MNSAA
Accreditation
January 2014
New School Training
The Whole Learning School
Sarah W. Mueller
Executive Director
Candidate Application
The Whole Learning School Provided
 Statement “Why Seeking Accreditation?”
 Statement of governing authority’s support
 Projected timeframe
(Spring 2015)
 Programs seeking accreditation
(Grades 3-12)
 Signed by school & governing authority
 Payment of application fee
Candidate Application
Essential Standards Readiness
 Mission & Philosophy statements
 Curriculum Standards
 Assessment of Student Learning
 Health & Safety Requirements
 Personnel
 Governance
 Financial Sustainability
Achieving NEW Accreditation
A Model for The Whole Learning School
 Year 1 – Develop Self Study
 Profile & Narrations
 Year 2 - SSP and Visit
 Define visionary plan for future
 Host onsite visit
 Year 3-7 – Implement Plan
 File Annual Progress Reports
 Maintain Strategic Plan as living
document
Accreditation Status
Conditions on Accreditation May Apply
 Public Statement
 Provisional Conditions
 One or more essential compliance components
 Additional accountability required
 Timelines and support provided
 Provisional Conditions
 Deficiency detracts from total
 Failed to meet requirements
 Violated policy
Steps to Accreditation
Outline to Walk Through Process
 Set up for Renewing schools
 TWLS already completed Steps 1-2
 Next Up
 Develop Self-Study
 Communicate
 Plan
Standards & Indicators
HANDBOOK – Section B
 1: Mission & Philosophy
 2: Teaching & Learning
 3: Climate for Learning
 4: Communications & Relations
 5: Personnel
 6: Leadership & Governance
 7: School Strategic Plan
MNSAA’s Quality Standards
Take a LOOK at the Standards
 MNSAA has 7 quality standards
 Each standard is comprised of several criteria
 Each criteria requires a Reflective Narration
 Narration supported by
Performance Indicators
Essential Performance Indicators
Italicized Means Required!
•
Written Mission & Philosophy statements;
• Written Curriculum Standards;
• Subject Area Philosophies
• Written Process of Curriculum Evaluation;
• Philosophy of Assessment
• Policy Handbooks;
• Faculty & Student Handbooks;
• Annual State-of-the School Report;
• Etc.
 Legal Requirement noted LR
School Self-Study Report
HANDBOOK – Section C
 The School Profile
 Reflective Standard Narrations
 The School Strategic Plan
The School Self-Study Report
Getting Organized
 Understand the Self-Study Requirements
(Profile, Standards Narrations, School Strategic Plan)
 Establish a Steering Team
 Develop Sub-Committees
(See Handbook C-1)
(See Handbook C-1)
 Community-wide Ownership
Part 1: The School Profile
Part 1: The School Profile
Tells your school’s story
(Who you are; Who you serve; What’s been happening?)

Opens self-study report

Summary statement (3-5 pages)

History highlights

Demographic Study
 Overview of students, families, and community served

Stakeholder perceptions**
 Survey provides documented evidence

Student enrollment trends
Part 1: The School Profile
Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey
 Consider inexpensive electronic survey
 Connect stakeholders to MNSAA standards
 Invite honesty, but do not open door to
inappropriate responses
 Summarize data gathered in The Profile
Part 1: The School Profile
School Profile Template
 Available under School Resources on website
 Template not required, but components are
 Consider it an outline for posting your findings
 Take a look!
 Download from MNSAA website:
www.mnsaa.org
Part 2: Standard Narrations
Part 2: Standards Narrations
Demonstrates readiness for accreditation
 The heart of your school’s self-study
 Defines what is currently happening at your
school
 Honesty matters! May find not all criteria are in
place at your school
 Equally important to find areas
not in compliance
Part 2: Standards Narrations
Quality of the Reflective Narrations
 Do NOT merely restate the standard
 Sets the stage for the onsite team
 Professional document crafted by well-trained
and highly skilled educators
 Published!
 Quality evaluated by team
Part 2: Standards Narrations
Identifying Strengths & Challenges
 Use findings to build summary for each
standard
 Process =
 Subcommittee writes draft
 Whole group reviews and adds ideas
 Identify key strengths & challenges
 CHALLENGES – Become the focus of the
school improvement plan
Part 2: Standards Narrations
Self-Study Narrations Template
 MNSAA requires use of template
 Personalize the template for your school
 Available under School Resources on website
Part 2: Standards Narrations
Don’t Forget Standard 7!
 Not completed until after strategic plan written
 Can be forgotten
 Set a reminder to return to this before
publishing
 Essential component of the Self-Study
Indicators of Compliance
 Onsite team looks for supporting evidence for
each narration.
 Ask the questions:

“How do we comply?”
 “How can we provide evidence?”

MNSAA requirements & ideas

Team observations & interviews
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
Summarizes challenges identified
 A roadmap for school improvement
 Provide strategic direction + a plan of action
 Needs to be a collaborative process
 Key component of Annual Progress Report
 Maintained as a “Living Document”
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
MNSAA SSP Quality Expectations
 Valid – Reflective of current needs of school
 Connected – To self-study report
 Supported – By wide body of stakeholders
 Visionary – Not a checklist
 Reasonable – Timeline manageable
 Focused – On your students!
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
Specific Framework Required!

Objectives – Where the school wants to be

Strategies – How the school plans to get there

Action Steps – What specifically the school is
going to do
SAMPLE
Objective: The school will provide a safe learning facility.
Strategy 1: A crisis management plan will be developed.
Action Steps:
1. A taskforce will be established.
2. The task force will review state guidelines and resources.
3. The task force will interface with local authorities.
4. Draft a crisis management plan for consideration.
5. Seek approval from board.
6. Implement crisis management plan.
7. Evaluate and adjust as needed.
Strategy 2: Explore extended day program.
Action Steps:
1. Survey families for need.
2. Determine space for program.
3. Research state laws.
4. Etc. – Continue to add action steps to reach goal.
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
MNSAA Template Required!
 Complete on electronic template
 Download from MNSAA website
 Word table - Able to revise
 Ability to report progress to MNSAA
 Take a look!
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
Samples Available
Take a look at the Sample on the
MNSAA Template!
Be sure to checkout our website for
more resources: www.mnsaa.org
Part 3: School Strategic Plan
INVOLVE STAKEHOLDERS!
 Communicate Self-Study Findings
 Solicit Input
 Build Buy-In
 Finalize with full school community
The Onsite Visit
HANDBOOK – Section D
 Guidelines & Responsibilities
 The Onsite Visiting Team
 The Team Report Template
The Onsite Visit
Purpose of the Onsite Team Visit
 To Validate
 To Evaluate
 Quality Expectations of MNSAA
 Provide Objective Outside Feedback
 Bottom Line
The Onsite Visit
Thinking Ahead of the Visit
 Budget considerations
 Facility considerations
 Technology considerations
 Interview considerations
 Team meet and greet
 Organize your indicators
 Clear your calendar
 Advise stakeholders
The Onsite Visit
The Team Report
The Team will determine:

Sufficient Indication of Compliance

Compliance with Concerns

Insufficient Indication of Compliance
 Recommendations for Improvement
 Commendations for Excellence
 Take a look!
The Onsite Visit
The School Responds
 Visit closure
 Communicate findings with stakeholders
 Written response to recommendations
 Template provided
 Submit revised SSP
The Appendix
HANDBOOK – Section E
 Sample Timeline for Process
 Curriculum Standards Requirement
 SSP Sample
 Fee Structure
MNSAA
Accreditation
January 2014
New School Training
The Whole Learning School
Sarah W. Mueller
Executive Director