1. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority District Accreditation… “You are good…. only as long as you are trying to get better.”

2. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority What do you know about District Accreditation? KNOTS There is something I don’t know that I am supposed to know. I don’t know what it is I don’t know, and yet am supposed to know, and I feel I look stupid if I seem both not to know it and not know what it is I don’t know. Therefore I pretend I know it. This is nerve-racking since I don’t know what I must pretend to know. Therefore I pretend I know everything. I feel you know what I am supposed to know but you can’t tell me what it is because you don’t know that I don’t know what it is. You may know what I don’t know, but not that I don’t know it. And I can’t tell you. So you will have to tell me everything. ~From KNOTS by R.D. Laing

3. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority What does District accreditation involve? The capacity of a school district and its schools to address three major elements. As such, a school district and its schools must:  Meet requirements as expressed through accreditation standards and criteria;  Engage in a continuous process of improvement; and  Demonstrate quality assurance.

4. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Three Tiers of Accreditation  School-based Accreditation (traditional)  The school engages in an internal review (self-study) that includes an analysis of meeting standards, engaging in continuous improvement, and providing for quality assurance.  Accreditation as a Super System (Ninety Six)  All schools in a school system are accredited (traditional method) and in good standing so the district is also.  District Accreditation  The district engages all aspects of accreditation systemically and conducts a system-wide self-study that includes an analysis of meeting standards, engaging in continuous improvement, and providing for quality assurance.  The district monitors and provides evidence that all the schools in the system meet accreditation requirements.

5. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Purpose of District Accreditation  District accreditation is not a stand-alone process that is put on the shelf. It is ongoing.  District accreditation is a process that examines how all the processes and functions of a system work in concert to the benefit of student learning.

6. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority District Accreditation Builds the capacity of a system and its schools to increase and sustain student learning  Inspires a culture of collaboration  Supports accountability requirements and strengthens efforts to meet them  Is continuous vs. episodic  Stresses excellence over compliance  Is cost effective for districts and schools  Promotes a systems approach:  systematic, systemic, synergistic, sustainable

7. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Systems Approach  System  network of parts which function as a whole  Systemic  all parts are interrelated, interdependent, aligned  all parts contribute to shared purpose  Systematic  parts are organized, structured, arranged  processes are planned and predictable  Synergistic  the total effect of the system is greater than the sum of the effects of the separate parts  Sustainable  capacity to endure, to embed and to maintain

8. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Key Point The district accreditation process develops a quality “school system,” not a “system of schools,” whose main focus is improving and sustaining student achievement through a continuous journey of self-reflection.

9. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six SACS Leadership: SACS District Accreditation Leadership (includes Superintendent & SACS Co-Chairs) CSIP Team (includes Administrators, Stakeholders, & SACS District Accreditation Leadership) Steering Committee (includes Standards Committee Chairs and SACS District Accreditation Leadership) 7 Standards Committees (includes Stakeholder Representatives) School SIP Team (includes Principal, Asst. Principals, & Others Identified by Principal)

10. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority District Accreditation Steps to District Accreditation: District expresses interest, in writing, to SACS CASI. SACS CASI representatives schedule and conduct readiness visit. District seeks approval from Board of Trustees and submits written commitment to SACS CASI. SACS CASI representative monitors the district’s preparation to host Quality Assurance Review visit.  SACS CASI appoints QAR chair and team members.  District conducts its guided self-study with input from representative stakeholders.  Schools write their School Improvement Plans as a reflection of the district’s plan.  District hosts Quality Assurance Review Team, including visits to schools.

11. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority SACS CASI Guided Self-Study for District Accreditation The Guided Self-Study is a summary document involving as few as 25-30 pages!!!  Section 1: Overview of the district’s preparation and organization to conduct the Guided Self-Study. (See timeline handout.)  Section 2: Narrative analysis of the Standards- Summarizes how the district meets each of the 7 standards for district accreditation. (See sample Standard Committee handout.)  Section 3: Summary description of the school system and its schools’ improvement planning process. (Balanced Scorecard for data analysis and a new District Action Plan format will be developed by the district and stakeholders.)  Section 4: Summary of what methods the district employs to provide for Quality Assurance.

12. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Guided Self-Study, Section 2  Analysis and Response to Standards  For each major standard area, school system officials must prepare a narrative response describing evidence of meeting the standard.

13. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Seven District Standards: 1. Vision and Purpose 2. Governance and Leadership 3. Teaching and Learning 4. Documenting and Using Results 5. Resources and Support Systems 6. Stakeholder Communications and Relationships 7. Commitment to Continuous Improvement

14. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority District Standards: Vision and Purpose A quality system develops and communicates a vision, beliefs and mission that provide a focus for the quality of the work of the students and the quality of the work of the system and schools. Governance and Leadership A quality system provides for and promotes stability in the leadership, governance and organizational structure which include a focus in developing and maintaining a vision; an emphasis on improving student learning; and support for innovative efforts that produce desired results. Teaching and Learning A quality system offers a research-based curriculum based on clearly defined expectations for student learning that is subject to review and revision at regular intervals. A quality system develops and employs instructional strategies and activities in support of student achievement of the expectations for learning defined by the curriculum.

15. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority District Standards Documenting and Using Results A quality system uses effective and continuous performance management systems for assessing, aligning, and improving student learning and operation performance, including organizational and instructional effectiveness, at all levels and areas of the system. Resources and Support Systems A quality system has qualified staff that is supported by the financial and physical resources necessary to fulfill the vision, mission and goals of the system. A quality system identifies and has a network of services that support the development and well-being, including the health and safety, of each student.

16. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority District Standards Stakeholder Communications and Relationships A quality system develops and supports organizational patterns or structures that promote effective communications and relationships between and among the schools, stakeholders and system. Commitment to Continuous Improvement A quality system establishes, implements and monitors a continuous process of educational improvement clearly focused on student performance.

17. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Guided Self-Study, Section 3  The district and its schools engage in a continuous improvement process.  There is continuity and collaborative planning among elementary, middle level, and high school improvement efforts.  Each school has improvement goals that complement the district/system’s vision and goals.  Each school meets accreditation standards that are monitored by the system and SACS CASI.  An external review team appointed by SACS CASI visits the system at least once every five years. The team consists of 5 to 7 professional peers.

18. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority  The school system has the responsibility and flexibility to identify and illustrate a continuous process of improvement that is implemented throughout the system. No longer one way to do it.  School system officials should identify and implement a process that permits the school system and its schools to engage in one process of improvement.  Such a process should:  Articulate the direction and purpose the school system is pursuing for its future. (VISION)  Provide a rich description of the current conditions with a focus on student learning. (PROFILE)  Identify what actions the professional staff will take to improve. (PLAN)  Document what has been accomplished and using the results to inform what happens next. (RESULTS) Guided Self Study, Section 3 Guided Self Study, Section 3

19. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Continuous Improvement Cycle VISION PROFILERESULTS PLAN What future are you pursuing? What future are you pursuing ? What actions will you take to improve? What actions will you take to improve ? What have you accomplished? What is your current reality? What is your current reality ?

20. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority  The district designs and implements a program of strategies that provide for quality assurance.  May include such strategies as professional evaluation systems; monitoring of school improvement planning and implementation; or formal analysis and use of student performance data.  The district participates in a quality assurance review process every five years conducted by a qualified team of professional peers. Guided Self Study, Section 4

21. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Responsibilities of the District The district provides leadership by……….  Establishing a comprehensive school improvement committee (CSIP) that has a designated district coordinator of improvement efforts

22. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Responsibilities of the District  The district, in cooperation with its stakeholders,  establishes a vision and mission statement  identifies system-wide goals  establishes an accountability system to document progress  The district supports its schools by providing:  Direction  Expectations, guidelines, feedback  Assistance  Building understanding and commitment  Using data and research findings  Resources  Professional Learning opportunities  Time, human, and fiscal support

23. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Responsibilities of the School  Meeting Standards  File an annual SACS report (on-line)  Monitor and maintain compliance with standards  Engage in the system’s continuous improvement process  Develop and Implement a School Improvement Plan (SIP) aligned with district’s CSIP.  Demonstrate quality assurance  Participate in the district’s monitoring process for school improvement and accreditation

24. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Quality Assurance Review Team: Visit Schedule Sunday Team Orientation and Preparation Monday Interviews with key District Stakeholders (Superintendent, Central Office Adminstrators, BOE members, Principals, Parents) Tuesday Half-Day Visits to each School (Schools provide information and perspective on the system during interviews and tour.) Wednesday Interviews Community members and follow up talks with District Staff 3 PM- Oral Exit Report: Commendations & Recommendations

25. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority School Visits Each school in the school system shall be visited for a half day each.  The primary purpose of the visits are to determine:  The school’s implementation and progress in the improvement process; and  The effectiveness of the school system’s methods for quality assurance.  Conduct interviews with at least 3 groups of stakeholders.

26. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Summary Chart of the District Accreditation Framework Schools  Meet the SACS Standards for Accreditation  Complete an annual accreditation report  Engage in a continuous school improvement process  Participate in the district’s quality assurance process District  Meets SACS District Standards for Accreditation  Engages in a continuous improvement process by developing data analysis and CSIP  Completes the 30 page narrative self-study manual.  Monitors schools through a quality assurance process  Prepares for and conducts a SACS CASI QAR visit on a five- year cycle

27. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Benefits of the Quality Assurance Review (QAR):  The team is comprised of highly trained and experienced reviewers (national or state team).  The nature of observations, commendations, and recommendations are systemic (less in number but greater in substance).  The QAR for district accreditation is very cost effective and substantive.

28. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Benefits of District Accreditation  Supports and enhances a common language of school improvement throughout the district  Ensures continuity and collaboration in planning for improvement that is anchored in a common vision for education among all its schools  Examines how all the processes and functions of a system work in concert  Provides the district and community with validation and recognition for their existing improvement efforts  Provides the district with recommendations that are designed to further the district’s effort to improve

29. Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority Ninety Six School District Where Children Are Our First Priority “He who stops being better stops being good.” - Oliver Cromwell