A Self Study Process for WCEA Catholic High Schools ENSURING EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE (E3) A Self Study Process for WCEA Catholic High Schools

Definition of E3: Ensuring Educational Excellence is a “pilot” Self Study Protocol for use by Catholic High Schools during the 2013 and 2014 academic years. The accreditation status granted by WCEA will be recognized by WCEA’s partnering agencies.

The new E3 Self Study Protocol embraces SEVEN principles of Catholic high school Accreditation (page 5 of the SS): The authenticity of a school’s Catholic identity; The organizational efficacy of the school; The excellence of its teaching and learning; The vitality of the school’s co-curricular programs; The school’s responsible stewardship of its material resources; The school’s commitment to improvement; and 7. The integrity of the school’s process of self studying.

E3 requires schools to assess themselves (Chapter IV) on each of FIVE categories Of standards using the evidence found in the Data Library (Pages 18-36). The Categories of Standards are: (Pages 8-11): Catholic Identity; School Organization; Teaching and Learning; Student Support; and E. Material Stewardship.

The school then creates an Educational Improvement Plan (EIP) which: A. Addresses the degree to which the school accomplished all of its previous Action Plan. B. Addresses each of the Areas for Vital Growth that the school has identified in Chapter IV. The Visiting Committee then confirms: The degree to which the school accomplishes all of the Standards. The degree to which the school’s EIP addresses the Areas for Vital Growth.

E3 Chapter I – Introduction to the School The PURPOSE of this chapter is to provide the Leadership Team and the Visiting Committee an overview of the school (pages 12-14). Items A-M consist of basic data and information about the school including the school’s address, form of governance, lists of personnel, etc. Item N is a brief narrative of the history of the school. Item O consists of the most significant developments of the school since the last accreditation visit presented in bullet format.

E3 Chapter II – School Purpose This chapter consists of the school’s Mission Statement, Philosophy Statement, and Integral Student Outcomes – ISOs (formerly known as ESLRs). (page 15). ISOs are essential attributes of an educated person. ISOs are about forming a person. As such, the emphasis is on the outcome of a Who (who the student will become) rather than a what (what the student will be able to do). ISOs are derived from the school’s mission and philosophy statements. In revising their ESLRs into ISOs, school should pay attention to creating rubrics to measure the degree to which integral student outcomes are realized. Schools should begin converting from ELSRs to ISOs and the various handbooks, etc. updated for the Accreditation Visit.

E3 Chapter III – The Self Study Process A. Organizing for the work of the self studying (page 16) 1. Identify the members of the E3 Leadership Team. 2. Identify the members of each E3 Home Group. A Home Group (e.g., departments, administrators, parents) looks at the data from that particular discipline to uncover key strengths and key growth areas. 3. Identify the members of each E3 Integral Group An Integral Group is a multi-disciplinary group formed to review data that covers multiple disciplines and/or is relevant to the entire school (e.g. mission statement) to uncover key strengths and key growth areas.

Chapter III Chronicling the Process of Self Studying 1. Establish a timeline/calendar for Leadership Team meetings, Home Group meetings, and Integral Group meetings. 2. Assign responsibilities for gathering information that will go into the Data Library. 3. Use E3 Process form (PF) on page 17 to document the meetings of the various groups.

Chapter III Gathering Data 1. Gathering representative student work in all courses Student work is gathered by home and integral groups and informs the groups about student achievement of the ISOs and other pertinent criteria. Student work is not kept in the Data Library.

Chapter III Gathering Data (continued) Construct the Data Library (DL) The DL is completed prior to Chapter IV of the Self Study. The DL is kept in a binder separate from the Self Study. The DL is primarily bulleted lists, tables, etc. Some DL information requires three years of data. The DL should be updated ANNUALLY.

Chapter III Gathering Data (continued) NOTE: The Data Library is a collection of mostly statistical information about the school and its programs. It is not a narrative, not ‘findings,’ not a listing of key strengths or key growth areas. Survey Data: For consistency of reporting, the guidelines for constructing surveys found on page 19 should be followed for every survey constructed by the school. Pages 37-38 contain a listing of survey items found in various parts of the Data Library.

Chapter III Data Gathering (pages 20-36) BOLD indicates a requirement of 3-years of data (generally in the form of a Table, e.g., #12 on page 21) [Items in brackets call for data from a survey constructed by the school]. Data gathering is not by ‘standard,’ but by category of standards. For example, the data gathered using the 34 data-gathering statements listed Om pages 21-22 may apply to one or more Catholic Identity Standards.

Chapter III Data Gathering – Catholic Identity Review the 34 data-gathering statements on pages 20-22 (allow about 5 minutes) Questions? Chapter III Data Gathering – School Organization Review the 41 data-gathering statements on pages 23-26 (allow about 10 minutes) Chapter III Data Gathering – Teaching and Learning Review the 36 data-gathering statements on pages 26-29 (allow about 15 minutes) Chapter III Data Gathering – Student Support Standards Review the 36 data-gathering statements on pages 30-32 (allow about 15 minutes) Chapter III Data Gathering – Material Stewardship Review the 52 data-gathering statements on pages 33-36 (allow about 10 minutes)

E3 Chapter III – Survey Items Remember that the Data Library (DL) contains a number of survey items spread over the five area of the Standards of E3. The five areas are: Catholic Identity School Organization Teaching and Learning Student Support Material Stewardship Survey Items are organized by 11 specific groups (pages 37-38) School Administration Teacher Parent Student Alumni Religion Department Academic Departments School Board Diocesan Office 11. Support Staff

E3 Chapter III – Survey Items (continued) The school is expected to create a survey relevant to the group being surveyed. The survey should be based on the items listed on pages 37-38 and the corresponding Data-gathering statements found on pages 20-36. Survey responses should be kept in a separate binder. Survey tabulations should be included in the Data Library. For example: the school needs to create a survey for Support Staff: According to the Item List on page 38, the survey is based on Standard B, #34 on page 25. Standard B #34 is “The perception of support staff concerning the degree of significance of their work in the overall accomplishment of the school’s mission.” The school designs one or more questions to address this perception. The survey response is on a scale a scale of 1-7 with 1 being to a minimal and 7 being to a great extent Extent. See page 19 for additional and important information on constructing survey questions.

E3 Chapter IV – Findings Key Questions for discussion and reflection: Takes place after the Data Library is completed. The appropriate Integral and Home Groups discuss the Key Questions for reflection and discussion found on pages 39-55. Key Questions for reflection and discussion are listed by Standards in each category. Please NOTE: Key Questions are for reflection and discussion only. The Data Library is used as evidence for the answers to the Key ` Questions.

E3 Chapter IV – Findings (continued) Written Requirements: Written requirements are found at the end of each category (e.g. Category A – Catholic Identity): 1. After a thorough reflection and discussion/analysis of the Standards (based on the Key Questions), the school is to write an overall summary paragraph that reflects the school’s evaluation of itself vis a vis these Standards.

E3 Chapter IV – Findings (continued) Written Requirements: Written requirements are found at the end of each Category: In bullet format, the school should identify any key strengths within the school experience vis a vis these Standards. Include a brief rationale and citation (s) from the Data Library as evidence in support of each identification.

E3 Chapter IV – Findings (continued) Written Requirements: Catholic Identity Standards – page 42 School Organization Standards—page 45 Teaching and Learning Standards – page 48 Student Support Standards – page 51 Material Stewardship Standards – page 55

Discerning Areas for Vital Growth: E3 Chapter IV – Findings (continued): Discerning Areas for Vital Growth: Before beginning the discernment process for identifying Areas for Vital Growth, it is recommended that the school create a list of all key growth areas. This list may facilitate the school to see all key growth areas in one place and assist the discernment process. NOTE: An Area for Vital Growth is a key growth area that must be addressed – and must be remedied – in order for the school to achieve and maintain its vitality. It is recommended that this discernment process needs to focus on the Standards for Catholic Identity and Teaching and Learning first.

E3 Chapter IV – Findings (continued) Discerning Areas for Vital Growth Two or more key growth areas could be combined into a single Area for Vital Growth. The school should limit the number of Areas for Vital Growth (see # 5 on page 56) List all identified Area for Vital Growth in bullet format for inclusion in the Self Study. Please NOTE: Each Area for Vital Growth (see previous bullet) is addressed in the form of an action plan for improvement within the Educational Improvement Plan (EIP) (Chapter V)

E3 Chapter V – Educational Improvement Plan Implementation of the Prior Plan from the last Self Study. 1. The school includes a written summary of its accomplishment of each part of its revised Action Plan from the last Accreditation Visit. 2. Summarize each goal in a single paragraph. 3. Include the mid-term progress report if one was required as a result of the last Accreditation Visit. 4. Provide a one-paragraph summary of any goals added to the Action Plan since the last Visit.

E3 Chapter V – Educational Improvement Plan (continued) Current Educational Improvement Plan (EIP) 1. Construct an Action Plan for each Area for Vital Growth that the school has identified at the conclusion of Chapter IV. 2. All Action Plans should include at least the following: a. Identify the area for vital growth b. Identify the goal being addressed c. Write a rational for the plan (reference the Data Library) d. List the strategies being employed along with the acting agents, necessary resources, assessment of progress, reporting of progress, and a timeline for completion.

__________________________________________________________ Area for Vital Growth _____________________________________________________________________________________ Goal of the Action Plan Rationale for the Action Plan (Based on findings in Chapter IV with appropriate references to data from the Data library) Action Steps: Acting Agents: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Necessary Resources Ways of Assessing Progress __________________________________________________________ Ways of Reporting Progress _______________________________________________________________________________________ Timeline for Completion