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Pella Christian High School
Pella, Iowa
Self-Study and School Improvement Plan using
Measuring the Mission, Second Edition
Accreditation Site Visit Report
Self-study during 2014-2015 school year
Site Visit: April 6-8, 2015
Pella Christian High School
Accreditation Site Visit Report
Measuring the Mission, Second Edition
April, 2015
Limitations on the Distribution, Use, and Scope of this Document
This report is considered a privileged document of Pella Christian High School. It is to be used only by Christian Schools International Accreditation as a vehicle to approve accreditation. The distribution of the report and its availability for public consideration beyond that point rests solely in the hands of the Pella Christian High School’s governing body and administration. Neither the chairperson nor the other members of the site visit team are authorized to release any of the information contained in this report without the approval of the governing body and/or administration of Pella Christian High School.
The site visit team’s primary purposes were to verify the assurances for Strand 1 and the rubric values for Strands 2-4 of Measuring the Mission, to analyze the school’s improvement plan, and to work with Pella Christian High School’s staff and board to clarify their goals and identify potential measurable indicators that could be used to help them document school improvement or completion of their goals. To accomplish the work of verifying ratings, the site visit team members read the self-study report, reviewed the evidence provided, and conducted observations and interviews. After verifying ratings, the site visit team concentrated on the review of Pella Christian High School’s school improvement goals. The team read the goals, checked for alignment with the self-study, and reviewed the plan with the school’s improvement team. It was the intent of the site visit team to partner with Pella Christian High School in charting their course of continuous improvement and transformation.
The site visit team’s focus was never on the performance of any individual, whether administrator, teacher, support staff member, board member, volunteer, parent, or student. Any use of this document to evaluate the job performance of any individual is unintended and a misuse of this document.
The members of the site visit team exercised their best professional judgment in drawing the conclusions reported in this document. The entire team is responsible for all parts of this report. The team members are not to be held accountable for any injudicious or unauthorized use of this document.
Christian Schools International Accreditation
Pella Christian High School
Accreditation Site Visit Team
April 6-8, 2015
Dana Broers--Teacher at Unity Christian High School in Orange City, IA
Gord De Koekkoek--Teacher at Grand Rapids Christian High School, Grand Rapids, MI
Arlyn Schaap--CSI Regional Accreditation Coordinator
Bob Stouffer--Interim Principal at Oskaloosa Christian School, former Supt. of Des Moines Christian School, Des Moines, IA
Glenn Vos, Superintendent of De Moines Christian Schools, former Supt. of Holland Christian Schools, Holland, MI
Dan Day, Chair, Development Director of Ada Christian School, Ada, MI
Accreditation Visiting Team Executive Report
Verification of Ratings and Rubric Values
It is the visiting team’s assessment that the assurance ratings (Strand 1) and rubric values (Strands 2, 3, and 4) that Pella Christian High School’s improvement team assigned the school are aligned with what we learned from classroom visits, interviews, reading and studying documentation, and exploring data.
Major Commendations
The visiting team found much for which Pella Christian High School is to be commended. While the full list of commendations is found later in this report, we highlight some important themes in this executive report.
1. Leading with Purpose (Assurances)
a. The mission and vision of PCHS are clear and evident.
b. There is respect and understanding of administrative and board leadership roles.
c. The community’s support of the school through its capital campaign and on-going financial needs is a testimony to its trust of the school’s leadership.
2. Teaching for Learning
a. The teachers at PCHS use the mission statement as the basis for all written and taught curriculum.
b. There are qualified educators in place for academic support.
c. Teachers at PCHS provide excellent instruction from a biblical perspective.
d. Innovative programs include 1-to-1, the international student program, and Winterim, among others.
3. Leading for Learning
a. Students are well prepared for their post-secondary plans.
b. The school has experienced very little staff turnover through the years.
c. There is a strong spiritual health among the students and staff in the school.
4. Learning in Community
a. The campus and learning spaces are exemplary and well-maintained.
b. Both internal and external communication are timely and effective.
c. Classroom environment and climate is structured around biblical truths and principles.
d. PCHS is an integral part of the greater Pella area and is highly regarded in the entire community.
Important Key Issues
As the visiting team verified and researched the ratings on the indicators of the self-study that Pella Christian High School assigned to itself, some issues surfaced in relationship to the school meeting the standards of Measuring the Mission. While the full list of key issues is found throughout the report, we highlight some of the important themes in this executive report.
1. Leading with Purpose (Assurances)
a. The PCHS board should schedule a regular review of its handbook—including the school Constitution and By-laws.
b. The school has regular reviews of its finances. We encourage a formal audit of all
finances at least once every five years.
c. We encourage the school to develop a quality mentor/coaching program to support new
and developing teachers, whether they are new to the profession or new to PCHS.
2. Teaching for Learning
a. Complete the curriculum alignment with state and national standards, the school’s mission, and assessments.
- Create a clearly-defined system of intervention for learning and the roles within that system.
- Enhance the collaborative environment through the professional learning teams.
3. Leading for Learning
a. Develop curriculum maps for all courses.
b. Provide additional professional development for teachers.
c. Prioritize and limit change initiatives.
4. Learning in Community
a. Develop a program to formally manage and encourage parent involvement and volunteerism.
b. Develop an alumni/new family assimilation program to encourage and maintain connections to the school.
School Improvement Goals
The heart of the visiting team’s work was to analyze the school’s developing school improvement plan, and to work with the school’s improvement team to clarify its goals and explore potential measurable indicators of improvement and success. The visiting team read the goals and checked for alignment with the self-study. Then the visiting team met with the school’s SIT. The SIT explained how they arrived at the goals, how the goals fit into a cycle of continuous improvement, and what they plan for the goals to accomplish. It is the visiting team’s assessment that the goals and objectives were clearly articulated, with strategies and activities to accomplish them being well thought out. Some of our discussion focused on potential indicators that could demonstrate and measure progress toward “full implementation.” It is our recommendation that the SIT of Pella Christian High School finalize the SIP and submit it to Christian Schools International Accreditation within two months (month). It will be progress made on this SIP that Pella Christian High School will report to Christian Schools International Accreditation every April 15 through April, 2020.
PART 1: VERIFICATION OF RATINGS
Strand 1: Leading with Purpose (Assurances)
Standard 1.1
Mission and Vision
The site visit team agrees with the school’s assessment of this standard. There is evidence of a strong commitment to make the school a place where each student is educated and nurtured to serve in God’s world. The mission of Pella Christian High School (PCHS) is found in a variety of places, including the website and various publications for the school community. Beyond the written word, from our meetings with parents and staff, the mission was clearly articulated with evidence as to how PCHS has put it into practice.
Commendations
The mission and vision of PCHS are clear and evident.
Key Issues
1. None
Standard 1.2
Governance
The site visit team agrees with the school’s assessment of this standard. Related to board governance, the legal requirements for specific mandatory policies are evident in written publications and policy manuals. Also, written documents (policy and job descriptions) delineate the duties of the board and staff to ensure good organization and Christian community.
Commendations
1. There is respect for and understanding of administrative and board roles.
Key Issues
1. The PCHS board should schedule a regular review of its handbook—including the school Constitution and By-laws.
2. The site team has observed that the school has not been intentional enough about board training and development.
Standard 1.3
Fiscal Responsibilities
The site visit team agrees with the school’s assessment of this standard. Financial record keeping policies and procedures for PCHS are clearly written and followed. These include but are not limited to the following:
1. The school keeps back-up files.
2. The protection of confidentiality for tuition payers, donors, and financial aid recipients is ensured.
3. Monthly financial statements are generated for internal use with an annual reporting to the appropriate constituencies.
Commendations
1. The community’s support of the school through its capital campaign and on-going financial needs is a testimony to its trust of the school’s leadership.
2. The school’s ability to hold the cost of education for three years is commendable.
3. The school is debt-free a short time after building a beautiful campus.
Key Issues
The school has regular reviews of its finances. We encourage a formal audit of all finances at least once every five years.
Standard 1.4
All Staff Members
We believe that PCHS has a qualified and highly committed staff. Staff members express their love for Christ and their love for Christian education. About half of the teachers have been on staff at PCHS for more than ten years. Parents affirm that staff members daily model their walk as Christians. Teachers are evaluated according to school policy, their gifts, and experience levels.
Commendations
1. All faculty members are current in their certification.
Key Issues
1. We encourage the school to develop a quality mentor/coaching program to support new and developing teachers, whether they are new to the profession or new to PCHS.
Standard 1.5
Student Health and Safety
The team has verified that PCHS is in compliance with the State of Iowa health requirements. The school also conducts required safety drills. We have also verified that adequate safety procedures are in place and drills are conducted regularly.
Commendations
1. Student safety is a high priority of PCHS. Recent expenditures for security measures are evidence of a strong commitment to student safety.
Key Issues
1. None
Strand 2: Teaching for Learning
Standard 2.1
Curriculum
The accreditation site visit team agrees with PCHS -- that most of the existing curriculum standards are teacher-developed, with some movement toward state and national standards. Curriculum mapping, using CurriculumTrak, is also in its beginning stages.
Commendations
1. PCHS has a clear mission statement that is easy to understand and remember by stakeholders.
2. The teachers at PCHS use the mission statement as the basis for written and taught curriculum.
3. Differentiation of instruction and faith integration take place throughout PCHS.
4. There are qualified educators in place for academic support.
5. The Winterim at PCHS is an excellent amplified learning program.
Key Issues
1. Curriculum mapping has been done to some extent, but needs to be updated and expanded to include all curricular areas.
2. Curriculum standards are primarily teacher-driven, rather than aligned with state or nationally recognized standards.
3. Curriculum standards need to be aligned with the school mission, providing a consistent basis for sound, biblical integration across curricular areas.
4. A system of intervention for learning and the roles within that system is not clearly defined.
5. Leadership and expertise related to Professional Learning Communities and curriculum are not clearly evident.
6. Evidence of faith formation should be intentional in both content delivery and community.
Standard 2.2
Instruction
Teacher understanding regarding processes (PLC’s, intervention, and assessment) that facilitate and result in high levels of learning are emerging. The accreditation site visit team agrees that excellent instruction appears consistent throughout the school. A variety of best practice methods were observed during our visit, meeting student needs, which appears to result in mostly attentive and engaged students. As the site visit team visited classrooms in action, we observed collaborative learning and higher order thinking strategies.
Commendations
1. Teachers at PCHS provide excellent instruction from a biblical perspective throughout the school.
2. Students generally understand the purposes of their classroom learning activities.
3. Teachers work with the Study Skills teacher to provide differentiated instruction according to demonstrated needs (through referrals or on the basis of test scores).
4. Educational support services for students are provided.
5. Technology (1:1, classroom projection) and technology support are critical components for Instruction at PCHS.
Key Issues
1. The taught curriculum is primarily teacher-driven, rather than aligned to state or national standards.
2. Teachers do not have adequate collaborative time to improve learning and professional development.
3. The Professional Learning Community process will create a framework for best practices in instruction and learning at a high level.
4. Learning targets should be shared with students on a regular basis in all courses.
5. Intentional emphasis on higher order thinking skills should be coupled with the 4 essential PLC questions.
Standard 2.3
Assessment
PCHS gathers sources of evidence to monitor student achievement which provides indications of mission- and college-readiness. Assessments should be aligned with essential learnings (i.e., state/national standards) and the school mission. The accreditation site visit team agrees with PCHS that this ordered progression needs to remain a part of the School Improvement Plan (SIP).
Commendations
1. Teachers are creating summative assessments that reflect knowledge, skills, and values.
2. There is evidence that students are highly successful on state and national standardized tests.
3. In surveys and interviews, parents believe their students are well prepared for college.
Key Issues
1. A clear understanding and frequent use of formative assessment is needed.
2. The process of alignment of written and taught curriculum with the school mission needs to be completed with both formative and summative assessments.
3. Additional professional training is needed in assisting the teaching staff to create valid, reliable, and bias-free assessments.
Strand 3: Leading for Learning