The External Scan asks: What are the educational, social, political, economic, and technological factors that are and will be affecting our institution?  • The External Scan informs the Action Plans for Growth and Improvement.

28. Plan for Growth and Improvement • What are the gaps between what we want our students to be able to demonstrate and where we are now? • What are the reasons (the root causes) of these gaps? • What do we have to do to eliminate the gaps?

29. Identifying Priorities for Growth and Improvement • Self-Assessment of Compliance with the Standards • Self-Assessment of each Program • Curriculum • Instruction • Assessment • Student Performance Data • Completion Rate • Licensing Pass Rate • Job Placement Rate (Post-Sec, only) • Loan Default Rate (Post-Sec, only) • Results of the External Scan

30. Setting Priorities Based on all of this information and data, what are the objectives for growth and improvement in: • Student Performance? • Organizational Capacity?

31. Objectives For accreditation: • Three, four, or five measurable objectives • Two of the objectives must focus on areas of student performance • At least one organizational capacity objective

32. Examples – Student Performance Objectives Common student performance objectives in career and Technical institutions: • Increased program completion rates • Increased licensing assessment pass rates • Increased percentage of students earning industry certifications

33. Examples – Student Performance Objectives Common organizational capacity priorities in career and Technical institutions: • Increase the percentage of programs in which national industry certifications are available to students • Increase the number of partnerships with the business/industry community • Improve the quality and amount of its communications with stakeholders

34. Action Plans • What do we have to do better and/or differently to achieve the objectives we have set for ourselves? • How can we best commit our finite time, energy, and resources in reasonable and implementable action plans? • How can we ensure that we are using all of the creativity, intelligence, knowledge, and experience of our stakeholders to create plans that will lead to the likelihood we will achieve our objectives? • Answers to these questions form the basis for multi-year action plans to achieve the objectives.

35. Team Member Qualifications You have been nominated because your school considers you to be someone who is highly respected by your school community and you are… Reliable, Perceptive, Cooperative, Professional

36. The Purpose of the Team’s Visit is to: Observe the school’s congruence with its Self-Study. Validate the school’s adherence with the MSA Standards for Accreditation. Determine the school’s compliance with the requirements of the accreditation protocol. Document student performance rates at 70% or above Report to the Commission on the school’s eligibility for accreditation.

37. Guidelines for Team Members • Avoid comparison to your school • Avoid expressing personal opinions • Be a critical friend, but not a consultant • Be respectful • Trust the protocol • Leave the school in a position to grow

38. As a Team Member it is your Responsibility to: Read, observe, and listen carefully. Participatefully in all meeting and team activities/events Write your sections of the Team Report according to directions, as assigned.

39. Each day of the Team Visit will vary but will typically include opportunities to… • Review documentation • Interview stakeholders • Observe teaching and learning • Meet with Team Members • Write your portions of the Team Report

40. Using the Documentation Provided with the Self-Study • Review the documentation referred to in the Self-Study. • Formulate questions for interviews from the documentation. • Identify any additional individuals you may need to talk with and/or documentation you may need in order to support your decisions.

41. Interviews • Prepare thoroughly • Don’t reflect personal values • Don’t be distracted by individual agendas • Avoid taking sides on local issues • Keep an open mind • Don’t take opinions as facts • Always seek verification

42. Observing Instruction • Multiple, brief visits to classrooms and labs • Validate the implementation of the programs as described in the school’s Self-Study • Avoid interrupting instruction

43. Meeting with the Team • Team Orientation • The Protocol • The Process • Daily Team Meetings: • The Reports • Consensus Building

44. Writing the Report • Adhere to the template provided • Write in bullet points • Refer to the school’s own factual descriptions validated by your reading, observations and interviews • Identify important issues and tie to indicators in the Standards • Do not be overly prescriptive • Commend and praise the school where it is due • Complete your assignments before the end of the visit

45. While reading, interviewing, observing, meeting, and writing, Keep these Key Questions in Mind: • Has the school thoroughly completed the Self-Study process? • Does the school meet the Standards? • Do the programs meet the expected student performance rates? • Are the school’s objectives and action plans not only appropriate, but achievable?

46. Does the School Meet the Standards and the Requirements of the Protocol? COMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS MONITORING ISSUES STIPULATIONS

47. At the Conclusion of the Team Visit… • Turn-in completed report assignments • Return all school materials • Submit personal Expense Report • Participate in Oral Report • Electronic Survey

48. The Review Process SECONDARY COMMISSION Accreditation Decision