ASP Chair/Team ToolkitResources for creating a positive experience

School Visited: ________________________________

Date of Visit: __________________________________

Thank You!

Thank you for your willingness to serve on an accreditation team visit. Your participation is a vital part of the accreditation process. Our prayer is that you will be richly blessed by this experience.

This toolkit is designed to be a supplement to the ASP Manual and the training sessions.

• General Documents• School Documents• Team DocumentsREACH Documents• Pre-Visit Documents• Visit Documents• ePlatform Documents• Post-Visit Documents

Accreditation Visiting Team DocumentsAll accreditation documents for the team are housed on our ACSI Main ASP Accreditation Website. Please note that there is a link to the REACH documents as you will need to access some of them as well. I have highlighted some documents in this toolkit, but not all, so be sure to view all the documents on the website.

Please be sure to always go to the website for the most current documents. If they are revised in any way there will be a revision date noted.

The documents are divided into the following sections:

ASP Documents

There are additional resources on our NE Region Accreditation Website to help you as you serve as a team member.

It is very important that you download, name, and save documents to your computer prior to completing them.

Team Member Applications

ACSI requires all visiting team members to complete an application to be part of a team visit. The Team Member Application only needs to be submitted once. If you go on a future visit, we require a Value and Ethics Statement to be completed for each team you are a member of. Applications can be found on our main team accreditation website and will also be emailed to you.

Date I completed a Team Member Application? _________

Did I complete a Value and Ethics Statement for this visit? _____ yes _____ no

Training Options

All Chair and Team Members need to have training prior to serving on a team. We have two options for this training with best practice being participating in both.

Live training the day prior to the Leadership Conference inLancaster, PA. (Typically the 3rd week in January)

Online Resources:https://www.acsi.org/accreditation_training

You will be asked to complete a team training verification form at least 3 weeks prior to the visit. This form should be filled out for each visit you are on.

Chair and Team Member

Training Requirements

• Each Chair and team member mustparticipate in one of the following prior to initialserve and as refreshers thereafter.

• Live ASP Accreditation Chair/Team TrainingDate attended: ___________

and/or

• ASP Training (recorded PowerPoint) foreither a transition visit or a validation visit,depending on the type of visit. (Pleasenote: any questions regarding this training,contact Carol Aversa, Accreditation Directorfor the Northeast Region atcarol_aversa@acsi.org.

Date Watched: _________

Additional Chair/Team Requirements• Certification and Waivers video

Date Watched: _____________• Writing Commendations and Recommendations

videoDate Watched: _____________

• Classroom Observation Tool for Accreditation (COTA)Training (to be used at the chair’s discretion)

Date Watched: _____________

If you are on an EE standalone visit or the EE representative on an EE-12 visit, complete this training as well.

• What’s New in Early Education narrated Power PointDate Watched: _____________

• ePlatform Team Training video (for EE only)Date Watched: _____________

Training Verification

Date I submitted Training Verification: ____________

This will have to be submitted for each team you are serving on.

Once you have completed all the training, please complete the Training Verification at least 3 weeks prior to your team visit.

ePlatform Information (For EE Team Members Only)

As an EE representative on this team, you have an account in the ePlatform, which is our online portal where you will access the school self-study and finalize the EE portion of your report (if they did not include EE in their project).

Please note that we recommend the team work in a Word document or other word processing form and then copy and paste the information to the ePlatform when complete. Google Docs is most helpful as it allows for collaboration on the team report. We have provided a Team Report Template for ePlatform on our main team accreditation website to use for this purpose (under ePlatform Documents).

We also suggest you use the Quick Reference Guide for ePlatform found at the above link as well. This will help you to know how to use the ePlatform and to guide you as you watch the training video.

How to Access the ePlatform (for EE Team Members Only)

Go to accreditation eplatform and choose

Northeast Region. Log in with your email address

and acsi as the password. You can change the

password once you log in.

Once logged in you will see a list of school(s) you are connected to either by serving as a team member or your own school if you

are going through the accreditation process and are on the accreditation

committee.

Click the edit button next to the school you are serving to access the

report.

Please make yourself familiar with the eplatform

prior to the visit.

Writing a Team Report

There are guidelines to writing the team report which must be followed. We want the report to be able to stand alone during the accreditation term so that anyone who picks it up (new administrator, chair, team member) can understand exactly what the team was trying to convey in the last visit.

Use the Formatting an ASP Team Report document found on the training resources website to help you write the report in the correct ACSI format.

Be sure to give a DRAFT report to the school to review for factual accuracy before finalizing and sending to the regional office.

Middle States Association (MSA) Representative InformationIf you have been designated an MSA representative on the team roster, please note that you can receive additional training from MSA directly via video chat. If you feel you need this training, please let the regional office know.

You will need to complete the MSA Standards Report found on the training resources website. Along with that you will see the MSA Standards Workbook and Interview Guide to help you complete the report.

Do NOT send the MSA report directly to MSA. Our office will forward it with all the other team documents.

Following the Team Visit

After the visit, the Chair should complete the following within 3 weeks after the visit:

Email the Ballot for Accreditation to the regional office (if the whole team can’t sign electronically, please print, sign and scan back in the email).

Email the Certification Spreadsheet/EE Yearly Staff Profile you reviewed at the visit to the regional office.

Email the MSA Report (if applicable) to the regional office.

Both team members and the chairperson should submit a REACH Team Visit Evaluation Form electronically.

• Finalize the report in theePlatform (if an EEcomponent was part of theaccreditation visit) and markit as complete. Email theregional office to let us knowyou are finished.

• Email the ASP Team Reportto the regional office.

CEU’s

• Once the regional officereceives the team evaluationsyour CEU’s earned will beuploaded to your VPP.

• The Chairperson will receive3 CEUs and the team memberswill receive 2 CEUs.

Accreditation Checklist for ChairsWhen Assigned as Chairperson (approx. 18 months prior) Date

Completed

Download the ASP Manual

Familiarize yourself with consultant responsibilities

Guide school through completion of: The self-study documents• Certification spreadsheet/EE Yearly Staff Profile• Indicator ratings spreadsheet• Financial Review*ASP Transition Year School Report and ASP Project Proposal or the ASP Validation SchoolReport

*Prior to initial and renewal of accreditation

Review timeline and visit dates with Head of School (HOS)• Back plan from team visit dates

Set initial pre-visit date with HOS

Review the school’s previous team report sent from the regional office

Review the school’s completed Standards Checklist• Note any standards that are non-compliant• Note any critical indicators that are non-compliant*Schools must have a minimum of 90% (27 based on REACH 2019) of critical indicators at the compliant level in order to have a team visit scheduled. If you have any concerns please contact Carol Aversa, Accreditation Director

Refer to the Critical Indicator Checklist on our NE region accreditation website

If dual accreditation, identify which supplements may be needed and who is the representative on the team (see team roster)

Accreditation Checklist for Chairs, cont.12 Months Prior Date

CompletedSet dates with school for the team visit; notify regional office

Review training requirements for yourself and team

6 Months Prior Date Completed

Conduct first visit to school and submit the Initial Pre-Visit Report to the regional office• Review team member names with school• Contact the regional office if the school does not approve the list• Discuss status of any standard or critical indicator issues• Notify the regional office if there are areas of non-compliance

Set date for a second pre-visit

Communicate with team

Accreditation Checklist for Chairs, cont.3 Months Prior Date

CompletedProvide the following information to the team members• Prior visiting team report• Completed REACH Standards Indicators Checklist• Completed School Indicator Ratings Spreadsheet• Current School Certification Spreadsheet/EE Yearly Staff Profile• Review training that they will need to completeConduct second visit to school (or Zoom conference) and send confirmation to the regional office that the school is well prepared for the visit• Review deadline for report submission to team• Review team logistical needs (private meeting room)• School accreditation workroom for team (supplies needed)• Develop schedule for visitCommunication with the visiting team• Review school timeline and preliminary visit schedule• Confirm travel plans for each team member• Review the Values and Ethics Statement with the team• Provide the template for the report• Provide samples of recommendations

6 – 8 weeks Prior Date Completed

Confirm minimal requirements have been met (if not met previously)

Submit Verification for Team Visit Readiness form to regional office

Develop schedule for visit. Sample can be found on the NE region accreditation page

Once you receive final documents from school, forward them to the team members

Set up a Zoom meeting with team members to review documents and give instructions on how to be prepared for the visitSet up secure Dropbox or Google Doc so that team members can begin narratives for their sections, and can peer edit. Instruct team members to complete as much as possible prior to the visit

Accreditation Checklist for Chairs, cont.3 weeks Prior Date

CompletedComplete team training and complete the Team Training Verification Form. Be sure your team members have done the same Share final schedule with team and HOS

During the VisitOversee the report writing process• Use Classroom Observation Tool for Accreditation (COTA) for several observations and submit COTA to

Academic Services via email as instructed (it may be used to acknowledge a gap that the project is addressing as well as establish compliance with indicators)

• Complete Team Report• Have team members complete and submit expense report to school• Chair and team members complete team evaluationsGather daily opinions of the team members regarding achieving accreditationNOTE: The Chairperson MUST contact Carol Aversa, Accreditation Director (prior to sharing the report with the HOS) if less than a full term of reaccreditation is being recommended by the team)

Concluding Activities of the VisitReview and edit, as a team, all sections of the report

Engage the team in coming to a consensus on any major recommendations that might be needed

Provide copy of draft report to HOS to review for factual errors (if report isn't complete at the visit, email after the visit prior to submitting to the regional office as final)Present final oral report to school representatives at conclusion of visit using the Exit Report PowerPoint Template

Submit all documents to the regional office• Team Report• School Report• Certification Spreadsheet/EE Yearly Staff Profile• MSA Report (if applicable)• Ballot for Accreditation

Additional Resources

Additional Resources on the NE Region Accreditation Website

• Instructions for setting up a Zoom meeting• Initial Pre-Visit Report• Commendation and RecommendationExamples• Too Prescriptive Examples (What not to dowhen writing recommendations)• Team Chair Google Drive Information• Written Policy Requirements• Critical Indicator Checklist• ASP Project Proposal Sample• Guiding Questions for ASP Visits• ASP 7-Year Term Flowchart

CAROL AVERSA, M.Ed.Director of Accreditation | Northeast––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Association of Christian Schools InternationalMobile:484-330-1934ACSI.org

Lynne MoyerAdministrative Assistant, Accreditation | Northeast 719-867-5277