Component+One--School+Profile

//Introduction to//
 * Component 1 - School Profile and Collaborative Process **

In the first component of the school improvement planning process, there is a need to develop an accurate and succinct profile of the students and community served by your school. In order to accomplish this, information will need to be gathered and analyzed in a variety of areas. Collection and careful analysis of pertinent information is critical in determining the effectiveness of the existing programs and services. Moreover, the types of data collected for the profile can assist schools in planning and sustaining their school improvement initiatives in behalf of student learning.

The development of the school improvement plan needs to take into account the learning needs of students and the characteristics of the students, school, and community. The profile helps to ensure that the design of the school improvement plan is customized to the individual school. The school’s plan should be designed to directly address the specific learning needs of the students served by the school.

The development of the profile includes four major steps: namely, the collection and management of the profile data, the analysis and synthesis of data, the communication of the data with the school’s stakeholders, and the use of the data for school improvement planning. In addition, a self-assessment tool in the form of a rubric is provided to help you evaluate progress on each of the key tasks in developing your school profile. [1] 

[1] Kathleen Fitzpatrick, __School Improvement: Focusing on Student Performance__. National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE). 1997

(**Helpful Hints** for planners, from the “Look-fors” and focus questions used by readers who review your plan) || List School Improvement Team members’ names and the subcommittee or group they represent as a separate page. ¨ Members of the team are the stakeholders within the community. Depending on the school configuration the representatives might include, key academic teachers, career/technical teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, student, parents/guardians, community members, business partners, industry representatives, and post-secondary professors. ¨ Subcommittees are formed to address components and break the work into manageable units. The chair of the subcommittees would be standing members of the SIP Leadership Team. ¨ Collect and review student, parent or guardian, and community data ¨ Collect and review material and environmental data ¨ Survey of stakeholders ¨ Address the following critical domains school characteristics, student population, parent or guardian demographics and community characteristics. ¨ ** School Characteristics: ** 1. Historical background 2. Facilities 3. Environmental and safety conditions 4. Grade distribution 5. Length of school year 6. Length of school day 7. Operating budget distribution equity 8. Per pupil expenditures 9. Administration, faculty, and staff demographics (race, gender, ethnicity) 10. Years of experience of faculty and administration 11. Percentage of faculty and staff who hold advanced degrees 12. Percentage of faculty teaching courses outside their area of certification 13. Enrollment data 14. Curriculum offerings 15. Unique programs 16. Honors classes 17. Parental support 18. Drug, alcohol, or tobacco incidents or arrests 19. School-business partnerships ¨ ** Student Population Data such as: ** 1. Number of students 2. Student demographics (race, gender, ethnicity) 3. English proficiency 4. Free and reduced lunch rate 5. Students scheduled in classes without a credentialed teacher 6. Attendance rate 7. Discipline referrals 8. Retention rate 9. Transfer rate 10. Drop-out rate 11. Graduation rate
 * ** COMPONENT 1 – SCHOOL PROFILE AND COLLABORATIVE PROCESS **
 * Quality schools show progress by changing school and classroom practices in ways that improve student achievement. These schools focus on practices that have proven most effective in advancing student achievement.

¨ ** Parent or Guardian Demographics: ** 1. Race 2. Ethnicity 3. Marital status 4. Level of education 5. Employment rate 6. Income level ¨ ** Community Characteristics: ** 1. Size of community 2. Demographic breakdown of the populous 3. Average income or economic level 4. Number of private schools in the area 5. Major employers 6. Residents with school-age children 7. Community involvement or participation in school activities ||