Guiding a School’s NLSA PROCESS

Self-study Overview

WELCOME!There is great value in our partnerships.

It is important that we trust one another and play well together.

Change often results in:

FEAR NOT!THINGS CHANGE!

Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.

We are people serving faithfully in Lutheran schools SECURE in the fact that that God loves

us, no matter what.

COURAGEOUSLUTHERAN SCHOOLS!

A COURAGEOUS School never stops improving (changing)!

A school that links an accreditation process with an intentional school improvement plan and continually uses it to better serve its students is a school on a pathway to success.

7 STANDARD AREAS

HOST

SCHOOL LEADER

1.Purpose2. Relationships3.Leadership4.Professional Personnel5.Teaching and Learning6.Student Services7.Facilities

Elements of The Self-Study

HOST

SCHOOL LEADER•Please Respond to Questions

•Required Evidence•Potential Evidence•Potential Practices•Required Indicators of Success•General Indicators of Success

1. Highly Functional – 42. Operational – 33. Emerging – 24. Not Evident – 1

•Summary and Response Actions•The School Action Plan

New Rating Rubrics

Highly Functional

Operational The condition is in place and functionally supported and practiced. It may not always fully enacted or easily evidenced in every aspect of the school program. The school functions acceptably in this area but may develop new ways to improve.

The preferred condition is documented, understood and accepted by staff, students and school constituents and easily observable throughout the school. It is supported by observable practices, written documentation and evidence. This is a great strength of the school.

RATINGS SUPPORTED WITH EVIDENCE AND PRACTICES

New Rating Rubrics

Emerging The condition is recognized as important by the school but is inconsistently or irregularly applied. It is not supported with sufficient practices, evidence or documentation. There is room for improvement in this area.

Not Evident There is observable conflict or deficiency with the condition at the school. The school does not enact this condition.

RATING SUPPORTED BY LITTLE OR NO EVIDENCE AND PRACTICES

The School Accreditation

Leader

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE IT ALL STARTS WITH THE

School Accreditation

Leader

Managing an NLSA Process

•MANAGER - Guide and empower steering and subcommittee work.•MANAGER - Guide and empower steering and subcommittee work.

•CHEERLEADER - Encourage your team - Celebrate•CHEERLEADER - Encourage your team - Celebrate

•EDITOR - Receive, Review and Improve Committee Work•EDITOR - Receive, Review and Improve Committee Work

•LOGISTICS SPECIALIST- Prepare for the Team Visit•LOGISTICS SPECIALIST- Prepare for the Team Visit

•COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST - Communicate with your consultant – with sub-committees•COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST - Communicate with your consultant – with sub-committees

School Accreditation

Leader

Managing a Process

TRADITIONAL NLSA PROBLEMS AREASTRADITIONAL NLSA PROBLEMS AREAS

HOST

SCHOOL LEADER

•Curriculum•Required Documentation and Artifacts

School Accreditation

Leader

School Accreditation

Leader

5:02* YES NO The written curriculum has been developed and is being implemented for religion, mathematics, science, reading, language arts, social studies, art, music and physical education. (Written curriculum need not be attached to this document but must be present for review by the visiting team at the time of their visit.)

Curriculum Requirement

5:03 The school community builds and maintains a vision, direction and focus for student learning.___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:Comments: 5:04 The curriculum meets or exceeds state expectations.___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:Comments: 5:05 Curriculum is used as an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel.___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:Comments: 5:06 Curriculum offerings provide challenging learning experiences and ensure that students have sufficient opportunities to develop life skills, critical thinking skills and applied learning.___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:Comments: 5:07 Curriculum, instruction and assessment are regularly monitored and systemically adjusted in response to ongoing assessments of student learning.___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:Comments:

Managing a Process

HOST

SCHOOL LEADER

ASSIGN RATINGS THAT…ASSIGN RATINGS THAT…

•Reflect the actual condition that is present at your school.•Reflect the actual condition that is present at your school.

•Are supported by documentation, evidence and practices underway at your school.•Are supported by documentation, evidence and practices underway at your school.

Managing a Process

HOST

SCHOOL LEADER

RATINGS REFLECT WHAT YOU DO AND HOW WELL YOU DO IT!RATINGS REFLECT WHAT YOU DO AND HOW WELL YOU DO IT!

STANDARD FIVE:Teaching & Learning

A New Way to Think about Teaching and Learning in Lutheran Schools

Evidence and Practices provide support for indicator ratings.

Evidence and Practices provide support for indicator ratings.

Evidence - Documentation (handbooks, curriculum maps, lesson plans, meeting minutes, job descriptions, etc.

Practice- Things that you do at your school that support an indicator. These are the way that you do what you do.

Rating the Indicators

Section Five Overview:

Learning expectations for schools are profoundly different today than even a decade ago. Schools must be hotbeds of creativity, imagination, and innovation. Key to success is the investment of time, thought, energy, and resources toward desired educational outcomes.

Student learning requires the integration of well-designed curriculum and instructional design supported by intentional and ongoing assessment. When teaching, learning and assessment are correctly aligned and students are engaged, learning results. In this way Lutheran schools accomplish one of their primary objectives.

Section Five Overview:

Learning expectations for schools are profoundly different today than even a decade ago. Schools must be hotbeds of creativity, imagination, and innovation. Key to success is the investment of time, thought, energy, and resources toward desired educational outcomes.

Student learning requires the integration of well-designed curriculum and instructional design supported by intentional and ongoing assessment. When teaching, learning and assessment are correctly aligned and students are engaged, learning results. In this way Lutheran schools accomplish one of their primary objectives.

Respond to the Following QuestionsRespond to the Following Questions

•Describe the predominant teaching methods most often used by teachers in your classrooms.

•Describe how teachers communicate and collaborate in order to ensure continuity and student success.

•How does your school accommodate students with unique differences and learning potential?

•Describe the process of recording and reporting learner progress to parents and or care givers.

•Describe the 21st Century methodology in place at your school and elaborate on how it impacts student learning. (e.g. global awareness, financial and entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, health literacy, environmental literacy)

List of Potential EvidenceEvidence - Documentation (handbooks, curriculum maps, lesson plans, meeting minutes, job descriptions, etc.

List of Potential PracticesPractice- Things that you do at your school that support an indicator. The way that you do what you do.

Required Evidence - The written curriculum must be available to the

team at the time of the visit.The written curriculum must be available to the team at the time of the visit. Written curriculum for every grade level for the following subjects: religion, mathematics, science, reading, language arts, social studies, art, music, physical education (Early childhood centers need not segment learner outcomes into specific subject areas.)

The following three pieces of required evidence must be attached to the self-study.

•A current schedule for each classroom, indicating clearly which subjects (activities) are taught at which times.

•A chart illustrating what percentage of each school week is allocated each subject (activity) at each level. Compare this with state requirements

•An analysis of the results of standardized tests administered at your school for each grade level for the past three years. Describe how this information is used to evaluate and improve student learning.

Required Indicators of Success:Indicate whether or not the school meets the required indicators of success by circling YES or NO.

YES NO 5:01* The teaching of the Christian faith is recognized as the major purpose of the school, is allotted appropriate time in the daily schedule, and is integrated intentionally throughout the curriculum and instructive .

YES NO 5:02* The written curriculum has been developed is being implemented for every subject area taught at the school.

Highly Functional – The preferred condition is documented, understood and accepted by staff, students and school constituents and easily observable throughout the school. It is supported by observable practices, written documentation and evidence. This is a strength of the school.

Operational - The condition is in place and functionally supported and practiced. It may not always fully enacted or easily evidenced in every aspect of the school program. The school functions acceptably in this area. The school may develop ways to improve in this area.

Emerging – The condition is recognized as important by the school but is inconsistently or irregularly applied. It is not supported with sufficient practices, evidence or documentation. There is much room for improvement in this area.

Not Evident – There is observable conflict or deficiency with the condition at he school. The school does not enact this condition.

General Indicator Ratings

5:06 Curriculum offerings provide challenging learning experiences and ensure that all students have sufficient opportunities to develop life skills, critical thinking skills, and applied learning.

___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)

Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:

Comments:

5:07 Curriculum, instruction and assessment are regularly monitored and systemically adjusted in response to ongoing assessments of student learning.

___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)

Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:

Comments:

5:14 Teachers use a variety of strategies and settings that identify and accommodate individual learning styles and engage students having divergent abilities.

___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)

Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:

Comments:

5:15 Multiple forms of student assessment drive instructional strategies.

___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)

Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:

Comments:

5:18 The school evaluates what a student should know, be able to do, and believe.

___Highly Functional(4) ___Operational(3) ___Emerging(2) ___Not Evident(1)

Attach or describe supporting Practices, Evidence or Documentation:

Comments:

Summary and Response Actions

•Are the Required Indicators of Success met?

•Based on your findings, what are the strengths of your school in this area?

•Based on your findings, what plans will you make to improve your school in this area? Develop specific plans with target dates and assignments for all areas identified as emerging or not evident.

Every School Develops a School Action Plan based on the findings its Self-study process

Every School Develops a School Action Plan based on the findings its Self-study process

Developing the School Action PlanDeveloping the School Action Plan

Each subcommittee will suggest specific plans related to their standard area with target dates and assignments for all general indicators identified as emerging or not evident.

It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to prioritize the plans that were submitted by subcommittees and draft a School Improvement Plan related to the suggestions.

After the visitation team completes its work the findings and recommendations of the team will be incorporated with the draft that was prepared earlier.

The School Improvement Plan is aligned with the Cumulative Annual Report that documents progress throughout the accreditation cycle.

Section andStandard Number

Self Study Concerns and Strategies TargetYear

YearAddressed

ResponsibleParty

Action

Taken

DESIGN A SIGNIFICANT GOAL TO WHICH THE ACTIONS MAY BE RELATED.

Where do I find additional information and resources

related to NLSA?

The Lutheran School PortalLuthed.org

On Facebook at LCMS School Ministryhttps://www.facebook.com/LCMSschools?ref=hl