Achieving Excellence System Wide

MIDDLE STATES ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS COMMISSIONS ON ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE SYSTEM WIDE A Self-Study for Accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools Quality Schools International Mosta, Malta 10-14 May 2021 Jim Gilson, President Duane Root, Chair of the Board Jerry Scott, Vice President INTERNAL COORDINATOR Debbie Downes, Accreditation and Child Protection Lead 3624 Market Street | 2 West | Philadelphia, PA 19104 Telephone: (267) 284-5000 | [email protected] Contents DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM ........................................................................................................... 1 ORGANIZING FOR SELF-STUDY .......................................................................................................... 3 THE SYSTEM’S FOUNDATION DOCUMENTS: MISSION, BELIEFS, PROFILE OF GRADUATES ................................................................................................................................................................... 17 THE DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY OF THE SYSTEM AND ITS COMMUNITY ................................ 34 THE DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY OF SYSTEM STUDENT PERFORMANCE .................................. 63 THE DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY OF ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ........................................... 77 MISSION STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ................................................................................. 78 GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ................................... 87 SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PLANNING STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ............................ 100 FINANCES STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ............................................................................ 109 FACILITIES STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION .......................................................................... 119 SYSTEM ORGANIZATION AND STAFF STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION .......................... 130 HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ...................................................... 141 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION .............................................. 154 EVIDENCE OF SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ..................... 168 STUDENT SERVICES STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ......................................................... 180 STUDENT LIFE AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ................ 193 INFORMATION RESOURCES STANDARD FOR ACCREDITATION ........................................... 204 THE PLAN FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT .......................................................................... 216 SELF-STUDY ADDENDUM ................................................................................................................ 264 DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM Official Name of the System Quality Schools International Foundation Registered Address: Suite 6, Borough House, Rue du Pre, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3QU Address of the System (street address, city, state, QSI Headquarters Office Address: Office 1-2, First Floor, zip code) Ardent Business Centre, Triq l-Oratorju, Naxxar NXR 2504, Malta Telephone Number of the Not yet established System Name and Title of Head of Jim Gilson, President the System QSI Board of Directors E-mail Address of Head of President: [email protected] the System Chair of Board of Directors: [email protected] Website Address for the QSI.org System Public X Independent X Not for Profit Proprietary Type of Organization (check Religious all that apply) X Academic Career and Technical X Preschool through Secondary Students Postsecondary Students Year System Began 1991 Operating 1991: Began operation as a nonprofit organization in Yemen Date Charter/License to 2015: Registered as Quality Schools International Operate Granted Foundation in Guernsey 1 QSI Self-Study Year of First Graduating 1992 Class of the System State/Agency/Country Guernsey Granting License to Operate High School Diploma Academic High School Diploma Academic High School Diploma with Honors AP Capstone Diploma (some schools) Diplomas/Certificates International Baccalaureate Diploma (some schools) System is Licensed to Grant 12- Other Quarter Semester Trimester Month (Describe): Calendar System Quintile, 5 per year Name of Agency Currently Accredited by QSI schools are accredited on an individual basis through MSA. QSI is not yet accredited as a system. 2 QSI Self-Study ORGANIZING FOR SELF-STUDY A. INTERNAL COORDINATORS A required component of the Achieving Excellence System Wide protocol is the appointment of teams of Internal Coordinators. The primary functions of the Internal Coordinators are to: • Coordinate the system's and component schools' planning process and the development of a plan for growth and improvement in student performance and organizational capacity; • Oversee planning and preparation for the Visiting Team's onsite visit; and • Provide the energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to move the self-study and accreditation process to a successful conclusion. • It is recommended that one or two Internal Coordinators be selected for the System along with each component school have one to two as well. System Internal Coordinators The System Internal Coordinators for the self-study and accreditation process are: Name Role in the Institution Debbie Downes Accreditation and Child Protection Lead How and why were the System Internal Coordinators selected? After serving as internal coordinator at 2 QSI schools over 8 years, Debbie Downes joined the QSI Headquarters staff as Accreditation Coordinator in 2016. Initially, her job was to support QSI schools through the Excellence by Design self-study process. In 2018, Debbie began exploring accreditation options for QSI schools, including Systems Accreditation through MSA. Middle States staff members, including the President, Vice President of Operations, and the Accreditation Officer who works most closely with QSI schools, provided information about Systems Accreditation and supported QSI’s pursuit of system-wide accreditation. The Accreditation Officer worked closely with Debbie to personalize the Achieving Excellence System-Wide self-study so that it fit QSI’s organizational structure. Once QSI was ready to begin the switch from individual school accreditation to system-wide accreditation, Debbie had already begun facilitating that switch and she continued in the role. How did the System Internal Coordinators fulfill their role and responsibilities? Debbie coordinated the distribution of the MSA standards surveys, collected and summarized the results, recruited members of the QSI planning team, organized and led planning team meetings, worked with the planning team to finalize the objectives and measurements, collected objective measurement baseline data, submitted the technical review, and organized the self-study and collection of evidence. Debbie divided the planning team into 3 QSI Self-Study four action teams that wrote action plans that include QSI-wide activities for each of the objectives. For QSI schools, Debbie provides detailed guidance and support for all steps of the component school self-study. She hosts a Microsoft Team that includes all QSI administrators and internal coordinators to effectively share information and answer questions. She also holds virtual office hours for administrators and internal coordinators and participates in calls with individual schools to provide support and answer questions. Debbie is the liaison between MSA, QSI, and individual schools. She provides updates to QSI senior leadership, administrators, and internal coordinators about the QSI self-study, and she communicates frequently with MSA to ask questions and share progress. What kinds of support and assistance were provided to the System Internal Coordinators by the system to enable them to fulfill their responsibilities? One-half of Debbie’s job is devoted to the role of QSI Internal Coordinator, and she has been given the time and resources to fulfill her responsibilities well. QSI has given Debbie time in meetings and professional development sessions to talk about Systems Accreditation, funding for travel to the schools when possible, and support in helping to complete the self- study. Component School Internal Coordinators The Component School Internal Coordinators for the self-study and accreditation process are: School Director Internal Coordinator ALB Jonathan Mudd Ledia Arapi ARM Jeremy Simms Karen Bayadyan AST Mike Pettersch Harshita Tewani ATR Adam Laughlin Heather Townsend AZB Lisa Haberman Tim Ulrich BHZ Natalie Barboza Amy Mims BLR Dan Owen Eric Langevin, Anna Poplavskaya BNN Greg Sedmak Jon Marck BRD Justin Fischer Fabiana Lubelli BZE Susan Friend Susan Friend 4 QSI Self-Study CDU Clare McDermott Chantal Denier, Julian Penstone, Joyce Chan DJB Susan Kilby Victoria Derr DNG Jocelyn Aebischer Sarah Hazel ETM Lisa Sedlacek Billy Edgerton GRG Jason Martin Cheryl Vogler HPH Katherine Hannifin Clarissa Sammons KAZ Jason Craig Maya Itsakova, Natalie Mahon KGZ Carl Wieburg Johannes Smith KSV Don Hale Garrett Kreller MCN Josh Garrett Valentina Jankulovska MDV Glenn Chapman Heather Chapman MLT Patrick Doherty Micaiah Landrus MST Brian Garner Mirela Muschiol MTG Donn Maier Karin Maier PKT Rob Peters Thalita Simon PPA JC Sanders Lariska Muurling QVS Frantisek Plasil Frantisek Plasil, Jennifer Sedmak SRM Mitchell Elswick Margaretta Jones SVK Dan Blaho Shannon King SYG Claire Berger Anna Berg SZN John Shirley Joscelyn Benitez, Sarah Cornelius Monica Crespo/Merry

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