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A group of people truly committed
to a common vision is an awesome force.
Peter M. Senge , The Art
and Practice of the Learning |
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The
Accrediting
Commission for Schools (ACS) of the Western Association of Schools and
Colleges (WASC) works with
14 affiliate
organizations. The basic Focus on
Learning process is augmented to
accommodate the particular emphasis of schools affiliated with each of these organizations. The Accrediting Commission of the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges has a growing and
useful website. You'll find downloadable copies of current process manuals,
training materials , forms, procedures, and samples.
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This long-term school improvement process centers on
two critical questions:
- Who are our students and how well are they
performing in meeting the school's expectations?
- Where there is room for improvement, what can
individuals at the school do or learn or change to improve learning
for each and every student?
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| This on-going process can be looked at as a six-year cycle. Think
about what it would mean to a school if Focus on Learning with it's action
plan were truly treated as an ongoing process within the life of the school
rather than an event which occurred every so often. More schools see
the value of ensuring they continue to place emphasis on implementing and
managing an agreed to plan directed at improving student learning. |
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Focus on Learning is a three-part process: |
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Self-Study During the
period prior to the visit, the school develops a self-study (initially about 18-24 months;
ongoing after the initial FOL visit. The
school works in committees to examine in additional detail information about its students and
their performance. This is in preparation for an on-site visit by
fellow educators. The self-study asks schools to answer these
questions
- What do we want students to know and be able to
do?
- What are students learning and where are the
gaps?
- What are we going to do differently to ensure
students succeed?
- How will we know we're successful in our efforts?
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Ongoing Focus on Learning
or, more generally, long-term school improvement as the Action
Plan is implemented: The real work! What can we do to add value to
each and every student's learning experience?
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WASC provides training for
schools in the process of developing their self-study and preparing
to host a visit. If you've not received information, check the WASC
website for training dates and sign-up forms. |
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Acknowledgements |
