AdvancED District Accreditation Summary Report for Dare County Schools

AdvancED Accreditation Visit December 1-4, 2013 AdvancED is the umbrella organization for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) All 50 states; 75 countries

AdvancED Accreditation, cont. All schools and the district accredited simultaneously District completed a strategic plan and self-assessment External Review Team visited Dec. 1-4, 2013 - 3 members from North Carolina - 1 each from FL, AL, NE - Studied more than 250 documents - Interviewed 153 staff, students, parents, BOE members, community partners - Observed 36 classrooms

Classroom Observations Highest of 7 ratings was in area of “well managed learning environment” Very high marks in areas of - Equitable learning environment - High expectations - Supportive learning environment - Active learning environment - Progressive monitoring and feedback

Classroom Observations Lowest rated area was in student use of technology Devices are not available at all times (plus, only 20 minutes of observation) Observer must see students using computers or other digital devices for: Research Problem-Solving Collaboration Any other use does not qualify as best practice

Opportunities for Improvement The AdvancED team suggested 2 opportunities for improvement which the district had noted in its self-assessment: 1. Differentiate instruction for all students. 2. Train all staff in use of data.

Required Actions The AdvancED team must identify at least 2 required actions: 1. Develop common grading practices at all schools. (Grading practices were identified in the district’s self-assessment.) 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of individual programs.

Index of Educational Quality (IEQ) 4 Scores: - Teaching and Learning Impact - Leadership Capacity - Resource Utilization - Total Only school or system to score in the top quartile on all 4 scores Highest overall IEQ score to date for any school or system

Powerful Practices Remarks from the AdvancED Team Chair: Participated in hundreds of visits Reviewed reports of countless others Had never seen a district receive recognition for as many as 8 “Powerful Practices” “Powerful Practice” is something so good she would “put people on planes” to come see what we are doing.

8 Powerful Practices Cited by the AdvancED Team Culture of high expectations Efforts to involve families Effective and efficient fiscal planning and procedures All schools are pursuing district goals

8 Powerful Practices Cited by the AdvancED Team, cont. Seeking and obtaining grants Business and Community Partnerships Valuing employees (recognitions, internal promotions) Affordable Housing (In the final written report by AdvancED, the four practices above were combined into two practices.)

Accreditation Achieved The Dare County School System and its 11 schools were approved for accreditation by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission on January 23, 2014, for a five-year term.

School Improvement Teams, Professional Learning Communities, Thanks to School Improvement Teams, Professional Learning Communities, Leadership Teams, Parent and Community Groups, All Dare County Schools Staff!