Part One - The School Profile

INTRODUCTION

The following paragraphs summarize the tasks the Part One Committee must undertake in order to produce this major component of the overall Self-Study Report. The Committee should write its report in the Part One Reporting Booklet which contains further detailed instructions.

Part One is the initial phase in the Self-Study process, and the Part One Report should be in an advanced state of completion early in the Self-Study process so as to support and inform later work by Part Two Committees.

The Part One Report will consist of two main components:

•    First Component:     The School Profile – a compendium of factual information.
•    Second Component:     An Analysis of the Results of the Opinion Surveys.

The School Profile will be a resource to inform the work of other Self-Study Committees, and will ultimately provide a helpful overview of the school for the future Visiting Team. In addition, the School Profile may also be useful in full or in part as an informative document for potential new parents and students, for Board members, and for new teachers and staff.

It is imperative that the data in the School Profile should be updated regularly during the self-study period, including just prior to the Team Visit. It is also highly recommended that Part One data be stored electronically and updated during the whole ten-year accreditation cycle in order to facilitate production of reports which may be required at any stage.

The analysis of Survey Results will also be helpful to Part Two Committees, providing information on the opinions of members of all school community sectors and assisting Part Two evaluative work.  

SCHOOL PROFILE

The instructions in the Part One Reporting Booklet will guide the Committee as it compiles all the information required to create the School Profile. The School Profile will contain:

•    General Documentation.
•    Other School Information.
•    School-Wide Student Achievement Information.

THE SURVEYS

As an early feature of its work, the Part One Self-Study Committee should conduct, and eventually analyze the results of, the mandated Opinion Surveys which must be offered to all members of the following school sectors:

•    Students - above approximately 11 years of age*.
•    Faculty & support staff.
•    Parents.
•    Members of the Governing Body.
•    Former Students/Alumni (optional).

* Note: The school is encouraged to look for alternative ways of offering younger students the opportunity to express their views.

These Opinion Surveys have been especially constructed for the CIS/NEASC accreditation process, and the questions reflect the Standards and Indicators.

The surveys are conducted, and the results compiled, by the Endicott Research Center (ERC) at Endicott College. The surveys themselves and all further information can be obtained from the Survey Contact Person:

 
Peter Hart
Endicott Research Center
Endicott College
376 Hale Street
Beverly; MA 01915; USA
lehart@endicott.edu    
erc@endicott.edu
Tel:  978 232 2058
Fax: 978 232 5220

Please note that the ERC makes a separate charge for its services, the exact figure depending on the size of the school.

The school may wish to add questions of its own to the basic instruments, especially if it intends to consult the community on an on-going basis in the future.

To ensure the widest possible participation in the Opinion Survey, the school is strongly encouraged to:

>    Offer computer facilities and practical help to those members of the community who need it.
>    Contact Endicott College, CIS and/or NEASC to seek translations of the survey into other languages if required.

Please note: While the statistics emerging from the Opinion Surveys will be of interest, it will be much more important for CIS, NEASC and Visiting Team members to read how the school has acted or plans to react to produce institutional improvement in response to the main survey findings.