Virginia!Association!of!Independent!Schools! Visiting!Team ... ·...
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Virginia Association of Independent Schools Visiting Team Leader Guide Updated September 2013 PLEASE BRING THIS GUIDE WITH YOU TO THE VISIT.
Transcript of Virginia!Association!of!Independent!Schools! Visiting!Team ... ·...
Virginia Association of Independent Schools
Visiting Team Leader Guide
Updated September 2013
PLEASE BRING THIS GUIDE WITH YOU TO THE VISIT.
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Visiting Team Leader Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS
MEMBERSHIP IN VAIS ............................................................................................................. 3
KEY PLAYERS IN THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS ...................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION TO THE WORK OF THE VISITING TEAM ........................................................... 5
THREE PHASES OF THE VISITING TEAM’S WORK ...................................................................... 6
PRELIMINARY VISIT ................................................................................................................. 7
DOCUMENTATION REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 8
SCHEDULE FOR VISIT ............................................................................................................... 9
KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL VISIT ................................................................................................ 10
CHAIR’S CHECKLIST FOR THE VISIT ........................................................................................ 11
ROLE OF THE VICE CHAIR ...................................................................................................... 14
STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP ............................................................................................ 15
THE VISITING TEAM REPORT ................................................................................................. 16
RECOMMENDATIONS: DEGREES OF SPECIFICITY .................................................................. 19
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX A: SAMPLE INITIAL OR TEN-‐YEAR VISITING TEAM REPORT SECTIONS ............................ 21 APPENDIX B: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, MAJOR STRENGTHS, MAJOR CHALLENGES ........................... 22 APPENDIX C: COVER LETTER FOR VISITING TEAM REPORT -‐-‐ SAMPLE ............................................ 23 APPENDIX D: SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES ........................................ 24 APPENDIX H: EVALUATION SCENARIOS ......................................................................................... 25 APPENDIX F: DISCLAIMER .............................................................................................................. 27 APPENDIX G: GOOGLE INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 28 APPENDIX H: VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP ....................................................................... 30
VAIS ! 6802 Paragon Place, Suite 525 ! Richmond, VA 23230 PHONE 804.282.3592 FAX 804.282.3596 ONLINE www.vais.org
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MEMBERSHIP IN VAIS The Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) is a non-‐profit, voluntary membership association of schools that share compatible philosophies and goals. Established at Charlottesville, Virginia, on April 30, 1973, through the merger of the Virginia Association of Preparatory Schools (VAPS) and the Virginia Association of Independent Elementary Schools (VAIES), VAIS is an affiliate of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and a member of the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) and the NAIS Commission on Accreditation. The VAIS and its member schools comply with all applicable laws and reguations regarding discrimination in admission and employment. THE VAIS MISSION The Virginia Association of Independent Schools is a service organization that promotes educational, ethical and professional excellence. Through its school evaluation/accreditation program, attention to professional development and insistence on integrity, the Association safeguards the interests of its member schools. The purpose of the Association is advanced through:
" An evaluation and accreditation program, recognized and approved by the Virginia State Board of Education and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), that stimulates continued improvement of its schools
" The sponsorship of a broad program of professional opportunities for teachers, administrators, and trustees that improves their professional skills and enhances the educational opportunities of its member schools
" The safeguarding of the interests of member schools in matters of legislation and regulation " The promotion of the well-‐being of the public’s regard for member schools " The promotion of independent education and related issues, and " Cooperation with other associations, organizations, and agencies in increasing and improving educational opportunities in
Virginia.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
" Rigorous and proven accreditation process The accreditation process for VAIS has been approved by the Virginia Council for Private Education Committee on Accreditation as authorized by the Virginia State Board of Education. At the national level, the VAIS accreditation process has received the highest recognition from the National Association of Independent Schools through the NAIS Commission on Accreditation.
" Personalized professional staff support for individual schools " Professional development offerings grounded in best practice and responsive to current and future needs of independent
schools " Prominent representation and recognition at the national level " Legislative representation that safeguards independence of member schools " Networking opportunities within a broad range of independent schools
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS Membership may be granted to schools that meet the following criteria:
" A clearly stated mission and philosophy " Non-‐discriminatory policies and practices in admissions, employment and all other aspects of school operation as provided by
law " Incorporation as a not-‐for-‐profit and tax exempt organization under IRS ruling " Governance by an independent board of trustees " An academic program spanning at least three successive grades " Academic integrity, i.e., academic freedom, freedom of promoting diversity in teaching approaches and curricular choices, and
freedom from restricting teachers to any single dogma " Operating experience of at least five consecutive years " Willingness to endorse and adhere to the Principles of Good Practice of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) " Willingness to participate in a formal self-‐study and evaluation and to meet the VAIS Standards for Membership. The
accreditation process must be maintained on a periodic basis to ensure a school's adherence to its stated mission and to the VAIS Standards.
EXPECTATIONS OF MEMBER SCHOOLS In addition to meeting the requirements for membership stated above, the Association by-‐laws mandate that member schools shall:
" File annual statistical reports with VAIS " pay VAIS annual dues " be represented at one of the biannual business meetings " provide personnel to serve on evaluation teams for accreditation and other Association committees " support professional development opportunities offered by VAIS.
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KEY PLAYERS IN THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
THE SCHOOL The school community invests twelve to twenty-‐four months on self-‐evaluation. They then host a group of independent school educators and invite them to make judgments about the school and the work that has been done. They count on the visiting team to be fair, clear, and helpful. They are probably somewhat anxious and can be defensive! VAIS OFFICE Members of the VAIS office staff – Executive Director, Director of Accreditation, and Associate Director of Accreditation – work on behalf of the Accreditation Committee to appoint visiting team leaders and members, and schedule and coordinate all aspects of the review process from start to finish. Services include counseling the school through its self-‐study process, guiding the administration of the VAIS survey instruments, holding workshops that highlight planning and scheduling for the process, and publication of materials to help schools sort it all out. The VAIS staff also supports the visiting team through its preparation, assignment of responsibilities, and review of the school. Member and Leader Guides, conference calls, and team leader and member training are all meant to help make the process symbiotic for both the school and the team. VISITING TEAM LEADERS [CHAIR & VICE CHAIR] A team leader’s best preparation has already been gained in their roles as school leaders. Their reflection and decision-‐making skills are honed in their own schools. Consensus building, diplomacy, prioritizing, observing, humor, and the ability to bring closure all serve a team leader well. The team leaders serve as the filter through which information is sent both from the school to the team and from the team to the school. Though sometimes difficult, team leaders must try to leave thoughts of their own schools behind and focus only on the school being evaluated. This might be the team leader’s most difficult task! VISITING TEAM Team members are drawn from independent schools both within and outside Virginia. Team members are carefully selected to match the needs of VAIS and the visited school. The visiting team is comprised of a group of strangers gathering in an unfamiliar location for three to four days of intensive work. Needing to coalesce quickly into a functioning team, they need orientation, guidance in planning for and accomplishing their tasks, leadership in developing consensus, and support in writing a major report. They might be somewhat apprehensive and uncertain! A conference call for the team is usually held with the chair of the team and the VAIS Director of Accreditation. THE READER Appointed by the VAIS staff, this member of the Accreditation Committee is responsible for reviewing both the school’s report and the visiting team’s report. The Reader and Chair work together to ensure clarity, correct format, and a match between recommendations and VAIS Standards. A conference call is usually held with the Reader, the chair of the team and VAIS Director of Accreditation before the visit. VAIS ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE Members of the Accreditation Committee have most likely never visited the school, yet they must make recommendations to the VAIS Board concerning accreditation status and often must design a follow-‐up to assist the school in its improvement efforts. The Accreditation Committee relies on the visiting team to provide clear, complete, and accurate information, as well as appropriate recommendations to assist the school in its improvement efforts. VAIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors takes action on the recommendations of the Accreditation Committee; the Executive Director communicates that action to the school.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE WORK OF THE VISITING TEAM Your selection as a member of the visiting team was based on the assumption that you demonstrate the following qualities:
1. Some previous experience with the independent school evaluation process, either through service on another evaluation team or through the process of your own school being evaluated.
2. An ability to appreciate the unique mission of another school and that of another perspective toward the educational experience.
3. An affinity for absorbing large amounts of data within a limited period of time, organizing observations in a concise manner, and writing clearly.
4. A willingness to refrain from hasty judgments and from expressing personal opinions on any aspect of the school program.
5. An ability to work efficiently under pressure and to perform effectively as a member of a team.
6. A commitment to maintaining the highest level of professional standards and confidentiality regarding all aspects of the visit.
The following two statements reflecting the expectation of confidentiality and the absence of conflict of interest will be signed by all visiting team members and the signatures will be kept by the VAIS office. All potential team members are expected to disclose any possible conflict of interest that they might have with the school being visited, thereby preventing the from making impartial considerations. Should a conflict of interest be made evident during the visit, it is expected that the team members will recuse his or herself from voting on Standards.
I understand that as a visiting team member all information and documents I acquire regarding a school
seeking accreditation by VAIS, except to the extent the information and documents are a matter of public
record, are confidential and not to be disclosed in any manner to persons outside of the visiting team and
VAIS Accreditation Committee. In addition, all discussions between visiting team members and reports to or
discussions with the Accreditation Committee regarding a school are likewise confidential and not to be
disclosed.
In accordance with best practices, all Visiting Team Members and Chairs should decline service on a Visiting
Team where a conflict of interest exists. Some examples of possible conflict of interest are listed below.
Please be aware that this is not a comprehensive list.
-‐ You have any special interest in the school’s accreditation.
-‐ You have access to insider knowledge via relationships with school constituents.
-‐ You or an immediate family member is a previous employee of the visited school.
-‐ You have any current or expected consulting or financial relationship with the visited school.
I have no known conflict of interest in visiting this school.
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THREE PHASES OF THE VISITING TEAM’S WORK PHASE ONE: REVIEWING THE SCHOOL’S REPORT
The school produces a self-‐study consisting of a narrative report, published curriculum, and supporting documentation at the initial or ten-‐year visit. For the interim visit, the school produces an interim progress report, published curriculum, and supporting documentation. Approximately one month before the visit, each visiting team member will receive a copy of the school’s report and published curriculum to review. The supporting documentation will be reviewed by the team leader(s) in advance and will be available during the visit. Each visiting team member should pay particular attention to the school’s report of Philosophy and Mission, Community of the School, and additional areas assigned by the chair of the visit.
PHASE TWO: VERIFYING ADHERENCE TO THE VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP The school’s identification of strengths and areas needing improvement should be examined in relationship to the pertinent Standards and its own stated mission. Information gleaned from the school’s report and documentation, discussions with school representatives, and onsite observations will help team members make informed decisions during the team’s official vote on the Standards. Teams generally have a preliminary vote on the Standards early during the visit so as to allow for careful review and the possibility that some further research may need to be done before the team is comfortable with making final decisions. PHASE THREE: WRITING THE VISITING TEAM REPORT The visiting team report is a response to the school’s report in which the visiting team commends those strengths that are deemed significant, and recommends corrective action in the case of significant weaknesses. Generally speaking, the visiting team report is confined to those topics and criteria set forth in the school’s report; however, the visiting team may identify areas of commendation and recommendation beyond those described in the school’s report.
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PRELIMINARY VISIT
Approximately six months prior to the visit, the visiting team leader(s) and the VAIS Director of Accreditation make a preliminary visit to the campus to gain a better understanding of the school’s background, current strengths, and challenges. To determine the school’s readiness for the visit, you will need to accomplish the following:
1. Discuss: a. The school’s background – demographics, community, faculty, student profile, etc. b. Standards the school did not pass on the previous visit. c. Any documents expected to be “in progress” or Standards with which the school feels it may not be in
compliance by the time of the visit. The visiting team chair should notify the Director of Accreditation and head of school in writing of any Standards that are in this category.
d. The size and profile of the visiting team – needs of the school, areas of focus for the visiting team, etc. e. Which materials, in addition to the report and published curriculum, need to be sent to visiting team
members (strategic plan, etc.). f. Arrangements for the visit:
" Visit start and end times. " Accommodations " Technology needs for the team " Daily schedule for the visit (Note: The Chair and VAIS Director design the visit schedule.) " Time and nature of the exit meeting with the school community. " Time for meeting with representatives of the school’s Board.
g. Date and time for the document review visit.
2. Verify: a. That a school representative has attended an accreditation workshop within the last 1-‐2 years. b. That the appropriate report format has been followed.
3. Tour the school’s facilities to become familiar with areas of the school. Identify the visiting team’s workroom.
4. Meet briefly with the Chair of the school’s Board to discuss VAIS Standards pertaining to governance.
5. Optional: Meet briefly with the faculty and/or entire steering committee to explain how the process will work and
answer any questions that may arise. Note: The head of school and chair may choose to hold this meeting on a different date.
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DOCUMENTATION REVIEW A minimum of six to eight weeks prior to the evaluation visit, the Visiting Team leader(s) review the required documentation to become better acquainted with the school, its policies, and procedures. Schools are given the option of conducting a virtual document review whereby their documents are stored electronically and at the appropriate time, visiting team leaders are given access to the virtual documents which they can review over the course of several days at their convenience. Should some documentation not be in order at the time of this visit, the school has an opportunity to correct the omission prior to the evaluation visit. The Head of School must give a rationale in writing for any required documents that are not supplied to the Visiting Team. Schools are expected to follow the organizational format of the document review list which is available for download from the VAIS website. At the time of the document review, the following items must be available for review or the visit can be cancelled:
• Current audit, management letter, opinion letter • Operating budgets • Strategic plan • Financial Plan (3-‐5 year) • Published curriculum • Crisis management plan • Risk management program
If possible, the Vice Chair and/or Business Officer assigned to the team should be included on the document review visit. While the underlying purpose of this visit is to ensure the school’s compliance with required documentation, this review provides the visiting team leaders with additional background to share with the rest of the visiting team when they arrive on campus for the evaluation visit. In reviewing the documents, these questions may be helpful:
o What do the admissions materials tell you about the school? o To what degree do the school’s publications tell the school’s “story?” o What trends are apparent from an analysis of the admissions statistics? o What issues do you glean from the survey results? o What support is provided to the school (parent organizations, relationship with church, etc.) and how is that
support “managed?” o Are there any unique aspects of the academic and co-‐curricular programs? o Do the grade reports appear to be in keeping with the school’s mission and philosophy? o Are the evaluative tools designed to enhance professionalism? o What do the professional personnel documents reflect about the school – budget requirements for professional
development, alignment with mission, impact of faculty attrition, etc. o How well do the 3-‐5 year financial and strategic plans align? o What can you determine about the Board from the documentation – committee structure, policy development,
strategic thinking, continuing efforts to “be a better Board,” etc.? o In studying the audit and management letter, are there footnotes that appear beyond mere descriptive items of
information related to normal operations? Review specific concerns and recommendations presented in the management letter.
o Examine the organizational chart to determine the reporting lines for facilities, vehicle management, housekeeping, food services, after-‐care services, and health services. Is the organizational chart clear and logical given the culture of the organization?
o Is there proof of compliance with various licensure, inspection, and safety regulations? COMBINED PRELIMINARY AND DOCUMENT REVIEW VISITS If the school has its documents in hard copy, and should the school and team leaders agree on dates, it is possible (and in some cases preferable) to combine the preliminary and document review visits. This combination visit begins later in the afternoon on the first day and concludes just after lunchtime on the second day. The slight drawback to this approach is the necessity for the school to have documentation prepared further in advance than the minimum of six to eight weeks before the evaluation visit.
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SCHEDULE FOR VISIT The Chair and the VAIS Director of Accreditation are responsible for designing the schedule for the evaluation visit. The initial or ten-‐year visit consists of four days during the school year, typically beginning on a Sunday afternoon and concluding early Wednesday afternoon. The interim site visit consists of three days during the school year, typically beginning on a Sunday afternoon and concluding early Tuesday afternoon. Visit schedule templates are available for download on the VAIS website and will be part of the Google Site created for the visit for ease of updating from both the school and team leaders. Highlights of the initial or ten-‐year schedule include: SUNDAY
• Visiting team arrives mid-‐day • Orientation of visiting team by visiting team leaders • School presents its philosophy, mission, and community of the school • Meetings with school representatives to review the school’s report and curricular/division areas; • Meeting with Board of Trustees: At a minimum, the chair, vice chair, and business officer meet with the
Executive Committee. More preferably, additional members of the Board who may be responsible for strategic planning, board education, advancement, etc., are included in this meeting. {This meeting may also be held Monday morning.}
• Tour of campus • Possible reception including faculty members • Working team dinner or dinner with Board of Trustees, key administrators, steering committee
MONDAY
• Visits to classrooms and co-‐curricular activities • Meetings with students and parents • Observation of an emergency drill • Meetings with administrative personnel and faculty as needed • Visiting team begins writing and reviewing its report
TUESDAY
• Visiting team continues writing and reviewing its report • Visits to classrooms and co-‐curricular activities • Additional interviews with faculty and staff as needed
WEDNESDAY
• Visiting team completes its report • Visiting team votes on Standards for Membership • Confidential exit meeting between Visiting Team Chair and Head of School to discuss major challenges and any
failed VAIS Standards with corresponding strong recommendations • Exit meeting with other school representatives to share in general the major strengths and challenges of the
school • Visiting team departs mid-‐day
The interim schedule is similar to Sunday and Monday’s schedule, with the report completed and votes on Standards taken on Tuesday prior to the exit meeting and departure.
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KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL VISIT It is quite common for team members to remark that serving on a visiting team is a tremendous professional growth opportunity. While team members are often stretched to evaluate areas outside of their general expertise, VAIS relies on the team leaders to help the team pull together the whole visit and understand the interrelatedness of various discoveries. The following guidelines are offered:
! Determining the validity of the school’s report is accomplished through observation of instruction, procedures, and facilities; a review of documents, including the curriculum; and interaction with members of the school community and fellow visiting team members.
! The extent to which team members form and retain good rapport with faculty members throughout the evaluation will be a major determinant of the effectiveness of the visiting team’s work. However, team members must be particularly careful to not make any commitment to the school regarding recommendations that will be made or to make any controversial personal references about people either at the school being visited or at team member’s own schools. The confidentiality agreement signed by each team member must be upheld.
! Class visits assist team members in developing an overall view of the instructional methods. In addition, it cannot be overlooked that faculty appreciate being validated through an observation during an evaluation visit. Class visits are strictly observational in nature and should last no longer than 10-‐15 minutes. Under no circumstances should the observer participate in class discussions or react to classroom procedures while observing. Team members should not take notes during classroom visits. During an initial or ten-‐year visit, the goal is for each teacher to be visited, ideally twice. During interim visits, time is more limited for classroom visits, and the goal is to visit a representative of each academic area in each division.
! Visiting team members review and approve all visiting team sub-‐committee reports. While a discussion of preliminary findings with members of the school’s faculty may be held, this should be used only as an opportunity to correlate the visiting team’s information with those sub-‐committees in order to correct any discrepancies. Specific recommendations and commendations should not be read verbatim to school personnel.
! The VAIS Accreditation Committee will depend on the collective judgment, objectivity, and perception of the visiting team as a basis for consideration and action regarding accreditation of the school. During their brief time on campus, team members should beware of making assumptions. No report from a school can or should contain everything. One should not assume that a given procedure is or is not practiced.
! Visiting team members should not consider themselves consultants and recommend changes in policy unless there
are grave concerns and team members have thoroughly investigated the reasons for the school’s present policy in terms of the Standards of Membership as well as the school’s professed purposes and objectives.
! The visiting team’s confidential vote on each VAIS Standard for Membership should take place after the team has had a chance to get a good sense of the school and, in most cases, has written its official report.
! Visiting team reports which are clearly organized, not prescriptive, and which are plainly aligned with both the school’s report and the VAIS Standards are the most useful to the school and the VAIS Accreditation Committee. Suggested recommendations should leave no doubt as to what is being addressed.
! At the exit interview held between the team leaders and the head of the school, the chair of the visit will notify the head about any serious issues and provide feedback on any concerns that may not be in the report. The chair will also inform the head of any Standards not passed or that may be in question, but will not divulge the exact vote.
! At the concluding exit meeting (which all team members are expected to attend), the school community should be given only an overview of the visiting team’s impressions, not the results of the vote on the Standards or any definitive results of the visit. Everyone at the meeting should be reminded that the final decision on accreditation is made by the VAIS Board of Directors based on recommendations from the Accreditation Committee.
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CHAIR’S CHECKLIST FOR THE VISIT Note: Please copy the Director of Accreditation and Vice Chair in all correspondence with the school and team. ____1. 1 month – 6 weeks before the visit:
# Correspond with the Head of School to ensure:
" All lodging, workroom, and technology arrangements for the team have been made. " All meetings with school personnel, parents, students, and board members have been scheduled. " The school has mailed its report, curriculum guide (CD or online access), a copy of the school’s strategic
plan, information regarding lodging, and general background information about the school (such as an admissions brochure) to each member of the team.
# Review the visit schedule with the Director of Accreditation. The goal for the team is to meet with as many representatives of the school community as possible and witness firsthand all aspects of the school’s program. Include report deadlines in the schedule to assist team members in budgeting their time.
# Make assignments for team members in consultation with the Director of Accreditation. Consider assigning one of the five areas of Standards (Philosophy and Mission, Community of the School, Instruction and Program, Professional Personnel, Governance and Administration) as well as one or more areas of the program to each team member. The VAIS office will provide you with background information on each team member so that you can best align their talents with the needs of the visiting team. Assign one visiting team member (often the vice chair) to serve as editor.
____ 2. 3 weeks before the visit: Correspond with each team member, proving them with the following: a. A schedule for the visit, including report deadlines b. A list of their assignments c. Overall directions for reviewing the school’s report before the visit and writing the visiting team report during
the visit. d. Any instructions regarding technology to be used during the visit (bringing laptops, power cords, etc.). e. A reminder of the need for confidentiality when discussing all aspects of the school’s program. f. A reminder of the expected professional dress for the visit during the day, but that there is time for casual
dress in the evenings. g. A reminder that they should bring their Visiting Team Member Guide with them to the visit. This will be
provided to each team member by the VAIS office, and will also be available on the VAIS website. NOTE: THE LEADER GUIDE CONTAINS MORE INFORMATION THAN THE MEMBER GUIDE AND THEREFORE THE APPENDICES ARE NOT IDENTICAL, NOR DO ALL PAGE NUMBERS CORRESPOND.
h. Instructions for participation in the team’s conference call. ____ 3. 1-‐2 weeks prior to the visit:
# Touch base with the Accreditation Committee Reader assigned to the visit to discuss the background on the school’s accreditation and plans for the visit. # Lead a conference call with the members of the visiting team. This call is hosted by VAIS and is an opportune time to confirm team assignments, ensure that all materials have been received by the team members, and review any final details regarding the visit itself.
# During the call, or at the team’s on-‐site orientation, consider using one or more of the evaluation scenarios
found in Appendix E for training.
____ 4. At the beginning of the visit: Conduct an orientation session with the visiting team. [The VAIS staff provides training
to first-‐time team members, but it is especially important to spend time with them at the beginning of the visit to make certain that they understand their role on the team.] a. Introduce all team members. b. Review with the group its overall responsibility: to assess the degree to which the school meets VAIS Standards
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for Membership and meets its own stated mission, philosophy, and objectives. c. Give the team an overview of the school based on your preliminary visit and document review. Review
Standards that were not passed or which were of concern during the last VAIS visit. Refer to the previous visiting team report for correlating strong recommendations that were made to the school.
d. Review the schedule for the visit. e. Discuss the objectives of the scheduled meetings with the school’s representatives. (See Appendix D of this
guide for suggested questions that can be used in these discussions.) f. Discuss confidentiality of all visiting team work and confirm that the conflict of interest statement and
confidentiality agreement have been signed by all team members. g. Review all VAIS Standards of Membership. (See Appendix H.)
____ 5. Oversee the writing and editing of the visiting team report. The format is reviewed later in this guide. Visiting Teams
utilize Google Docs to create the report. Information regarding Google Docs is found in Appendix G.
____ 6. Conduct the review of each section of the report by the visiting team. Suggest that the team’s designated editor proofread reports before the full-‐team review. The visiting team must approve each section of the report.
____ 7. Write an executive summary of the report highlighting major themes/concerns of the visit. The executive summary
is included as part of the visiting team report and is sometimes read during the exit meeting. A sample is provided in Appendix B.
____ 8. Record the visiting team’s votes on the VAIS Standards using the official electronic form provided by the VAIS office.
Retain a record of the Standards vote for personal reference.
Standards are to be voted on as they are written; they are not to be ‘‘divided.’’ For example, in voting on Standard #5 ‘‘The school is engaged in ongoing, well-‐understood, and effective evaluation and improvement.’’ The team may agree that the process is well-‐understood and effective but not ongoing. The team must reach a conclusion and vote on the Standard as a whole, not divide it into two sections and take two separate votes. Abstentions should only reflect conflict of interest, not lack of information. Due to careful screening of visiting team members, abstentions are rarely, if ever, used. After taking the vote on Standards, ensure that the visiting team report includes strong recommendations for any failed Standards and that Standards of concern (i.e., Standards with a split vote by the team) have corresponding recommendations as well.
_____9. Conduct a confidential discussion with the head of the school at the conclusion of the visit. Inform the Head of any Standards the school did not pass as well as any that were of concern (receiving split votes). Note: The exact vote on each Standard remains strictly confidential and is not communicated to the school. The vice chair of the visiting team also attends this meeting. If deemed appropriate, the chair may write a confidential letter to the head identifying other areas of concern not noted within the visiting team report.
____10. Conduct an exit meeting with representatives of the school community. Present a general overview (generally the executive summary of the report) of the visiting team’s findings. (Note: the visiting team’s overview and report do not address the question of endorsement or accreditation. These are the prerogatives of the VAIS Board of Directors, based on the recommendation of the Accreditation Committee.) It is helpful at this meeting to explain the process that continues once the team leaves the school.
____ 11. Oversee arrangements for visiting team members’ reimbursements for expenses. (This is often delegated to the vice chair.)
____ 12. Ensure that the visiting team leaves no notes, including those written in the self-‐study or on computers provided by
the school. Ensure that all property of the school, i.e., published curriculum guide, remain at the school. Self-‐studies which include notes should also be disposed of in a secure manner.
____ 13. Immediately following the visit, forward an electronic copy of the visiting team report to the reader. Inform the reader of any failed Standards or mixed Standards votes. Also inform the reader of any missing items on the final document review. Discuss any changes to the report that the reader suggests.
____ 14. Debrief the VAIS Director of Accreditation regarding the visit.
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____ 15. Within two weeks of the completion of the visit, send an electronic PDF of the reader-‐approved report to the school
and the VAIS Director of Accreditation. • Only the report is sent to the school; the Standards vote is confidential and is not shared with the
school. • Members of the visiting team do not receive a final copy of the report. • Include a cover letter (see Appendix C) with the report reminding the head of school of his/her option to
respond to the VAIS Accreditation Committee. Any response should be sent electronically to the VAIS office.
____ 16. Follow-‐up with each team member to thank them for their service. You may also wish to thank the team member’s Head of School for allowing them to participate in the visit.
____ 17. Present the team’s findings at the meeting of the Accreditation Committee when the school is scheduled to be
discussed. The VAIS Director will make the arrangements for you to call in to the Accreditation Committee meeting. If you are available to meet with the Committee in person, you are welcome to do so.
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ROLE OF THE VICE CHAIR Should the Chair of the visit have to step down unexpectedly, the Vice Chair would generally be asked to step into the Chair’s position. Therefore, it is critical that the Vice Chair be well informed about arrangements for the visit and have a good understanding of the school prior to the visit. Specific roles for the Vice Chair: 1. Attend the preliminary visit and document review to become familiar with the school and the arrangements for the visit.
2. Assist the chair in making team assignments and finalizing the schedule for the visit.
3. Participate in the team’s conference call. 4. Approximately 1-‐2 weeks before the visit, ensure that the school has made all necessary updates to the documentation.
Report to the VAIS Director of Accreditation any documents missing at that time. Confirm completion of the document review with the chair of the visit.
5. Assist visiting team members in managing their time and responsibilities.
6. Be a mentor to anyone serving for the first time -‐-‐ make sure that they understand their role on the team, give them
guidance in gathering information for their reports, and provide them with feedback on their reports before they are shared with the team as a whole. Experienced team members may also be helpful in mentoring new team members.
7. At the chair’s discretion, oversee the scheduling of classroom visits by the visiting team. On the initial or ten-‐year visit each member of the faculty is visited, ideally twice. On the interim visits, the goal is to visit a representative of each academic area. The vice chair might develop a classroom visit schedule or work with the school’s steering committee to do so.
8. Serve as a sounding board for team members in dealing with sensitive issues.
9. Coordinate meetings of visiting team members with school representatives.
10. Edit and supervise production of the visiting team report. Help to ensure that failed Standards have correlating strong recommendations, and that any Standards of concern also have correlating recommendations.
11. Check in daily with the Steering Committee chair(s).
12. Attend the exit meeting with the chair and head of school.
13. At the chair’s discretion, conduct exit meetings with key academic and staff leaders, including the school’s steering committee.
14. Collect travel reimbursement documentation from each team member and ensure that all team members receive reimbursement prior to leaving campus on the last day of the visit.
15. At the conclusion of the visit, ensure that the visiting team members leave no notes regarding the visit at the school. Ensure that all property of the school, including the published curriculum guide and self-‐studies, remain at the school and are securely disposed of.
16. Ensure that each team member (including team leaders) has completed the online visit evaluation (link provided by the VAIS office).
17. In the absence of the Chair, present the team’s findings to the Accreditation Committee.
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STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP The VAIS evaluation/accreditation process is intended to be qualitative in nature and one that allows for individual differences in schools while simultaneously holding them to common expectations of excellence. Through participation in this process designed specifically for independent schools, member schools demonstrate their commitment to continuous growth and improvement and compliance with the Standards and expectations of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. The Standards for Membership are applicable to all members of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. To be thoroughly understood, the Standards must be considered in conjunction with a complete self-‐study using the approved manual. The school must address each Standard, or submit sufficient evidence to show that a Standard does not apply or cannot be fulfilled for reasons that do not affect the quality of the school. A complete list of Standards is found Appendix H. Regarding Voting:
" The visiting team will take and record an electronic numerical vote on each Standard.
" Standards are to be voted on as they are written. Standards are not to be ‘‘divided.’’ For example, in voting on Standard #5 “The school is engaged in ongoing, well-‐understood, and effective evaluation and improvement,” the team may agree that the process is well-‐understood and effective but not on-‐going. The team must reach a conclusion and vote on the Standard as a whole, not divide it into two sections and take two separate votes.
" Abstentions should only reflect conflict of interest, not lack of information. A temporary lack of information should not be a means for abstaining.
" It is permissible to vote on what has been reported in visiting team discussions but not individually observed. Though team members may be assigned certain Standards to explore in more depth during the visit, each team member votes on every Standard.
" Documentation provided by the school should be used as a source of information in determining the degree to which the school meets the Standard. It should not be assumed, however, that by simply providing documentation the school passes a Standard. Encourage team members to consult the document list during review of Standards.
" At the conclusion of each of section of Standards, the team is to record a vote on the entire section.
" Any notes made by individual team members concerning the votes on Standards should be destroyed or given to the chair of the visiting team who will dispose of them.
" The vote on Standards will be submitted to the Accreditation Committee along with the visiting team report. It cannot be over-‐stressed that the team must judge the school in terms of the school’s own objectives and mission, and not in terms of the objectives of the visitors. Visiting team members must not substitute their own interpretation of what constitutes “good” education for that of the visited school’s. Some Standards are objective, can be measured, and are relatively straightforward. However, many Standards are premised on judgments about how well the school’s activities reflect its mission and philosophy, and the visiting team must make a more subjective assessment of how well it seems to be accomplishing those goals.
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THE VISITING TEAM REPORT The visiting team report is the official response to the school’s report and documentation. The report is written for two audiences: the school and the Accreditation Committee. Through the report the school should recognize that the visiting team has done its work professionally and has understood the school. In inspiring the school to further its self-‐improvement process following the visit, we want the school to ask “How did the team reach this conclusion?” and “How can we get a new perspective ourselves?” rather than “What are they talking about?” or “They are wrong.” The report should be written so that the Accreditation Committee sees a correlation between the votes on Standards and the visiting team report to help them in determining their recommendation for accreditation. The following guiding points are offered:
• Background information on each team member will be sent to you in advance so that you can assign sections of the report to pairs of team members. It is recommended that at least two team members be assigned to each area – one as the primary writer and the other(s) as support.
• Provide targeted, actionable feedback. • Samples of report components are provided (See Appendix A). • Remember that the report is the work of the entire team, not that of a single individual. • The final written draft should be reviewed and approved by the entire team, and should be in the chair’s hands
before leaving the visit. INITIAL OR TEN-‐YEAR VISITING TEAM REPORT: ORGANIZATION & CONTENT
INTERIM VISITING TEAM REPORT: ORGANIZATION & CONTENT
I. Title page II. Table of contents III. List of visiting team members IV. Disclaimer: Limitations on the distribution,
use, and scope of the Visiting Team Report V. Review Process VI. Executive Summary VII. Individual reports corresponding with each
report in the school’s narrative report [SEE APPENDIX A] A. Overview introductory paragraph (only
for major Standards sections) B. Commendations C. Recommendations (including strong
recommendations for any failed Standards)
I. Title page II. Table of contents III. List of visiting team members IV. Disclaimer: Limitations on the distribution,
use, and scope of the Visiting Team Report V. Review Process VI. Executive Summary VII. Major strengths of the school [SEE APPENDIX
B] VIII. Major challenges for the school [SEE
APPENDIX B] IX. Strong recommendations (correlating with
failed Standards)
The chair, in consultation with the VAIS Director of Accreditation, will determine any modifications in report organization based on the school’s report.
See Appendix G for information on use of Google Docs for the creation of the report.
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General comments about the visiting team report: 1. All parts of the report should be appropriate to the purpose of the visit (initial/ten-‐year or interim).
2. The overviews in the initial or ten-‐year visiting team report should be brief summaries of the key elements that identify
the program or area of school life. They are written primarily to educate the Accreditation Committee and serve as their background for understanding the general characteristics of each area of the school at a given point in time. Remember While the following sample overview for Professional Personnel is thorough, it provides more detail than is needed for the purposes of the visiting team report:
Greenview School is blessed with qualified and dedicated professionals who understand and support the School’s mission. Students in both upper and lower divisions benefit from the experience and guidance of the caring and thoughtful adults who instruct them in class, coach them in sports, and mentor them in advisee groups. The unity of the faculty and staff, the dedication with which they serve, and the obvious love of children that they possess combine to create an environment of encouragement at Greenview. The extended school family experiences trust and satisfaction in the School’s program. Faculty turnover in the upper division has been a concern. 33% of the faculty is new this year, and an expected 10% turnover will occur in the science and math departments next year as the school anticipates maternity leaves and retirements. In the lower division, the tenure is relatively stable, although it was noted in the self-‐study report that deployments and the transitional atmosphere of this particular demographic demands constant attention to staffing. Greenview’s administration conducts nationwide searches to fill faculty vacancies. Teaching certificates are not required, but candidates with advanced degrees in the field of instruction are given preference. The majority of the upper school faculty hold Masters degrees and 15% are working towards doctoral degrees. Faculty in the lower division have recently implemented a robust evaluation and professional growth program. In this program, each teacher will participate in a pre-‐ and post-‐ evaluation visit, review a video recording of a lesson, and take an online class for credit over the course of the academic year. Greenview’s faculty shared its enthusiasm for the school’s Administration and reported high levels of morale and professional satisfaction. Because of the expanse of the Greenview campus, communication between the two divisions often presents a challenge. Internet connectivity is sometimes spotty, interfering with timely electronic communications. Because of myriad extracurricular activities that are led by faculty members, finding time to meet in person is difficult.
Instead, this edited version will suffice: Greenview School faculty is qualified by degree and experience for the positions they hold. A large majority of faculty members hold or are working towards advanced degrees. Faculty members are evaluated yearly and most participate in professional development annually. Classroom visitors observed evidence of intentional lesson planning and warm classroom environments. All teachers and administrators have responsibilities outside of the classroom that allow students to benefit from additional guidance and mentoring. Because of additional duties, whole school meetings are nearly impossible to accomplish and divisional meetings are rare. Communication between and among divisions is further damaged by poor Internet capabilities. Surveys of faculty noted strong support for the Administration and substantial job satisfaction and therefore it is unexpected that there will be a large faculty turnover. This year 33% of the faculty is new in an otherwise strong and healthy teaching environment.
3. Commendations provide the team the opportunity to compliment and show appreciation for the school’s efforts. The
team has the prerogative to strongly commend if it wishes.
4. Recommendations offer non-‐prescriptive suggestions to address areas of weakness identified by either the school in its narrative report or by the team during its conversations with the school’s constituents and observations of the life of the school.
" Any failed Standard must correspond with a ‘‘strong’’ recommendation.
" Recommendations that suggest an outlay of significant financial resources should be worded with consideration for financial limitations, the school’s long range plan, or differing priorities. Introductions such as ‘‘consider,’’ ‘‘evaluate the need for,’’ ‘‘study the feasibility of,’’ etc. should be used.
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" Sample non-‐prescriptive verbs/verb phrases:
Accept Explore Reconsider Address ways Formulate Reevaluate Analyze Further clarify Reexamine Appraise Give attention to Review Arrange Give consideration Review procedures Articulate Increase efforts to Revise Assess Initiate a plan for Schedule Attempt to establish Intensify efforts to Seek avenues Carefully evaluate Investigate Seek means Clarify Maintain Seek new resources Determine whether Make an effort to Seek ways Develop a procedure Monitor Strengthen Direct efforts toward Move in the direction of Strive to ensure Discuss the options Plan Study Discuss whether Probe Take steps to Encourage Promote Try Ensure Propose Undertake a study of Establish Provide Utilize opportunities Evaluate Provide continual attention Work toward Examine Pursue Work toward developing
5. Major Strengths, Major Challenges, and Strong Recommendations must include more context than simple strengths and
recommendations. These three areas will stand on their own as the springboard for the school’s future reporting.
6. It is very important that all team members hear the opinions of the other members on each issue, but it is also vital that the team meetings not get bogged down in unnecessary editorial changes or other details. Editing suggestions can either be delivered in writing to the people responsible for each section, or one member of the team can be assigned the job of coordinating the editing.
7. The final draft of the report is forwarded to the reader, a member of the Accreditation Committee. Once the reader has approved the report, the chair sends an electronic PDF of the report to the school and the VAIS Director of Accreditation. Visiting team members do not receive a copy of the report.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: DEGREES OF SPECIFICITY Recommendations should be clear, non-‐prescriptive, and should guide the school toward action that promotes school improvement. Make the suggestion to “drive the ball down the fairway” without telling the school the club to choose or the strength with which to hit the ball. Strong recommendations must be written for any failed VAIS Standard. Consider VAIS Standard 57: “The governing body has developed and approved a clearly stated strategic plan and a process which ensures a review of the plan on a regular basis.” Upon review of the documentation provided, interviews with the school’s Board and Head, the team determines that the school has no such document. A strong recommendation must be included in the visiting team report.
The visiting team strongly recommends that
LEAST SPECIFIC
MOST SPECIFIC
the school develop a long-‐range strategic plan. the school develop a long-‐range strategic plan including a specific timetable and provision for funding each item. the school convene a committee with representation from faculty, administration and board to develop a long-‐range strategic plan including a specific timetable and provision for funding each item. the school convene a committee with representation from faculty, administration and board to prioritize the many recommendations in the school’s self-‐study and visiting team report and to develop a long-‐range strategic plan including a specific timetable and provision for funding each item.
EXERCISE: How would you re-‐write this recommendation to make it less prescriptive? The visiting team recommends that the school place the highest priority on addressing the current salary scale which is non-‐competitive in the region and contributes to the high annual turnover of faculty. In particular, beginning with a faculty member’s tenth year of experience with the school, he or she should be awarded a one percent raise for each year of employment (ie. 10% raise for 10 years, 11% raise for 11 years, etc.). ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
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APPENDICES
A. SAMPLE INITIAL OR TEN-‐YEAR VISITING TEAM REPORT SECTIONS B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, MAJOR STRENGTHS, MAJOR CHALLENGES C. COVER LETTER FOR VISITING TEAM REPORT – SAMPLE D. SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES E. EVALUATION SCENARIOS F. DISCLAIMER G. GOOGLE INFORMATION H. STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP
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APPENDIX A: SAMPLE INITIAL OR TEN-‐YEAR VISITING TEAM REPORT SECTIONS Note: These sample reports do not refer to any particular member school. MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY THE SCHOOL’s founders hoped to “assist young people in becoming knowledgeable and responsible citizens of their community, nation and world.” The current mission statement carries through those hopes and includes key elements that are demonstrated through a focus on responsible citizenship, rigorous instruction, and future study. Developed during a Board/Faculty retreat in [date], the mission statement has been reaffirmed several times since by the administration, faculty and Trustees. The school’s mission statement is prominently displayed, is part of many of the school’s publications, and is reviewed at all faculty and Board meetings. It is clear that THE SCHOOL is committed to its mission. COMMENDATIONS The Visiting Team commends the School for:
1. Having a mission statement that is regularly reviewed by the Trustees and the school community. 2. Ensuring that all school constituencies understand and support the mission.
ETC. RECOMMENDATIONS The Visiting Team recommends that the School:
1. Continue its practice of reviewing the mission statement to ensure that it accurately reflects the current school culture.
2. Strive to ensure that all new school procedures and policies are in keeping with the mission. ETC. INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM -‐-‐ ATHLETICS COMMENDATIONS The Visiting Team commends the School for:
1. Maintaining outstanding facilities for all athletic pursuits. 2. Affording each student, regardless of ability, the opportunity to participate in a well-‐coached team or individual sport.
ETC. Note that strong recommendations are set apart in a separate section.
RECOMMENDATIONS The Visiting Team strongly recommends that the School:
1. Refrain from allowing students to accept any contribution based on athletic performance.
The Visiting Team recommends that the School: 1. Regularly collect and review data, and establish policy guidelines which address faculty concerns about time spent on
athletics to the detriment of in-‐class instruction. 3. Consider requiring formal first aid training for at least one coach of each sport.
ETC.
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APPENDIX B: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, MAJOR STRENGTHS, MAJOR CHALLENGES Note: This executive summary is well-‐used and should be used only as a prompt for YOUR creative writing! THE SCHOOL was visited on [DATE] by a team of # representatives of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools at the time of its ten-‐year evaluation. The visiting team spent 3 days on campus during which interviews were held with faculty, staff, parents, Board members, alumni, and students. In addition, classes and co-‐curricular activities were observed. The visiting team’s charge was to assess the degree to which THE SCHOOL meets the VAIS Standards for Membership while adhering to its own mission. THE SCHOOL was founded in [DATE] by a group of parents wanting to create a co-‐educational independent school “dedicated to academic potential and the development of a child’s character.” The school moved to its present site in [DATE]. Other interesting aspects of the development of THE SCHOOL which have brought it to this place in time are… THE SCHOOL is characterized by a strong academic program and a low student/teacher ratio. The student body includes the following unique aspects: [insert general demographic information] There are ## members of the faculty and staff, [insert general faculty information if desired]. The faculty is highly qualified and enthusiastic as evidenced by….. Hallmarks of the academic program include… Present new initiatives THE SCHOOL is undertaking are…. The school is under the direction of a HEAD OF SCHOOL and is governed by a Board of Directors. The HEAD is an ex-‐officio member of the board and serves as Board Secretary. The Board of Directors has ## members, # of whom are current parents. The President of the Alumni Association is also a member of the Board. Board members are drawn from… The school is currently in the beginning stages of implementing its new strategic initiatives, which include plans for developing… THE SCHOOL’S core values are enthusiasm for learning, personal excellence, responsibility, character development, and respect. THE SCHOOL’S mission is to develop a child’s “full potential in a creative, nurturing environment.” Examples of the mission in action observed by the visiting team were….. THE SCHOOL’S families and alumni are committed to and work hard for the school in the following ways… Past board members, parents and alumni take an active role in fundraising. Their dedication to THE SCHOOL is noteworthy! Major Strengths of THE SCHOOL:
1. Leadership at the School is strong and versatile. The three academic divisions are well led by an organized team of administrators. It is clear that faculty and administrators are aligned with the mission and philosophy of the School. Students and parents value the time, leadership, and support offered by the individuals who have made the School a “calling” in their lives. The availability, visibility, and approachability of all the leaders in the school were noted and are deeply appreciated.
2. In keeping with the school’s stated educational philosophy, the visual and performing arts program is supported by outstanding facilities, a high level of volunteer participation from constituents both within and beyond the school, and opportunities for student and faculty collaboration at all grade levels.
3. Both academic and co-‐curricular programs exemplify breadth and depth. The school lives out its child-‐centered mission and prepares its students well for the various high schools they will attend upon graduation. Graduates are routinely surveyed to identify areas of the academic program which can be further strengthened.
Etc. Major Challenges for THE SCHOOL:
1. The faculty demonstrates a strong commitment to personal and professional growth. Individuals annually engage in their own pursuits which are supported by department and division heads as well as by the head of school. A generous professional development budget is supplemented by annual fund donations. The school would benefit from a more holistic approach to professional development in which common themes are identified, time for reflective discussion is scheduled, and direct ties to professional goals are documented.
2. The School has made a significant investment in mission-‐based instructional technology in recent years. The resulting use of technology is widespread among faculty and students. The School’s technology committee has begun to establish a technology plan that includes the purchase of increased bandwidth, hardware upgrades, and professional development opportunities for faculty members which will in turn lead to greater utilization of technology by students. The School must remain diligent in allocating adequate resources toward this budgetary line item and identify ongoing financial support for technology. This is especially important given the pace of technology evolution in the educational arena.
Etc.
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APPENDIX C: COVER LETTER FOR VISITING TEAM REPORT -‐-‐ SAMPLE [Date] Dear -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐, On behalf of the visiting team, I would like to express my appreciation for allowing us to learn more about THE SCHOOL. Everyone in the school community shared powerful stories about the school’s founding and the generous spirit of giving. Your students are engaged and joyful in their learning. It has been a privilege to meet them. The faculty and staff are talented and dedicated. They have inspired us with their enthusiasm. Board members, alumni, parents, and grandparents are ambassadors for the school. The attached report is the official response of the visiting team based on review of your report, curriculum guide, the documents provided, and conversations with constituents of the school, and observations of classes and activities during our visit on [date]. The report has been sent to the VAIS Director of Accreditation, who will forward it to each of the Accreditation Committee members. If you wish to respond to the report or reflect on the visit in general, you are welcome to send your comments to the Director of Accreditation. Please send your comments electronically. Visiting team members do not receive a copy of the report. The extent to which you further distribute the report is at your discretion. I encourage you to prioritize the recommendations and begin work on them immediately! We wish your school and you continued success in the future. As a Visiting Team we are better for having spent time in your community with your wonderful students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and board members. Sincerely, Visiting Team Chair Virginia Association of Independent Schools
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APPENDIX D: SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES Where applicable, include references to specific Standards in your discussions. Questions for sub-‐committees responsible for individual sections of the school’s report:
1. Based on the report, what do you believe were the one or two major issues for your area, and how have you addressed them?
2. What are the key current issues in this area for the school? 3. What processes exist to address those issues? What may be planned for the future? 4. What are the particular strengths of the school in this area?
Questions for students:
1. If you were giving an admissions tour, what would you tell another student who was thinking about coming to your school? 2. What is something this school does really well? 3. If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be? 4. Do you feel you are getting a strong foundation?
Questions for parents:
1. What is something this school does really well? 2. What are some areas of needed improvement at the school? 3. Describe the relationship between teachers and students. 4. Does the school communicate effectively with the parents? 5. Is the school true to its mission and philosophy? 6. Why did you choose this school for your child?
Questions for administrators, faculty, and staff:
1. Give an example of how you have been involved in the decision-‐making process at the school. 2. Is the school meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of its students? 3. How does the school support you professionally? 4. Is the school true to its mission and philosophy? 5. Are parents appropriately involved in the life of the school? 6. What three things would you like to see changed at the school? 7. What kind of feedback from graduates or their parents have you used in evaluating programs?
Questions for board members:
1. Give an example of a recent policy decision and explain the process by which the board arrived at its decision. 2. What major challenges confront the school how do you see the board and administration equipped to face those
challenges? 3. Describe the evaluation process you have used with the head of school. 4. How has the board grown to be a “better board” over the past five years? 5. Discuss the board’s approach to coordinating strategic thinking and financial planning.
General questions: 1. Complete this sentence: ___________ School/Academy will always be… 2. Complete this sentence: ___________ School/Academy will never be… 3. What did you learn about ______ that you didn’t know before the self-‐study? 4. What is it that you believe about the future and how are you addressing it today? 5. What will you take away from this process to improve your own professional life? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS DEVELOPED AFTER THE PRELIMINARY VISIT, DOCUMENT REVIEW, AND TEAM DISCUSSIONS: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________
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APPENDIX E: EVALUATION SCENARIOS These scenarios may be useful to discuss during team orientation.
Scenario and guiding questions
A It is becoming increasingly apparent that several one-‐person academic departments at the school you are visiting are weak. Reports from students, faculty, parents, and trustees contain criticism and concern about the library, the computer department, and the second grade, each of which are the responsibility of individual faculty members. The visiting team members working on these particular areas concur with this sentiment. You are concerned that any attempt to address these problems in the report will unfairly undermine the efforts (and self-‐esteem) of the hard-‐working but less-‐than-‐creative individual teacher in each area. a. What should you do? b. How do you lead the visiting team? c. How does this information influence your thinking about Standards 15, 35, 47? What else does the team need to know? d. What recommendation would you write?
B The team chair gets a letter from a former faculty member who offers to meet with the chair and other members of the team to expose the fact that the school is “suffering from a great imbalance between the academic program and the non-‐academic activities for students, such as the ever-‐growing community service program.” She also adds, “You will not hear about this unless you ask – I can tell you who (sic) to talk to.” She offers to meet at the hotel and has said that she will call the hotel “so that we can arrange a time.”
a. What is your response? Do you meet with her? Do you tell the team? Do you tell the head of school?
b. How does this information influence your thinking about Standard 24? What else does the team need to know?
c. What other actions should you consider?
C The leadership style of the school that you are visiting is described in the self-‐study as being “open, collaborative, inclusive – the head has an open door policy that all embrace.” However, at the Sunday evening reception, a trustee and a member of the faculty approach you and report that the head is rarely present around school, is largely inaccessible, and makes all-‐important decision himself. a. How do you respond? b. What are your next steps with the team? c. How does this information influence your thinking about Standard 66? What else does the team need to know? d. What recommendation would you write?
Scenario and guiding questions
D The self-‐study describes the admissions process as involving testing, review of recommendations and transcripts, and a personal interview. During a meeting with a group of very supportive parents, you discover that their own experiences were very different. Most report that they simply registered their son or daughter and that was it. They have read the self-‐study also but assumed that it was referring to future plans rather than current practices. a. What do you say in the meeting?
b. How would you further explore the issue?
c. Does this raise any issues about validity of other areas of the self-‐study?
d. How does this information influence your thinking about Standards 8 and 9? What else does the team need to know?
e. What recommendation would you write?
E While talking to a member of the maintenance department, you are told that there are significant amounts of lead paint remaining in the lower school classroom wing. There is no mention of this in the self-‐study but the head of the school confirmed to you that he thought, “There was still some work to be done in that area.” You ask a kindergarten teacher if he is aware of the situation and he reports that he knows about it but jokes that he “keeps the kids from eating too much of it.” a. How do you handle this in the report? b. How does this information influence your thinking about Standard 74? What else does the team need to know?
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F While visiting a Catholic middle school, you become aware of a somewhat stilted and tense tone within the faculty. You sit down with the principal to try and figure out why this condition exists when, quite unexpectedly, the pastor walks into the office. He’s beaming and enthusiastic and says that he just wanted to see how the visit was going. You and the principal give him some news about the mechanics and he departs. As the door closes, the principal looks like she’s close to tears, and tells you that every move she, or any member of the faculty makes, is subject to scrutiny by the pastor; all decisions are his, and all ideas must be passed through him. The principal is thinking of resigning. Note: This situation could easily also involve a board chair or founding/long-‐term head who “retires” but assumes another role on campus and/or joins the board. a. How, if at all, do you handle this situation in the report?
b. How does this information influence your thinking about Standards 44-‐46? What else does the team need to know?
G After what you have felt has been a good first day of interviews and class visits, the head of school comes to you late in the afternoon to report that she has heard four separate reports about one of the visiting team members. People have said that his interviewing style is more like interrogation; he creates an impression that he is mostly looking for negative information and a number of people on the faculty are beginning to feel that he entire evaluation process is a witch-‐hunt and nothing positive will come of it. You have run this by the vice chair and she has heard some of the same talk. a. What do you do?
H It is Tuesday evening and the team has assembled to share drafts of completed sections, commendations, and recommendations. The following recommendation is read: “The visiting team recommends that the practice of housing both boys and girls on the same floor and in the same dormitories cease immediately, and that Smith Hall be made into a boys’ dorm, and Jones Hall into a girls’ dorm. Also, appropriate security, policies, and expectations should be set in place as soon as possible to ensure the separation of the genders.” a. How could this recommendation be rewritten to be less prescriptive? b. How do you manage the interference of personal opinions in the writing of recommendations?
I It is Sunday at 1:00 p.m. You and the other eight members of the visiting team are gathered around a conference table in a meeting room at the hotel. All of the members have presented themselves, giving their name, school, experience, and general sense of the school being visited from their review of the self-‐study. Three members make the following comments as part of their introduction: I got the impression from the fact that they only have a nurse one half-‐day a week that they should fail the Standard on adequate staffing for health care; and maybe we should fail them also on that Standard dealing with the school as a “safe and healthy place.” I love this place; my sister worked here up until a few years ago and, despite the fact that the head is a real lightweight intellectually, I think that it is a wonderful school. I’m wondering why we should even bother going through with this visit. I see some areas in the self-‐study where they admit that they do not meet some Standards. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we recommend that their accreditation be postponed until they get their act together? a. What do you do at this point in the visit?
J It is early Wednesday morning following breakfast and the team is beginning its final vote on the Standards. Several of your team members argue that despite the school’s positive outlook, the school had a $100,000 deficit this year on their $4.3 million budget. The team members further get into a discussion about how the budget is being developed and how funds are being distributed. a. How does this influence your thinking about Standards 66a, b, c, and e?
b. Does Standard 59 apply in this situation?
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APPENDIX F: DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER: LIMITATIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION, USE, AND SCOPE OF VISITING TEAM REPORTS It is the policy of VAIS that this report be treated as confidential and privileged. Final copies have been submitted to the Executive Director of VAIS and to the chief administrator of the school. Beyond this distribution, no other person or entity — including the Visiting Team leader and other members of the Visiting Team, the VAIS Accreditation Committee, and the VAIS office — is authorized to release any of the information contained herein without the express approval of the chief administrator of the school. This report is intended for use by the administration, faculty, and governing body of the school and is under the direct control of the school. Appropriate use may include release to the larger school community, if done so in an accurate manner. The report, however, is not written for the purpose of providing a public relations document. If a school uses the report in a manner that misrepresents or distorts its contents or purpose, the school will be subject to corrective action by VAIS. The charge of the VAIS Visiting Team was to determine the actual situation as it existed in the school, its program and its procedures, and not to pass judgment on the professional personnel involved. This report is an objective description of circumstances as they appeared to trained and experienced educators. This report is not intended to provide an official assessment of any staff person’s professional competency, and any use as such, would be in violation of the professional ethics under which a school accreditation is conducted. The VAIS Team may comment on conditions related to safety. The report is not intended to be a comprehensive evaluation of safety issues or concerns and should not be construed as a substitute for inspections of the facilities as required by law and by principles of good practice in risk management. The members of the Visiting Team voluntarily reflected their professional judgment in arriving at the conclusions reported in this document. They are willing to support the thoughtful recommendations that they have made, provided the report is used appropriately. They are not accountable for any unauthorized or inappropriate use of this document. The report is limited by the length of the visit and is dependent upon full and accurate disclosure by the school.
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APPENDIX G: GOOGLE INFORMATION To facilitate the distribution and collection of the large amount of materials and information a visit engenders, VAIS launches a Google Site for each school visit. Team members are given access to the site once they have agreed to serve on the team and have provided VAIS with an email address connected to a Google Account. If a team member does not have a Google Account, he or she can sign up for one at https://accounts.google.com/signup. When signing up for an account one should use an email address that is easily accessed. Information is delivered in different ways on the Google Site.
• Files attached to the bottom of a page – these can be downloaded to the desktop or opened directly by clicking on the link • Files appearing in the window which can be viewed -‐ or edited by clicking the link which appears at the bottom of the
window • Text which is embedded in the page itself
In order to view any part of the site, you must be signed in to your Google Account. Sign in and add your password.
If you see a sign in box that looks like the one below (an alternate email is already entered) you’ll first have to sign out as the previous user and sign in as another user. See the red arrow in the screenshot below. Click on that phrase to get a sign in box like the one pictured above.
Once you’ve signed in, all permissions to view are active. Each tab along the top of the first page houses different elements pertaining to the visit. Permissions to view each tab is granted either to team members, or to both team members and school personnel. Only team members are permitted to view the Report, Standards and Vote Sheet. Visiting Team reports are written using Google Docs. Before Google Documents, each sub-‐committee would push individual reports to the narrative report editor by E-‐mail or flash drives. With Google Docs, the document is available "live" to each team member. There's never a question of whether a team member is looking at the latest version... the team works together on the only version. The Google Doc program works as an online word processing program similar to Microsoft Word. When a team member edits something on a Google Doc, everyone sees the change.
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TIPS:
• Remember the Email address and password connected to your Google account!!!
• The Google Doc is automatically saved approximately every 7 seconds.
• It is possible to write your report area in another word processing program and then to, copy, and paste into the Google Doc. Formatting may be different, but this can be corrected in the final version.
• Some teams have found it useful to assign a different color to each team member to track on who is writing what.
• If you have time, test out Google Docs prior to attending the visit.
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APPENDIX H: VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP PHILOSOPHY AND MISSION 1. The school has a clearly stated educational mission and philosophy consistent with the needs of children and the requirements of a
pluralistic society. 2. The statement of philosophy is implemented by a specific statement of objectives and manifested in the educational program. If a VAIS school
is religiously affiliated, the academic and co-‐curricular programs must be based primarily on an educational rationale. 3. There is full disclosure of the school's mission, policies, programs, and practices. 4. There is congruence between the stated mission of the school and the actual program of the school. 5. The school is engaged in ongoing, well-‐understood, and effective evaluation and improvement.
COMMUNITY OF THE SCHOOL
6. The climate and culture of the school support the school’s mission. 7. In keeping with its mission, the school promotes an equitable, just, and inclusive community that inspires its members to respect others and
value diversity. 8. Provision is made for the appropriate involvement of administration, faculty, students, parents, alumni, and Board in the development and
implementation of the total program, in ways consistent with the purposes and objectives of the school. 9. The school admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded
or made available to students at the school, and further, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-‐administered programs, or otherwise discriminate in violation of federal, state or local law.
10. Admission policies and procedures are consistent with the stated mission and philosophy of the school. 11. All candidates undergo appropriate evaluation and are admitted only after there is a determination that enrollment is in the student's
interest. 12. The school describes fully its admission policy to prospective students, parents, and guardians. 13. Information relating to financial responsibilities of the parent/guardian or student to the institution is clearly stated in writing and is made
available prior to enrollment. 14. The school maintains sufficient and accurate records for personnel, students, and graduates. 15. These records are protected against loss by fire or theft and are available only to authorized persons. 16. The school provides developmentally appropriate opportunities for students to assume responsibility and/or leadership in the school
community. 17. Appropriate and responsible adult supervision of students is based upon established and published criteria.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE 18. Rules and policies governing dormitory life, leaves, privileges, and discipline are published so that both dormitory students and their parents
are properly informed. 19. The residential program is so conceived and staffed to fulfill that aspect of the school’s mission, particularly with respect to the portion of
the day outside regular classroom hours. 20. Measures are taken to ensure a safe and wholesome environment, a proper diet, supervised study, recreation, and a healthy balance
between leisure time and school activities. 21. Applicable health and safety regulations for residential programs are fully observed.
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INSTRUCTION AND PROGRAM
22. The school's overall educational program is developed from the school's stated philosophy and mission, and from the educational and developmental needs of its students.
23. The curriculum development and review process is ongoing, clear, and deliberate. 24. The school has a published curriculum, informed by its educational mission and philosophy, which is sequential and cohesive, and each course
includes a description of content, texts and materials, and evaluative criteria. 25. The published curriculum is implemented in the educational program and instructional philosophy and practices. 26. The school demonstrates that its educational programs, instructional practices, and institutional culture are informed by relevant research
regarding how students learn and the knowledge and capacities they may need in the 21st century. 27. Respectful of its mission, the school has in place a procedure for follow-‐up on graduate success, and utilizes resulting data to assess its
goals and programs. 28. The school day and year are carefully planned and are of sufficient duration to provide for the total program of the school as set forth in its
purposes and objectives. 29. The school maintains or has available for its use on a continuing basis both physical facilities and equipment appropriate to the needs of the
program. 30. The school has adequate library resources to provide for the program of the school and the needs of the students and professional staff. 31. The school's library staff is adequate and appropriately trained to enhance the educational philosophy, mission, and program of the school. 32. There is a written institutional technology plan with a corresponding budget that is in keeping with the school's mission and philosophy. 33. The school integrates technology skills and applications into the instructional program where appropriate. 34. The counseling and advisory program of the school meets the needs of the students enrolled and supports the stated mission, philosophy,
and objectives. 35. The school maintains full licensure or certification for its preschool program, if offered, pursuant to Virginia Code Sections 63.2-‐1701 et seq.
and 63.2-‐1717, or is exempt from licensure or certification pursuant to Virginia Code Section 63.2-‐1716. 36. Materials, routines and procedures in the school's preschool program are so organized and implemented as to reflect the developmental
needs of the children served. 37. The extended day or child care program, if offered, maintains licensure pursuant to Virginia Code Section 63.2-‐1701 or is exempt pursuant to
Virginia Code Section 63.2-‐1716.
PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL
38. The school employs qualified personnel without regard to race, color, ethnic background, national origin, sex, handicapped status, or age. 39. The teaching faculty and administration are sufficient in number to carry out the program of the school and provide for the needs of the
students. 40. Faculty and administration are qualified for their position and responsibilities by education and/or experience. 41. The school has evidence of a regular, documented evaluation of the performance of all teaching professionals. 42. The school has evidence of a regular, documented evaluation of the performance of all administrative staff and other personnel as
appropriate to their responsibilities. 43. The school has a functioning program for continuing professional development. 44. Faculty and staff understand and support the school’s philosophy and objectives. 45. Each member of the faculty and administration is clearly informed by written contract of his/her compensation and terms of employment. 46. The faculty and administration lead the review, planning, and development of the school’s program.
GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
A. HEAD OF SCHOOL 47. The administration and supervision of the school is the chief responsibility of the Head of School who is chosen by and reports to the
governing body. 48. The Head of School employs or oversees the employment of all faculty, staff, and support personnel who in turn report to the Head. 49. The Head of School is responsible for school curriculum and programs, all school personnel, maintenance of facilities, and resources. 50. The Head of School oversees the management of financial resources including budget-‐making, accounting, and provision for an annual
independent audit of the school’s finances. 51. The Head of School initiates adequate procedures for review of school organization, administration, and plant, as well as the determination
of short-‐ and long-‐range needs.
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52. The Head of School and governing body work together to develop fair and appropriate personnel policies, salaries, and benefits for faculty and staff.
B. GOVERNANCE
53. The governing body of the school understands and adheres to the NAIS Principles of Good Practice for Governance and works in partnership with the Head of School to fulfill these principles.
54. The governing body develops and regularly reviews the school's mission and statement of philosophy. 55. The school has a governing body which has well-‐established and understood procedures for developing school policy. 56. The governing body periodically reviews its by-‐laws, policies, issues, and needs. 57. The governing body has developed and approved a clearly stated strategic plan and a process which ensures a review of the plan on a
regular basis. 58. The school’s three-‐ to five-‐year financial planning projections are aligned with the strategic plan. 59. The governing body generates necessary resources for providing and maintaining physical facilities and plant adequate to support the
program of the school. 60. The Board has a regular, clearly defined, and well-‐administered program of evaluation for itself as an entity and for individual Board members. 61. There is ongoing professional development for the school’s governing body, including board member orientation. 62. The governing body is organized in such a way as to be independent of any special-‐interest group, and ensures no conflict of interest between
business, professional or parental roles and duties to the school. 63. The governing body evaluates and supports the Head of School. C. FINANCIAL RESOURCES
64. The financial resources are adequate to sustain the program of the school. 65. There is evidence of efficient and effective management of resources sufficient to advance the mission of the school. 66. The school has appropriate policies and procedures for managing the financial resources of the school including the following:
a. a budget-‐making process. b. accounting for the various funds of the school. c. three-‐ to five-‐year financial planning projections. d. a full-‐opinion professional audit annually. e. a financial and debt management plan.
67. The school has a crisis management plan, reviewed and updated annually, that provides school personnel appropriate training to respond effectively to school emergencies and crisis situations.
68. The school has a risk management program that minimizes loss to school property and exposure to liability and loss from potential injuries to guests and members of the school community.
D. SERVICE MANAGEMENT
69. Service personnel are adequate to sustain the program in a manner consistent with the purposes and objectives of the school. 70. Health care personnel, facilities, policies, and procedures are adequate to meet the needs of the institution. 71. The school provides documentation to demonstrate compliance with applicable federal, state, and local health and safety regulations for
students and employees, facilities, equipment, and vehicles, and demonstrates care and consideration for a clean, healthy, and safe environment.
72. Facilities and staff for food service are adequate, and the food served is nutritious. 73. Food service facilities and staff meet state and local health standards.
