Candidacy Workbook ADA v2024.03.12
Candidacy Workbook ADA v2024.03.12
c o g n i a ac c r e d i tat i o n
Table of Contents
Introduction to Candidacy for Cognia Accreditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Purpose of the Candidacy Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About this Workbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Completing the Candidacy Workbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Interaction 1. Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Determining your institution’s current reality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Interaction 2. Data Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Interaction 3. Provide your up-to-date contact and demographic information in this table. . . . . . . . . . 5
Interaction 4. Enter your executive summary in the field below. Make sure you have
addressed all the prompts above.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Key Characteristic 1: Culture of Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Keys to Culture of Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Key Characteristic 2: Leadership for Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Keys to Leadership for Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Key Characteristic 3: Engagement of Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Keys to Engagement of Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Key Characteristic 4: Growth in Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Keys to Growth in Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Interaction 5. In this field, briefly describe the process you used to rate the standards.. . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Interaction 6. List the number of the unmet Assurance and briefly describe the steps you
plan to take to bring this Assurance into compliance.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Interaction 7. Areas of Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Interaction 8. Areas for Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Interaction 9. Challenges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Appendix 1: Sample executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Appendix 2: Unpacking the standards activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Appendix 3: Assurances (other than US School and US System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Appendix 4: Sample reflection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Appendix 5: The Candidacy Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Role of the primary contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Developing the review schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The institution overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Evidence review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Stakeholder interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Observations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Concluding meeting with the head of institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Coordinating team logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Candidacy Review typically lasts one-half day to one day, though it may require more. Candidacy Reviews
are required to be conducted on-site.
After the Candidacy Review, you will receive a report that provides you with some “next steps” to make sure you
are ready for the Accreditation Engagement Review. We want to make sure your institution has the capacity and
is ready to become accredited.
This workbook is designed for you to get started right away on your preparation for your Candidacy Review. We
have provided extensive resources for you at the back of the workbook in case you want to know more. You will
find links to appropriate resources as you work through the document.
Most importantly, this process should not be completed by just one person. You need to have a team. No one
person can manage improvement for an entire institution and expect to see good results. Some institutions
use their leadership team, others have a specialized team just for accreditation or continuous improvement.
Depending on the size of your school, five to seven people is a good number for this team. The responsibilities of
this team will include:
• Organizing team and group meetings to complete the activities involved in your self-assessment of
continuous improvement
• Overseeing the collection of information to help you accurately rate your institution’s capacity to meet the
Cognia Performance Standards and making sure that information is available for Cognia’s review
• Reviewing and responding to Cognia’s Assurances for Schools and School Systems that are appropriate to
your institution
• Completing all sections of this Candidacy Workbook
• Submitting this Candidacy Workbook information to Cognia so that the Candidacy Review can be scheduled
Interaction 1. Checklist
At Cognia, we recommend looking at four categories of data. You may have multiple sources under each
category. The four categories are:
Documentation—Cognia defines “documentation” as written, printed, or electronic matter that is usually widely
distributed and serves as an official record. Examples of documents that may be sources of data are:
• Institution handbooks (faculty/staff, student, parent, etc.)
• Strategic plans
• Action plans (continuous improvement plan, professional development plan, technology plan)
• Policies, procedures, processes
Observation—Cognia encourages both formal and informal observations. Some examples of observations
include:
• Locally collected eleot® (Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool®) observations
• Teacher observations
• Other general observations (evaluations of meetings, general comments from stakeholders)
Performance—Cognia looks for two types of information in this category. While student performance is the
most important “outcome” for an institution, organizational performance supports student performance. Here are
some examples of data you may collect related to performance:
• Organizational data (results of improvement or other initiatives, program evaluation, non-academic
performance metrics, efficiency studies, attendance, discipline, participation in extracurricular activities)
• Student academic performance data (formative and summative data, aggregated or individual)
Resources:
• “inFocus: A Guide for Strategic Thinking and improvement Planning”
• Cognia Surveys
With your team, discuss and list the data sources you already have, using the four categories described above as
a general guide. Consider using one sheet of chart paper for each type of data source. When you finish, reflect on
what you have and where you need to add more collection instruments if necessary. You may prefer to simply list
your sources in the table below.
For this activity, you will enter the most up-to-date information about your institution. It’s important to make sure
you include ALL the information requested in this section, and that all the information you provide is correct.
Your enrollment tomorrow may be different than enrollment today; so, in the space for enrollment, enter your best
estimate of enrollment. This helps Cognia and your evaluator plan the schedule for your review most effectively.
Interaction 3. Provide your up-to-date contact and demographic information in this table.
Name of Institution
Telephone
Head of Institution
Email Address
Grades Served
Enrollment
You will write an executive summary that tells Cognia about your institution’s current reality. The description of
your institution should be about 2,000 words (four to five pages). This summary provides Cognia with a holistic
picture of your institution. Consider composing a paragraph or two based on each of these prompts to guide you
in writing your narrative:
• Provide a brief description of the history of your institution.
• Describe the community your institution serves.
– Is the community urban, suburban, or rural?
– What language(s) are spoken?
• Describe how your institution is governed.
– Is your institution independent, related to a special association or religious group, or under a state
department or ministry of education?
– Is there a board of directors or other governing authority?
• Describe the mission, vision, and values of your institution.
– When were these statements last reviewed and/or updated?
• Describe the enrollment trends in your institution for the past three to five years.
• Describe your institution’s philosophy of education.
– Is the philosophy traditional?
– Is it based on a particular model (e.g., Dalcroze, Dewey, Emilia, Gardner, Glaser, Montessori, Piaget,
Vygotsky, Waldorf) or is it a combination of multiple sources of research?
• Describe your institution’s curriculum.
– Does your governing authority require a certain curriculum?
– Do you have a traditional curriculum based on reading, writing, and mathematics?
– Do you offer special programs such as STEM, music, art, etc.?
– How and when is the curriculum updated?
• Describe instruction in your institution.
– Is it a traditional lecture format, competency-based, on-site, and/or remote?
– How much is technology integrated into instruction?
• Discuss personnel management (such as hiring practices, evaluation, and supervision).
• Give a brief description of student performance.
– Are you required to give certain assessments at certain grades?
– In what curricular areas do your students perform well?
– In what ways do you tailor your assessments to the needs of learners?
– What curricular areas need improved student performance?
– Does trend data indicate student performance is improving, staying about the same, or declining?
• Describe current major improvement initiatives.
– Include progress and status on each initiative.
– Include the intended outcome or goal of each initiative.
Resources:
• Appendix 1: Sample executive summary
We have some resources to help you complete this section. The Cognia Performance Standards are organized
around four key characteristics that are present when institutions effectively and productively tend to the
performance standards. The key characteristics are related to culture, leadership, engagement, and growth.
The Cognia Performance Standards are the result of an in-depth study of the literature related to theories and
practices that create excellent schools.
You may have questions about how Cognia defines a particular term found in our performance standards.
Cognia’s Glossary of Terms provides definitions for commonly used terms that Cognia may define a bit differently
than you expect. You will find clarification in the glossary. The glossary is especially helpful in defining terms
related to frequency, quality, and quantity. Glossary of Terms can be found on Cognia’s extranet, where you will
find many resources to help you on your continuous improvement and/or accreditation journey.
Resources:
• Here is the activity you can use with your Leadership team or the entire staff if you wish. See Appendix 2:
Unpacking the standards activity.
The standards related to Culture of Learning are in the following tables. Each one includes a description of
Cognia’s expectation to meet the standard. After reviewing the information you have gathered, rate each standard
as Sufficient (S) or Needs Improvement (NI).
Standard 1 Rating
Leaders cultivate and sustain a culture that demonstrates respect, fairness, equity, and inclusion, and is
free from bias.
NI
S
Leaders regularly model the attributes and implement practices that shape and sustain the desired institution
culture, clearly setting expectations for all staff members. Leaders and professional staff members routinely
implement ongoing practices, processes, and decision-making that embody the values of respect, fairness, equity,
and inclusion and are free from bias.
Standard 2 Rating
Learners’ well-being is at the heart of the institution’s guiding principles such as mission, purpose, and
beliefs.
Staff members routinely demonstrate commitment to learners’ academic and non-academic needs and interests. NI
S
The institution’s practices, processes, and decisions are documented, and are consistent with and based on its
stated values.
Standard 3 Rating
Leaders actively engage stakeholders to support the institution’s priorities and guiding principles that
promote learners’ academic growth and well-being.
Leaders establish and sustain conditions that regularly result in support and active participation among S NI
stakeholders. Leaders routinely collaborate with stakeholders to advance identified priorities. Institutions choose
areas of focus based on analyzed data on learners’ needs and consistent with guiding principles.
Standard 4 Rating
Learners benefit from a formal structure that fosters positive relationships with peers and adults.
A formal structure is planned and regularly implemented to promote a culture and climate in which learnersS
Nreceive
I
support from adults and peers. Peer and adult interactions and behaviors routinely demonstrate respect, trust, and
concern for one another’s well-being.
NI
S
The institution’s documented operating practices cultivate and set expectations for collegiality and collaboration.
Professional staff members regularly interact with respect and cooperation, often learn from one another, and
routinely consider one another’s ideas. Professional staff members often work together in self-formed or assigned
groups to review information, identify common problems, and implement solutions on behalf of learners.
Standard 6 Rating
Professional staff members receive the support they need to strengthen their professional practice.
NI to the
S
Professional staff members receive adequate resources and assistance based on data and information unique
individual. Professional staff members receive personalized mentoring and coaching from leaders and peers.
Comments
The standards related to Leadership for Learning are in the following tables. Each one includes a description of
Cognia’s expectation to meet the standard. After reviewing the information you have gathered, rate each standard
as Sufficient (S) or Needs Improvement (NI).
Standard 7 Rating
Leaders guide professional staff members in the continuous improvement process focused on
learners’ experiences and needs.
NI and
S
Leaders regularly engage professional staff members in developing, communicating, implementing, monitoring,
adjusting the continuous improvement process. The continuous improvement process is based on analyzed data
about learners’ academic and non-academic needs and the institution’s organizational effectiveness. Leaders and
professional staff members routinely implement ongoing practices, processes, and decision making that improve
learning and engage stakeholders.
Standard 8 Rating
The governing authority demonstrates a commitment to learners by collaborating with leaders to
uphold the institution’s priorities and to drive continuous improvement.
NI
S
The governing authority’s policies and decisions demonstrate a commitment to learners and support the institution’s
identified priorities. The governing authority and institution leaders use their respective roles and responsibilities to
collaboratively further the institution’s improvement.
Standard 9 Rating
Leaders cultivate effective individual and collective leadership among stakeholders.
Leaders frequently recognize and encourage leadership potential among stakeholders. Leaders create conditionsNI
S
that regularly offer formal and informal leadership opportunities, and support individuals and groups to improve their
leadership skills. Stakeholders demonstrate a willingness to take on individual or shared responsibilities that support
the institution’s priorities.
Standard 10 Rating
Leaders demonstrate expertise in recruiting, supervising, and evaluating professional staff members to
optimize learning.
Leaders identify, develop, and retain qualified professional staff members who contribute to the institution’sS
Nculture
I
and priorities. Leaders routinely use data from a variety of sources to forecast future staffing needs and employ
best practices to attract a diverse pool of candidates. Leaders regularly implement practices and procedures for
supervision and evaluation that improve professional staff members’ performance to optimize learning.
Standard 12 Rating
Professional staff members implement curriculum and instruction that are aligned for relevancy,
inclusion, and effectiveness.
Professional staff members implement, review, and adjust curriculum and instruction based on recognizedSN I
and
evidence-based content standards. Curriculum and instructional practices are regularly assessed to assure
alignment, relevancy, inclusiveness, and effectiveness for all learners.
Standard 13 Rating
Qualified personnel instruct and assist learners and each other in support of the institution’s
mission, purpose, and beliefs.
All staff members demonstrate the required knowledge and skills for their positions. Staff members work NI
S
cooperatively to instruct and assist learners and colleagues in support of the institution’s guiding principles.
Staff members’ individual and collective decisions and behaviors demonstrate alignment and coherence with
the institution’s mission, purpose, and beliefs.
Standard 14 Rating
Curriculum and instruction are augmented by reliable information resources and materials that
advance learning and support learners’ personal interests.
Professional staff members suggest and provide thoughtfully selected information resources and materialsS Nfor
I
learners that broaden and enrich the learning process and support learners’ personal interests. These information
resources and materials are selected from credible sources and based on verifiable information.
Standard 15 Rating
Learners’ needs drive the equitable allocation and management of human, material, digital, and fiscal
resources.
Professional staff members routinely analyze learners’ needs and current trend data to adjust the allocationS
Nand
I
management of human, material, digital, and fiscal resources to ensure equity for learning. Adjustments to resource
allocation are routinely based on current data and at predetermined points in time.
Comments
The standards related to Engagement of Learning are in the following tables. Each one includes a description of
Cognia’s expectation to meet the standard. After reviewing the information you have gathered, rate each standard
as Sufficient (S) or Needs Improvement (NI).
Standard 16 Rating
Learners experience curriculum and instruction that emphasize the value of diverse cultures,
backgrounds, and abilities.
Respect for the diversity of cultures, backgrounds, and abilities is clearly present in the institution’s culture S
N I
and
learning environments. The presence and contributions of the global community are intentionally included in the
curricular content and instructional practices.
Standard 17 Rating
Learners have equitable opportunities to realize their learning potential.
NI
S
Professional staff members know their learners well enough to develop and provide a variety of academic and
non-academic experiences. Learners have access and choice in most academic and non-academic opportunities
available according to grade levels or through expected sequencing of courses. Learners rarely encounter barriers
when accessing academic and non-academic experiences most suited to their individual needs and well-being.
Learners are challenged and supported to strive toward individual achievement and self-efficacy.
Standard 18 Rating
Learners are immersed in an environment that fosters lifelong skills including creativity, curiosity, risk
taking, collaboration, and design thinking.
NI
S
Conditions within most aspects of the institution promote learners’ lifelong skills. Learners engage in experiences
that develop the non-academic skills important for their next steps in learning and for future success. Collectively,
the learning experiences build skills in creativity, curiosity, risk-taking, collaboration and design-thinking.
Standard 19 Rating
Learners are immersed in an environment that promotes and respects student voice and responsibility
for their learning.
Conditions within most aspects of the institution are learner-centered and promote learners’ active discovery NI and
S
expression of their needs and interests. Learners give input into most of the instructional and learning activities
available to them. Learners are frequently involved in identifying their learning targets and monitoring their progress.
NI
S
Most learners pursue opportunities that may not always result in success, knowing they will be supported. Most
learners show motivation, curiosity, and excitement about their learning.
Standard 21 Rating
Instruction is characterized by high expectations and learner-centered practices.
NI and
S
Most learners engage in instructional activities, experiences, and interactions based on their individual needs
interests. Professional staff members routinely deliver instruction designed for learners to reach their potential.
Standard 22 Rating
Instruction is monitored and adjusted to advance and deepen individual learners’ knowledge and
understanding of the curriculum.
NI
S
Professional staff members regularly monitor and adjust instruction based on each learner’s response to instruction
and achievement of desired learning targets. Professional staff members routinely analyze trend and current data to
deepen each learner’s understanding of content.
Standard 23 Rating
Professional staff members integrate digital resources that deepen and advance learners’ engagement
with instruction and stimulate their curiosity.
Nprocess
S
Professional staff members intentionally select and integrate digital resources that add value to the learning I
and encourage learners’ active engagement in the learning process. Digital resources routinely support learners’
pursuit of interests and deepen or extend curriculum topics to stimulate learners’ curiosity.
Comments
The standards related to Growth in Learning are in the following tables. Each on includes a description of Cognia’s
expectation to meet the standard. After reviewing the information you have gathered, rate each standard as
Sufficient (S) or Needs Improvement (NI).
Standard 24 Rating
Leaders use data and input from a variety of sources to make decisions for learners’ and staff
members’ growth and well-being.
NItimely
S
Leaders regularly demonstrate skill and insight in considering a variety of information, choosing relevant and
information, and interpreting data. Leaders make decisions by routinely taking into account data and additional
factors that have an impact on learners and staff members such as institution history, recent experiences, and future
possibilities.
Standard 25 Rating
Leaders promote action research by professional staff members to improve their practice and
advance learning.
NI
S
Leaders regularly create and preserve a culture that invites inquiry, reflection, and dialogue about instructional
problems and issues relevant to the institution and/or individual learning environments. Professional staff members,
as a group or as individuals, routinely engage in action research using an inquiry-based process that includes
identifying instructional areas of improvement, collecting data, and reporting results to make informed instructional
changes. Leaders provide and engage in learning opportunities for professional staff members to implement action
research.
Standard 26 Rating
Leaders regularly evaluate instructional programs and organizational conditions to improve instruction
and advance learning.
NI
S
Leaders routinely implement a documented process to determine the effectiveness of the institution’s curriculum
and instruction, including staffing and resources. Leaders use analyzed current and trend data and stakeholder input
to make decisions about retaining, changing, or replacing programs and practices.
Standard 27 Rating
Learners’ diverse academic and non-academic needs are identified and effectively addressed through
appropriate interventions.
The institution routinely addresses the range of developmental, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs S
NtoI support
learners’ ability to learn. Strategies and interventions for these needs are regularly planned and implemented based
on analyzed information, data, and instructional best practices to ensure learners’ success.
Standard 29 Rating
Understanding learners’ needs and interests drives the design, delivery, application, and evaluation of
professional learning.
NI
S
Professional learning is learner-centered, designed around the principles that professional staff members need
opportunities to focus on improving pedagogical skills and knowledge to better address learners’ needs and
interests. A documented process to select, deliver, implement, and evaluate professional learning is being fully
implemented.
Standard 30 Rating
Learners’ progress is measured through a balanced system that includes assessment both for learning
and of learning.
Professional staff members and learners regularly use assessment data gathered through formal and informalNI
S
methods to determine learners’ progress toward and achievement of intended learning objectives. Assessment data
are routinely used for ongoing planning, decision making, and modification of curriculum and instruction.
Comments
Interaction 5. In this field, briefly describe the process you used to rate the standards.
The Assurances provide a process for certifying adherence with accreditation, compliance, and/or accountability
statements that are applicable to your institution. All Assurances require a simple “Yes” or “No” response. Any
Assurance with a response of “No” must include a description of why that Assurance is not currently met and
proposed actions to meet that Assurance before the Accreditation Engagement Review.
Be prepared to share documents related to the Assurances during your Candidacy Review.
The first Assurance verifies that your institution complies with all of the Cognia Accreditation Policies and
Procedures. When your Candidacy Review takes place, one or more members of the team will be asking
questions related to the policies and procedures. A best practice is to identify someone in your institution who will
answer policy and procedure related questions.
NOTE: Some institutions may have specialized Assurances related to the institutions or to requirements of
partnership agreements. If those apply, representatives conducting the Candidacy Review will share that
information with you.
The first seven Assurances are the same for almost every institution type; however, each institution type may
have additional Assurances. Assurances for Schools and School Systems in the United States are included
immediately below. If your institution is of another type, select the link to your institution type. If you are unsure
which set of Assurances pertain to your institution type, please contact your Cognia representative.
Remember: You should only complete the one set of Assurances that aligns with your institution type.
School Assurances
• School System (public, nonpublic, corporations, corporation systems, education service agencies,
charter school authorizers) (United States, International)
During your group discussion of your data and the resulting analyses, reflect on the areas you are most proud of
about your institution, areas you wish to improve, and challenges that your institution is facing or you feel it will be
facing in coming years. Record your reflections in brief narratives (500 words or less). Here are some prompts to
guide your writing for each reflection area.
Prompts that may help you identify areas of excellence and areas for improvement:
• Is the culture and climate of your institution positive or could it be improved?
• What areas are you most proud of in terms of student academic performance?
• What areas of student academic performance need improvement?
• Do you have non-academic areas that are marked by distinction or that need improvement (e.g., graduation
and retention rates, disciplinary referrals, faculty stability or turnover, parent involvement, community
support and involvement, finances, technology, special programs, extracurricular activities)?
Resources:
• Appendix 4: Sample reflection
Through the past 43 years, the school population has varied little, as two more high schools have opened since
Cooper High School and the attendance boundaries are modified by the school board to keep the population
consistent with the other sites. While the students were learning remotely for six months because of the COVID-19
pandemic, the students have returned this fall for on-site learning. All students and staff wear masks, staff
members have been vaccinated, and the current infection rate is very low.
Demographics
The school staff includes 48 classified employees, 129 full-time certificated teachers, five counselors, a school
psychologist, and five administrative leaders. Demographically, the student population in 73% white, 18% Black,
6% Hispanic, and 3% Asian, with 23% of the student families qualifying for federal free and reduced lunch
assistance. The special education population is 7%, most of which are classified as SLD with 1% comprising MOID,
MIID, or ED. Almost 98% of the families report English as the primary language spoken at home, with just over 2%
reporting Spanish as the primary language. There are currently 20 students enrolled in the ESL program, most of
whom are in the final year of the program.
Governing authority
The Parnassus School District is governed by a five-member Board with the support of the Superintendent. Every
board member is elected through the county election process and board member elections are staggered so
that one Board member is up for reelection every five years. The Board holds internal elections every year in July
to name the Chairman of the Board, the Secretary of the Board, and the Treasurer of the Board. As part of the
Board bylaws, these positions may be held for no more than two consecutive years. As part of the overall training
process, each board member must attend training through the Georgia State Association for School Boards on
policymaking, procedures, and ethics every year they serve. Board policy is adopted as necessary and there is
currently a comprehensive policy document that is available to all stakeholders electronically. The Governing
Board is very supportive of the district schools but is very aware that they are responsible for essentially one
employee—the superintendent. They do not interfere with district or school operations and have made it part of
their policy that their management is strictly through the superintendent.
Cooper High School is led by the administrative staff, which includes the principal, three assistant principals, an
athletic director, and a dean of students. Every member of the leadership team is responsible for staff evaluations,
student supervision, and the monitoring of the professional development program. The assistant principals divide
their responsibilities between curriculum and instruction, student opportunities and activities, and data and
assessment. The athletic director manages the coaching staff and events pertaining to the athletic program. The
dean of students is primarily focused on student discipline and management of the special education program.
Vision: Cooper High School will graduate college and career ready students who are civic-minded, critical
thinkers, and lifelong learners.
Mission: Cooper High School is dedicated to a continuing tradition of excellence in an ever-changing world.
Within a safe and supportive environment, we provide a relevant, high-quality education and prepare our student
body for future endeavors. We honor achievement and promote pride in ourselves, in our school, and in our
community.
The staff and community of Cooper High School value quality education and the myriad factors associated with
high expectations. All staff are expected to adopt an improvement mindset that focuses on student success. To
this end, Cooper High School has a thorough professional development program to support teachers and staff
in providing the highest quality of instruction possible. Additionally, the school has placed a high priority on the
concepts of equity, fairness, and lifelong learning. Current initiatives supporting those ideas include the advisory
program, the full integration of special needs students into the classrooms, and a proactive discipline program
that includes restorative justice and elements of the Jones Discipline Program.
The mission and vision statements are evaluated every year by the school site council, who recommends
adjustments based on survey data, student performance data, and staff input.
Philosophy of education
While the school does not focus exclusively on any particular educational philosophy exclusively, much of
the professional development and classroom instructional model utilized at Cooper High School is based on
essentialist and progressive theories. Cooper High School students are expected to engage thoughtfully in
classroom activities, and teachers are expected to deliver engaging and interactive instruction that incorporates
individual learner interests and skills. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking skills and mastery of the
state core curriculum. Additionally, the school offers a wide range of elective courses to engage student interests,
including cocurricular classes in creative writing, career and technical education, and the arts.
Curriculum
The school uses the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE), as adopted by the Georgia Board of Education.
The core curriculum has been adopted by the Parnassus School Board and includes the implementation of the
standards for all curricular areas.
Course maps for all classes are developed collaboratively through the professional development program, which
includes weekly scheduled times for professional learning communities to meet, discuss student data, and
develop resources. Materials for all classes are proposed by the PLC groups on a rotating basis through a five-
year cycle. The five-year cycle is designed so that a major curricular area is addressed every year along with the
associated departments and classes. For example, in 2019-2020, the math departments reviewed their learning
materials and textbooks along with the computer sciences classes. For the 2020-2021 school year, the ELA,
world languages, and arts departments reviewed their course maps and materials. The current school year of
2021–2022 will focus on physical education and social sciences.
As part of the course maps and materials review, each department also works collaboratively to develop
districtwide common assessments for pretesting and end-of-course (EOC) testing. Based on the GSE and
Many of the professional development sessions during the school year are focused on the unpacking and
development of the GSE and discussion on how to best develop interactive lesson plans to support learners.
Classroom instruction
Most classes at Cooper High School are site-based; however, there were several months where instruction
was delivered remotely during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes are 50 minutes long three days
a week, with two days of the week devoted to longer class periods for extended learning opportunities. The
master schedule also includes a weekly meeting of the student advisory program and two late-start days to
accommodate professional development sessions.
While many of the classes utilize a traditional Hunter model with anticipatory sets, direct instruction, guided
practice, and independent engagement, the longer instructional periods allow for flexibility to conduct labs
and engage in hands-on learning. Additionally, the extended class periods allow for higher levels of technology
integration, which is a requirement for all classes.
All formal assessment is conducted electronically as much as possible to reinforce and augment student use
of technology. Assessment through technology also facilitates efficient feedback, accurate data, and a secure
testing environment. Finally, every class is surveyed at the end of the course regarding classroom instruction,
teacher feedback, and student satisfaction.
Personnel management
All staff members are evaluated using a Danielson-based model that has been approved by the Board and the
respective staff associations. Administrative evaluations are conducted by the principal, and the principal’s
evaluation is conducted by the superintendent. The teacher evaluation process is goal-based and includes
two formal classroom observations, two informal classroom observations, and an analysis of student growth
based on the common EOC. Over 96% of the teachers receive a Meets or Exceeds rating on their summative
evaluation form. Teachers who do not meet expectations are assigned a formal improvement plan and met with
monthly by their assigned administrative evaluator. Teachers or staff who do not meet expectations on the formal
improvement plan after a year are non-renewed.
While diversity is a goal with Cooper High School, much more work needs to be done to reach out to
underrepresented professionals and bring them into the Cooper High School family. While serving a moderately
diverse student population, over 80% of the teaching staff is white and 70% is female. Cooper High School is
working cooperatively with local agencies such as the NABSE and AHSA to recruit and hire professionals of color.
These efforts have been formalized through the site council and the adoption of goals in the school’s continuous
improvement plan.
Learner Performance
Students are required to participate in the ACCESS, GAA 2.0, and Georgia Milestones assessment programs
based on their eligibility. Results from these assessments over the past three years have been varied, as there
are gaps in assessment data due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, trends from the last three assessments
indicate that while substantial growth has been achieved in mathematics, growth from the ELA assessments has
plateaued or dipped slightly. Improvements in mathematics, especially in Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, are attributed
to increased alignment of course maps, increased intervention programs, and professional development around
active engagement in math classes. Over 59% of the students at Cooper High School are achieving Proficient or
Distinguished ratings in mathematics, which is considerably higher than the state average, 30%.
One of the primary indicators of student success on the statewide assessments is the performance on the
common EOCs that every student takes at the end of each course. The assessments are closely aligned to the
state assessments and modified each year during PLC sessions by the teachers based on disaggregated results
published by the Georgia Department of Education.
The comprehensive continuous improvement plan can be found on the school’s website and is also available at
the front office. The Cooper High School site council reviews progress on the plan monthly during their meetings.
Cooper High School stakeholders are looking forward to the Accreditation Engagement Review and utilizing the
findings to improve the overall learning experience for the students.
Divide participants into at least three groups. Have each group select one of the performance standards from the
30 available cards. To cover the most standards, have each group select from only 10 of the standards, splitting
the 30 standards among the three groups.
Within each group, read the selected standard and examine its elements. Note how the elements align with the
rubric levels.
• Identify any additional key terms where you need clarification.
• Identify possible evidence your institution may already have, what you need to collect, and how impactful that
evidence may be for rating the standard.
• Discuss an initial rating of the standard for your institution and cite specific reasons and evidence you used to
reach that rating.
With the full group, have each small group debrief their conversation by sharing the rating for the standard and the
rationale and evidence used to reach that rating.
Repeat the above process at least twice more, which will allow your team to unpack at least nine of the standards.
No
Yes
Assurances for Extended Learning Institutions in the United States (go back) Yes/No
1. The institution has read, understands, and complies with the Cognia Accreditation and
Certification Policies and Procedures.
2. The institution complies with all applicable governmental laws or regulations. No
Yes
13. The institution provides food adequate to the nutritional needs of the students, sanitary No
Yes
environmental conditions, and safe drinking water at all times in the program.
No
Yes
No
Yes
14. Students are supervised by trained adults for the full duration of the enrollment. No
Yes
15. The institution implements a written plan that is in compliance with any state or governing No
Yes
authority regulatory requirements pertaining to hygiene, health and safety of students for the
full duration of the enrollment. No
Yes
16. The school provides food adequate to the nutritional needs of the students, sanitary
environmental conditions, and safe drinking water at all times in the program
17. There is a communication system in place to provide parents/guardians with important No
Yes
information including non-emergency contact information and 24-hour emergency contact
information with live operators. No
Yes
18. Protection for students is provided in the form of tuition bonds, appropriate liability, errors
and omissions and medical insurance.
19. There is verifiable evidence that all staff members who participate in the wilderness portion No
Yes
of the program are given specific training regarding situations and-or problems that might be
encountered during the wilderness portion of the program. No
Yes
17. The institution adopts and implements personnel policies that cover job descriptions, No
Yes
recruitment, employment, assignment, retention, retirement, termination of services, and sick
and/other leave for all institution personnel. No
Yes
18. The Board meets only when the Director is present, except when it acts on the Director’s
salary and/or performance, if applicable.
19. The institution requires all professional personnel to earn at least six semester hours of credit No
Yes
or the equivalent during each five years of employment.
20. The leadership includes in the master schedule sufficient planning time unencumbered by No
Yes
instructional or supervisory responsibilities for each classroom teacher.
21. Due regard is given to building and facility design, layout, designation, and use to ensure child No
Yes
safety and protection within the context of the host country. Class size facilitates the ease of
movement within the classroom. No
Yes
13. The institution provides food adequate to the nutritional needs of the students, sanitary No
Yes
environmental conditions, and safe drinking water at all times in the program.
14. The institution adopts and implements personnel policies that cover job descriptions, No
Yes
recruitment, employment, assignment, retention, retirement, termination of services, and sick
and/other leave for all institution personnel. No
Yes
15. The Board meets only when the Director is present, except when it acts on the Director’s
salary and/or performance, if applicable.
16. The institution requires all professional personnel to earn at least six semester hours of credit No
Yes
or the equivalent during each five years of employment.
17. The leadership includes in the master schedule sufficient planning time unencumbered by No
Yes
instructional or supervisory responsibilities for each classroom teacher.
18. Due regard is given to building and facility design, layout, designation, and use to ensure child No
Yes
safety and protection within the context of the host country. Class size facilitates the ease of
movement within the classroom. No
Yes
19. The institution has developed and adopted an appropriate definition of child abuse, including
physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, neglect and commercial exploitation,
and inappropriate behavior of children toward other children. No
Yes
20. The institution has a policy, approved by the Governing Board, that describes its commitment
to preventing and responding appropriately if children are harmed, or if allegations of harm to
children are made. No
Yes
18. The institution adopts and implements personnel policies that cover job descriptions, No
Yes
recruitment, employment, assignment, retention, retirement, termination of services, and sick
and/other leave for all institution personnel. No
Yes
19. The Board meets only when the Director is present, except when it acts on the Director’s
salary and/or performance, if applicable.
20. The institution requires all professional personnel to earn at least six semester hours of credit No
Yes
or the equivalent during each five years of employment.
No
Yes
14. Students are supervised by trained adults for the full duration of the enrollment. No
Yes
15. The institution implements a written plan that is in compliance with any state or governing No
Yes
authority regulatory requirements pertaining to hygiene, health and safety of students for the
full duration of the enrollment. No
Yes
16. The school provides food adequate to the nutritional needs of the students, sanitary
environmental conditions, and safe drinking water at all times in the program
17. There is a communication system in place to provide parents/guardians with important No
Yes
information including non-emergency contact information and 24-hour emergency contact
information with live operators. No
Yes
18. Protection for students is provided in the form of tuition bonds, appropriate liability, errors
and omissions and medical insurance.
19. There is verifiable evidence that all staff members who participate in the wilderness portion No
Yes
of the program are given specific training regarding situations and-or problems that might be
encountered during the wilderness portion of the program. No
Yes
At Cooper High School, you will find that the mission and vision of the school are immersed and modeled
throughout the school community from our main office to our staff workroom and to our classrooms. It
would be difficult to identify a student, teacher, parent, or administrator who does not know our vision and
mission. These statements, developed, approved, and annually reviewed by the stakeholders, represent all
facets of our school community, are the mainstay of our daily operations, and are embedded in the culture
of the school. Our mission is the educational framework designed to achieve the highest possible academic
outcomes. References to the mission and vision are constant and seamless. You will find that our vision and
mission statements are used as the North Star in making decisions related to curriculum selection, assessment
practices, hiring practices, and decisions regarding finances. Everything we do connects back to the vision and
mission.
As noted in our narrative statement, a focus on building capacity of faculty and staff is another identified area
of excellence. Professional learning is a vital component of the school’s dynamic, progressive approach to
teaching and learning. We have worked to ensure that we not only provide the necessary training to our faculty
members, but we also afford the necessary time and support for our teachers to implement strategies with
fidelity and are intentional in monitoring the results of implementation and adjusting as needed. Our evidence of
this is the positive academic outcomes and increased engagement we have been able to attain (as noted in our
narrative statements) by providing our instructional faculty with professional learning opportunities.
A final area of excellence that we have identified is the allocation of resources to support the needs of our
faculty members and students. Cooper High School provides a plethora of resources. Among them are
Google Classroom (as a Learning Management System), Naviance (for college and career planning), and Khan
Academy and Study Island (both for remediation, enrichment, and individualization of learning). We feel that
the allocation and use of resources to support the school’s mission and vision merits recognition for its ability
to provide abundant resources for teaching and learning. We feel the importance of human, material, and fiscal
resources should never be underestimated in striving to move our school and our students to the next level of
academic excellence.
First, student performance is one of our highest priorities. Performance on the state assessments has recently
plateaued in the areas of English and science, and while performance on math assessments is relatively high
compared to state averages, there is always room for improvement. Continuing the school’s focus on reliable
intervention for struggling students is a priority, as is addressing the course maps in English and science to
increase rigor and align more closely to the state standards.
Secondly, our professional development plan will need increased time devoted to pedagogical skills,
particularly on student engagement and formative assessment. Observation data indicate that while students
are respectful and well behaved, they are often more compliant than actively engaged. By coaching our
teaching staff how to actively engage learners in meaningful ways, learner outcomes will improve.
Next, the leadership team has prepared an incentive plan for student and staff attendance. With the uncertainty
of recent times, many students and staff members accrued many absences. While safety is of paramount
concern, the leadership team wants to make sure learners are present, staff are present, and the school is not
having to rely on substitutes. To this end, several incentive programs have been proposed, although none have
been accepted or finalized at this point.
Finally, Cooper High School is actively engaged in recruiting talented teachers and leaders of underrepresented
groups. We want all students to have role models and advocates that accurately reflect our student
demographics. By actively working with local and national recruiting agencies, we hope to recruit outstanding
educators and increase the overall diversity of our school.
Working collaboratively with all stakeholders, the leadership team of Cooper High School believes it can
leverage the experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm of the community to improve the educational experience
for all learners.
The first major challenge has been the transition from on-site learning to remote learning, then back to on-
site learning. Logistically, the major hurdles were worked out at the first transition—every student was issued
a laptop and all teachers were given a professional Zoom account to conduct classes. However, in-person
learning is significantly different than online learning. The school did not have the capacity or professional
knowledge to instruct staff members on best practices for online learning. With time and experience, the PLCs
for teachers came up with many researched and effective techniques; however, there has been precious little
time to implement or even gauge the effectiveness because of the ongoing transitions and changes.
A second major challenge is reacquainting our students and staff to on-site learning. Cooper High School
requires all stakeholders to be masked in classes and group settings, and that has taken a great deal of time in
developing rules, processes, and training for our community. Our primary concern must be for the safety of all
learners and staff members, so these adjustments are a necessary part of the process.
Based on recent assessment information, Cooper High School students have not fully mastered the
curriculum standards for their classes. EOC results from the locally developed assessments indicate large
gaps in performance from previous years, partially attributable to lost classroom time, adjustment to remote
learning, and stress. The leadership team is working cooperatively with teachers and counselors to set up
appropriate intervention strategies and make the counselors available for students and staff members who are
experiencing anxiety about the current issues.
Finally, our most recent challenge has been restarting and maintaining our facilities at the proper level of
hygiene after so many months of unuse. Every building and classroom, in addition to the other facilities, needs
to be kept at a high level of cleanliness to fight COVID-19 infections. While it takes extra time, funding, and effort,
we are confident that we can overcome these challenges.
As the Candidacy Review date approaches, you will work closely with the evaluator to:
• Establish the review schedule
• Coordinate logistics
• Address any questions and/or concerns related to review preparation
• Ensure your institution is ready for the review, whether on-site or remote
The leader’s overview should last no more than 30 minutes for institutions and 45 minutes for systems. It is helpful
to provide evaluators with a copy of the leader’s comments (slide deck or notes) for reference throughout the
Candidacy Review.
Evidence review
The Candidacy Review evaluator(s) assigned to your system or institution will review processes and procedures
for the review and discuss evidence provided by your institution in advance of the Candidacy Review. Therefore,
it is imperative that your required diagnostics, including the Executive Summary, Candidacy Diagnostic, and
Assurances for your institution type, are submitted before scheduling the Candidacy Review.
Your evaluator may contact the primary contact or institution leader to ask for additional specific documents
before the review. Once the review begins, the evaluator may ask for additional documentation based on findings
from interviews and observations. This does not mean you did not provide adequate information beforehand. In
some cases, it simply means additional documentation is needed to verify, through multiple sources, that certain
activities or practices are in place.
Stakeholder interviews
The purpose of stakeholder interviews is to provide an opportunity for the Candidacy Review evaluator(s) to
gather information from a variety of stakeholders about their collective perceptions of your institution. Your
evaluator will work with you to determine if group interviews are applicable to your Candidacy Review and when
and where individual and group interviews will take place. Interviewees may include institution leadership and
improvement teams, educators, families, community members, support staff, and learners. Most Candidacy
Reviews focus on conversation with the institution leadership team and don’t require additional stakeholder
interviews.
Observations
During the Candidacy Review, the evaluator(s) may observe throughout the institution. These observations may
include formal observations of learning environments using a Cognia observation tool and informal observations
around the institution. You will be asked to provide a building tour and overview of classrooms and/or any key
elements of the learning environment you would like to highlight. Your evaluator will provide additional guidance
for planning any observations and a building tour.
Expenses
The Cognia Candidacy Review fee is a flat fee for all institutions. Your Cognia representative will provide you
with fee information during the onboarding process. In addition to the Candidacy Review fee, your institution is
also responsible for all expenses related to the review, including hotel accommodations, airfare and mileage,
if applicable, and other incidental costs associated with the review (e.g., meals). Reimbursement for mileage is
based on the current standard mileage rate published by the United States Internal Revenue Service.
Lodging
Your institution is responsible for securing and paying for hotel accommodations, as applicable, in consultation
with the evaluator. The evaluator will work with you to finalize the dates for accommodations.