Scholastic Audit Orientation

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Scholastic Audit Orientation
Presenter Laura Wilson Technical Assistance
Specialist Dr. Laura Bednar, Assistant
Commissioner Division of Learning Services
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Arkansas Department of Education
(ADE)Scholastic Audit
The Scholastic Audit is a comprehensive review of
a schools learning environment, efficiency, and
academic performance. The purposes of the audit
are to analyze strengths and limitations of the
schools instructional and organizational
effectiveness and to make specific
recommendations to improve teaching and learning.
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Standards and Indicators for School Improvement
(SISI)
The School Level Performance Descriptors for
Arkansas Standards and Indicators for School
Improvement is for team members to use in
determining how effective the school has been in
organizing its work around the nine standards.
Below each standard are indicators that show the
degree to which the standard is in place. Team
members will determine the performance levels
observed under each indicator of the nine
standards. This tool can be found on the ADE web
site.
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Academic Performance
Standard 1 Curriculum-The school develops and
implements a curriculum that is rigorous,
intentional, and aligned to state and local
standards. Standard 2 Assessment-The school
utilizes multiple evaluation and assessment
strategies to continuously monitor and modify
instruction to meet student needs and support
proficient student work. Standard 3
Instruction-The schools instructional program
actively engages all students by using effective,
varied, and research-based practices to improve
student academic performance.
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Learning Environment
Standard 4 School Culture-The school/district
functions as an effective learning community and
supports a climate conducive to performance
excellence. Standard 5 Student, Family, and
Community Support-The school/district works with
families and community groups to remove barriers
to learning in an effort to meet the
intellectual, social, career, and developmental
needs of students. Standard 6 Professional
Growth, Development, and Evaluation-The
school/district provides research-based, results
driven professional development opportunities for
staff and implements performance evaluation
procedures in order to improve teaching and
learning.
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Efficiency Standard 7 Leadership-School/district
instructional decisions focus on support for
teaching and learning, organizational direction,
high performance expectations, creating a
learning culture, and developing leadership
capacity. Standard 8 Organizational Structure
and Resources-The organization of the
school/district maximizes use of time, all
available space and other resources to maximize
teaching and learning and support high student
and staff performances. Standard 9
Comprehensive and Effective Planning-The
school/district develops, implements, and
evaluates a comprehensive school improvement plan
that communicates a clear purpose, direction, and
action plan focused on teaching and learning.
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2010-2011 ADE Scholastic Audit

• Identification of schools in School Improvement.
  . . . . . . . . ADE ACTAAP/Act 949 Year 3,
  4, 5, and beyond
  Special Request
• Smart Accountability
• 2. Notification of Scholastic Audit on-site
  visit. . . . . . . . . . . . . ADE
• 3. Requests for School Portfolio. . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADE

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4. On-Site Scholastic Audit. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . Scholastic Audit Team 5. Oral
Summary Report of Findings. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . Team Leader 6. Scholastic Audit
Report Reviewed/Finalized. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Scholastic Audit ADE 7. Report of Findings to
Superintendent/School. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.Scholastic Audit ADE 8. Final Report. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Division of
Learning Services Coordinator of School
Improvement School Improvement Supervisor
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• 9. Schedule On-Site Visit. . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . School Improvement Supervisor
• On-Site Visit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . ACSIP Committee
• Revise ACSIP
• Incorporate Recommendations
• Identify Resources Needed to Support the
  Implementation of the Revised ACSIP
• Implementation of the Revised ACSIP

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Scholastic Audit Visit
Before the Visit Portfolio Contents The
school/district portfolio should be made
available for the teams review prior to the
school visit. The entire team will come together
the afternoon or the evening prior to the visit
for the purpose of reviewing school/district
data.
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School Portfolio Contents

• Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan
  (ACSIP) School District
• Curriculum Alignment Documents
• District Evaluation Plan

• District Technology Inventory
• Teacher Lesson Plans
• Master Schedule
• Professional Development Activities
• Local School Board Policies

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School Portfolio Contents Continued

• Student Achievement Data
• Student Work Samples and Writing Portfolio
  Analysis Data
• Samples of Student Assessments

• School Handbooks
• School Report Card (including expanded version)
• School Survey Data
• State Assessment Results

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Stakeholder Perception Surveys
The results of these surveys will assist a team
in determining stakeholder perceptions regarding
the school as a learning organization. The
surveys are designed for random completion by
parents, teachers, staff, administrators,
students, and community members.
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Stakeholder Perception Surveys Continued
Categorized into Academic Performance, Learning
Environment and Efficiency, they rank descriptors
from strongly agree to no opinion.
Step-by-step directions for completing the
surveys will be provided.
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Sample Team Schedule
Monday 730 a.m. Arrive at school 810
a.m. Preliminary interview with principal 845
a.m. Observations and interviews 1115
a.m. Debriefing and status check 11 40
a.m. Observations and interviews 200
p.m. Interview with Principal 300
p.m. Interviews with parents 345
p.m. Interviews with school board members 500
p.m. Team meeting for generating questions and
expressing concerns 630
p.m. Dinner 730 p.m. Individual or team work
on evidence and standards
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During the Visit
Classroom Observations
Classroom observations are conducted during the
morning and afternoon. During classroom
observations, team members will record specific
examples of instructional activities noting those
that appear to be of high quality.
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During the Visit Continued

• Team members are responsible for documenting and
  sharing with the team detailed information about
• Teaching practices
• Student participation
• Student work
• Administrative support

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Interviews
Team members will interview nine role groups at
the school site/district site

• Parents
• Superintendent/designee
• Central office staff
• School board members

• Principals
• Counselors
• Teachers
• Classified staff
• Students

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Debriefing with the Team After DAY ONE of the
Audit / Review
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Purposes of the First Team Debriefing . . .
to share preliminary concerns determined
through first interviews and observations to
request assistance from team members in
determining accuracy of these preliminary
concerns to brainstorm possible avenues of
inquiry for the evenings work in revisiting the
school portfolio, and to hypothesize findings
for assigned standards.
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EXAMPLES of team member statements during
debriefing
Standard 1 I observed four different
classrooms, today, and did not see a posted
curriculum for student review. Did anyone see
something different? Standard 2 Three
different students told me that they know their
work is good when the teacher gives them a grade.
They were unfamiliar with scoring guides and
rubrics. When you all interview students
tomorrow, could you emphasize this with them so
that I can see if it is a school wide issue?
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EXAMPLES of team member statements during
debriefing (continued)
Standard 3 Has anyone seen a real primary
class, yet? Standard 4 I happened to be near
the main entrance when some parents came in.
They all agreed to a quick interview about their
perception of school culture. They each believed
their children are safe in the school and that
the principal works hard to make the school
orderly and productive. However, they said some
teachers treat children with well-to-do families
a lot better. Help me get to the bottom of this
over the next couple of days.
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EXAMPLES of team member statements during
debriefing (continued)
Standard 5 Kids, teachers, and administrators
all seem to love their counselor. Can you tell
if barriers to learning are truly
addressed? Standard 6 Staff members dont
seem to use the PD that they learned about this
summer. They attended two full days on
differentiation and one on inclusion, but I
didnt see anyone implementing either practice.
Could you help me check for this?
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EXAMPLES of team member statements during
debriefing (continued)
Standard 7 The principal is very nice and
seems to have great rapport with students and
parents. Has anyone heard or seen anything
different? Standard 8 Well, I cant find any
updated school board policies, a budget, or
minutes? Has anyone located these? Standard 9
Their school improvement plan probably resembles
their board minutes and curriculum very little
written or implemented and nothing evaluated for
impact. Lets all look.
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Exiting the School

• The chairperson will present an oral summary
  report at the time agreed upon with the
  principal.
• The chairperson should thank the team for its
  hard work and the school for its hospitality.
• The chairperson should highlight the
  outstanding practices that the team observed.

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Exiting the School Continued

• The chairperson will summarize recommended
  Next Steps.
• The chairperson will communicate to the school
  that they will receive a copy of the written
  report in four weeks.

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Scholastic Audit Report

• Findings for each of the 88 indicators
• 3 to 5 recommendations for each of the nine
  standards
• Next Steps
• The school will prioritize the recommendations.
• The School Improvement Supervisor will assist the
  school in including the recommendations in the
  ACSIP.

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Scholastic Audit
Ms. Estelle Matthis Office of Scholastic
Audit 501-683-5780 Dr. Laura Bednar, Assistant
Commissioner Division of Learning Services