Commendations+and+Recommendations

__ EXPLANATION OF COMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS __
 * ESU #1 invited a external team to evaluate our agency improvement process on March 5, 2010.
 * This Readiness Visit was to ensure ESU #1 was prepared to apply for AdvancED Accrediation. AdvancED is a national accrediting agency.
 * The team was sent artifacts to review before arriving.
 * During the visit the team interviewed ESU #1 attendees.
 * Several weeks after the visit, the team sent a report that included commendations and recommendations to guide our work.
 * We were also approved to pursue AdvancED accreditation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As the service unit continues to refine its continuous improvement process some considerations may include:
 * Continue to involve all staff and stakeholders in the continuous improvement process.
 * Continue to refine your process for collecting and analyzing data that will show a correlation to impact on student learning.
 * Revisit your goals. Improvement goals can be driven by a quality analysis of your services, the impact of workshops and the impact on student learning.
 * Continue to integrate all programs into the continuous improvement process.
 * Continue to explore further collaboration with ESU 8.
 * Continue to nurture and build relationships with all of your stakeholders. Service units can be effective only if they are used. Spending time with building and district leadership and teachers will pay off in collaborative efforts aimed at the improvement of schools.
 * Continue your leadership in technology and special programs. Determine ways to monitor and measure the level of implementation and the fidelity of the implementation
 * Planning for regular and consistent Continuous Improvement activities throughout each school year will ensure an ongoing and systematic/systemic process.

COMMENDATIONS
 * ESU 1 engages in a variety of processes for continuous improvement that focus on organizational effectiveness. These include monthly agency and team meetings designed to promote collaboration and cooperation between and among departments or teams on projects to improve student learning in the schools served by ESU 1.
 * All departments are creating vision statements for the purpose of focusing their work and informing the development of the agency vision statement.
 * ESU 1 has developed a framework for working collaboratively within and across teams to achieve team and agency goals. Professional development resources are in place or are being planned to support the professional growth of all full time staff.
 * The leadership of ESU 1 implements strategies to include all staff in the improvement process to build a culture of collaboration, to utilize data to inform decision-making, and to determine the effectiveness of programs and their implementation.
 * Based on the interviews and information provided by ESU 1 on their efforts to engage in a continuous improvement process, it is clear that ESU 1 is ready to pursue AdvancEd accreditation.

__ QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER __(post responses on Group Reflection page):
 * Read through the commendations and recommendations and make three observations.
 * How do the commendations of the external team relate to current ESU #1 goals.
 * How do the recommendations of the external team relate to current ESU #1 goals.