Orientation to the Accreditation Internal Evaluation (Self-Study)

Orientation to the Accreditation Internal Evaluation (Self-Study)

Flex ActivityMarch 1, 2012

Lassen Community College

Topics to be CoveredTopics to be Covered

Accreditation Overview Lassen Community College History Format of the Internal Evaluation

(Self- Study) Components of the Internal Evaluation

(Self-Study) Four Standards of Good Practice Timeline Resources

Accreditation OverviewAccreditation Overview

What is Regional Accreditation?

What is Regional Accreditation?

Regional Accreditation is a time-tested model of professional peer review that supports education excellence.

Accreditation is a voluntary process of quality review that institutions agree to undergo periodically.

The accrediting commission with responsibility for accreditation in various regions are legally recognized by the federal government.

How is Accreditation Review Conducted?

How is Accreditation Review Conducted?

There are four phases of the accreditation process:» internal evaluation»external evaluation by professional

peers »Commission evaluation » institutional self-improvement

The accreditation process involves a six year cycle.

Internal Evaluation (Self-Study)

Internal Evaluation (Self-Study)

The institution engages in comparing itself to Accreditation Standards, writes an internal evaluation report, develops its own plans for improvement where needed, and submits the written analysis to the Accrediting Commission.

Peer ReviewPeer Review

At the second phase, a trained team of education professional peers from member institutions conducts an external institutional evaluation. The external evaluation team, all volunteers, visits the institution, examines the institutional internal evaluation, examines institutional practices, and writes an evaluative report with recommendations for improvement.

Regional Accrediting Commission Action

Regional Accrediting Commission Action

The third phase occurs when the members of the regional accrediting commission evaluate all the information and make the decision on the accredited status of the institution.

The Commission may also provide recommendations and direction for institutional improvement in areas where improvement is needed.

The ACCJC reviews institutional cases at meetings in January and June of each year.

Self- ImprovementSelf- Improvement

Whether the institution meets the current Accreditation Standards or not, the fourth phase is about self-improvement and each institution uses the recommendations of the external evaluation team and the Commission to guide changes that make their educational quality better.

Lassen Community College Accreditation History

Lassen Community College Accreditation History

1996-20061996-2006

June 1996 – College placed on Probation (four recommendations)

June 1997 – College elevated to Warning June 1999 - College removed from Sanctions June 2002 – Accreditation Re-affirmed following Self-

Evaluation (three recommendations with Progress Report)

June 2004- Progress Report Accepted June 2005 – Focused Midterm Report Accepted with

Progress Report documenting progress on two of the original three recommendations identified in 2002.

June 2006 – Commission identified major issues and scheduled a Special Visit

July 2006 - Special Visit

2006-20082006-2008

August 2006 – College placed on Warning (twenty-one specific recommendations with a November Progress Report)

January 2007 – College placed on Probation (seventeen remaining recommendation with a March Progress Report and Site Visit)

June 2007 – College continued on Probation (ten remaining recommendation with a October Progress Report and Site Visit)

January 2008 - College continued on Probation(seven remaining recommendation with a October Progress Report and Site Visit)

March 2008 – Site Visit by Evaluation Team for 2008 Self- Study

2008-20122008-2012

June 2008- College continued on Probation (eight remaining recommendations with a Follow-up Report and Site Visit)

January 2009-College place on Warning (three remaining recommendations with a March Follow-up Report and Site Visit)

June 2009 – College continued on Warning (two remaining recommendations with a October Follow-up Report and Site Visit)

January 2010 – College removed from Sanctions (reminder of Midterm Report due March 2011)

June 2011- Midterm Report Accepted (Self Evaluation due Fall 2013 with Site Visit March 2014)

October 2011 – Self-Evaluation Training Workshop March 2012 – Orientation Training for Self -Evaluation

Internal Self EvaluationInternal Self Evaluation

Format of the Internal Evaluation

Format of the Internal Evaluation

Introduction Organization of Self Evaluation Process Organizational Information Certification of Continued Institutional

Compliance with 20 Eligibility Requirements.

Responses to Recommendations from the Most Recent Educational Quality and Institutional Effectiveness Review (Self Evaluation) – eight recommendations

Structure of the Institutional Analysis (Standards)

Analysis of Each StandardAnalysis of Each Standard

The following three elements should guide the structure of the analysis of each of the Standards:

Descriptive Summary Self Evaluation Actionable Improvement Plans

Descriptive SummaryDescriptive Summary

What is? A concise factual description of the

current status of the college relevant to the subcomponent of the standard.

Self Evaluation Self Evaluation

How is it working? An analysis supported by

documentation of the current status of the college relevant to the subcomponent of the standard.

An analysis of how the description meets the standard.

Nearly every statement should have documentation

Not opinion

Actionable Improvement Plans

Actionable Improvement Plans

Specific actions that the institution plans to take to improve status related to the subcomponent of the standard.

Not keep doing what we are doing “None” is appropriate if the analysis

supports that the subcomponent is being met

The institution must track and report on every actionable improvement plan for the next six years.

Commission Requirements for Evidence

Commission Requirements for Evidence

Student Achievement Data Evidence of Student Learning Outcomes and

Assessment of Outcomes Evidence of Quality Program Review Evidence of Quality Student Support Services Evidence of Financial Performance and

Integrity Evidence of Compliance with other Areas

Related to Federal Requirements.» Distance Education and Correspondence Education» Public Information» Campus Sites

Accreditation StandardsAccreditation Standards

The ACCJC Accreditation Standards consists of four fundamental standards, each divided into

subsections, that describe the best practices for education quality and

institutional effectiveness.

Standard IStandard I

Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

Mission

Improving Institutional Effectiveness

Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness Standard I: Institutional

Mission and Effectiveness A. Mission

The institution has a statement of mission that defines the institution’s broad educational purposes, its intended student population, and its commitment to achieving student learning. 1. The institution establishes student learning programs and services aligned with its purposes, its character, and its student population. 2. The mission statement is approved by the governing board and published. 3. Using the institution's governance and decision-making processes, the institution reviews its mission statement on a regular basis and revises it as necessary. 4. The institution’s mission is central to institutional planning and decision making.

Standard IIStandard II

Student Learning Programs and Services

Instructional Programs

Student Support Services

Library and Learning Support Services

Standard IIIStandard III

ResourcesHuman Resource

Physical Resource

Technology Resources

Financial Resources

Standard IVStandard IV

Leadership and Governance

Decision-making Roles and Processes

Board

Administrative Organization

ThemesThemes

In addition to the standards, the institution must also address six themes separately or throughout the self evaluation.

Institutional CommitmentInstitutional Commitment

The standards ask institution’s to make a commitment in action to providing high quality education congruent with institutional mission.

The standards’ requirement that the entire institution participate in reviewing institutional performance and developing plans for improvement of student learning outcome is intended to help the institution sustain it’s commitment to student learning.

Evaluation, Planning and Improvement

Evaluation, Planning and Improvement

The standards require ongoing institutional evaluation and improvement to help serve students better.

Evaluation focuses on student achievement, student learning, and the effectiveness of processes, policies, and organization.

Improvement is achieved through an ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation, integrated planning, implementation and re-evaluation.

Student Learning OutcomesStudent Learning Outcomes

The development of student learning outcomes is one of the keys themes in the standards.

Learning outcomes must be measured and assessed to determine how well learning is occurring so that changes to improve learning and teaching can be made.

The faculty must engage in discussions of way to deliver instruction to maximize student learning.

Those providing student support must develop student learning outcomes and evaluate the quality of their policies, processes, and procedures for providing students access and movement through the institution.

Student learning outcomes are required to be at the center of the institution’s key processes and allocation of resources.

OrganizationOrganization

The standards require colleges to have inclusive, informed and intentional efforts to define student learning, provide programs to support that learning, and to evaluate how well learning is occurring.

This requirement means that the institution must have in place the organizational means to identify and make public the learning outcomes, to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in producing those outcomes, and to make improvements.

DialogueDialogue

The standards are designed to facilitate college engagement in inclusive, informed and intentional dialogue about institutional quality and improvement.

All members of the college community should participate in reflection and exchange about student achievement, student learning, and the effectiveness of the college’s processes, policies, and organization.

Institutional Integrity Institutional Integrity

Institution’s demonstrated concern with honesty, truthfulness, and the manner in which it represents itself to all stakeholders, internal and external.

TimelineTimeline

Spring 2012 Spring 2012

March 1, 2012 – Orientation Meetings for each Standard

Initial Standard Meetings Identification of Standard Chairs Assignment of Areas of Responsibility Gather Evidence Identify Tasks for

Completion/Improvement May 2012 – Selection of Internal

Evaluation Accreditation Chair

Fall 2012Fall 2012

Standard Meetings to Monitor Progress

Write initial drafts for each subsection of each Standard

Gather Evidence to support statements (Electronic)

Completion of tasks (program review, student learning outcome assessments, planning)

Spring 2013Spring 2013

Refine Draft Sections of Internal Evaluation

Compile Additional Evidence May 2013 – Completion of Draft

Internal Evaluation

Fall 2013Fall 2013

August through October – Constituent Group Review of Internal Evaluation

November – Governing Board Approval of Internal Evaluation

December - Submit Internal Evaluation to ACCJC

Spring 2014Spring 2014

February – Final Preparation for Team Visit

March 2014 - Peer Evaluation Team Visit

June 2014 – Accrediting Commission Action on Internal Evaluation and Evaluation Team Report

July 2014 – Receipt of Action Letter

ResourcesResources

ACCJC Website – www.accjc.org

Accreditation Reference Handbook Manual for Institutional Self

Evaluation Guide to Evaluating Institutions Guide to Evaluating Distance

Education and Correspondence Education

College Website