ACS WASC Postsecondary Sample School Report Responses Standard 3: Faculty and Staff Criterion: The institution employs qualified personnel to support student learning programs and services to ensure institutional effectiveness. Personnel are treated equitably, evaluated regularly, and provided opportunities for professional development that impact student learning. Indicator 3.6: The school provides all personnel with appropriate opportunities for professional development.     To what extent does the school plan professional development activities that are connected to student learning needs? To what extent does the school provide funding for professional development opportunities? How does the school ensure meaningful evaluation of professional development activities? What impact do professional development activities have on the improvement of teaching and learning? How does the school evaluate that improvement? Findings An all-day staff meeting is held in the fall and the spring to provide an opportunity for staff to look at student learning data in relationship to Student Learning Outcomes. To provide more consistent collaboration among teachers, three years ago a monthly staff development opportunity was implemented. Two training times are held, one in the morning and one in the evening, providing staff members time to interact and share information within and across programs. Each month, the first hour of the training is set aside for a workshop based on topics selected by teachers through an annual survey. Topics have ranged from SmartBoard use to contextualized basic skills to grouping strategies. These are generally staff-led. The second hour is set aside for program collaboration. Agendas topics include discussion of individual students, student learning outcomes data, curricular linkages, external resources, and technology concerns. Staff members are also encouraged to take advantage of free online training via CALPRO and OTAN. All staff is paid for their attendance at staff development that takes place on-site. Unfortunately, funding cuts have limited attendance at off-campus conferences and workshops. The annual employee survey indicates that 90% of teachers believe that the professional development they attend during the year is meaningful. Additionally, informal teacher feedback following monthly workshops has been overwhelmingly positive. However, further evaluation of the impact that professional development has had on student learning has not been made by either the teaching or administrative staff. PS Chapter III Sample 2014 Evidence Professional discussions Records of professional development Staff interviews Staff meeting agendas. Employee survey page 1 Criterion 5: Instructional Program Criterion: The instructional staff uses research-based instructional strategies and teaching methodologies that engage students at high levels of learning and allow them to achieve Schoolwide Learner Outcomes and course objectives. Faculty members are given ongoing training in various instructional strategies that allows them to address the varied learning styles of students in their classrooms. Indicator 5.1: The school provides high-level instruction with appropriate breadth, depth, rigor, and sequencing for all programs and courses.   How does the school measure the quality of instruction in its classrooms? How do faculty members keep current in instructional strategies and methodologies in their areas of expertise? Beginning in spring 2011, each program began to examine student-learning results during their monthly program collaboration time. Programs began with a review and update of course outlines, with a goal of creating 1 common assessment related to each Student Learning Outcome. Programs are at different points in their progress on implementing these assessments and collecting data on them. Academic and ESL Programs: Within the Academic classes, teachers use standardized placement, formative, and summative evaluations to measure student achievement and quality of instruction. Students in ABE, ASE, and GED take the CASAS Employability Competency System (ECS) Reading pre- test at enrollment and the posttest after 12 hours of instruction to measure academic literacy. ESL and CBET students take the CASAS Life and Work Reading pretest at enrollment and the posttest after 40 hours of instruction. CASAS test results help instructors to monitor individual student progress as well as determine specific instructional needs in the classroom. Students in ABE, ASE and GED move from one level to the next based on formal and informal formative and summative tests. Students in the GED program take the Official Practice Test (OPT) to determine readiness for formal GED testing. Adult Diploma students are enrolled in their next class based on successful completion of currently enrolled class(es). These measurable outcomes are used as a measure of instructional quality. Certified Nurse Assistant Program Students interested in Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) take the CASAS Reading and Math exam as part of the intake process. Students in this program complete both classroom work and clinical training. At the completion of the CNA program students complete a state certification exam. The quality of instruction is indicated by the percent of students who successfully pass the state exam. As mentioned in Criteria 3, monthly professional development opportunities are offered to all instructors to support them in keeping current in instructional strategies and methodologies. A strong majority (95%) of the staff has attended this professional development over the last three years, and almost 70% of the staff belongs to some professional organization. Evidence: CASAS results, CNA exam results, teacher survey, Program meeting notes PS Chapter III Sample 2014 page 2 Criterion 6: Use of Assessment Criterion: The instructional staff uses established assessment procedures to design, administer, deliver, and evaluate courses, programs, and student learning levels. The school recognizes the central role of its faculty for improving courses and programs through the assessment instruments and practices used in the school. Assessment is used to measure student progress, to modify learning approaches, and to carry out institutional planning and ongoing school improvement. 6.2: The school gathers learning data from multiple sources, disaggregates and analyzes the results, draws conclusions, and makes recommendations for change based on assessment results.  To what extent do the administration and faculty frequently meet to analyze student learning data and use results to improve the educational program of the school?  What changes have faculty made in teaching methodologies or instructional strategies to improve learning as a result of learning data analysis?  How does the school document the conclusions it reaches when analyzing student learning data so that recommendations can be created to address key issues?  How are assessment results integrated into the school’s teaching and learning process with a focus on individual student learning?  How are the results of data analysis connected to the schoolwide Action Plan so that student learning needs are the driving force of the school?  How are assessment results evaluated with school SLOs in view? Student learning data includes results from CASAS, GED practice-tests, state certifications, common assessments, course progress indicators/grades, and course completions. This data is reviewed at beginning of term all staff meetings. Some changes that have resulted from data review include expanded use of assessment at registration, expansion of existing classes, addition of classes and delivery modes, the changes in course outlines and instructional materials, and addition of academic advisors. Documentation of data analysis is evident in Leadership Team notes, and outcomes from our twice yearly all-staff professional development days. Team leaders from each program meet twice a month to discuss findings during our Instructional Leaders Team (ILT) meeting. Themes and key issues that emerge are addressed and are the basis for instructional and program improvement. The Schoolwide Action Plan, which was arrived at by way of consensus from a fully representative planning body, is the driving force at the school. It is the mission of the school to provide a bridge for students to college and/or career. To accomplish this mission, numerous improvements have been made in data collection but work still needs to be done on engaging all faculty in data analysis. This is an area for growth as we move closer to being able to track, analyze and report student outcomes using a data-driven, as opposed to an anecdotal or attendance-driven, model. Evidence: Test requirements and schedule, current Action Plan, ILT meeting records PS Chapter III Sample 2014 page 3