A Self Study Process for WCEA Catholic High Schools

Ensuring Educational Excellence is a new Self Study Protocol for use by Catholic High Schools. It has been piloted for two years by volunteer Catholic high schools from a number of (arch) dioceses that are members of WCEA. The purpose of the two-year pilot program was to obtain feedback and input from the “users.” We acknowledge their valuable assistance and thank them for their hard work. 2

3 The first part of the Self Study contains some introductory information and some tasks for the school to complete: 1.The Nature of Accreditation in WCEA (pages 4-5) 2.The E3 Self Study Format (page 5) 3.The Self Study Process (pages 5-6) (Written) 4.The E3 Meeting Process Form (PF) (page 7) (Written) 5.The Data Library (Pages 8-26) (Written) 6.The Standards of E3 (pages 27-29) 7.The Outline of E3 (pages 30-31)

The new E3 Self Study Protocol embraces SEVEN principles of Catholic high school Accreditation (page 4 of the SS): 1.The authenticity of a school’s Catholic identity; 2.The organizational efficacy of the school; 3.The excellence of its teaching and learning; 4.The vitality of the school’s co-curricular programs; 5.The school’s responsible stewardship of its material resources; 6.The school’s commitment to improvement; and 7. The integrity of the school’s process of self studying. 4

E3 requires schools to assess themselves (Chapter III) on each of FIVE categories of standards using the evidence found in the Data Library (Pages 8-26). The Categories of Standards are: (Pages 27-29): A.Catholic Identity; B.School Organization; C.Teaching and Learning; D.Student Support; and E. Material Stewardship. 5

1.The PURPOSE of this chapter is to provide the Leadership Team and the Visiting Committee an overview of the school (pages 32-34). 2.Items A-C consist of basic data and information about the school including the school’s address, form of governance, lists of personnel, etc. 3.Item D is a brief narrative of the history of the school. 4.Item E consists of the most significant developments of the school since the last accreditation visit presented in bullet format. 6

This chapter consists of the school’s Mission Statement, Philosophy Statement, and Integral Student Outcomes – ISOs (formerly known as ESLRs). (page 35). 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. 7

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. PLEASE NOTE: The school administration sends a digital copy of the Data Library to the Visiting Committee when it sends the copy of the Self Study to the Chair and committee members. Survey Data: For consistency of reporting, the guidelines for constructing surveys found on page 25 should be followed for every survey constructed by the school. Pages contain a listing of survey items found in various parts of the Data Library. 8

Data Gathering (pages 11-26) BOLD indicates a requirement of 3-years of data (generally in the form of a Table, e.g., #12 on page 11) [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 on pages may apply to one or more Catholic Identity Standards. 9

Practice Exercise for Data Library Gathering Data Gathering – Catholic Identity Review the 34 data-gathering statements on pages (allow about 5 minutes) Questions? Data Gathering – School Organization Review the 41 data-gathering statements on pages (allow about 10 minutes) Questions? Data Gathering – Teaching and Learning Review the 37 data-gathering statements on pages (allow about 15 minutes) Questions? Data Gathering – Student Support Standards Review the 36 data-gathering statements on pages (allow about 15 minutes) Questions? Data Gathering – Material Stewardship Review the 52 data-gathering statements on pages (allow about 10 minutes) Questions? 10

E3 – 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: A.Catholic Identity B.School Organization C.Teaching and Learning D.Student Support E.Material Stewardship Survey Items are organized by 11 specific groups (pages 25-26) 1.School 2.Administration 3.Teacher 4.Parent 5.Student 6.Alumni 7.Religion Department 8.Academic Departments 9.School Board 10.Diocesan Office 11. Support Staff 11

E3 – 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 and the corresponding Data-gathering statements found on pages 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 26, the survey is based on Standard B, #34 on page 15. 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 25 for additional and important information on constructing survey questions. 12

13 After the Data Library the Self Study Protocol lists the Standards of Ensuring Educational Excellence (pages 27-29) On page 30 there is an outline of Ensuring Educational Excellence which follows through Page 31. It simply lists all that can be found in Ensuring Educational Excellence.

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 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. 14

E3 Chapter III – 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. 15

E3 Chapter III – Findings (continued) Written Requirements: Written requirements are found at the end of each Category: 2.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. 16

E3 Chapter III – Findings (continued) Written Requirements: Catholic Identity Standards – page 39 School Organization Standards—page 42 Teaching and Learning Standards – page 44 Student Support Standards – page 46 Material Stewardship Standards – page 50 17

E3 Chapter III – 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. 18

E3 Chapter III – Findings (continued) Discerning Areas for Vital Growth (Page 51) 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 51) 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 IV) 19

A.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. 20

E3 Chapter V – Educational Improvement Plan (continued) B.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. 21

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 _______________________________________________________________________________________ 22

23 The Accreditation Cycle to Ensure Educational Excellence Pages Explain the new Accreditation cycle and the various Accreditation Status Conditions for ongoing implementation of the EIP and any significant changes that may occur during the six-year cycle. Pages contain a Glossary for E3 that may be useful especially for the first time a school writes its Self Study. Recommendation: It is highly recommended that a school prepare the Data Library as soon as possible even if it is not in the accreditation year. In that way, the school merely has to update the DL at the time of the writing of the Self Study. The discussion questions are there to really encourage solid discussion on the topics BEFORE any writing occurs. Provide enough discussion time because out of that comes the analysis of the discussions which leads to the critical growth areas and the key strengths which are included in the written summary for each section. Finally: This is YOUR document. It should reflect the reality of your school.