Continuation School Tips

WASC Focus on Learning Accreditation Process: Tips for Small Continuation Schools Continuation education is an alternative high school diploma program. It is for students who are sixteen years of age or older, have not yet graduated from high school, are still required to attend school, and who are at risk of not graduating. Many students in continuation education are behind in high school credits. Others may need a flexible school schedule because they have jobs outside of school. Some students choose continuation education because of family needs or other circumstances. Students who attend continuation high schools must spend at least 15 hours per week or three hours per day at school. They take courses that are required for graduation. They also receive guidance and career counseling. Some programs offer independent study, job-placement services, and concurrent enrollment in community college.

Given the unique features and smaller size of continuation school programs in California, the WASC Accreditation processes and protocols may need to be adapted to meet the local context of the school. This guidance is intended to assist schools to clarify and streamline WASC Accreditation to best meet local needs for continuous improvement. Below are highlights of the FOL self-study process with special suggestions for continuation schools.

WASC FOL Accreditation Continuous Improvement Process: Student Learning and Well-Being

ACS WASC Focus on Learning (FOL) accreditation is synonymous with school improvement and school change.

Accreditation is self-renewal and reflection and a collaborative self-evaluation of all aspects of the school’s program and the impact on student learning and well-being.

It is not a report, teacher-focused, nor individual/small group work only.

WASC centers upon three beliefs: (1) a school’s goal is successful student learning; (2) each school has a clear purpose and schoolwide student goals outcomes/graduate profile; and (3) a school engages in external and internal evaluations as part of continuous school improvement to support student learning.

Focus on Learning is an ongoing school improvement process that assists a school in an in-depth look at what currently exists and what needs to be improved in relation to student learning and the school’s program. Basic concepts addressed in this process focus upon student success in meeting schoolwide learner outcomes and academic standards (i.e., what all students should know, understand and be able to do by graduation).

They are: 1. How well are all students learning and achieving?

2. Is the school doing everything possible to support high achievement and wellbeing for all its students?

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The accreditation process is an ongoing, perpetual cycle of assessment, planning, implementing, monitoring, and reassessment. The process is guided and assisted by the self-study, visit, and follow-up. The accreditation process follows a six-year cycle. The school team conducts an in-depth self-study to examine overall progress accomplished since the last self-study and the effectiveness of its current program based on the WASC criteria and indicators in relation to student achievement. The completed self-study report is sent to the visiting committee members for careful study no later than six weeks prior to the visit. Using the results of the visit, the school modifies and implements its subsequent schoolwide action plan/SPSA and continues the cycle of improvement. Through the FOL process a school fulfills the requirements for accreditation and forms the basis for the schoolwide action plan/SPSA (School Plan for Student Achievement) that is aligned with the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).

Annually, schools are expected to summarize the degree to which all students, including disaggregated student groups, are accomplishing the schoolwide learner outcomes and academic standards. In addition, schools must review the progress on the current schoolwide action plan in relation to student achievement and make appropriate revisions.

Essentially every year the schools’ stakeholders are involved in ongoing dialogue about the following: Analysis and ongoing dialogue about student learning (using the updated Student Profile to guide stakeholder discussion) Analysis of progress on each aspect of the Schoolwide Action Plan/SPSA Refinements of the Schoolwide Action Plan/SPSA as needed based on the analysis of progress The WASC accreditation Guiding Principles are embedded within the FOL process and reflected in the WASC Accreditation Cycle of Quality. These Guiding Principles support and enable a school to focus on continuous improvement process, the evaluations of results and impact on student learning through:

Ongoing involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders A culture of inclusion and equity that nurtures and supports the well-being of all students Accomplishment of its vision, mission, and schoolwide learner outcomes/graduate profile that supports equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students High achievement by all students in relation to district goals, schoolwide learner outcomes/graduate profile and academic standards Continuous school improvement/accountability

Use of multiple ways to analyze data regarding student achievement, including California Dashboard indicators, student, and staff perceptions/interviews, examining student work, and observing students engaged in learning Evaluation of the program effectiveness in relation to 1) impact on student learning based on schoolwide learner outcomes/graduate profile, major student learner needs, and academic standards; and 2) meeting a level of quality in accordance with the ACS WASC criteria Alignment of prioritized findings to a schoolwide action plan/SPSA aligned with LCAP goals focusing on student achievement

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Organization of the FOL Process Guide The FOL Guide is divided into important sections: accreditation overview, background self-study information, the self-study, the research-based criteria with indicators for analysis of program effectiveness, and the visit and the expected follow-up process. (See the WASC/CDE FOL, 2019, Table of Contents). Within the Background Information section, the self-study, the School Self-Study Coordinator Checklist outlines key responsibilities followed by a summary of the needed tasks with self-check questions to support the coordinator’s leadership role. There is also a detailed flow of activities and a suggested timeline The chart below is a summary of this table.

Time Frame

November – February Tasks 1 and 2 (Progress and Profile Analysis)

February – June Tasks 3 (Analysis of Program) Task 4 (Summary of identified major student learner needs, prioritized strengths and growth areas)

August – January Task 5 (Revision of schoolwide action plan)

February - April

Tasks Analyze local and state data and draft Chapters I and II (Tasks 1 and 2) Share with staff and stakeholders and revise as needed Clarify major learner needs and learner outcomes/graduate profile

Assign a lead teacher for each of 5 criteria categories for Chapter III (Task 3) Prioritize time for analysis of evidence and time to discuss and write findings for each criterion and summary for each of the 5 criteria categories.

Synthesize analysis and findings into a first draft of Chapters I-IV (Tasks 1-4) Request assistance from WASC Coach and Visiting Chair as needed

Share and discuss first draft of report, review Chapter IV for agreement by school team, revise draft report as needed Revise School Plan to reflect report findings (Task 5)

Finalize school report, plan for visit

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Participants

Administrative team with assistance from appropriate district leadership All teachers and staff

Entire school team (Teachers, staff and stakeholders) Admin team

Entire school team Entire school team, School Site Council

Admin Team

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Guidelines on School Committees and Probable Players To conduct a meaningful full selfstudy, the school is expected to involve the entire staff by establishing the suggested committees; however, this structure may need to be adapted to fit local size and conditions. Focus groups complete the analysis of the school program’s effectiveness. Given the small size of many continuation schools, the determination of the focus groups often changes to a “committee of the whole” approach whereby the entire school team is completing the tasks and program analysis collaboratively.

Establishing such a “committee of the whole” means the entire school team collaborates to analyze and discuss multiple types of evidence, agrees on overall findings and gives input as designated staff members.

Often, one or two staff members serve as co-leads to guide discussions and write to the criteria/indicators within each of the 5 Criteria Categories (i.e., Task 3-Self-Study Report, Chapter III). Additionally, other stakeholders may be assigned to each group, such as the counselor, psychologist or transition specialist.

Examples below illustrate one option: The principal and assistant principal (or lead teacher if there is no assistant principal) lead the writing for Category A, Organization; Category B, Curriculum, and Category C, Instruction, may be combined and led by two teachers; Category D, Assessment, could be led by one teacher; and, Category E, School Culture and Support led by a teacher and counselor.

Using the “committee as a whole” structure works well with a staff of 8-10 or less.

Collective accountability for completing given tasks within an identified time frame needs to be monitored to ensure the report is completed and shared, leading to clear identification of major student learner needs and levels of programmatic effectiveness across the criteria.

The school team reviews the sections of the FOL process guide and determines the best way for the school team, given the small school size, to accomplish the tasks and modify or develop a timeline based on working backwards from the WASC visit dates. After an understanding of tasks and timelines by the entire school team, the process begins: gathering and analyzing appropriate information and evidence, always emphasizing learner needs, formal times for dialogue among all teachers, leadership and others, and the succinct writing regarding the findings.

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Understanding and Writing about the School ’s Progress and Students Served (Chapters I and II) The FOL Process and Guiding Principles as described above provide the foundational concepts needed to engage in a schoolwide reflective process and cycle of inquiry leading to writing a thoughtful self-study report. The FOL Process Guide describes Tasks, what the school team needs to accomplish; Products, the completed chapters of the report; Participants; and, Procedures, the sequence of activities, analysis of evidence and reflective conversations that lead to findings with supporting evidence.

Focus of Chapter I: What have we achieved? What is the impact on student learning? Are students learning and achieving enough ?

This chapter is a progress report that provides the school team with the opportunity to analyze and reflect on the school’s progress and impact on student learning since the previous self-study. There are key areas to emphasize, including self-check questions, to assist in understanding Self-Study Task 1 (See FOL Table of Contents).

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Focus of Chapter II: Who are our students? What does the data tell us about their progress? What questions does the data raise?

This chapter describes the school profile, providing a source of data and information about the school program and its impact on student learning. The school profile identifies the analyzed and disaggregated data, clarifies the schoolwide learner outcomes/graduate profile and major student learning needs. Key areas to emphasize can be found in WASC Student/Community Profile Guide. (See FOL Table of Contents) Given the context of continuation schools, WASC staff recommends the school team respond to the following: A. General Background and History (relevant sections) B. School Program Data and Description (relevant sections) C. Schoolwide Learner Outcomes/Graduate Profile D. Demographic Data E. Data on Addressing the Eight State Priorities (this information can be provided by adding a link to the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) rather than writing responses.

F. Perception Data (relevant) G. Summary of Profile – Important section for use by the school team 1. What are the implications of the data with respect to student performance?

2. Select two or three preliminary student learner needs based on the data?

3. List important questions that have been raised by the analysis of student performance, demographics and perception data.

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LCFF Priority 4 Profile Section: Suggested Replacement Data The LCFF Priority 4 section of the student profile identifies performance on standardized tests. WASC staff recommends the school team use the data below instead of what is listed in the guide as it is more relevant for continuation schools.

The recommendations for Additional Data to Consider that follows the DASS information lists a wide range of suggestions focused on assessments and curricular measures, career preparation, family and community engagement, social-emotional learning and restorative practices. Most of these measures are very aligned with goals of continuation schools and WASC staff advises you to select a few of the measures based on your school context.

DATA ANALYSIS AND THE DASHBOARD ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL STATUS (DASS) SYSTEM Continuation schools have options to identify local measures of student progress and success aligned with school and district goals. The Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) program replaces the previously administered Alternative Schools Accountability Model (ASAM) and holds alternative schools and alternative schools of choice accountable for modified methods of measurement for accountability indicators, when appropriate. The SBE continues to take action on how to incorporate new modified methods into the Dashboard for future releases.

In order to fairly evaluate the success and progress of alternative schools that serve at-risk students, modified measures have been developed for the Academic and Graduation Rate Indicators. Currently, continuation schools are held accountable for the following state performance indicators: Academic Indicator (English Language Arts and Mathematics) Chronic Absenteeism Indicator College/Career Indicator English Learner Progress Indicator Graduation Rate Indicator Suspension Rate Indicator Given the importance of using local formative and state summative data to analyze the effectiveness of the school program when using the WASC protocols, this data should be included in the self-study and mid-cycle analysis, conversations and reports and serve as the foundation for the schoolwide action plan/SPSA aligned with the district LCAP. While the Dashboard data is important, additional local measures provide more detailed program information, progress, and impact on student success.

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ADDITIONAL DATA TO CONSIDER (CHOOSE A FEW RELEVANT MEASURES) Assessments and Curricular Measures Local formative or benchmark assessments (e.g., I-ready, district benchmarks) Course completion rates, credit recovery data Curriculum Integration of Work-Readiness Skills/Contextual Learning EL reclassification rates Enrollment Patterns, GPAs of student groups Focus on acceleration of student learning, not only remediation of learning gaps

Career Preparation Career Awareness/Exploration Activities (e.g., career fairs, tours, job shadowing and use of technology to explore choices).

Post-Secondary Education Planning: Instruction/counseling/guidance that supports career decision making.

Career Preparation/Job Search: job readiness–basic job skills (soft skills, 21st Century Skills, SCANS skills).

Career/Vocational Assessments, formal and/or informal career assessments Training to use transportation resources, and support student independence (including use of public transportation and/or obtaining driver's license).

Life Skills/Independent Living: Training in the use of community resources, domestic skills, money management, finding and maintaining housing, identification of post-school support.

Internships Student-Led Enterprise Simulated Work-Based Learning Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) Score

Family and Community Engagement Strategies that extend the community of learners to include students, teachers, staff, leaders, families and community organizations Family participation and support of transitions: involve, train parents/family and supportive adults to support and mentor youth as they transition.

Community and Higher Education Partnerships Student and Family Survey Data

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Social-Emotional Learning and Restorative Practices Implementation of conflict resolutions, restorative practices, peer mediation and trauma-sensitive practices and environments.

Group and individual counseling support and parent learning groups.

Plans, policies, structures, and systems that support effective supportive culture among program staff, between program staff and students/families, and among students to address lagging or problematic issues.

Strategies in place to develop and monitor trust-based relationships among teachers, staff, leaders, students, and families that allow for continuity in relationships and consistency in practices across content areas and foster a sense of psychological safety and security.

Strategies that provide individualized supports that enable healthy development, respond to student needs, and address learning barriers.

Strategies for metacognitive competencies (e.g., personal reflection on learning experiences and strategies) and how to help students achieve this competency.

Strategies for motivational competencies (e.g., growth mindset, the value of mastery, connecting learning tasks with students’ personal aspirations and hopes for their futures) and how to help students achieve this competency.

Strategies for social and emotional competencies (e.g., identity development, agency, tenacity and resilience, curiosity, selfdirection, and civic identity) and how to help students achieve this competency.

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Focus of Chapter III: What currently exists? How effective is it? Are students learning enough? The So What question?

This chapter provides the school team with the opportunity to analyze, evaluate and reflect on the effectiveness of the school’s program in relation to the WASC/CDE criteria and indicators. The assigned lead writers facilitate the review of evidence, conversations on effectiveness and synthesize the information to determine strengths and growth areas for continuous improvement. Key areas to emphasize can be found in the Table of Contents under Self-Study Task 3 and the WASC/CDE Tools, summarized below.

Category A Organization Category B: Curriculum Category C: Learning and Teaching Category D: Assessment and Accountability Category E: School Culture and Support for Student Personal, Social-Emotional and Academic Achievement

"Our liabilities have increased, which is why we need to increase The WASC/CDE Tools identify specific indicators within each criteria, evidence for analysis including observations sales of students and working,reduce levels of student voice and choice, analysis of student work, and prompts to guide report writing. overhead costs."

Focus of Chapter 4: What are the major student learning needs based on the school profile, focus group anal ysis and findings?

This chapter provides the school team with the opportunity to summarize the major student learning needs based on the school profile, focus group findings, DASS results and local data. The self-check questions guide conversations with the school team to reach agreement on the key priorities from the analysis and completion of Chapters I-III and provide the foundation for the completion of the schoolwide action plan/SPSA. Key areas to emphasize can be found in the Table of Contents under Self-Study Task 4.

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Focus of Chapter 5: What Have We Learned and Now What?

This chapter provides the school team with the opportunity to revise the schoolwide action plan/SPSA aligned with the district LCAP and the results of the self-study. Key areas to emphasize can be found in the Table of Contents under Self-Study Task 5.

Summary of Guidance for Continuation School Teams Consider the following strategies for a successful WASC accreditation process that provides the school team with actionable goals for school improvement.

1. Respond to letters and emails from the WASC office requesting information.

2. From the school’s AIMS portal, download the FOL Process Guide for detailed guidance and expectations. (WASC data system, AIMS: Accreditation Information Management System) 3. Develop a team structure to complete the accreditation cycle tasks and a timeline.

4. Participate in training and use office hours of WASC staff for detailed assistance.

5. Work with an assigned chair throughout the process and request a WASC coach if needed.

6. Communicate the task assignments and timeline with the entire school team and community, keeping the process moving forward.

7. Proceed with focus and “committee of the whole” group reflections, analysis and tasks to meet timeline and complete proposed schoolwide action plan/SPSA. 8. Complete WASC report and prepare for a successful visit.

9. After the visit, revise the schoolwide action plan/SPSA, implement strategies and monitor progress on increasing student success and achieving school and district goals.

"Our liabilities have increased, which is why we need to increase sales and reduce overhead costs."

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