About e-News:
e-News is a bi-monthly newsletter of the North Central Association
Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). The mission
of e-News is to provide you with up-to-date information to aid you in
your ongoing efforts to continually improve student achievement. To
subscribe or unsubscribe, go to Your
Profile at the NCA CASI website.
| Inside this Issue: |
|
Feature Article:
Why NCA CASI in the era of NCLB?
An Editorial by Steve Gaynor, Superintendent, Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan NCA CASI State Committee Chair
|
| |
|
Departments:
Resources:
Commission Corner
Annual Meeting Notes
Upcoming Professional Development
New Resources from NSSE
|
Why NCA CASI
in the Era of NCLB?
An Editorial by Steve Gaynor, Superintendent, Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan
Chair of the Michigan NCA CASI State Committee
As a superintendent and an advocate for NCA CASI accreditation,
I have been asked by colleagues why they should continue their affiliation
with NCA CASI given all the "new requirements" facing them under
the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The question usually makes me smile,
as there really isn't anything new or added about NCLB. If they have been
actively implementing the NCA CASI school improvement process (which has
been focused on student outcomes for over a decade), they are already
doing everything they need to be doing to meet the requirements of state
and federal accountability laws. So, my answer is always the same, "Why
wouldn't you continue NCA CASI?"
Vehicle to Meet State and Federal Requirements
NCA CASI provides a vehicle to meet state accountability laws and NCLB.
Rather than adding to the data burden on schools, NCA CASI helps schools
collect and analyze the same data that is needed for these state and federal
laws. NCA CASI also supports schools in implementing research-based interventions
to help meet the needs of all students.
NCLB requires schools that are identified as in need of improvement to
develop a school improvement plan. NCA CASI believes all schools need
a quality school improvement plan to help drive and focus the improvement
efforts in the school. NCA CASI gives schools a sound, proven school improvement
process to help them develop a quality improvement plan. NCA CASI also
provides the guidance, training, materials, tools, and resources throughout
the improvement process. It's simple really, state and federal laws tell
us what while NCA CASI shows us how.
Continuous Improvement
The NCA CASI improvement process is a continuous process that runs on
a five-year cycle. Like NCLB, NCA CASI wants to see annual growth and
improvement, but the five-year cycle is in place because we know that
improvement in learning does not occur over night. NCA CASI helps us not
lose sight of the fact that change takes time, needs to be well-planned,
and requires the sustained focus of the entire school community.
External Review & Independent Validation
The NCA CASI external review helps schools stay on track and focused on
improving student performance. The external review provides teachers and
administrators with an opportunity to gain valuable, objective input from
peers as well as visit, review, and learn from the practices and plans
of other schools. Following the NCA CASI design for peer review satisfies
the external review requirements of NCLB.
Multiple Measures of Student Success
NCA CASI helps schools use multiple measures to gauge student progress.
NCLB focuses largely on student performance on the state assessment. While
this is an important indicator, it is just one measure. We need multiple
ways of monitoring and gauging student progress so that we can use that
information to improve instruction and better meet students' needs. NCA
CASI gives us the structure and tools to align multiple assessments with
curriculum and staff development to ensure the greatest success for our
students.
Teacher Involvement -- Classroom Change
The NCA CASI process is teacher-driven, so it is not surprising that it
drives dramatic change in how teachers work together. Schools that merely
assign a staff member to "do NCA" miss out on this benefit.
When schools really implement the process, they find that teachers take
ownership of the school improvement process. They work across departmental
and grade boundaries. The science teacher and music teacher, for example,
work with the English teacher on strategies to improve students' writing
skills. The third grade teachers talk with the second and fourth grade
teachers. They share successful strategies for individual students and
use shared interventions to ensure continuity from grade to grade. This
is where the power of NCA CASI is really felt - in the classroom where
teachers work to meet students' needs.
The teacher/educator-driven component of NCA CASI is important to remember.
NCA CASI is the education profession's method of self-evaluation and quality
assurance. It's non-governmental. It's bottom up instead of top down.
It's about the people in the profession assuring the quality of the profession.
It's important that we, as members of the profession, continue to take
ownership over the monitoring of our profession.
Increased Student Performance
Of course, the most important reason why I tell my colleagues to continue
their involvement in NCA CASI accreditation is because the process works.
It delivers results for students. A recent study of schools actively implementing
the school improvement process showed that 79% achieved statistically
verifiable gains in student achievement. This translates into improved
test scores, which NCLB requires. It is not surprising to me that, in
my state of Michigan, 96% of the top 75 performing schools on our state
assessment (the MEAP) are NCA CASI accredited. This is powerful. This
is why we, as educators, do what we do. It is all about being better today
than we were yesterday on behalf of students across the state and nation.
So, I am now back to where I started. Why NCA CASI? Why not? Funny how
the help we've been seeking has been in front of us all along - now it's
up to us to take advantage of it.
Resources
How NCA CASI Can Help Schools Meet
NCLB Requirements
Faced with the demands of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, educators
are looking for ways to work smarter, reduce duplication of effort, and
do more with less. NCA CASI can be your partner. We can help you use NCA
CASI performance accreditation to meet NCLB's requirements, focus your
school improvement efforts in a cost-effective manner, and ultimately
raise student achievement. Here's how we can help.
| NCLB requires you to: |
How NCA CASI helps: |
| Analyze and disaggregate data |
- Provides free software that helps schools disaggregate their
data
- Offers data analysis workshops across the region where schools
bring their data and receive assistance in disaggregating and
analyzing it
- Makes available on-site assistance from trained Ambassadors
who are skilled in data analysis
|
| Develop an improvement plan (if identified in need of improvement) |
- Provides a proven process to assist all schools in the development
of a quality improvement plan
- Provides software, rubrics, handbooks, ongoing training, and
on-site assistance designed to help schools develop a plan that
is likely to result in increased student performance
|
| Implement research-based strategies for improving student performance |
- Provides tested rubrics that help schools select interventions
that are aligned to the school's goals and assessments
- Provides external peer review teams that offer on-site review
and assistance in the school's selection of appropriate interventions
|
| Offer focused, high quality professional development |
- Provides rubrics to help ensure that staff development is adequate,
appropriate, and aligned with the school's student performance
goals
|
| Host external reviews (if identified as in need of improvement) |
- Provides external peer review teams led by trained external
chairs who review and assist all schools with their improvement
efforts
|
| Assess, monitor, and document student performance |
- Helps schools use multiple assessments to gauge student performance
by requiring a minimum of three assessments for each student performance
goal
- Provides rubrics, training, and assessment handbooks to aid
schools in the proper selection, administration, alignment, and
use of assessments
- Offers an annual Assessment Conference
- Provides an Assessment Center located in Michigan that publishes
guides and provides training on assessments
- Provides free software that helps schools monitor, display,
and document student performance data over time
|
| Demonstrate adequate yearly progress |
- Provides focused support through trained team chairs and Ambassadors
with the process of analyzing and documenting student performance
results
|
| Hire highly qualified teachers |
- Provides guidelines for teacher qualifications that can be used
as a benchmark in the hiring process
|
To learn more about these services, contact your NCA CASI state office
at 800-525-9517, option 2.
Commission Corner
Annual Reports
You will be receiving your annual report packets in the next few weeks.
This year, we have further streamlined the reporting process. Continuing
accredited schools will be asked to complete a brief report that should
take no longer than 15-20 minutes. The on-line reporting will be open
from September 9 - October 22.
Dues Deadline -- September 30th
The deadline for payment of your 2004-05 NCA CASI accreditation dues
and fees is September 30th. Schools in districts where all the schools
are accredited are eligible for a 10% dues reduction if they pay
their dues by September 30th.
You might find it helpful to know that many schools and districts are
using Title II part A funds to pay for attending NCA CASI workshops and
for their accreditation dues. Check with your district or state authorities
to see how you can use these funds to support your accreditation/school
improvement work.
District Accreditation
NCA CASI's District Accreditation is a systems approach to improving
student performance over time. Piloted by three districts in 2003-04,
District Accreditation is now available for interested districts as a
district-wide improvement framework. To learn more about District Accreditation,
contact your state office at 800-525-9517, option 2, or visit the website
at www.ncacasi.org/district.
New Publication -- Survey Research Primer
NCA CASI, in collaboration with Banach, Banach & Cassidy, recently
published a new resource for schools called the Survey Research Primer.
This easy-to-use 28-page primer provides everything you need to know to
conduct an effective survey. It includes: a step-by-step guide to developing
surveys; background information on sample size, response rate, and different
types of surveys; and sample survey questions that you can adapt and use
with your school community. The primer costs $15 plus shipping. You can
order your copy on-line at:
https://www.ncacasi.org//ecommerce/product?product_id=1269272
or by calling 800-525-9517, option 6.
On-line Administrator PR Kit
To help you celebrate your accreditation with your community, we have
created an on-line Administrator Public Relations Kit available at www.ncacasi.org/members/prkit.
The kit includes:
- Ready-to-use press releases;
- An advertisement template;
- Q&A guides targeted to specific audiences;
- A brief video introduction to NCA CASI accreditation;
- The official NCA CASI logo that can be placed on your school letterhead
or website; and
- A link to the NCA CASI store where you can find flags, door decals,
and diploma seals.
Annual Meeting Notes
Mark your calendars for NCA CASI's 110th Annual Meeting
Every Student Every Step of the Way
April 17-20, 2005 - Chicago, IL
Keynote speakers:
- Dr. Willard Daggett, President, International Center for Leadership
in Education
- Dr. Rick Stiggins, Founder, Assessment Training Institute
Visit www.ncacasi.org/event/meeting
to find out more.
Call for Presenters and Sponsors
NCA CASI is accepting presentations for the 110th Annual Meeting. To submit
a presentation, visit www.ncacasi.org/event/meeting/cfp.
We are also accepting organizations interested in sponsoring a booth or
event at the meeting. For information on sponsorship opportunities, visit
www.ncacasi.org/event/meeting/sponsor.
Upcoming
Professional Development
State Professional Development Calendars
Every year, the NCA CASI state offices offer hundreds of workshops
on all aspects of the school improvement process. Contact your state office
at 800-525-9517, option 2, to learn more about the workshops in your area.
Mark the Date: 2005 Assessment Conference
March 3, 2005
Holiday Inn South, Lansing, Michigan
Keynote speaker: Dr. Tom Guskey, Professor, University of Kentucky
Visit http://www.nca.umich.edu/assessment_conference05.html
to find out more.
School Improvement Specialist Program
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln/NCA CASI School Improvement Specialist
Program is designed for school improvement officials like you who are
developing a comprehensive school improvement plan. Participants actually
develop their plan as they work through the program with insight and feedback
from faculty and other participants. When the program is complete, participants
have a model to implement.
New course sequences will begin each spring and fall semester. This fall's
cohort starts August 23. Visit http://extended.unl.edu/ncaimprove
for more information about the program and how to enroll.
NSSE Resources
The National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE) has developed two new
surveys this fall designed for schools and districts pursuing school improvement
through accreditation. The web-based Custom Surveys allow schools
and school districts/systems to build their own survey, based on their
unique needs. The web-based Teacher Technology Survey is based
on the 2003 ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers
developed by the International Society for Technology and Education in
partnership with numerous national educational organizations. The survey
assesses teachers' ability to understand and use technology.
For more information, contact NSSE at 800-THE-NSSE (800-843-6773) or
e-mail surveys@nsse.org or visit
www.nsse.org.
How to
Reach Us
We are committed to providing you with the information you need to continually
improve student learning. Please share with us your suggestions, advice,
and ideas on how to make e-News and our other products and services best
meet your needs. Send us feedback at enews@ncacasi.org.
Thank you for reading this issue of NCA CASI e-News. To see a copy of
this newsletter on-line or to view past issues of e-News, go to http://www.ncacasi.org/enews/index.
Please report problems to enews@ncacasi.org.
North Central Association
Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement
P.O. Box 874705
Tempe, AZ 85287-4705
800-525-9517
http://www.ncacasi.org
|
