W.A.L.A.

Washington Association for  Learning  Alternatives

 

Self Study Guide

for

WALA Certification

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mission Statement

The Washington Association for Learning Alternatives promotes, supports, and explores efforts to achieve educational options which provide full opportunity for all learners to become successful.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Revised

June, 2001

 

Washington Association for Learning Alternatives

P.O. Box 4596

Bremerton, WA.  98312-0403

 

(800) 455-WALA

http://walakids@gte.com
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


                        Acknowledgments

 

 

On behalf of all alternative programs I wish to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of those who gave so much of their time, energy, and thought to develop this guide. 

 

 

Lile Holland

Washington Association for Learning Alternatves

 

June 2001

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

·              Page 2              Acknowledgements

 

·              Page 3              Table of Contents

 

·              Page 4              Background:  WALA Certification

 

·              Page 5              Instructions for Completing Certification Process

 

·              Page 6              Appeal Process

 

·              Pages 7-8         Application for WALA Certification

 

·              Pages 9-13       WALA Certification Guidelines

           

9.   All learners have unlimited potential

10. All learners are valued as unique individuals

11. All learners have diverse opportunities

12. All learners are empowered and supported

13. All learner’s developmental needs are met

 

·              APPENDIX

 

Page 14-15      Visitation Team Worksheet

WALA Certification

 

Founded in 1975, the Washington Association for Learning Alternatives is the longest continually operating organization of alternative school educators in the United States.  WALA is a voluntary, non-profit organization created for the benefit of all those concerned with options in education.  The organization’s membership reflects the vast diversity for learning alternatives from pre-school to post-secondary including private and public schools, home schools, parent-partner programs, traditional alternative schools, distance learning and internet accessible schools, adjudicated youth, GED preparation programs, and other program designs still in development. 

 

WALA’s Mission and Vision statement challenges educators to create program practices for success; valuing the uniqueness of the individual, providing for diverse opportunities, meeting a variety of developmental needs and empowering the learner.  This requires that the programs create an array of successful practices.[1]

 

Within the WALA philosophy are five areas WALA believes every program should contain:

 

·        All learners have unlimited potential

·        All learners are valued as unique individuals

·        All learners have diverse opportunities

·        All learners are empowered and supported

·        All learner’s developmental needs are met

 

As stated above, the only reason education programs exist is to assist and direct the learner.  If situations or circumstances around and within a program hamper learning, or if learning is not taking place; WALA believes the program is not meeting its intended purpose and is therefore not successful.   The purpose of the certification study is three-fold:

 

1.      Identify the “best practices” currently in place

2.      Identify the “best practices” not being fully utilized in the program

3.      Develop a plan to fully implement and utilize “best practices”

 

ü       Where fully implemented – plans to maintain this high level of accomplishment

ü       Where partially implemented – plans to increase the implementation

ü       Where implementation has not started – plans to begin implementation

 

Because these five areas represent an important foundation for a successful program, WALA certified schools must demonstrate how they are meeting each area.    This does not imply that each program meets all areas within the confines of the program, but that the services, opportunities, and support are available, formal lines of communication have been established and maintained, and that the program seeks to meet the needs of the learners.  Meeting these needs may involve other programs within the District, community, or ESD.
Instructions

WALA Certification includes the following:

§         Familiarity with the WALA Mission statement and the five goals for WALA schools

§         An evaluation of school programs

§         A rating of program performance measured against the criteria for each of the five goals

§         Developing a portfolio to document  performance assessment

§         Achieving a minimum total of 275 points out of a possible 368 points of documented performance, and; no one area may score less than 40 points.

Process

1.        Confirm the school’s WALA membership by calling 1-800-455-WALA, if not a member, the school must first join WALA

2.        Complete the Application, including all signatures  -  (pages 6-7)

3.        Send signed application to WALA   (address shown on the bottom of the application)

SUGGESTION:  Request a WALA representative visit your site and provide the committee with start-up procedures and answers to questions.

4.        Develop committee(s) to review each of the five areas

¨       Committee(s) 

1.        Include certificated, administrative, classified, student, and parent/community member on as many committees as possible

2.        Select a chairperson and recorder

3.        Set meeting time(s) and date(s)

¨       For each of the five areas:  (pages 4-8)  Where possible,  individual committees develop documentation for individual points   If sufficient volunteers are not available, committees may work on more than one area.

1.        Using the program as a whole – not just individual staff members, assess the level of implementation for each point.  

2.        Provide documentation to substantiate your decision. 

Example,

“Prior to enrollment, individual student’s needs are assessed and a plan is developed to meet those needs.”  2.1

·         Include actual tests, assessments, and diagnostic tools used to assess individual student needs prior to enrollment.

·         Include samples of several long-range plans developed as a result of the needs assessment and the results of those plans

·         Include plan(s) to strengthen this area

3.        Identify documentation by its area - restate the point and your assessment, and briefly describe the documentation and explain why the committee’s decision is valid.

4.        Summary Assignment:  Write a narrative summarizing specific instructional models used to deliver curriculum.   The purpose is to show a variety of models and how they are used to improve instruction and learning to a diverse student population.

¨       Entire Study Team:

1.        Review the ratings and documentation for each area

2.        Write a narrative describing some points from each of the five areas in which the program has performed exceptionally well.  Include an evaluation of why the program does so well in each area..

Improvement Plan

3.        Select five to seven points that the program can address and effect a change within the next year or two years.

¨        Develop a plan to raise the level of implementation or maintain the current level

¨        Include:  timeline

¨        Resources needed

¨        Person responsible for recording progress on the plan

¨        Evaluation criteria to establish when the goal has been met

5.        Sent one copy of completed study with documentation and School Improvement Plan to WALA, and one to each of the visitation team members. 

6.        Include a request for visitation, and three possible dates for the visitation.  NOTE:  Please schedule the first date no earlier than 20 days from the date the study was sent to WALA.

Appeal Process

 

It is not the intent of WALA to prohibit any school or program from attaining WALA Certification.  The intent is assist the program so that it can accomplish two goals:

 

1.        Students will benefit from focused, data driven decision-making.  This will lead to better planning, evaluation, and delivery of required curriculum and services.  It will enhance the atmosphere of the school, demonstrating success and student performance.

 

2.        The program will benefit by basing decisions on data and research.  Tasks will be detailed and focused.  The instruction team, students, parents, district administration, and community will realize the need for each action taken by the school and work together to accomplish the stated goals.

 

 

In the event the Visitation Team recommends to NOT certify the school/program

 

1.         The Visitation Team shall notify the school/program in writing of the area(s) that it believes need to be strengthened, suggestions and models to follow to make the necessary corrections, and a timeline for a re-visitation to conclude the certification process.

 

2.         In the event the school/program believes the Visitation Team has erred in its evaluation or calculations, the school/program may request that the WALA Executive Board review the findings.  The actions of the WALA Executive Board shall be as follows:

 

a.        The WALA Executive Board may overturn the report submitted by the Visitation Team and approve the school for WALA Certification; or,

b.       The WALA Executive Board may uphold the report submitted by the Visitation Team and ask the school to make the necessary corrections prior to a re-visitation; or,

c.        The WALA Executive Board may direct the question to the WALA State Board for disposition.

 

3.         If, upon re-visitation, a school/program is not recommended for certification, the process in number 1 & 2 above are repeated until the program is approved.

 

 

Upon completion of the certification process and receiving a recommendation to certify by the Visiting Team, the school/program is asked to do the following:

 

1.         Set a date, location, and time for the formal presentation.

2.         Notify the staff, students, district administration, community, and local news sources

3.         Schedule the presentation with the WALA Executive Director

 

NOTE:  This may be as formal or informal as the school/program desires.  The certificate will be presented to the school – a letter presented to the district Superintendent – and a press release will be submitted to the local press.

 

 

 

 

W.A.L.A.

Washington Association for Learning Alternatives

APPLICATION FOR

WALA Certification

 

If your school plans to seek certification from WALA during the current school year, please complete this application form and return it to WALA by October 15.

 

Principal ___________________________ Phone (           )  ____________________________

School                    ___________________________ FAX    (          )       ___________________________

Address                 ___________________________ e-mail                      ___________________________

                                ___________________________ Grades Served      ___________________________

                                ___________________________ Enrollment             ___________________________

                                ___________________________ District                   ___________________________

                                ___________________________ ESD                        ___________________________

                                                                                                WALA Region     ___________________________

 

                                                                                    Estimated Completion Date

 

a.   Steering committee appointed                                               __________________________

b.   Data collected and analyzed                                                 __________________________

c.   School improvement plan developed                                       __________________________

d.   Self-study/improvement plan sent to WALA                            __________________________

e.   Suggested date for school visitation by                                  __________________________

            WALA certification team.*

 

*              This date must be at least 20 working days after the self-study/improvement plan report is              sent to WALA in order to allow sufficient time to review the self-study findings and    improvement plan and to appoint a certification team.

 

2.         Please nominate one staff member to serve on external certification teams.

 

            Name                                                                Position

            __________________________________ ________________________________

 

3.         Please assure that this school is in compliance with the requirements for entitlement to      basic education allocation funds.

 

 

                _____________________________________          ___________________________________

                Principal                                                  Date                         Superintendent                                         Date

 

                _____________________________________         

                School Board                                            Date                        

 

                Return to:             Washington Association for Learning Alternatives

                                                P.O. Box 4596

                                                Bremerton, WA.  98312-0403

 

WALA Certification

Complete each year and return to WALA

First year also requires a visitation team recommendation

 

 

Where are you in the process of completing a school accreditation?

o Not started

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