School Improvement Component in the CSF Annual Report for Accredited Schools

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Wide-spread acceptance of School Improvement as a means to measuring school effectiveness

Universally using the School Improvement Design for measuring school effectiveness
has become a standard component in accreditation.

It goes beyond health, safety, and sanitation issues, checking publication dates in textbooks, or maintaining student and
instructional staff folders with correct, pertinent information.

How does a school determine, evaluate, respond to regularly, and report its growth in effectiveness? That is the
commonly accepted goal in School Improvement.

CSF Accreditation and School Improvement

Christian Schools of Florida has added a School Improvement Component to its accreditation process and to its Annual
Report.

School improvement is not a mandated or required component for all schools
accredited by CSF. A school has the option of choosing the traditional model for accreditation or the school improvement model for accreditation.

The tradition model concentrates on the process incorporated in Accreditation Standards 6000.01-20, 6022.1.

The school improvement model adds to the process a component contained in Accreditation Standards 6000.21.1-3.
It is in addition to maintaining and giving evidence compliance with the CSF Accreditation Standards.

The school improvement component maintains and gives evidence of working towards and progress in school improvement goals as chosen and determined
by the individual school.

Co-accreditation and School Improvement

Because school improvement is central to other accrediting agencies with which CSF has co-accreditation agreements,
a school seeking initial or seeking to maintain co accreditation must employ
the school improvement component, both in its in-school process as well as in its annual reporting to CSF. Without employing the school improvement component there cannot be co-accreditation.

Freedom in School Improvement

(Accreditation is a derivative of theLatin credo -- a mutually accepted belief or standard; and the French accrediter -- to validate or attest to)

The processes used to determine goals, the process and means by which data is gathered, formats utilized to measure and report progress towards school improvement are entirely within the independence of the local school. It is not as precise, on the one hand, nor as uniformly
determined, on the other, as is
the case with the established standards with which all CSF accredited schools must be in compliance.

School improvement is not primarily concerned with “how to fix something” but rather “towards what areas do we
want to improve and achieve higher levels of effectiveness and how will we know how well or if we are actually moving in that direction?”

The Most Common Elements Utilized in School Improvement

  1. A process for determining specific goals upon which a school will focus towards achieving school improvement, and establishing who in the
    school community is involved in selecting those goals.
  2. Defining the persons (commonly referred to as “stake holders” in many schools) who are involved in determining those goals, and those
    involved with interpreting the data acquired from whatever instruments
    are used to gather the data.
  3. A process for determining the implementing steps to be followed in tracking school progress towards the established school improvement goals. This involves related calendars, how supporting data is acquired, interpreting the data, making conclusions based upon the data,
    determining what steps are necessary based upon the data, who makes those decisions, and how, to whom, when, and by whom this is reported.
  4. A process for recording and maintaining
    electronically and/or in hard copy the data, implementing steps,
    calendars, and decisions related to the school’s movement towards
    school improvement so that it can be reported timely, accurately, and as
    needed to accrediting agencies, visiting
    accreditation teams, school-based groups involved in the process, and school administrators.

In Short Summary

The typical school improvement plan when being reported upon to CSF usually requires that you:

  1. Identify the parts of your school community that have engaged in identifying the areas of concentration for school improvement.
  2. Explain the process used to enablethose persons to participate. Have samples
    of questionnaires, report forms, etc., and the results of the surveys or
    other means used.
  3. Explain the process and instruments used to track and report improvement
    in the areas which your school has selected for school improvement.
    (E.g. test scores, participant stats, etc.)
  4. Cite the data that enables you to assess the relative improvement gained
    in the areas identified in #3. (E.g. test scores, participant stats, etc.) Show how you deduce whether or not school improvement is taking place.

The items chosen by your school can be from a broad range of areas in the life of the school: curriculum development, professional development of teachers, spiritual climate vitality, school to home communication, attracting new families to the school, etc. But at least one or
two of the target areas should be about teaching and learning.

How to Use It in the CSF
Annual Report

Section II in the Annual Report (2008) briefly describes how to complete this section of the Annual Report.

To assist those reading your Annual Report please attempt to (1) be very clear in identifying the goals upon which you are working, (2) define the progress or lack of progress made in the last calendar year, and (3) how you determined that progress.

Who Read the Annual
Reports?

  • The CSF Executive Secretary
  • The CSF Executive Committee

    • All Schools Should Consider Using the School Improvement Component

    • It will assist you to be clearer and more specific in determining three or
      four goals upon which you want to focus for increasing school effectiveness.
    • It will acquaint you with instruments used by other schools, those available from national agencies, or spur you on to develop your own survey forms, reporting instruments, and other tools used in the process.
    • It has the potential to greatly increase communication between staff, Board, parents, students, and the community.
    • It will familiarize you with and incorporate into your normal way of leading the school a necessary process should your school in the future
      seek co-accreditation.

    The Annual Report Form is located at:

    www.ChristianSchoolsFL.org

    Form 5 • It is due August 15th. There is a financial penalty for lateness per CSF policy.