Month: September 2014

Standard I – Positive Climate & Cohesive Culture

In high quality schools, the staff shares sound educational beliefs and values, establishes high expectations and creates an engaging and orderly atmosphere to foster learning for all.

Function Category

 Function A – Shared Beliefs and Values
The staff works collaboratively around a set of shared educational beliefs and values and uses these to intentionally shape the school’s climate and culture.
 Function B – High Expectations for All
The staff establishes high expectations for self and student that are written, clearly communicated and readily observed in educational practice and personal behavior.
 Function C – Safe, Orderly and Engaging Environment
The school environment is safe, well-managed and clean and contributes to an engaging and inclusive atmosphere.

Standard II – School Leadership

In high quality schools, the principal fosters and develops distributed leadership among staff, students, and stakeholders in order to focus collective action for improved school performance.

Function Category

 Function A – Principal Leadership
The principal exhibits the professional knowledge, skills and dispositions that reflect strong leadership and effective management. (Note: Specific indicators of instructional leadership by the principal appear within each of the High Quality Standards)
 Function B – School Teams and Councils
The school teams and councils function effectively to advance the mission and goals of the school through leadership, planning and problem-solving.
 Function C – Teacher Leadership
Teachers assume responsibility for school and classroom improvement and are provided authentic opportunities and resources to lead and influence professional practice.
 Function D – Student Leadership
Students are engages in age-appropriate leadership opportunities that develop self-direction and a sense of responsibility for improving self, school and community.

Standard III – Standards – Focused Curriculum, Instruction & Assessments

In high quality schools, the staff delivers a standards-focused curriculum that enhances the unique qualities of each learner and assures that all students attain the essential knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary in the global, digital age.

Function Category

 Function A – Classroom Learning Environment
Teachers create and manage an inviting classroom environment that is student-centered and fosters student refection, intellectual inquiry and self-direction.
 Function B – Standards-Focused Curriculum
Teachers implement a standards-focused curriculum aligned with the Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives for West Virginia Schools and the 21st Century Learning Skills and Technology Tools.
 Function C – Instructional Planning
Teachers design long and short term instructional plans for guiding student mastery of the Content Standards and Objectives based on the needs, interests and performance levels of their students.
 Function D – Instructional Delivery
Teachers facilitate engaging instructional experiences that enhance individual student progress in mastery of the curriculum using multiple strategies, appropriate assessments, learning resources, digital tools and processes aligned with instructional targets.

Standard IV – Student Support Services & Family/Community Connections

In high quality schools, the staff places student well-being at the forefront of all decisions, provides support services to address student physical, social/emotional and academic growth, and forms positive connections to families and the community.

Function Category

 Function A – Positive Relationships
Positive relationships exist between the school staff and the students, families and the larger community.
 Function B – Student Personal Development
The school staff attends to student physical, social-emotional and academic well-being through coordinated student support services for health, child nutrition, character education, guidance and counseling, special education and English second language.  Function C – Teacher Leadership

The school staff forms partnerships with various community agencies and organizations to enhance the ability to meet the needs of all students.

Standard V – Educator Growth & Development

In high quality schools, staff members participate in processes of self reflection, collaboration and evaluation that lead to professional growth and development in order to impact student learning.

Function Category

 Function A – Professional Development
The staff engages in continuous learning opportunities for professional growth designed to improve school and classroom practice.
 Function B – Teacher Collaboration
The teachers participate in high functioning professional learning communities to collaborate on the improvement of students learning through the study of relevant data, problem analysis and the implementation of strategies that improve instructional practice.
 Function C – Evaluation, Feedback and Support
The staff participates in processes of evaluation that facilitate self-reflection and informs the process of professional growth.

Standard VI – Efficient & Effective Management

In high quality schools, efficient and effective management procedures assure that facilities, fiscal resources, personnel, and data and technology systems add value to student learning and comply with law and policy.

Function Category

 Function A – Facilities
Facilities are clean, well maintained, safe and secure, aesthetically pleasing, and configured to meet the learning needs of students.
 Function B – Fiscal Resources
Policies and processes are established and applied to obtain, allocate and efficiently manage school fiscal resources.
 Function C – Personnel
High quality personnel are selected according to West Virginia Code and are purposefully assigned and retained to effectively meet the identified needs of students.
 Function D – Data, Information Systems, Technology Tools &

Infrastructure

The school has appropriate technology infrastructure and utilizes data information systems and technology tools to support management, instructional delivery and student learning.

Standard VII – Continuous Improvement

In high quality schools, there is collective commitment to collaboratively identify, plan, implement, monitor, evaluate, and communicate the changes necessary to continuously increase student learning.

Function Category

 Function A – Focused and Coherent Plan
The staff establishes a coherent approach for improving the performance of students based on the mission and goals outlined in the strategic plan.
 Function B – Processes and Structures
The staff has well-defined structures for building professional relationships and processes necessary to collaboratively engage all stakeholders in actions to increase student learning.
 Function C – Monitoring for Results
The staff monitors changes in practice and implements adjustments, evaluates the results of student learning, and communicates the progress to all stakeholders.