NCA Accreditation: An Overview and Update

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NCA AccreditationAn Overview and Update

• NCA State Office/ Office of Accreditation and
  School Improvement
• Concurrent Session Two 100 200

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NCA Overview Update

• The Unification of NCA CASI, SACS CASI, and NSSE
  Creates the Worlds Largest Educational
  Community
• 23,000 public and private schools
• 30 states, the Navajo Nation and Department
  of Defense Schools
• 65 countries, including Latin America
• 15 million students
• 18,000 volunteers
• 3.5 million educators

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NCA Overview Update
unification of NCA CASI SACS CASI
ND
North Central
MN
SD
WI
DoDEA
WY
MI
NE
IA
IND.
IL
OH
IN
CO
NAVAJO NATION
WV
KS
MO
OK
AR
AZ
NM
AZ
KY
VA
TN
NC
Southern
SC
GA
AL
MS
LA
TX
FL
Latin America

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NCA Overview Update

• Three Pillars of Accreditation

• Meet High Standards
• Engage in Continuous Improvement
• Demonstrate Quality Assurance

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NCA Overview Update

• NCA/AdvancED Accreditation Process
• Beginning in 2007-2008 schools will be accredited
  on a 5-Year Term. On a continuous basis they
  will
• Meet or exceed AdvancED high quality standards
• Conduct periodic, formative self assessment
• Engage in continuous improvement

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NCA Overview Update

• Every five years
• School prepares for and hosts a Quality Assurance
  Review Team
• Completes and submits the Standards Assessment
  Report
• Receives commendations, recommendations, and an
  accreditation status recommendation from the
  team
• Two years following the visit
• School submits an on-line Progress Report on the
  Quality Assurance Review Teams recommendations
• Five years after the visit
• School prepares for and hosts a Quality Assurance
  Review Team

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NCA Overview Update

• Accreditation Process

Assess Learn Improve
Submit Progress Report two years after the visit
Every five years, host a Quality Assurance Review
Team
Submit Standards Assessment Report 6 weeks 6
months prior to the visit
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NCA Overview Update
Assess Learn Improve
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NCA Overview Update

• AdvancED Standards
• for Quality Schools
• Comprehensive statements of quality practices
  and conditions
• Research-based
• Foundation of accreditation
• Cross state, regional and national boundaries

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NCA Overview Update

• NCA AdvancED Accreditation
• Standards for Quality Schools
• Beginning in 2007-2008
• Vision and Purpose
• Governance and Leadership
• Teaching and Learning
• Documenting and Using Results
• Resources and Support Systems
• Stakeholder Communications Relationships
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement

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NCA Overview Update

• NCA AdvancED Accreditation
• Standards for Quality Schools
• Standard a comprehensive statement of quality
  practices and conditions (7)
• Indicators operational definitions or
  descriptions of practices and processes (56)
• Impact Statement characteristics, processes,
  and actions that would be observable and
  verifiable in a school that effectively
  implements the standards

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NCA Overview Update

• Evidentiary Process
• How and What the School Does
• to Meet/Exceed the Standards
• Standards Assessment Report www.advanc-ed.org
• Used as a self-assessment
• Submitted online once every 5 years
• Used by the QAR Team during the visit

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NCA Overview Update

• Continuous Improvement
• An Accredited School
• Makes a voluntary commitment
• Demonstrates the capacity to engage in ongoing
  improvement

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NCA Overview Update

• Continuous Improvement
• Educators
• Build their capacity to improve
• Develop knowledge, understanding, and skills
• Create a supportive organizational culture a
  can do attitude

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NCA Overview Update

• Continuous Improvement Process
• An Accredited School
• Has the responsibility and flexibility to
  identify and implement an improvement process,
  such as
• NSSE Breakthrough School Improvement
• NCA CASI Performance Accreditation (8 phase)
• NSSE Focus on Student Performance
• NCA CASI Transitions
• High Schools That Work
• Baldrige Integrated Management System
• Strategic Planning Models
• State-Initiated Frameworks
• Etc.

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NCA Overview Update

• Continuous Improvement Process
• The process should
• Meet the standards
• Focus on improvement of student learning and
  school effectiveness
• Satisfy local, state, federal improvement process
  requirements
• Allow the school to engage in one improvement
  initiative
• Be implemented in a systematic systemic manner
• Address the four elements of continuous
  improvement

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NCA Overview Update
What future are you pursuing ?
What have you accomplished?

Monitor and Adjust
What is your current reality ?
What actions will you take to improve ?
PLAN
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NCA Overview Update

• Quality Assurance Review
• Beginning in 2007-2008
• Schools will participate in a quality assurance
  review once every 5 years
• Two-day visit with at least one full day at the
  school
• Scheduled by the state office
• Led by certified chair appointed by the state
  office
• Comprised of three to seven professional peers

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NCA Overview Update

• The QAR Team will
• Determine if the school meets the standards for
  accreditation
• Provide high quality feedback with commendations
  and recommendations for growth and improvement
• Make an accreditation status recommendation

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NCA Overview Update

• Benefits of NCA Accreditation
• Credit Reciprocity
• Access to Scholarships and Higher Education
  Opportunities
• Mark of Quality
• High Quality Standards
• Means to Meet Requirements (Local, State,
  Federal)
• Professional Services
• Technical Assistance
• Peer Review and Support
• Research-Based Products and Services

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NCA Overview Update

• Benefits (continued)
• AdvancED Resource Network
• Connects people to people
• Submit and share your practice
• www.advanc-ed.org
• Best Practice
• Connects people to research
• Resources and Tools
• Connects people to tools for school improvement

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NCA Overview Update

• Accreditation is an activity, not a status.
  Schools are accredited because of the way they
  move, not the way they stand.
• John A. Stoops
• Former Middle States Executive Director
• Elementary Schools
• First Executive Director, CITA

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NCA Overview Update

• Thank you!
• We appreciate your interest and participation.
• Accreditation for the 21st Century
• The NCA/AdvancED Process