School Improvement
Continuous school improvement is an embedded behavior rooted in the school's culture that constantly focuses on the conditions, processes, and practices that improve teaching and learning. Schools use student performance results and analyze data from various interwoven components to develop plans and implement improvement actions to drive education quality and improved student outcomes.
Brussels Unit School Mission
Educate, Engage, and Empower each student to succeed in a dynamic world.
Brussels Unit School Vision
The Vision of Brussels Unit School is to provide each student a diverse education in a safe, supportive environment that promotes academic excellence, life-long learning, self-discipline, global citizenship and tolerance.
Europe West School Improvement Goals
SMART Objective (Literacy)
By the end of SY 2023-2024, grades 3-8 & 10 will increase the percentage of students scoring at the meets/exceeds performance levels by 5% AND decrease the % of students in the did not meet or partially met performance levels by 3% over two years from current performance (SY2021-2022, TBD) as reported on DoDEA’s CCRSL summative assessment.
SMART Objective (Math)
By the end of SY 2023-2024, Algebra I will increase the percentage of students scoring at the meets/exceeds performance levels by 5% AND decrease the % of students in the did not meet or partially met performance levels by 3% over two years from current performance (SY2021-2022, TBD) as reported on DoDEA’s CCRSM summative assessment.
DoDEA Accreditation
Accreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition (especially with respect to an educational institution that maintains suitable standards). Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external agency to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the agency.
Cognia is the accreditation agency for all DoDEA schools and the world's largest education community. As the global leader in advancing education excellence through accreditation and school improvement, Cognia brings together more than 100 years of experience and the expertise of three United States-based accreditation agencies - the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA/CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS/CASI). Accreditation is pivotal to leveraging education quality and continuous improvement.
Detailed accreditation information is provided on the DoDEA Accreditation page.
Comprehensive Assessment System
In conjunction with the implementation of the College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS), DoDEA is implementing the Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) that includes all of the assessments that are administered system-wide within DoDEA. These include the PSAT, Advanced Placement, NAEP, and College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) assessments. All assessments included in the DoDEA Comprehensive Assessment System support student learning, provide information for decision makers concerning instructional programs and services, and inform parents. DoDEA is committed to student achievement and assessments that raise the bar for the students to ensure they are on the path to success.
EU West Continuous Improvement
Findings: Caring, responsive, and committed leadership propels the organization to greater likelihood of achieving its mission...
A clearly articulated continuous improvement process and quality assurance practices ensure accountability and ultimately move the system to higher levels of student success.
Demonstrated:
- Challenge, Content, Action & Results (CCAR)
- Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM)
- Complex COVID Assessment Teams
- Validation Visits
- ISS Buddy System
- Learning Site Guidance, Digital Learning Support Plan, Digital Support Team
- Big Four
- Theory of Action
- SAP/DAP
- ORID protocol
Demonstrated:
- Learning Walkthrough Cycles
- Ladder of Feedback
- Focused Collaboration Implementation
- Calibration & Validation Visits
- Data Protocols (ORID)
Findings:
The DoDEA Europe West District has developed and maintains a solid and targeted focus on student learning.
Demonstrated:
- Focus on differentiation
- Providing equitable learning opportunities
- Supports for effective instructional practice:
- AVID
- AAP
- AAPS
- RTI
- PBIS
- Initial Implementation of REDI program
- Multiple feedback loops to gather implementation and student outcome data
Demonstrated:
- Professional Learning opportunities
- Feedback cycles for improvement
- ISS development
- ISS support
- Leadership Development (ILT)
- Student Support Teams
- "Whole Child"
- Digital Learning Plan
Demonstrated:
- Ability to pivot
- Digital Learning Support Plan
- Tech Bytes
- Parent University
- Complex COVID Assurance Teams
Growth Opportunities - ContInuous Improvement Journey
Findings: The district has instituted rich and sophisticated applied data analysis and systemic evaluation to inform instruction, individualize support, plan interventions and institute curricular reform across core academic areas, however some identified processes, procedures and programs unique to some schools included in Europe Est demonstrated less consistent systematic formal evaluation.
Areas for Further Study & Review
A couple of areas that you may wish to examine include a more systemic, programmatic process:
- School Initiatives (PBIS, Discipline approaches) - How do we evaluate programs that are not system wide? (PBIS, discipline approaches, for example)
- Stakeholder Engagement - how can we evaluate to make sure we are getting those voices from across our schools?
- Mentoring & Coaching - How are we inducting people into Europe West [in a systematic way]? Are we evaluating how effective that is?
Challenges
The Cognia Team acknowledged challenges that may be beyond our control, and encouraged our continued improvement efforts to mitigate student transience, consistency and change in leadership, time zones & country specific requirements, travel COVID 19 and staffing.
We Are Validated!
We are so Proud to Announce: We Are Validated! Outbrief Findings: DoDEA Europe West District Continuous Improvement. Cognia Accreditation Blended Engagement Review: 14-23 March 2021.
