California Continuation Education Association Document

Title: Focus on Learning:   Surviving the Self-Study Process

Author: Edna Whetstone

Date: 1998

INTRODUCTION:

Somerset High School is the continuation high school for the Bellflower Unified School District in Southern California. We are on a year-round schedule and offer two sessions daily. Over the course of the school year our average student population is somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 to 350. Somerset has been selected as a model school for the second time and our accreditation visitation in March of 1996 resulted in a six year accreditation for the school. We have a teaching staff of fourteen. Our classified staff is comprised of three full time persons and one half time person. There is one custodian, one campus security person, one technology technician, three instructional aides, and two Child Care Center aides.

Our principal is actually the principal of Educational Options which includes many additional programs beyond just the continuation high school. Some of those programs are located on the Somerset campus and others are not. There is a district opportunity class located on our campus and the adult re-entry high school diploma program for young adults is housed there also.

During the 1994/95 school year, our staff, under the direction of the assistant principal (now the principal of Educational Options), devoted our site planning days to understanding and implementing Second to None. The staff was divided into committees to find ways to internalize and bring onto our campus, the various philosophies included in that document. We were unaware at that time, how much our work with Second to None would ultimately help us in our self-study process for accreditation and would be the focus for our three year school plan. Much of what is offered in Second to None was already in place at our school, although not articulated as such. Currently we are focusing on "Powerful Teaching and Learning" as the goal for our school. Little did we know that Second to None, our self-study process for Focus on Learning, and the action plans resulting from the self-study would all work together to present the "big picture" for Somerset High School.

THE BEGINNING:

As we began our preparation for accreditation, the principal appointed individuals to the leadership team and also appointed a self-study coordinator. The coordinator got the ball rolling, so to speak, by establishing a timeline for the process, setting up meeting dates for parents and alumni, sending invitations to various district individuals, and chairing the first staff development day to be devoted to accreditation.

Shortly after that first meeting, the coordinator left Somerset to assume another position within Educational Options, and it became necessary for the leadership team to step forward and assume the responsibility of taking the staff through the self-study process. From that point forward the leadership team, consisting of three teachers, really had to buckle down and start the ball rolling again. Although I believe at most times it is best to have one person as the coordinator, in this particular case everything worked extremely well since all three members of the leadership team work very well together and have a great deal of respect for each other.

A NEW BEGINNING:

The three individuals on the leadership team were willing but somewhat stymied in the beginning as to exactly how to put all this together. One of us had attended two workshops presented by WASC, one attended one workshop and the other had not attended any. While we had gained some information from the workshops, initially we were feeling like three goldfish who had suddenly been dropped into an aquarium full of piranhas. We knew that the staff was depending on us to "know what we were doing" but even we weren't sure we did.

One thing that became apparent immediately was that although the workshops were helpful, they were really geared more for the comprehensive high schools and not the smaller schools such as ours. We made the determination that many of the techniques described in the manual would have to be adjusted to accommodate our own particular needs. An example was the committees. At the comprehensive high schools, many departments feature more teachers than our entire staff, and while we did break up into committees from time to time, we found that we were most productive when the staff was able to use the questionnaires individually and when we all met together as a group.

What I would like to do in the next few pages is outline for you, chapter by chapter what worked for us and what didn't. Being from continuation schools yourselves, you will want to, and in fact will need to make certain adjustments to the process as outlined in the manual. Certainly you will want to make sure your key people attend the workshops. The 1994/95 school year was a pilot year for the new format of accreditation with only a few schools going through the process. 1995/96 was the first year of the full use of Focus on Learning and I am sure there have been adjustments made to the workshops themselves. For everyone involved - workshop presenters, schools being accredited, and visiting accreditation committee members - last year was a learning year and it will take some time to get all the "kinks" out.

THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL:

At our school, the principal felt it was best if he not be in charge of the self-study process, and I agree. In order to be a true self-study, it must be a result of the collaborative activities of the teachers, classified staff, support staff, students, parents, and alumni; in short all stakeholders in the school.

Regardless of how you personally choose to be involved in the self-study process, or not, the role of the principal is critical to a successful process, because ultimately the responsibility for the accreditation is the principal's regardless of who does the actual work. As a principal you will want to make sure you choose your really key people to be the leaders for the process. You will want people who are willing to put in some extra hours because the self-study is not a simple task. It is very time consuming. Make sure the people you select as your leaders work well together. Provide as many sub days as possible for your leadership team. They will need time to work together toward compiling the information coming in from committees and individuals. And believe me, this takes time if you want a quality product.

Additionally, you can be most helpful to your leadership team by making sure that deadlines are met by all staff members. As hard as your leadership team will be working and in spite of the responsibility they have assumed, they really have no power over the behavior of their peers. The principal does have the power to insist that deadlines be met. Just one or two late questionnaires can really put a crimp in the process, and can also lead to dissention.

Be prepared for some disgruntled staff members because unless you are extremely lucky, there will be some. I believe that among all staffs there are those who see this process as a waste of time and effort. There are some who fail to see the self-study process as a means of improving the educational delivery at the school; they feel it is something they have to do and as soon as "those people" go away, everything will return to normal. Often the unhappiness of these individuals is directed at the members of the leadership team. As principal you will want to make sure that the displeasure of individuals does not become the problem of the leadership team. They are simply trying to do the job asked of them and you as the principal can protect them by dealing with the disgruntled yourself.

Be prepared also for some fear on the part of staff members. Some will see this process as a threat to their abilities and competency as a teacher. This is a very difficult fear to overcome. Change can be intimidating and many do not adjust to change quickly or easily. It is important that you try to instill in your staff that this self-study process is not targeting anyone individually. Try to make them understand that this is a process that will ultimately make everybody's job easier and more meaningful, and the real winners will be the students.

Notes/Questions:

STUDENT/COMMUNITY PROFILE AND SUPPORTING DATA

Chapter I logically is a very important chapter. It is the "first impression" of not only your entire self-study book, but also your school. Great care must be taken to include all necessary information in an easy-to-read format.

Chapter I includes information that for the most part must come from the administration at the school. Members of the leadership team would not normally be privy to these details. The sooner this information can be given to the leadership team, the better.

Much of the following types of information will probably be alluded to in the body of the self-study or shown in charts and graphs in the appendix, but must also be detailed in narrative form in this first chapter.

EXPECTED SCHOOLWIDE LEARNING RESULTS

Chapter II contains a listing of schoolwide learning outcomes (what all students are expected to know and be able to do upon graduation from high school) for your school. Also included is a detail of the process your school uses to determine the ESLRs. This chapter is also a good place to include your school's mission statement.

PROCESS USED TO DETERMINE ESLERS

This step is critical to the self-study process, and several discussions among staff members were needed before a finalized list was compiled. All staff members were involved.

During the 1994/95 school year, we began to look carefully at our Somerset High School Mission Statement. All members of the staff were invited to offer suggestions for revising it. After careful and collaborative consideration, we developed our current Somerset High School Mission Statement which is prominently displayed in each classroom and in the various offices.

When the time came to discuss and develop our ESLERS we took a careful look at our mission statement again and also studied the district assessment committee's findings. It became apparent to us that our mission statement contained all but one of the components making up the ESLERS. We also recognized that our mission statement was in alignment with the district assessment committee's findings, the district mission statement, and the course objectives as defined by the district and outlined in the State Frameworks. Our tenth ESLER came directly from the findings of the district assessment committee.

We further solicited input from parents and community members, and students through the use of questionnaires and interviews. Upon studying the results of these questionnaires and interviews, we found that the ten ESLERS were consistent among administration, faculty, staff, parents and students.

Our next step was to carefully study each ESLER to determine its appropriateness to the five criteria areas of the self study: Vision, Leadership and Culture, Curricular Paths, Powerful Teaching and Learning, Support Services, and Assessment and Accountability. Our findings indicated that we were on target with our ESLERS as they relate to the WASC Criteria.

PROGRESS REPORT

Chapter III of the self-study book requires that the school indicate how it has addressed the recommendations made by the visiting committee during the previous accreditation visitation. In our case, the recommendations had been made in 1990 and had been addressed in the interim self-study book of 1993. It was our task now to update those recommendation resolutions as was appropriate to the status in 1996.

A report of the recommendations and resolutions in the following areas must be included:

• Major Recommendations
• Schoolwide Processes Recommendations
• Schoolwide Programs Recommendations
• Resource/Community Committee Recommendations
• Student Committee Recommendations
• Parent/Community Committee Recommendations
• Departmental Recommendations
• Non-Departmental Recommendations
• Innovative Programs Recommendations
• Any Other Program Area That Included Recommendations

This chapter begins with a brief narrative detailing the date of the previous accreditation visitation and the results of that visit. Commendations made to the school are included in this narrative. Also included is an outline of the details of the interim self-study and visitation.

QUESTIONNAIRES USED

On the following pages are samples of questionnaires used by all members of the staff including the administrators, teachers, classified staff members, and support personnel. Also included are samples of parent discussion questions, student discussion question, and parent and student surveys.

Most of these questionnaires were derived from the Focus on Learning, The Accreditation Manual, WASC/CDE Pilot Edition, 1995. Pages 99 through 131 in the manual contains the guide questions and rubrics for the schoolwide criteria in all five categories. However, we felt by breaking down the questions into smaller pieces, the members of our staff could more readily understand and give more complete answers.

All staff members were given time to carefully study the questions and provide their answers. This information was then given to the leadership team. The team took this information from the questionnaires, eliminated duplications, and consolidated it.

This compilation of data was then given to all staff members for a second look. Then the staff discussed the information at a staff meeting and made any necessary additions or corrections.

The final information from these questionnaires was used by the leadership team in the actual writing of chapter four of the self-study book.

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

A vital part of evidence gathering was to have each teacher respond to the discipline specific discussion questions for their particular subject area. These questionnaires allowed teachers to express how what was going on in their classrooms related to the ESLERS. The forms used were derived from Focus on Learning, The Accreditation Manual, WASC/CDE Pilot Edition, 1995. Discipline specific discussion questions for Career/Vocational Education, English/Language Arts, Foreign Language, Health Education, History/Social Science, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, and Visual and Performing Arts begin on page 70 of the manual.

In addition, the leadership team developed similar questionnaires for other disciplines which are a part of our school, but not included in the manual. These included Parenting/Family Living, Horticulture, Media Art, and Principles of Technology.

After each teacher had completed their questionnaires, the leadership team compiled the information for each discipline area. This compilation was then given to teachers for their corrections and/or additions. This information was then used by the leadership team in the writing of the self-study book.

QUESTION: What ensures that sensitive parenting/family living topics are appropriately included and addressed?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SUPPORT SERVICES

These questions have been designed to assist you in exploring the effectiveness of your program or service on the success of the students in our school. These questions focus on the many ways which your program or service can impact performance levels of students and to what extent students are impacted. These questions were designed to generate discussion among all school staff who provide specific services or operate a specific program. In some cases, one or two questions may not apply, and you may want to think of other questions for discussion.

As an important part of this process, you are encouraged to make a thorough review of those resources documents which reflect current research and thinking about how your program or service can be most effective in preparing students for a meaningful high school experience and a successful transition to further post-secondary education, more technical training, or the job market.

Your response to these questions should be made on the basis of gathering observable evidence, most of which will reflect students. The evidence you gather must reflect a sampling of all students. You can expect the WASC Visiting Committee members to have a great interest in the responses to these questions and the evidence which led to your conclusions.

** Please feel free to add any other thoughts, questions, concerns, or comments you would care to make.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

The involvement of parents, guardians, and alumni is a highly desirable aspect of the self-study process. However, it is one of the most difficult areas with which the administration and leadership team must deal. It seems that almost all high schools, not just continuation high schools, are experiencing great difficulty in soliciting input and participation from parents, guardians, and alumni. Some schools have offered credit enticements to their students (elective credit for leadership or school service) for the return of completed surveys. Another school features an annual enrollment for all students, even returning students, at which parents must appear. If your school offers any chance at all of having parents at the school, it is an excellent opportunity to solicit input from parents and guardians.

At our school, tremendous effort was made by the administration to include parents, guardians, and alumni. The Principal's Newsletter included on-going information on and references to the accreditation process along with sincere invitations to become members of the parent and alumni committee. Additionally, letters home and personal phone calls were made by the principal seeking their participation. Yet, in spite of these efforts, little in the way of parental or alumni input was realized.

Overcoming this lack of parental and alumni involvement will necessitate a great deal of effort on the part of the entire school staff.

On the following pages are samples of forms developed to include the input of parents, guardians, and alumni.

** Please feel free to add any additional thoughts, questions, concerns, or comments you would care to make.

1996 ACCREDITATION REVIEW SURVEY: FOCUS ON LEARNING

A machine-scored form was used at various times during the year prior to and during our self-study process. We received the greatest number of completed survey forms during the 1995 June graduation ceremonies. The surveys were again used at the Back to School Night in October of 1995. Later, the surveys were sent home with students, and some of them were returned, although not as many as we would have liked.

Any information realized from this survey should be referred to in the body of the self-study with the complete results included in the appendix section of the book.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

All members of the staff were committed to including students as much as possible in the self- study process. The accreditation process became a subject of discussion among many teachers and their students. Students showed a great deal of interest in the entire process as evidenced by their many questions.

Two separate teams of students were developed. One team included approximately twenty students from the morning session and the other included a like amount of students from the afternoon session.

The leadership team and principal met with each team of students. Discussion questions were developed to use with the teams. This was a very effective way of soliciting student input into the self-study process. The interest on the part of the students made it very difficult to adhere to a one-hour schedule. In addition, any student who was reluctant to speak up during the discussion was encouraged to fill in his answers to the questions and turn it in later.

On the following pages are samples of the questions developed to include the input from students.

1996 ACCREDITATION REVIEW SURVEY: FOCUS ON LEARNING

As with the parents, a machine-scored form was issued to all students.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS

These questions were used with the two teams of students referred to above.

The information garnered from these forms was referred to in the body of the self-study and the complete results were included in the appendix section of the book.

** Please feel free to add other thoughts, questions, concerns, or comments you would care to make.

PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING ACTION PLANS

After having compiled, reviewed, and revised our gathered evidence, the next step was to develop our action plans. The procedure used at our school is as follows:

• The staff was asked to develop at least one suggested action plan for each of the 5 WASC/CDE criteria. Each suggested action plan was to consist of 9 specific points. (A sample memo to teachers outlining the process is included on the next page.)
• The leadership team compiled all the suggested action plans according to the criteria addressed.
• This compilation was given to members of the staff for their study.
• The entire group met during a staff development day to discuss the suggested action plans.
• The list of suggested action plans was pared down to three.
• The entire group worked together to develop the nine points for each action plan.
• The leadership team then finalized the writing of the three action plans for inclusion as chapter V of the self-study book.

COMMENTS:

This experience of developing schoolwide action plans from those suggested by staff members was very enlightening. The discussions were lively and meaningful. Although not all staff members were completely satisfied with the final three action plans, we were able to come to a consensus.

I believe that this process was one of the most "educational" parts of the entire self-study. There were some staff members who chose not to actively participate in the discussions, but you could tell they were at least listening carefully to what was going on. Everyone was given the opportunity to be involved and everyone's ideas, suggestions, and opinions were given full consideration.

I think we learned a lot about our school and each other through this meeting. Additionally, many of the suggested action plans, although not chosen as one of the schoolwide action plans, are solid meaningful plans. Many of them most likely will become a part of the educational delivery system at our school. It was clear that many people gave very careful consideration to their plans.

The next step in our self study process is to begin to create action plans for our school. Based upon the evidence gathered and our ESLERS, please develop at least one suggested action plan for each of the 5 WASC/CDE criteria: (1) Vision Leadership and Culture, (2) Curricular Paths, (3) Powerful Teaching And Learning, (4) Support Services, (5) Assessment And Accountability. From these individual action plans, we will develop schoolwide action plans for our final self study.

• Indicate which of the 5 criteria you are addressing.
• Include in each action plan:

1. brief statement of area for improvement
2. brief statement of the rationale for identifying this area
3. ESLER(S) addressed (all ESLERS do not need to be addressed by the action plan)
4. specific steps to take
5. timeline
6. person(s) responsible
7. resources
8. ways of assessing progress
9. means to report progress to all stakeholders.

It will be up to you to determine what works for your school. If you have a small staff, I recommend working together as a group. If your staff is larger, then the committees may work for you. I think the bottom line is that you and your staff need to determine what process will allow you to develop a self-study that is truly indicative of what your school is doing. Once you determine what your ESLERS are, you can then begin to look at ways to ensure that those ESLERS are being met by all your students.

One last thing -- START EARLY!