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Virginia Association of Independent Schools
Visiting Team Guide
Updated August 2017
VAIS � 6802 Paragon Place, Suite 525 � Richmond, VA 23230 PHONE 804.282.3592 FAX 804.282.3596 ONLINE www.vais.org
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VAIS Visiting Team Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS
MEMBERSHIP IN VAIS ................................................................................................................................... 3
KEY PLAYERS IN THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS ............................................................................................ 5
THE VISITING TEAM ...................................................................................................................................... 6
THREE PHASES OF THE VISITING TEAM’S WORK ............................................................................................ 7
KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL VISIT ........................................................................................................................ 8
GOOGLE SITE ............................................................................................................................................... 10
PRELIMINARY VISIT ...................................................................................................................................... 11
DOCUMENTATION REVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 12
SCHEDULE FOR VISIT .................................................................................................................................... 13
CHAIR’S CHECKLIST FOR THE VISIT ................................................................................................................ 14
VICE CHAIR’S CHECKLIST .............................................................................................................................. 17
STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP ................................................................................................................... 19
THE VISITING TEAM REPORT ........................................................................................................................ 20
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................. 22 APPENDIX A: SAMPLE EMAIL TO VISITING TEAM MEMBERS .................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX B: SAMPLE COVER LETTER FOR VISITING TEAM REPORT ......................................................................... 23 APPENDIX C: SUGGESTED QUESTIONS TO ASK SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES ............................................................. 24 APPENDIX D: VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP 2015 ........................................................................................ 26
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MEMBERSHIP IN VAIS The Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) is a non-‐profit, voluntary membership association of schools that share compatible philosophies and goals. Established at Charlottesville, Virginia, on April 30, 1973, through the merger of the Virginia Association of Preparatory Schools (VAPS) and the Virginia Association of Independent Elementary Schools (VAIES), VAIS is an affiliate of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and a member of the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) and the NAIS Commission on Accreditation. The VAIS and its member schools comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding discrimination in admission and employment. THE VAIS MISSION The Virginia Association of Independent Schools is a service organization that promotes educational, ethical and professional excellence. Through its school evaluation/accreditation program, attention to professional development and insistence on integrity, the Association safeguards the interests of its member schools. The purpose of the Association is advanced through:
▪ An evaluation and accreditation program, recognized and approved by the Virginia State Board of Education and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), that stimulates continued improvement of its schools
▪ The sponsorship of a broad program of professional opportunities for teachers, administrators, and trustees that improves their professional skills and enhances the educational opportunities of its member schools
▪ The safeguarding of the interests of member schools in matters of legislation and regulation ▪ The promotion of the well-‐being of the public’s regard for member schools ▪ The promotion of independent education and related issues, and ▪ Cooperation with other associations, organizations, and agencies in increasing and improving educational
opportunities in Virginia. BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
▪ Rigorous and proven accreditation process The accreditation process for VAIS has been approved by the Virginia Council for Private Education Committee on Accreditation as authorized by the Virginia State Board of Education. At the national level, the VAIS accreditation process has received the highest recognition from the National Association of Independent Schools through the NAIS Commission on Accreditation.
▪ Personalized professional staff support for individual schools ▪ Professional development offerings grounded in best practice and responsive to current and future needs of
independent schools ▪ Prominent representation and recognition at the national level ▪ Legislative representation that safeguards independence of member schools ▪ Networking opportunities within a broad range of independent schools
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS Membership may be granted to schools that meet the following criteria:
▪ A clearly stated mission and philosophy ▪ Non-‐discriminatory policies and practices in admissions, employment and all other aspects of school
operation as provided by law ▪ Incorporation as a not-‐for-‐profit and tax exempt organization under IRS ruling ▪ Governance by an independent board of trustees ▪ An academic program spanning at least three successive grades
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▪ Academic integrity, i.e., academic freedom, freedom of promoting diversity in teaching approaches and curricular choices, and freedom from restricting teachers to any single dogma
▪ Operating experience of at least five consecutive years ▪ Willingness to endorse and adhere to the Principles of Good Practice of the National Association of
Independent Schools (NAIS) ▪ Willingness to participate in a formal self-‐study and evaluation and to meet the VAIS Standards for
Membership. The accreditation process must be maintained on a periodic basis to ensure a school's adherence to its stated mission and to the VAIS Standards.
EXPECTATIONS OF MEMBER SCHOOLS In addition to meeting the requirements for membership stated above, the Association by-‐laws mandate that member schools shall:
▪ File annual statistical reports with VAIS ▪ Pay VAIS annual dues ▪ Be represented at one of the biannual business meetings ▪ Provide personnel to serve on evaluation teams for accreditation and other Association committees ▪ Support professional development opportunities offered by VAIS.
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KEY PLAYERS IN THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
THE SCHOOL The school community invests twelve to twenty-‐four months on self-‐evaluation. They then host a group of independent school educators and invite them to make judgments about the school and the work that has been done. They count on the visiting team to be fair, clear, and helpful. They are probably somewhat anxious and can be defensive! VAIS ACCREDITATION STAFF Members of the VAIS office staff are responsible for accreditation work on behalf of the Accreditation Committee. The staff appoints visiting team leaders and members, schedules and coordinates all aspects of the review process, and provides training through the Visiting Team Guide and audio/video conferencing. The staff also counsels the school through its self-‐study process, holds training workshops, and assists with accreditation surveys and statistical reports. VISITING TEAM LEADERS [CHAIR & VICE CHAIR] Visiting Team Leaders are drawn from VAIS school administrators (Heads, Associate Heads, etc.). Consensus building, diplomacy, prioritization, observation, humor, and the ability to bring closure are skills necessary for team leadership. The team leaders serve as the filter through which information is sent both from the school to the team and from the team to the school. Though sometimes difficult, team leaders must model to the visiting team a singular focus on the school being evaluated, leaving thoughts of their own schools behind. This might be the team leader’s most difficult task! VISITING TEAM Team members are drawn from independent schools both within and outside Virginia. Team members are carefully selected to match the needs of VAIS and the visited school. The visiting team is comprised of a group of strangers gathering in an unfamiliar location for three to four days of intensive work. Needing to coalesce quickly into a functioning team, they need orientation, guidance in planning and accomplishing their tasks, leadership in developing consensus, and support in writing a major report. THE READER Appointed by the VAIS staff, this member of the Accreditation Committee serves as a liaison between the Accreditation Committee and the team leaders. S/He can be called upon to discuss any questions about team deliberation and is responsible for reviewing both the school’s report and the visiting team’s report. The Reader and the Chair work together to ensure clarity, correct format, and a match between recommendations and VAIS Standards. VAIS ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE The Accreditation Committee relies on the visiting team to provide clear, complete, and accurate information, as well as appropriate recommendations to assist the school in its improvement efforts. The Accreditation Committee makes a recommendation to the VAIS Board concerning a school’s accreditation status and often must recommend a follow-‐up to assist the school in its improvement efforts. VAIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors takes action on the recommendations of the Accreditation Committee; the Executive Director communicates that action to the school.
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THE VISITING TEAM It is quite common for team members to remark that serving on a visiting team is a tremendous professional growth opportunity. While team members are often stretched to evaluate areas outside of their general expertise, VAIS relies on the team leaders to help the team understand the interrelatedness of various discoveries. Visiting team members have:
1. Some previous experience with the independent school evaluation process, either through service on another evaluation team or through the process of your own school being evaluated.
2. An ability to appreciate the unique mission of another school and another perspective toward the educational experience.
3. An affinity for absorbing large amounts of data within a limited period of time, organizing observations in a concise manner, and writing clearly.
4. A willingness to refrain from hasty judgments and from expressing personal opinions on any aspect of the school program.
5. An ability to work efficiently under pressure and to perform effectively as a member of a team.
6. A commitment to maintaining the highest level of professional standards and confidentiality regarding all aspects of the visit.
The following will be reviewed and signed by all team members: CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
I understand that as a visiting team member all information and documents I acquire regarding a school seeking accreditation by VAIS, except to the extent the information and documents are a matter of public record, are confidential and not to be disclosed in any manner to persons outside of the visiting team and VAIS Accreditation Committee. In addition, all discussions between visiting team members and reports to or discussions with the Accreditation Committee regarding a school are likewise confidential and not to be disclosed.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY In accordance with best practices, all Visiting Team Members and Chairs should decline service on a Visiting Team where a conflict of interest exists. Some examples of possible conflict of interest are listed below. Please be aware that this is not a comprehensive list. -‐ You have any special interest in the school’s accreditation. -‐ You have access to insider knowledge via relationships with school constituents. -‐ You or an immediate family member is a previous employee of the visited school. -‐ You have any current or expected consulting or financial relationship with the visited school.
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THREE PHASES OF THE VISITING TEAM’S WORK PHASE ONE: REVIEWING THE SCHOOL’S MATERIALS The school produces its report, updates its published curriculum, and provides supporting documentation. Approximately one month before the visit, each visiting team member will receive a copy of the school’s report and published curriculum to review. The supporting documentation will be reviewed by the team leader(s) in advance and will be available to the team during the visit. PHASE TWO: VERIFYING ADHERENCE TO THE VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP Information gleaned from the school’s report and documentation, discussions with school representatives, and onsite observations will help team members make informed decisions during the team’s review of Standards. Teams generally have a preliminary vote on the Standards early during the visit so as to allow for careful review and the possibility that some further research may be needed before the team’s final vote. PHASE THREE: WRITING THE VISITING TEAM REPORT The visiting team report is a response to the school’s report in which the visiting team commends the school’s strengths and makes recommendations to assist the school in its ongoing path of improvement. Generally speaking, the visiting team report is confined to those topics and criteria set forth in the school’s report; however, the visiting team may identify areas of commendation and recommendation beyond those described in the school’s report.
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KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL VISIT
➢ All potential team members are expected to disclose any possible conflict of interest that they might have with the school being visited, thereby preventing them from making impartial considerations. Should a conflict of interest be made evident during the visit, it is expected that the team member will recuse him or herself from voting on Standards.
➢ The VAIS Accreditation Committee will depend on the collective judgment, objectivity, and perception of the visiting team as a basis for consideration and action regarding accreditation of the school. During their brief time on campus, team members should beware of making assumptions. No report from a school can or should contain everything. One should not assume that a given procedure is or is not practiced.
➢ The extent to which team members form and retain good rapport with faculty members throughout the evaluation will be a major determinant of the effectiveness of the visiting team’s work. However, team members must be particularly careful to not make any commitment to the school regarding recommendations that will be made or to make any controversial personal references about people either at the school being visited or at team member’s own schools. The confidentiality agreement signed by each team member must be upheld.
➢ Class visits assist team members in developing an overall view of the instructional methods. In addition, faculty appreciate being validated through an observation during an evaluation visit. Class visits are strictly observational in nature and should last no longer than 10-‐15 minutes. Team members should not take notes during classroom visits. During an initial visit each teacher should be visited. During ten-‐year and interim visits, time is more limited for classroom visits, and the goal is to visit a representative of each academic area in each division.
➢ Visiting team members should not consider themselves
consultants and recommend changes in policy unless there are grave concerns and team members have thoroughly investigated the reasons for the school’s present policy in terms of the Standards of Membership as well as the school’s professed purposes and objectives.
➢ The visiting team’s confidential vote on each VAIS Standard for Membership should take place after the team has had a chance to get a good sense of the school and, in most cases, has written its official report.
➢ Visiting team reports which are clearly organized, not prescriptive, and which are plainly aligned with both the school’s report and the VAIS Standards are the most useful to the school and the VAIS Accreditation Committee. Recommendations should include contextual reference for future teams and leave no doubt as to what is being addressed.
➢ At the exit interview held between the team leaders and the head of the school, the chair of the team will notify
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the head about any serious issues. The chair will also inform the head of any Standards not passed or that may be in question, but will not divulge the exact vote.
➢ At the concluding exit meeting (which all team members are expected to attend), the school community should be given only an overview of the visiting team’s impressions, not the results of the vote on the Standards or any definitive conclusions of the visit. Everyone at the meeting should be reminded that the final decision on accreditation is made by the VAIS Board of Directors based on recommendations from the Accreditation Committee.
ESPECIALLY FOR FIRST-‐TIME VISITING TEAM MEMBERS:
◻ Before the visit, acquaint yourself fully with the school you are visiting by reading the report they have sent you, making notes and marking pages to refer to when you are on campus. It may help to focus specifically on the areas you have been assigned to report on. You also might want to go online and browse through the school’s website. Try to get an idea of the school’s culture and some general trends while ‘digesting’ the report.
◻ Once you arrive on campus, shed your own school’s traditions and mission and immerse yourself in the culture of the school you are visiting.
◻ Do not assume anything; if you have questions ask!
◻ A VAIS evaluation is not a personnel review. It is a process of
school reflection and improvement. Please keep comments about school personnel to yourself.
◻ Familiarize yourself with the VAIS Standards. You will be asked to evaluate the school’s adherence to these Standards in the light of the school’s own mission. Note: You may abstain only in the event of a conflict of interest. Not having enough information is not an excuse to abstain.
◻ Enjoy the diversity of and learn from your fellow visiting team
members.
◻ Take home with you a great sense of satisfaction that you have helped a fellow school and that you are returning with an added respect for how your own school works. It is impossible to leave a visit without carrying back to your school an idea-‐-‐or many-‐-‐that you can implement.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? It is becoming increasingly apparent that several one-‐person academic departments at the school you are visiting are weak. Reports from students, faculty, parents, and trustees contain criticism and concern about the library, the computer department, and the second grade, each of which are the responsibility of individual faculty members. The visiting team members working on these particular areas concur with this sentiment. The visiting team chair is concerned that any attempt to address these problems in the report will unfairly undermine the efforts (and self-‐esteem) of the hard-‐working but less-‐than-‐creative individual teacher in each area. What else does the team need to know? What recommendation would the team write?
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GOOGLE SITE VAIS launches a Google Site for each school visit. Team members are given access to the site once they have agreed to serve on the team and have provided VAIS with an email address connected to a Google Account. If a team member does not have a Google Account, he or she can sign up for one. When signing up for an account one should use an email address that is easily accessed. Once you’ve signed in, all permissions to view are active. Each tab along the top of the first page houses different elements pertaining to the visit. Permissions to view each tab is granted either to team members, or to both team members and school personnel. For example, both the school and team members have access to the School’s Materials tab. This is where the school will post the Self-‐Study and link to the document box. Only team members are permitted to view the Report, Standards and Vote Sheet. TIPS:
● Bookmark the Google accreditation site in your browser.
● Remember the Email address and password connected to your Google account!!!
● The Google Doc is automatically saved.
● It is possible to write your report area in another word processing program and then copy and paste into the Google Doc. Formatting may be different, but this can be corrected in the final version.
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PRELIMINARY VISIT
Approximately six months prior to the visit, the visiting team leader(s) and the VAIS staff representative make a preliminary visit to the campus to gain a better understanding of the school’s background, current strengths, and challenges. While preliminary discussion may be held by audio or video conferencing, team leaders are expected to visit the campus prior to the evaluation visit. To determine the school’s readiness for the visit, the following is accomplished:
1. Discuss: a. The school’s background – demographics, community, faculty, student profile, etc. b. Standards the school did not pass on the previous visit and progress made since. Refer to the previous
visiting team report for correlating strong recommendations that were made to the school. c. The school’s self assessment and understanding of VAIS Standards. d. Any supporting documents that are expected to be “in progress” at the time of the evaluation visit. e. The size and profile of the visiting team – needs of the school, areas of focus for the visiting team,
schools from which to avoid drawing team members to minimize conflict of interest, and target profiles of schools from which to draw team members.
f. The targeted time that the school’s report will be mailed to visiting team members and other supporting materials will be uploaded to the Google site.
g. Arrangements for the visit: ▪ Visit start and end times. ▪ Accommodations ▪ Technology needs for the team ▪ Daily schedule for the visit (Note: The Chair and VAIS Director design the visit schedule.) ▪ Time and nature of the exit meeting with the school community. ▪ Time for meeting with representatives of the school’s Board.
h. Date and time for the document review.
2. Verify that the appropriate report format has been followed.
3. Tour the school’s facilities. Identify the visiting team’s workroom.
4. Meet with the Chair of the school’s Board to discuss VAIS Standards pertaining to governance.
5. Optional: Meet briefly with the faculty and/or entire steering committee to explain how the process will work and answer any questions that may arise. Note: The head of school and chair may choose to hold this meeting on a different date.
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DOCUMENTATION REVIEW Eight weeks prior to the evaluation visit, the visiting team leaders review the supporting documentation to become better acquainted with the school, its policies, and procedures. All documentation is provided electronically. If possible, the Business Officer assigned to the team should be included in the document review. Should some documentation not be available or complete at the time of the documentation review, the school has an opportunity correct this to prior to the evaluation visit. It is the chair’s responsibility to complete the document review and record findings on the Google Doc on the Google site. Documents should be shared with the additional team members at the start of the visit. Schools are expected to follow the organizational format of the document review list which is available for download from the VAIS website. The Head of School must give a rationale for any documents that are not provided. At the time of the document review, the following items must be available for review or the visit can be cancelled:
● Strategic Plan ● Published Curriculum ● Operating budgets (previous two years and current) ● Current audit, management letter, and opinion letter ● Three-‐ to five-‐year financial plan ● Risk management program ● Crisis management/disaster response plan
While the underlying purpose of the document review is to ensure the school’s compliance with required documentation, this also provides the visiting team leaders with additional background to share with the visiting team when they arrive on campus for the evaluation visit. In reviewing the documents, these questions may be helpful:
● What do the admissions materials tell you about the school? ● To what degree do the school’s publications tell the school’s “story?” ● What trends are apparent from an analysis of the admissions statistics? ● What issues do you glean from the survey results? ● What support is provided to the school (parent organizations, relationship with church, etc.) and how is that
support “managed?” ● Are there any unique aspects of the academic and co-‐curricular programs? ● Do the grade reports appear to be in keeping with the school’s mission and philosophy? ● Are the evaluative tools designed to enhance professionalism? ● What do the professional personnel documents reflect about the school – budget requirements for professional
development, alignment with mission, impact of faculty attrition, etc. ● What can you determine about the Board from the documentation – committee structure, policy development,
strategic thinking, continuing efforts to “be a better Board,” etc.? ● In studying the audit and management letter, are there footnotes that appear beyond mere descriptive items of
information related to normal operations? Review specific concerns and recommendations presented in the management letter.
● Examine the organizational chart to determine the reporting lines for facilities, vehicle management, housekeeping, food services, after-‐care services, and health services. Is the organizational chart clear and logical given the culture of the organization?
● Is there proof of compliance with various licensure, inspection, and safety regulations?
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SCHEDULE FOR VISIT The chair and the VAIS Director of Accreditation, with help from the school, are responsible for designing the schedule for the evaluation visit. The initial evaluation visit runs Sunday-‐Wednesday to allow sufficient time for classroom visits and additional sections of the report to be written. All other visits (ten-‐year or interim) typically run Sunday-‐Tuesday. The visit schedule is created as a Google Doc and is part of the Google Site created for the visit. Highlights of the schedule include: SUNDAY
● Visiting team arrives mid-‐day ● Orientation of visiting team by visiting team leaders ● Introduction to school (mission, philosophy, community) ● Meetings with school representatives to review the areas covered in the school’s report ● Meeting with Board of Trustees: At a minimum, the chair, vice chair, and business officer meet with the
Executive Committee. More preferably, additional members of the Board who may be responsible for strategic planning, board education, advancement, etc., are included in this meeting.
● Tour of campus ● Working team dinner which includes a preliminary review of Standards
MONDAY
● Visits to classrooms and co-‐curricular activities ● Meetings with students and parents ● Observation of an emergency drill ● Meetings with administrative personnel and faculty as needed ● Visiting team begins writing and reviewing its report and follows up on review of Standards ● Chair checks in with Head of School; Vice Chair checks in with Steering Committee Chair ● Chair calls Accreditation Committee Reader to discuss any questions
TUESDAY
● Visiting team completes its report ● Visiting team votes on Standards for Membership ● Visits to classrooms and co-‐curricular activities are conducted as time allows ● Confidential exit meeting between visiting team chair and Head of School to discuss major challenges and
any failed VAIS Standards with corresponding strong recommendations ● Exit meeting with other school representatives to share in general the major strengths and challenges of the
school ● Visiting team departs
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CHAIR’S CHECKLIST FOR THE VISIT Note: Please copy the Director of Accreditation and vice chair in all correspondence with the school and team. ____1. 6-‐8 weeks before visit: Complete document review and record findings on the Google document ____2. 4 – 6 weeks before the visit:
Correspond with the Head of School to ensure: ▪ All lodging, workroom, and technology arrangements for the team have been made. ▪ All meetings with school personnel, parents, students, and board members have been scheduled. ▪ The school has mailed its report, access to the curriculum, information regarding lodging, and
general background information about the school (such as an admissions brochure) to each member of the team and to the Director of Accreditation.
Review the visit schedule with the Director of Accreditation. The goal for the team is to meet with as many representatives of the school community as possible and witness firsthand all aspects of the school’s program.
Make assignments for team members in consultation with the Director of Accreditation. Consider assigning individual Standards as well as one or more areas of the program to each team member. Assign one visiting team member to serve as editor.
____ 3. 3 weeks before the visit: Correspond with each team member, to cover the following: a. Access to the Google Site b. Visit schedule c. Assignments d. Overall expectations for reviewing the school’s report and accessing the supporting documentation before
the visit e. Overall expectations for writing the visiting team report during the visit. f. Instructions regarding technology to be used during the visit (bringing laptops, power cords, etc.). g. A reminder of the need for confidentiality when discussing all aspects of the school’s program. h. A reminder of the expected professional dress for the visit during the day, but that there is time for casual
dress in the evenings. i. A reminder that they should review their Visiting Team Guide. This will be available on the Google site, and
will also be available on the VAIS website. j. Scheduling and instructions for participation in the team’s conference call.
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____ 4. 1-‐2 weeks prior to the visit:
Call the Accreditation Committee Reader assigned to the visit to discuss the background on the school’s accreditation and plans for the visit.
Lead a conference call with the members of the visiting team. This is an important “first meeting” and the beginning of your team-‐building efforts. VAIS will host the call and is an opportune time to do the following: a. Give a very brief overview of your knowledge of the school thus far. b. Confirm assignments. c. Ensure that all team members can access the Google Site. d. Ensure that all have received the school’s materials e. Review any final details regarding the visit itself.
____ 5. Team orientation at the beginning of the visit:
a. Introduce all team members. b. Review with the group its overall responsibility: to assess the degree to which the school meets VAIS
Standards for Membership and meets its own stated mission, philosophy, and objectives. c. Give the team an overview of the school based on your preliminary visit and document review. Review
Standards that were not passed during the last VAIS visit. d. Review the schedule for the visit. e. Discuss the objectives of the scheduled meetings with the school’s representatives. (See Appendix C for
suggested questions that can be used in these discussions.) f. Discuss confidentiality of all visiting teamwork and confirm that all team members have signed the conflict
of interest statement and confidentiality agreement. g. Review all VAIS Standards of Membership.
____ 6. While on the Visit:
Oversee the writing and approval of the visiting team report. The general format is reviewed later in this guide and a template will be provided on the Google site for the visit.
____ 7. Record the visiting team’s votes on the VAIS Standards using the official electronic form on the Google site. Encourage team members to consult the supporting documentation and points for consideration. Retain a record of the Standards vote for personal reference.
Abstentions should only reflect conflict of interest, not lack of information. Due to careful screening of visiting team members, abstentions are rarely, if ever, used. After taking the vote on Standards, ensure that the visiting team report introduction includes strong recommendations for any failed Standards and that Standards of concern (i.e., Standards with a split vote by the team) have corresponding recommendations as well. If a school greatly surpasses the expectations of a Standard this too should be reflected in the report as an area of accomplishment.
____8. Conduct a confidential discussion with the Head of School at the conclusion of the visit. Inform the Head of any Standards the school did not pass as well as any that were of concern (receiving split votes). Note: The exact vote on each Standard remains strictly confidential and is not communicated to the school. The vice chair of the visiting team attends this meeting as well.
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____9. Conduct an exit meeting with representatives of the school community. Present a general overview of the
visiting team’s findings. (Note: the visiting team’s overview and report do not address the question of endorsement or accreditation. These are the prerogatives of the VAIS Board of Directors, based on the recommendation of the Accreditation Committee.) It is helpful at this meeting to explain the process that continues once the team leaves the school.
____ 10. After the Visit: Immediately following the visit, the chair notifies the VAIS office that the report is ready. VAIS will send an email to the Reader so that a final review can be completed in Google docs. Once the final review is complete, email VAIS the cover letter for the report and verify that the report is complete. A sample cover letter is in Appendix B. VAIS will then format the report and cover letter and send to the school no later than two weeks after the end of the visit. Only the report is sent to the school; the Standards vote is confidential and is not shared with the school. Members of the visiting team do not receive a final copy of the report.
____ 11. Follow-‐up with each team member to thank them for their service. You may also wish to thank the team member’s Head of School for allowing them to participate.
____ 12. Present the team’s findings at the meeting of the Accreditation Committee when the school is scheduled to be
discussed. VAIS will make the arrangements for you to call in to the Accreditation Committee meeting. If you are available to meet with the Committee in person, you are welcome to do so.
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VICE CHAIR’S CHECKLIST Should the Chair of the visit have to step down unexpectedly, the Vice Chair would generally be asked to step into the Chair’s position. Therefore, it is critical that the Vice Chair be well informed about arrangements for the visit and have a good understanding of the school prior to the visit. Specific roles for the Vice Chair: _____1. Attend the preliminary visit and work with the Chair to review documentation to become familiar with the
school and the arrangements for the visit.
_____2. Assist the chair in making team assignments and finalizing the schedule for the visit. _____3. Participate in the team’s conference call. _____4. Approximately 1-‐2 weeks before the visit, ensure that the school has made all necessary updates to the
documentation. Confirm completion of the document review with the chair of the visit. Report to the VAIS Director of Accreditation any documents missing at that time.
_____5. Assist visiting team members in managing their time and responsibilities. Serve as a sounding board for team members in dealing with sensitive issues. _____6. Be a mentor to anyone serving for the first time. The VAIS staff may provide training to first-‐time team
members, but it is especially important to spend time with them at the beginning of the visit to make certain that they understand their role on the team. Give them guidance in gathering information for their reports, and provide them with feedback on their reports before they are shared with the team as a whole.
_____7. Work with the school’s steering committee chair to oversee the scheduling of classroom visits by the visiting
team. On the initial visit each member of the faculty is visited. On the ten-‐year and interim visits, the goal is to visit a representative of each academic area.
_____8. Conduct the review of each section of the report by the visiting team. Designating a report “editor” is an efficient way to minimize group editing. The editor can be responsible for the first edit prior to the team’s review. The visiting team approves each section of the report. Ensure that failed Standards have correlating strong recommendations, and that any Standards of concern also have correlating recommendations.
_____9. Check in daily with the Steering Committee chair(s). _____10. Attend the exit meeting with the chair and head of school. _____11. Collect travel reimbursement documentation from each team member and ensure that all team members
receive reimbursement prior to leaving campus on the last day of the visit.
_____12. At the conclusion of the visit, ensure that the visiting team members leave no notes regarding the visit at the school. Ensure that all property of the school, including the published curriculum guide and self-‐studies, remain at the school and are securely disposed of.
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_____13. Ensure that each team member (including team leaders) has completed the online visit evaluation that can be
accessed through the Google site.
_____14. In the absence of the Chair, present the team’s findings to the Accreditation Committee.
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STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP The VAIS evaluation/accreditation process is intended to be qualitative in nature and one that allows for individual differences in schools while simultaneously holding them to common expectations of excellence. Through participation in this process designed specifically for independent schools, member schools demonstrate their commitment to continuous growth and improvement and compliance with the Standards and expectations of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. It cannot be overemphasized that the team must judge the school in terms of the school’s own objectives and mission, and not in terms of the objectives of the visitors. Visiting team members must not substitute their own interpretation of what constitutes “good” education for that of the visited school’s. Some Standards are objective, can be measured, and are relatively straightforward. However, many Standards are premised on judgments about how well the school’s activities reflect its mission and philosophy, and the visiting team must make a more subjective assessment of how well it seems to be accomplishing those goals. Regarding Voting:
▪ The visiting team will take and record an electronic numerical vote on each Standard using the link to vote sheet on the Google site.
▪ Abstentions should only reflect conflict of interest, not lack of information. A temporary lack of information should not be a means for abstaining.
▪ It is permissible to vote on what has been reported in visiting team discussions but not individually observed. Though team members may be assigned certain Standards to explore in more depth during the visit, each team member votes on every Standard.
▪ Documentation provided by the school should be used as a source of information in determining the degree to which the school meets the Standard. It should not be assumed, however, that by simply providing documentation the school passes a Standard.
▪ The points for consideration that accompany each Standard are not to be voted on separately, but merely provide discussion points to guide the team’s thinking on each Standard.
▪ Any notes made by individual team members concerning the votes on Standards should be disposed of at the conclusion of the visit.
▪ The vote on Standards will be submitted to the Accreditation Committee along with the visiting team report.
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THE VISITING TEAM REPORT The visiting team report is the official response to the school’s report and documentation. The report is written for two audiences: the school and the Accreditation Committee. Through the report the school should recognize that the visiting team has done its work professionally and has understood the school. The report should be written so that the Accreditation Committee sees a correlation between the votes on Standards and the visiting team report to help them in determining their recommendation for accreditation. INITIAL OR COMPREHENSIVE TEN-‐YEAR VISITING TEAM REPORT INTERIM VISITING TEAM REPORT STRATEGIC REPORT
I. Title page II. Table of contents III. List of visiting team
members IV. Disclaimer: Limitations on
the distribution, use, and scope of the Visiting Team Report
V. Review Process VI. Introduction
A. Standards VII. Individual reports
corresponding with each report in the school’s narrative report
A. Overview B. Commendations C. Recommendations
VIII. Conclusion Major Strengths Essential Questions for the school
I. Title page II. Table of contents III. List of visiting team members IV. Disclaimer: Limitations on the
distribution, use, and scope of the Visiting Team Report
V. Review Process VI. Executive Summary
A. Standards VII. Major strengths of the school VIII. Essential questions for the school
I. Title page II. Table of contents III. List of visiting team members IV. Disclaimer: Limitations on the
distribution, use, and scope of the Visiting Team Report
V. Review Process VI. Introduction
A. Standards VII. Separate sections for each
Strategic Area A. Commendations B. Recommendations
VIII. Conclusion A. Major Strengths B. Essential Questions for
the school
The following guiding points are offered:
1. The chair, in consultation with the VAIS Director of Accreditation, will determine any modifications in report organization based on the school’s report.
2. Background information on each team member will be used to assign sections of the report. It is recommended that two team members be assigned to each area – one as the primary writer and the other as support. Remember that the report is the work of the entire team, not that of a single individual.
3. The overviews in the initial or comprehensive ten-‐year visiting team report should be brief summaries of the key elements that identify the program or area of school life. They are written primarily to educate the Accreditation Committee and serve as their background for understanding the general characteristics of each area of the
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO? It is Tuesday evening and the team has gathered to review the report. The following recommendation is read: “The visiting team recommends that the practice of housing both boys and girls on the same floor and in the same dormitories cease immediately, and that Smith Hall be made into a boys’ dorm, and Jones Hall into a girls’ dorm. Also, appropriate security, policies, and expectations should be set in place as soon as possible to ensure the separation of the genders.” How could you rewrite this recommendation to be less prescriptive?
school at a given point in time.
4. “Strong” Commendations provide the team the opportunity to compliment and show appreciation for the school’s efforts. The team has the prerogative to strongly commend if it is an area of outstanding strength and should be placed in the Standards section of the report.
5. Recommendations should be targeted, actionable, and non-‐prescriptive to address areas of weakness. Any failed Standard must correspond with a ‘‘strong’’ recommendation. Recommendations that suggest an outlay of significant financial resources should be worded with consideration for financial limitations, the school’s long-‐range plan, or differing priorities. Introductions such as ‘‘consider,’’ ‘‘evaluate the need for,’’ ‘‘study the feasibility of,’’ etc. should be used. A list of “starter words” is provided on the report template.
6. Major Strengths and Essential Questions must include sufficient
context so that they will stand on their own as the springboard for the school’s future reporting.
7. It is very important that all team members hear the opinions of the other members, but it is also vital that the team not get bogged down in unnecessary editorial changes. Editing suggestions can either be delivered in writing to the people responsible for each section, or one member of the team can be assigned the job of coordinating the editing. The final written draft should be reviewed and approved by the entire team before the conclusion of the visit.
8. Immediately following the visit, the chair notifies the VAIS office that the report is ready. VAIS will send an email to the reader so that a final review can be completed in Google docs. Once the final review is complete, VAIS will then format the report and cover letter and send to the school no later than two weeks after the end of the visit.
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APPENDICES APPENDIX A: SAMPLE EMAIL TO VISITING TEAM MEMBERS Be sure to copy VAIS on this email Dear Visiting Team, The time is drawing nearer for our visit to the [SCHOOL NAME] scheduled for [DATES OF VISIT] A few matters for you presently …
1. You should have received in the mail by now a copy of the school’s report, access to the curriculum, ….etc. Please let me know if you have not received it by early next week.
2. Please make sure you can access the ____ School site via Google. You will need to reach out Laura Godwin at VAIS ([email protected]) to secure access if you have not done so
3. Once you have access to the site, please look over the Visiting Team Report Template on the “Visiting Team Report Tab.” Once you access the template, scroll to the bottom of the document and click the link that indicates “open the School Team Report” in order to edit the document. The top section of this report addresses the team assignments. We have begun to assign the areas of responsibility for each team member. Please look over the areas you have already been assigned and let me know of any other areas where you may be of assistance. Note that there are primary and secondary areas of responsibility. Your help on this is much appreciated.
4. Please review the Visiting Team Guide (in particular pages 8-‐10) and the VAIS Standards. Keep these guidelines in mind as you begin to review the school’s materials. Feel free to take notes on the documents of questions you have and areas of the school you want to know more about.
5. We will have a pre-‐visit conference call for our team. The call should require about 30 minutes. Option #1 is
Option #2 is Please let me know your preference as soon as possible.
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APPENDIX B: SAMPLE COVER LETTER FOR VISITING TEAM REPORT April 13, 2017 Dear Head of School, On behalf of the visiting team, I would like to express my appreciation for allowing us to learn more about THE SCHOOL. As I shared in the exit meeting, our team was impressed with... The attached report is the official response of the visiting team based on your report, the curriculum and other materials provided, conversations with constituents of the school and observations of classes and activities during our visit. If you wish to respond to the report and reflect on the visit in general, you are welcome to send your comments electronically to the Director of Accreditation. Visiting team members do not receive a copy of the report. The extent to which you further distribute the report is at your discretion. We wish THE SCHOOL and you continued success in the future. As a Visiting Team, we are better for having spent time in your community with your wonderful students, faculty, staff, parents and board members. Sincerely, Visiting Team Chair Virginia Association of Independent Schools
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APPENDIX C: SUGGESTED QUESTIONS TO ASK SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES Where applicable, include references to specific Standards in your discussions. General questions:
1. Complete this sentence: ___________ School/Academy will always be… 2. Complete this sentence: ___________ School/Academy will never be… 3. What did you learn about ______ that you didn’t know before the self-‐study? 4. What is it that you believe about the future of ____ School/Academy and how are you addressing it today? 5. What will you take away from this process to improve your own professional life?
Questions for sub-‐committees responsible for individual sections of the school’s report:
1. Based on the report, what do you believe were the one or two major issues for your area, and how have you addressed them?
2. What are the key current issues in this area for the school? 3. What processes exist to address those issues? What may be planned for the future? 4. What are the particular strengths of the school in this area? 5. What data was used to inform this portion of the report?
Questions for students:
1. If you were giving an admissions tour, what would you tell another student who was thinking about coming to your school?
2. What is something this school does really well? 3. If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be? 4. Do you feel you are getting a strong foundation?
Questions for parents:
1. What is something this school does really well? 2. What are some areas of needed improvement at the school? 3. Describe the relationship between teachers and students. 4. Does the school communicate effectively with the parents? 5. Is the school true to its mission and philosophy? 6. Why did you choose this school for your child?
Questions for administrators, faculty, and staff:
1. Give an example of how you have been involved in the decision-‐making process at the school. 2. Is the school meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of its students? 3. How does the school support you professionally? 4. Is the school true to its mission and philosophy? 5. Are parents appropriately involved in the life of the school? 6. What three things would you like to see changed at the school? 7. What kind of feedback from graduates or their parents have you used in evaluating programs?
Questions for board members:
1. Give an example of a recent policy decision and explain the process by which the board arrived at its decision. 2. What major challenges confront the school how do you see the board and administration equipped to face
those challenges? 3. Describe the evaluation process you have used with the head of school.
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4. How has the board grown to be a “better board” over the past five years? 5. Discuss the board’s approach to coordinating strategic thinking and financial planning. 6. How does the board use data to make informed decisions?
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APPENDIX D: VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP 2015
VAIS STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP
STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
Accreditation is a voluntary process intended to be qualitative in nature, undertaken by schools committed to common expectations of excellence. While the school’s own mission is the primary lens through which the school should self-‐assess, the VAIS Standards serve as principles of best practice for independent schools and should be considered by the school on a continual basis. The VAIS Standards represent the collaborative efforts of the appointed Accreditation Committee members and Staff, and reflect both state and national expectations. Schools are expected to demonstrate alignment with the Standards through documentation (see lists below each Standard), the self-‐study narrative report (which may include a standards “guide” and/or reflections on the Standards themselves), and during the on-‐site evaluation team visit.
To be fully understood, you need to know the points for consideration and review the documentation, which can be found online at vais.org.
STANDARDS
1. The school’s mission guides its policies and practices and is evident in the climate, culture, and program of the school.
2. The program fulfills the educational and developmental needs of the students, meets the requirements of learning and living in a diverse and globally-‐connected society, and reflects ongoing internal review.
3. The school authentically communicates its mission and values, creating a community that understands and supports the mission while engaging in the life of the school.
4. The faculty, administration, and staff support the mission of the school, are qualified for their positions, engage in ongoing evaluation and professional growth, and effectively implement the program.
5. The Head of School serves as the chief executive, is the sole employee of and only direct report to the governing body, and is ultimately responsible for the operational and educational management of the school.
6. The governing body of the school is independent and deliberative, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and works in partnership with the Head of School to ensure that fiduciary and strategic policies advance the school.
7. The governing body and the Head of School jointly assure that the financial resources are sufficient to sustain the program and are efficiently managed.
8. The school’s facilities and equipment are sufficient to meet the needs of the program and are maintained to provide an effective and safe learning environment.
9. The school’s care for the health, safety, and welfare of the students is evident in its policies and practices. 10. [IF APPLICABLE] The residential program is so conceived and staffed as to reflect the mission of the school and
provide a healthy and safe environment. 11. [IF APPLICABLE] The preschool and/or extended day program is conceived and staffed so as to reflect the
mission of the school and provide a healthy, safe, and developmentally appropriate environment.
