Oral Exit Report Quality Assurance Review Team Grandview High School March 9-10, 2009

© 2007 AdvancED 2 About AdvancED The Unification of NCA CASI, SACS CASI, NSSE Creates the World’s Largest Educational Community 23,000 public and private schools and districts 30 states –Navajo Nation –Department of Defense 65 countries –Latin America 15 million students

© 2007 AdvancED 3 Advancing Excellence AdvancED is committed to advancing excellence in education by providing accreditation and continuous improvement services that: Maximize student success Build school and system capacity Bring together research, best practices, and resources for student, school, and system improvement

© 2007 AdvancED 4 Accreditation Elements To earn and maintain accreditation, schools:  Meet standards for accreditation;  Engage in continuous improvement; and  Demonstrate quality assurance through internal and external review.

© 2007 AdvancED 5 Purpose of the Quality Assurance Review Assess the capacity of the school to meet the standards; Assess the effectiveness and impact of the continuous improvement process; Identify strengths deserving of commendation; and Develop recommendations which are designed to help strengthen the school to improve student learning.

© 2007 AdvancED 6 Procedures Followed The Quality Assurance Review Team  Reviewed documentation provided by school  Developed points of inquiry for on-site review  Established, in collaboration with school personnel, a schedule of activities and interactions that would provide significant stakeholder involvement  Conducted interviews of a representative set of stakeholders  Engaged in professional deliberations to consider the capacity of the school to meet the requirements for accreditation

© 2007 AdvancED 7 Interviews with Stakeholders During the on-site Quality Assurance Review, team members interviewed:  57 Administrator(s)  141 Teachers  39 Support staff  25 Parents and business partners  222 Students  30 Others (community/School Board) TOTAL of 514 stakeholders

© 2007 AdvancED 8 Process for Gathering Evidence In considering the evidence as provided through data, documentation, observation, and dialogue, the Quality Assurance Team  Sought a school perspective;  Pursued evidence that could be correlated through multiple sources;  Examined the context and capacity of the school in relation to its vision, mission, and beliefs; and  Applied the criteria for accreditation.

© 2007 AdvancED 9 Team Decisions Regarding Quality Commendations…recognition of practices and/or conditions that are exemplary—go beyond what is typically seen in schools Recommendations…professional recommendations by the Quality Assurance Review Team that must be addressed within two years of our visit

© 2007 AdvancED 10 Commendations The Quality Assurance Review Team commends Grandview High School for : Living the school vision of “ Unleashing our potential through rigor, relevance, and relationships. ” It is apparent through statements from stakeholder interviews and classroom observations that all school members feel strong relationships. “ This school is like a family. ” Using school data and forcing it out into the public has caused all stakeholders to know that rigor must increase for improved student achievement. The current use of National School Reform Faculty processes and the Instructional Practices Inventory will help faculty more toward a more rigorous and relevant instruction. The school has done an outstanding job of disaggregating the data. Now, it is important to develop programs that address the identified needs. One example is the math benchmarks. Students must master content before they move on. This is helping students understand the importance of learning material, rather than just knowing it to take a test. Student involvement and enthusiasm has increased and data has shown a 16% improvement in tested information this semester.

© 2007 AdvancED 11 Commendation, Cont’d) The importance of relevance is being addressed by creating small learning communities where students will select a career-based house beginning next year. Administration and teachers believe that this will not only continue to develop positive relationships with students, but will provide the relevance needed for success in the content area.

© 2007 AdvancED 12 Recommendations The Quality Assurance Review Team recommends Grandview High School: Utilize the current benchmark model used by the mathematics department to move into the core areas of communication arts, science, and social studies. Through interviews with teachers and students, it is apparent that this “new” model for learning is making a difference. The mathematics department has broken new ground in the way that it delivers instruction. This department has had many growing pains and students have learned about the importance of learning. This model can and will improve student learning as well as student achievement. Do not take on any more initiatives until you feel that the current ones are well implemented.

© 2007 AdvancED 13 Next Steps A written report of our findings will be completed and sent to the principal within 20 business days. After receiving the report, the school is expected to: 1.Review and communicate the findings and observations contained in the report; 2. Sustain the strengths noted in the commendations;

© 2007 AdvancED 14 Next Steps (continued) 3. Initiate steps to address the recommendations in the report; 4. Continue to implement and monitor the AdvancED accreditation process and requirements; and 5. In two years, the school submits the Accreditation Progress Report outlining the school’s progress in addressing the team’s recommendations.

© 2007 AdvancED 15 Accreditation Recommendation The Quality Assurance Review Team recommends that the Grandview High School be awarded NCA CASI AdvancED Accreditation. Once approved by the AdvancED Board of Trustees, the school is granted a 5-year term accreditation.

© 2007 AdvancED 16 Final Thoughts On behalf of the Quality Assurance Team, I extend:  Our appreciation for your hospitality, support, and professionalism;  Our respect and acknowledgement of the quality of your school and dedication of staff; and  Our congratulations for successfully completing the Quality Assurance Review process.