accreditation progress report

Accreditation Progress Report

Village School

Mr. Jose Antonio PeyreBoulevard Village

Km 25.5 Carretera a El SalvadorFinca Labor El Rosario

Villa Canales, Guatemala

Prepared for the AdvancED Quality Assurance Review

Report Status : Accepted

Report Open Date : April 18, 2012

Report Due Date : May 1, 2014

Report Submitted Date : April 30, 2014

Report Accepted Date : May 26, 2014

Accreditation Progress Report

Contents

1.0 About AdvancED and NCA CASI/SACS CASI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.0 Introduction to the Accreditation Progress Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43.0. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.0. Required Action 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4.1. School Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.2. Reviewer Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

5.0. Required Action 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115.1. School Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115.2. Reviewer Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

6.0. Required Action 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146.1. School Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146.2. Reviewer Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Village School

AdvancED Accreditation Progress Report of 16

1.0 About AdvancED and NCA CASI/SACS CASIBackground. Dedicated to advancing excellence in education worldwide, AdvancED provides accreditation,research, and professional services to 27,000 schools in 65 countries. AdvancED provides accreditation under theseals of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) andthe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACSCASI).

The Accreditation Process.To earn and maintain accreditation, schools must:

Meet the AdvancED Standards for Quality School Systems.1.Schools demonstrate adherence to the seven AdvancED standards which describe the quality practices andconditions that research and best practice indicate are necessary for school systems to achieve qualitystudent performance and organizational effectiveness.Engage in continuous improvement.2.Schools implement continuous improvement focused on improving student performance and schooleffectiveness.Demonstrate quality assurance through internal and external review.3.Schools engage in a planned process of ongoing internal review and self-assessment. In addition, schoolshost an external Quality Assurance Review team once every five years. The team evaluates the school'sadherence to the AdvancED quality standards, assesses the efficacy of the school's improvement processand methods for quality assurance, and provides commendations and required actions to help the schoolimprove. The school acts on the team's required actions and submits an Accreditation Progress Report atprescribed intervals following the Quality Assurance Review.

The AdvancED accreditation process engages the entire school community in a continuous process of self-evaluation and improvement. The overall aim is to help schools be the best they can be on behalf of thestudents they serve.

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2.0 Introduction to the Accreditation Progress ReportPurposeThe Accreditation Progress Report (APR) is a critical component of the AdvancED accreditation process. Itengages the school in a detailed review and analysis of the steps it has taken to address the required actions madeby the AdvancED Quality Assurance Review (QAR) team. Completing the report helps the school focus andreflect on its continuous improvement efforts.

It is the responsibility of the school to address each of the QAR report's required actions within the 5-year termaccreditation. Deadlines for completion of the report are based on the school's accreditation status and must bemet to maintain accreditation. Some schools may complete multiple reports during the 5-year term to demonstratethat they have fully addressed the required actions.

Structure of the ReportThe APR is organized around the required actions in the school's QAR team report. The APR lists the requiredaction from the report along with the rationale and evidence supporting the required action. The school thenindicates the progress that it has made toward meeting the required action and provides a more detailed responsedescribing the actions it has taken and the results obtained. The school provides a response for each of the QARteam required actions.

Following the school's response is the reviewer's response. Each APR is read by an AdvancED reader in the stateor regional office who reviews the school's response to determine if the required action has been met. The readerprovides his/her assessment of the progress the school has made and then offers comments to the school. Ifrequired actions remain in progress or not addressed, a new APR will be created with a new deadline forcompletion. As noted earlier, the school must address the required actions within the 5-year accreditation term.

ConclusionThe Accreditation Progress Report is a useful report for members of the school and broader community. It helpscommunity members see and monitor the ongoing improvement efforts of their school. It demonstrates how theschool uses its accreditation for the ongoing benefit of the students it serves.

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3.0. Summary1.1. Based on the actions taken by your institution to address the required actions provided by the QARteam, what has been the impact on your institution's overall effectiveness?:

Village School prides itself on the process of school improvement. Our goal is to adopt effective practices forschool improvement that help us advance the level of education we provide. We realize that school improvementis both strategic and operational, so to truly address the required actions of the QAR report wedesigned and implemented a Priority Action Plan containing 3 major goals and 30 specific actions.

QAR REQUIRED ACTIONS / IMPACTS:

1. Design and implement a continuous, focused professional development plan that supports school improvementgoals and provides for the growth of all personnel.

Impact: All staff at Village School is now enrolled in a continuous, focused professional development plan thatsupports school improvement goals and provides for the growth of all personnel.

2. Use relevant data analysis to provide administrators and teachers with pertinent information for decision-making to enhance the instructional programs and school effectiveness.

Impact: Staff at Village School is improving in their use of data analysis in order to drive decision making as itrelates to school programs and effectiveness.

3. Evaluate and communicate the impact of improvement efforts in demonstrating growth in student performanceand school effectiveness.

Impact: Leadership at Village School is evaluating and communicating the impact of improvement efforts thathave been implemented toward improving student achievement.

As a result of these actions, the school continues to demonstrate improvements in overall effectiveness. Currentlywe have a more qualified professional staff to support the educational program. Specifically, they are moreeffective users of relevant data and now possess appropriate tools to collect and analyze information in order tomake decisions and interventions. This includes data gathered through assessments and other performance reportsas well as perception data from student, parent, and educator surveys. We understand this is an ongoing processand that the full impact will be evident in the near future.

1.2. What would you consider to be challenges that still lie ahead and how do you plan to address thosechallenges?:

While Village School has addressed several issues, there remain several challenges ahead. Regarding ProfessionalDevelopment, we will need to continually create modules for our Village Academy online courses in order tofocus our efforts on meeting the diverse needs of our staff, including individual teacher needs and languagebarriers.

Village School


The challenges related to data analysis are to expand the use of high quality data, evidence, and information frommultiple sources to drive improvements in teaching and learning. The use of relevant data analysis to providestaff with quality information for decision making continues to be a major focus since the QAR Team visit.

In addition, we need to continue to systemize the evaluation and communication of the impact of ourimprovement efforts. We understand the importance of maintaining our focus on these long term goals.

1.3. How will you use the insights gained from your accreditation activities to inform and enhance yourquality assurance and school improvement efforts?:

Village has already implemented all of the required actions from our Accreditation Report. As a result, wecompared our existing practices with the suggested improvements of the visiting team and improved our own. This process validated our belief in the continuous cycle of improvement.

As a result of the refinement of our plans, we have now focused our efforts on addressing a fewer number of keygoals with a more in-depth approach. We will continue to communicate and enhance our improvement efforts aswe remain committed to the growth of all personnel, data analysis, and effective communication.

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Village School hosted a Quality Assurance Review team on 03/25/2012 - 03/29/2012. Through interviews withschool stakeholders, classroom observations, and a review of school documents and student performance results,the team developed a Quality Assurance Review (QAR) report detailing its findings from the visit. The full reportcan be viewed at www.advanc-ed.org.

The QAR report contained commendations and required actions for the school. The school is responsible foraddressing each of the required actions in the report. At prescribed intervals based on the school's accreditationstatus, the school must complete an Accreditation Progress Report. Below, please find the required actions fromthe QAR report and the school's response to each required action. Following the school's response is thereviewer's progress response and comments.

4.0. Required Action 1Source: QARDate: 2012-04-18

Required Action:

Design and implement a continuous, focused professional development plan that supports school improvementgoals and provides for the growth of all personnel.

Evidence:

Instructional and non-instructional staff indicated during interviews that their differentiated professionaldevelopment needs and interests were not being accommodated, which was corroborated by the results of thesurveys of professional development needs. A review of staff professional development records revealed thatadherence to timely professional development is not comprehensively monitored. Although professionaldevelopment time is allocated in the calendar and opportunities are provided, it does not appear to be focused onthe improvement initiatives and personnel needs.

Rationale:

All school personnel have a direct impact on student performance and school effectiveness; therefore, resourcessupporting relevant continuous professional development opportunities for all will help to ensure progress towardthe school's vision and purpose.

4.1. School Response

Progress Status: Completed

Response: Goal Number 1 of the Priority Plan: Staff at Village School will be enrolled in acontinuous, focused professional development plan that supports school improvementgoals and provides for the growth of all personnel.

The measurable objective is to demonstrate an increase in the professional growth of allpersonnel yearly as measured by the Professional Development Calendar, Letter ofCommitment, Online Training Report Card, and Compliance Matrices.

Village School


Strategy 1: Train Village School teaching and non-teaching staff in relevant areas

Teaching and non-teaching staff completed professional development in relevant areassuch as technology, data analysis, evaluation, individualized instruction, etc.

Activity 1: Budget for training was allocated.

Activity 2: Teacher training program was reviewed and revised.

Activity 3: Non-teaching training program was reviewed and revised.

Activity 4: Staff training program was updated, implemented, and monitored.

Activity 5: The impact of the updated training program is being evaluated.

Strategy 2: Foster staff professional development

Staff members were enrolled in a professional development process. Staff certificationswere verified to make sure they met all the requirements for his/her position. Failing todo so, these employees were either relocated to an appropriate position or enrolled in aneducational development process to meet the required conditions or were removed.

Activity 1: Compliance Matrices were developed.

Activity 2: Staff who did not meet qualifications or credentials were identified.

Activity 3: A Compliance Plan was developed.

Activity 4: Individual professional development plans for all the staff were developed.

Activity 5: The individual professional plans were implemented and monitored.

Activity 6: The impact of the individual professional development plans will continue tobe evaluated.

Strategy 3: Performance evaluation of all personnel

Principals and Assistant Principals evaluated their staff at least once each semester.Feedback was provided and an improvement plan was implemented.

Activity 1: Instruments for performance evaluation were reviewed and revised.

Activity 2: A complete performance evaluation program was developed.

Activity 3: The performance evaluation program was implemented and monitored.

Activity 4: The impact of the implementation of the performance evaluation programwill continue to be evaluated.

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Strategy 4: Recruit, hire, and place highly qualified staff

The Administrative Director recruited, hired, and placed sufficient highly qualifiedprofessionals to support the educational program.

Activity 1: A portal to recruit highly qualified personnel was created.

Activity 2: National and international recruitment services were contracted.

Activity 3: Participated in national job fairs.

Activity 4: Employment benefits were improved.

Activity 5: Screening processes prior to hiring staff were improved.

Activity 6: The impact of the implementation of new hiring strategies will continue to beevaluated.

Strategy 5: Review and revise the induction process

The staff completed a thorough induction process prior to initiating work at the school.

Activity 1: The Induction Manual was reviewed and revised.

Activity 2: The modules of the induction program were developed.

Activity 3: Facilitators of the induction program were trained.

Activity 4: The induction program was implemented.

Activity 5: Staff members were trained for mentoring.

Activity 6: The implementation of the induction program was updated and monitored.

Activity 7: The impact of implementation of the induction program will continue to beevaluated.

NEXT STEPS:

After reviewing and revising the training program, the leadership of the school decidedthe staff training should be completed online to offer differentiated professionaldevelopment opportunities. Since July, 2013, the school began developing the onlinecourses and modules, and currently we have already completed 15% of them. Our goalis to have all the courses, including the induction courses, ready by 2016.

The plan is to have certified teachers use our Village Academy Online Courses and torecertify them every year. Right now, we are combining the online courses with after-hours sessions every Thursday, once a month sessions and two weeks of professional

Village School


development in July, just before beginning the new school year, and we also utilizeoutside resources.

Village Academy Online sessions allow teachers to differentiate and individualize theirprofessional development at their convenience. Our school professional developmentplan is needs based and data driven, training days are planned and published in theannual calendar distributed to parents and staff at the beginning of the year.

Artifacts:

1. Staff Training Budget

2. Updated Teacher Training Program

3. Updated Non-Teacher Training Program

4. Staff Compliance Matrices

5. Staff Individual Professional Development Plan

6. Performance Evaluation Program

7. Personnel Recruitment Portal on School Website

8. Employment Benefits

9. Personnel Hiring Screening Process

10. Instructional Induction Manual

11. Village School Annual Calendar

12. Online Professional Development Courses

4.2. Reviewer Response

Progress Response: Completed

Comments forInstitution:

The school's descriptions of measures taken, i.e. elaboration of a focused professionaldevelopment plan within the school's Priority Plan and the articulated five strategies andactivities is a most positive development. The number of PD initiatives that have beenimplemented and realized has been substantive. Furthermore, the established goal ofoffering Village Academy Online staff training courses and modules is also applauded. This effort will require however regular monitoring and ongoing development to reachthe desired goal of completion of all courses by 2016.

Additionally, the need for continued attention to PD activities during the school year, i.e.two weeks of PD focus during the July in-service period and PD sessions during theweeks of the regular school year, will be an ongoing additional need. It is alsosuggested that opportunity be established for regular survey of staff members to acquire

Village School


their feedback and also assure regular efficacy evaluation.

Congratulations are extended to the school for the development of the professionaldevelopment plan and all measures delineated in the APR for continued addressing ofthis important initiative.


Required Action:

Use relevant data analysis to provide administrators and teachers with pertinent information for decision-makingto enhance the instructional programs and school effectiveness.

Evidence:

The scores of several of the assessments are expressed qualitative measures rather than quantitative measures thatwould allow for easy systematic analysis of instructional and organizational effectiveness.. There was no datapresented on the overall national scores or subgroups of scores on the PAA, a Guatemalan examination used forcollege entrance. There was no longitudinal data provided for the Stanford which could demonstrate studentgrowth over time. Results of the different assessments tools are not systematically communicated to the teachers,so that they can use the information to improve the teaching and learning process.

Rationale:

In order to be able to measure and compare students' academic progress and program effectiveness, it is importantto have clear organization of the data from the academic assessments that are expressed in standard statisticalterms. This will allow monitoring of student and group progress, as well as comparative studies with like schools,national and international populations that will allow for program evaluation. Using relevant data for decisionmaking purposes will ensure the capability of the school and teachers to measure the impact/growth of efforts toimprove student performance and school effectiveness.


Progress Status: Completed

Response: Goal Number 2 of the Priority Plan:

Village School Staff will become consistent users of relevant data for decision making.

Measurable Objective: Demonstrate the use of relevant data for decision making toenhance the instructional programs and school effectiveness annually as measured byStandardized Test Data, Student Performance Record, VAC (Village AdjustedCurriculum) Referral Process Form, Student Portfolios, Student Intervention Reports,Pedagogical Intervention Form, Student Follow Up, Etc.

Village School


Strategy 1: Establish a Comprehensive Student Assessment System

The Evaluation Committee reviewed, revised, and updated the Student AssessmentSystem assuring the use of multiple assessments to include diagnostic, formative, andsummative evaluations.

Activity 1: The Evaluation Committee was created.

Activity 2: The Student Assessment System was updated to include diagnostic exams,Student Portfolios, Integrated Projects, Problem-Solving Case Studies, Rubrics,Checklists, Student Self Evaluations, Peer Evaluations, and addition of MAP Testing,etc.

Activity 3: Intervention Programs have been designed, implemented, and monitoredbased on the data generated from these multiple assessments.

Activity 4: Results from all assessments will continue to be used to monitor studentprogress.

Activity 5: The ASSIST Diagnostic Tools to measure improvement were utilized.

Activity 6: Domestic assessments will be designed based on learning taxonomies.

Activity 7: The impact of the implementation of the Student Assessment System will bemonitored through academic performance.

Strategy 2: Staff shall collect, analyze, and apply data for decision making

Teaching and non-teaching staff used approved systematic processes and procedures forcollecting, analyzing, and learning from a range of data sources, including comparison ofdata that provided a comprehensive picture of student learning, instruction, and theeffectiveness of school programs.

Activity 1: Processes and procedures for collecting and analyzing data sources weredeveloped.

Activity 2: School-wide data, by grade level and subject, was reviewed and analyzed.

Activity 3: Data was used to develop, implement, and evaluate improvement plans.

Activity 4: Based on relevant data, students were identified for remediation and/orenrichment and were referred to the VAC (Village Adjusted Curriculum) Program. Thisprogram was created for students with special learning needs as well as academicallystruggling students.

Activity 5: The Academic Committee meets regularly to analyze achievement testingresults.

Activity 6: The MAP pilot program was applied, the results were analyzed, andrecommendations for school-wide implementation were received.

Village School


Activity 7: As a result of analyzing student reading level data, we implemented schoolbased and home based reading programs. We will also begin using an online, lexilebased reading program next year.

Strategy 3: Train teaching and non-teaching staff on evaluation, interpretation, anduse of data

All staff was regularly and systematically assessed and trained in an individualizedprofessional development program related to evaluation, interpretation, and use of data.

Activity 1: Professional development courses on evaluation, interpretation, and use ofdata were developed and implemented.

Activity 2: The impact of these professional development courses is being evaluated.

NEXT STEPS:

Data analysis is a skill set that we will continue to develop in all our staff. All staffmembers will be monitored to assure that appropriate data is driving their decisions. Wewill research, collaborate, and use technological tools to guide us in collecting andanalyzing data effectively. We will continue analyzing all available data with thesupport of our Student Records Office. Remediation and individualized interventionswill continue to be provided as needed by the classroom teachers, principals, andassistant principals.

ARTIFACTS

Evaluation Committee Policy1.Updated Student Assessment Manual2.Data Collection and Analysis ManualStaff3.4.

Professional Development Records5.

Professional Development SchedulesMAP Implementation (Student Goal Setting Worksheets, etc.)6.MAP TrainingMAP Pilot Program Report and recommendations7.Individual Student Performance Records8.9.

Standardized Tests MatrixExamples of student multiple assessments10.


Progress Response: Completed


Once again, the school's confirmation that this Required Action is now incorporatedwithin the school's Priority Plan is evidence of the school's commitment to fullyaddressing this action. Particularly notable within the identified strategies and activities

Village School


has been the establishment of Comprehensive Student Assessment System andcorresponding intervention programs based upon collected student MAP performancedata.

Critical will be the affirmation made within the APR that data analysis will be anongoing focus of the school and a skill set of development on the part of all teaching andnon-teaching staff in how to effectively collect, evaluate, and interpret studentperformance data. This effort must also take into consideration PD training for any newstaff members.

This Required Action is considered "Completed" based upon the school's measuresreported in the APR and congratulations are extended.


Required Action:

Evaluate and communicate the impact of improvement efforts in demonstrating growth in student performanceand school effectiveness.

Evidence:

Although the completion status of implementation of previous initiatives helped to inform some continuation intothe Strategic Plan 2012-2017, there was no evidence of evaluation of the impact of the improvement initiatives.The dissemination and communication of improvement efforts and results were not demonstrated to be widelycommunicated to parents, staff or entire school community.

Rationale:

Specific improvement goals that are measurable will provide the basis for data to determine the impact ofimprovement efforts and will help ensure a highly, sustainable continuous process of improvement that can bereadily communicated to all stakeholders.


Progress Status: In Progress

Response: Goal Number 3 of the Priority Plan:

Leadership at Village School will evaluate and communicate the impact of improvementefforts toward demonstrating growth in student performance and school effectiveness.

Measurable Objective: Collaborate to evaluate and communicate the impact ofimprovement efforts by 04/31/2014 as measured by ongoing surveys, quarterly digitalpublications, parent-administration meetings, welcoming introductory meeting, status of

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school goals letters, etc.

Strategy 1: Evaluate the impact of improvement efforts

Leadership regrouped the Improvement Committee to develop procedures in order toevaluate the impact of the ongoing Improvement Plan.

Activity 1: Instruments were identified and correlated to specific improvement efforts inorder to measure their impact.

Activity 2: These instruments were added to the Strategic Plan according to thesecorrelations.

Activity 3: Evaluation criteria were defined.

Activity 4: Analysis of data generated from these instruments is now ongoing.

Strategy 2: Develop an ongoing and effective communication plan to increasestakeholders' knowledge about the school´s improvement goals and results.

Activity 1: An inventory of current communication channels was collected.

Activity 2: Target stakeholder groups were identified.

Activity 3: The effectiveness of previous communications was reviewed.

Activity 4: Best practices of school communication were researched and discussed.

Activity 5: A communication plan was developed and implemented, and its impact willcontinue to be evaluated.

Strategy 3: Communicate the result of improvement efforts

Leadership communicated the results of improvement efforts through all the availablechannels in order to reach all stakeholders as mandated by the Communication Plan.

Activity 1: Standardized testing results are now being discussed with parents andstudents.

Activity 2: An annual improvement report for stakeholders has been scheduled forpublication.

Activity 3: School publications with improvement information were sent to stakeholders.

Activity 4: Social networks were utilized to communicate improvement information.

Activity 5: Meetings with parents regarding student growth were increased to a quarterlybasis.

Village School


NEXT STEPS

Village School will continue to be committed toward demonstrating and communicatingour improvement efforts. We believe these efforts will lead to achieving growth instudent performance and school effectiveness. Our current plan will ensure our goals foreffective communication will be achieved. Using feedback from these communications,we will further engage all stakeholders in our continuous school improvement process.

ARTIFACTS

Evaluation of the improvement plan reports1.Communication Plan2.3.

School-parents communications via SAC, Edline.net, Facebook, Twitter,newspapers, etc.4.

Parent-administration meeting minutes5.

School Welcome VideoYearbook Principal Letter6.7.

Stakeholder SurveysGeneral Assemblies to recognize student success8.


Progress Response: In Progress


This Required Action, as confirmed by the school, is still "In Progress." The twocomponents of the Required Action, "evaluation" and "communication" of educationalimprovement efforts are what will require regular monitoring and elaboration by theschool.

The school's confirmation that analysis of data is now being generated and that acommunication plan has been developed and implemented with standardized test resultsbeing discussed with parents and students is great to see. As the school takes ongoingadditional measures, i.e. development of regular channels of communication such asregular meetings with parents to report feedback, publication of an Annual SchoolReport with full disclosure for all stakeholders of improvement results, etc. the schoolwill be poised to successfully address and complete this final Required Action as well.

Village School


accreditation progress report

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