September 2010 version

Serving on a PNAIS Visiting Team

Overview of the Visiting Team’s Task
It is important to keep in mind that accreditation has two faces: quality assurance and school improvement.
The first question for a visiting team should always be: is this school a good place for the young people
enrolled today? If the answer is "yes," then the second question is: is there some assurance it will continue
to be a good place for its students tomorrow? If the answer to either of these questions is "no," the task of
the visiting team is to work with the PNAIS Major Standards, Good Practices, and Elements to fashion
major recommendations, and possibly conditions, which will lead the school to correct the deficiencies. If
the answer to both of these questions is "yes," the task of the visiting committee is to fashion a report which
will support the school's own efforts toward self-improvement.

Two important points to remember are:

• Each team member should strive to understand and appreciate the school on its own terms
and not through the perspective of one’s own school
• Team members are not there to evaluate or report on the performance of individual faculty
or staff.

Each team member will be assigned at least one section of the self study for which s/he is responsible. This
entails reading that section, forming questions as s/he reads, making observations once at the school,
talking to appropriate people to glean necessary information, and writing up conclusions to be handed to
the Team Chair before the team leaves the school. Though each team member has specific chores, the team
works as a whole to finalize the report. Team members are expected to be generalists - to take a broad view
of the school as a whole and to participate fully in all deliberations of the team. The process of observation
by visitors is only a glimpse into the life of a school and aims to validate the work of the self study, not to
provide expert advice.

Preparing for the Visit

Team members participate in an important process that will help determine the accreditation status of
another school. As representatives of PNAIS, each team member should strive to become as familiar with
the school as possible. Each team member should become acquainted with the Major Standards. Visit the
school’s web site. Read as much of the self study as possible, besides your assigned section(s), to get a
comprehensive idea of the school and to understand the school in light of its mission and philosophy. As
you read, draft questions regarding concerns, areas needing clarifications, and evidence needed to
substantiate a Major Standard, Good Practice, or Element.

Time Frame and Expenses

The normal schedule for a PNAIS site visit extends over four days, from Sunday mid-afternoon through
Wednesday noon (see page 16). Team members should not schedule any other commitments, and all team
members must stay over night in the accommodations provided by the school, even if they live near the
school. Exemptions are possible; these should be worked out with the Team Chair.

Travel arrangements are made by each team member, and should be made so as to arrive in time for the
orientation. The host school covers a team members travel expenses to and from the visit, and therefore,
every effort should be made to arrange reasonable accommodations. Expenses should be tracked and
submitted with appropriate receipts to the host school within two weeks of the visit. Team members from
public schools may submit expenses for hiring a substitute teacher. If a team member anticipates unusual
personal expenses involved with serving on the Visiting Team, those expenses should be cleared with the
PNAIS Director of Accreditation prior to the team visit.
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 September 2010 version

During the Visit

Even though some team members may have served on teams previously and/or attended a visiting team
training session, an in-depth orientation to the accreditation visit will take place on the first day of the
evaluation. While a detailed orientation outline is provided on page 27, the following key topics will be
covered:
• An orientation on the team's responsibilities and its role in the accreditation process
• A discussion about writing the visiting team report
• A meeting in which the team discusses the gleanings from the school’s self study and plans the
details of the following days of the evaluation

During the evaluation, team members will want to make sure that there has been full disclosure by the
school, i.e. that all aspects of the school's life and program have been fully shared in the self study and
during the team visit. Additionally, team members will look for the congruence between the school
program and the school's philosophy, and between what the school says it does in the self study and what is
observed. In considering each of these points, team members must be sure that the stated philosophy of the
school, rather than their own personal educational philosophy, guides their judgment. Team members must
maintain a strictly professional attitude toward the work of evaluating a school. The greatest effort should
be directed toward determining the extent to which the school is carrying out its own stated objectives and
is meeting the PNAIS Major Standards. The team will also identify specific areas of strength and areas
requiring improvement. The team should not offer advice on how to operate a school or to suggest
fundamental changes in philosophy or basic policy.

As team members conduct their day-to-day observations, keep the following guidelines in mind:
• Team members will be responsible for visiting with as many teachers and staff as necessary to justify
the team’s recommendation.
• No more than two team members should visit any one classroom at the same time.
• Team members should remain sensitive to the classroom teacher at all times, minimize note-taking, and
in no case interrupt or disturb the teacher's classroom procedure.
• Team members need not spend an entire period in a given class, and they should keep in mind that
observing classes may not be the most effective way to spend the limited time available during the
evaluation visit.
• A team member should arrange an appointment during the teacher's free time to obtain information
from the teacher about items such as test procedures, program planning, in-school communication,
professional development opportunities, administrative support, etc.
• Team members should not share preliminary findings with faculty. All findings must first be reviewed
by the entire Visiting Team, which will decide how the team's perceptions of the school will be shared.

Along with the various tips provided in the following TIPS: Gathering, Reviewing, and Analyzing
Data/Information (pages 36-38), team members should also keep in mind the following:
• Demonstrate a genuine interest in the school and a desire to be helpful.
• Assure teachers that classroom visits are planned to observe the general instructional atmosphere
and not their performance.
• Don’t allow pressure groups or individuals to distract you from your main task.

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 September 2010 version

Writing A Visiting Team Report: An Overview

Team members will be asked to share observations and perceptions with the team so that all input becomes,
in fact, a total team evaluation. These discussions should assist team members in writing their report
sections as will the following guidelines:
 Failure to meet a Major Standard results in a condition for an accredited member and a condition
and non-accreditation for a candidate member.
 Failure to meet a Good Practice results in at least a recommendation if not a major
recommendation.
 Failure to meet an Element results in a recommendation.
 Additionally, a recommendation should be written if the team observes a lack of congruence
between what the school says it does and what the team observes.
 Recommendations are actions or goals that the team deems important for the overall health and
welfare of the school. Do not prescribing specific solutions to problems.
 Handel recommendations that involve significant financial expenditure or changes in school
structure with particular care.
 Offering suggestions is a way to mention possible solutions to recommendations.
(See Helpful Hints for Team Members Writing Visiting Team Reports, page 34, for more
information on all this.)

All team members must turn in a draft of their report before leaving the school. If a team member intends
to submit a more polished version of the report, it must be in the Team Chair's hands within one week-but
an initial draft must still be turned in before leaving the school.

Team members must remember that all discussions, observations, and conclusions are confidential in
nature. Much harm can be done to the integrity of the PNAIS accreditation process and to individual
schools if team members discuss the school's affairs with persons other than members of the Visiting
Team.

The final report should represent a composite of the team members’ reports and represent the point of view
of the entire team. The Team Chair submits the report to all team members for final comments or
corrections, to the Head to review for correction of factual errors, and to the PNAIS Director of
Accreditation for general review. The Team Chair will compile and edit the draft report within two months
of the team visit.

The final report is submitted to the Accreditation Committee. The Letter of Transmittal, addressed to the
Chair of the Accreditation Committee, serves as the cover letter for the delivery of the report to the PNAIS
office and will include the rationale for the visiting team's overall recommendation, which will be one of
the following:

For Candidate Members, the visiting team may recommend:

• To grant initial accreditation
• To remain a candidate member until certain conditions are met within a specified time period
• To deny accreditation

For Accredited Members, the visiting team may recommend:

• To grant continuing accreditation
• To grant continuing accreditation if certain conditions are met within a specified time period.
The Chair may add any other written information to the letter of transmittal, not included in the
Report, which might be helpful to the Accreditation Committee.
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 September 2010 version

Placing a School on Condition

When the review of a school indicates that a school is not meeting a Major Standard, the school will be
placed on condition. The terms of the condition and the date by which these terms must be met will be
determined by the Accreditation Committee and approved by the PNAIS Board.

Schools placed on condition may ask the PNAIS Executive Director to make a presentation to the school’s
Board and/or administration explaining the terms of the condition and possible appropriate steps to take.

Once the school feels that it has addressed the terms of the condition, a “mini-visit” takes place. The mini-
visit team consists of the chair and/or vice chair of the original team, the Executive Director, and any other
team member that reviewed the areas that led to the condition. The school is asked to provide background
material that illustrates the steps the school has taken since the original visit to address the areas of
concern. In most cases the mini-visit lasts anywhere from a half-day to a full day. A report is written by the
team chair and presented to the Accreditation Committee. If the school has successfully addressed the
terms of the condition, it will gain accreditation.

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 September 2010 version

Helpful Hints for Team Members Writing Visiting Team Reports

Report Format
Each section should begin with the title of that section in caps and underlined. Keep each section to one or two
pages, and use paragraph form, block style. The report should be written using third person pronouns rather than “I”,
or refer to “the Visiting Team”. Avoid references to specific individuals, even if the references are positive.
Commendations, recommendations and suggestions must be numbered.
Observations
Observations provide the background and context for all that follows in the report. Observations should be matters
of direct knowledge and analysis documented by the Team during the visit. This section usually consists of one to
two paragraphs, rarely more than half a page and should not be a recapitulation of the self study. See page 35 for
sample.

Commendations
Commendations recognize the school for areas of perceived real strength; avoid meaningless platitudes

Sample Commendations:
The Visiting Team commends the school for:
1. A climate that promotes the development of self-confident, risk-taking young men and women who respect
themselves and others.
2. Creative and intrepid use of the school’s location and facilities to the advantage of the program and the students.
3. Teaching techniques that demonstrate an understanding of and sensitivity to diverse learning styles.

Recommendations
Recommendations ask the School to address matters related to the non-compliance of a Major Standard, Good
Practice or Element or to situations in which the Visiting Team believes the practice of the school is not consistent
with the self study. Recommendations also address issues that the Team feels could have a detrimental effect on the
school’s overall welfare and long-term health. The school must report on its response to each of the
recommendations within 18-36 months. The number of recommendations in each area should be limited to principal
findings according to the above guidelines. Each recommendation must reference the specific Major Standard, a
Good Practice, or an Element not met.

Sample Recommendations: (the following recommendations are drawn from a range of program areas)
The Visiting Team recommends that the school:
1. Access the school’s administrative structure given the projected growth of the school.
2. Develop a more defined scope and sequence of thinking, research, and writing skills for each grade level to
assure direction and accountability.
3. Review course offerings to include the diversity of issues stated in the purposes of the department, such as non-
western courses and gender issues (In this instance, the school’s mission and philosophy statements and the
department’s goals, indicated a commitment to diversity, but the team did not observe concrete manifestations of
the commitment.)
Suggestions
Suggestions relate to less significant findings or offer ideas for the implementation of a recommendation.

Sample Suggestions:
The Visiting Team suggests that the school:
1. Explore the creation of a Dean of Students and/or Dean of Faculty and the addition of an administrative assistant
to support the academic leadership of the school.
2. Reduce the amount of United States History taught in exchange for broadening the non-western offerings.
3. Set, as a scheduling priority, a reduction in the number of crossover teachers, that is, teachers who teach in both
divisions of the school.

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 September 2010 version

Sample Observation Write up

SCHOOL PROGRAM

Observations

The team observed throughout the classrooms and other activities that the school program is in alignment
with the mission statement of the school. The focus on the “whole child” is evident with the collaboration
and coordination of the academic, resource, and Learning Services areas of the school, both between and
within grade levels.

The curriculum guide shows how different subjects are scheduled for the school year. The teachers enjoy
the freedom to enrich the curriculum with their own ideas in order to supplement the plan outlined in the
Curriculum Guide. This was observed to be positive. No written requirements or benchmarks appear to be
available for individual grades and subjects to guide the teachers.

The students are enthusiastic learners and are eager to share what they are learning. They are inquisitive
and show that they are allowed and encouraged to ask questions and think with what they are learning.
There is mutual support within the student body as students work together on projects, show good
sportsmanship while playing games, and work together to resolve conflicts. The older students, as well as
the very young, demonstrate academic and social leadership. This was observed in the classrooms, on the
playground and walking from one class to another. It is clear that the faculty instill these values through
example and their ownership of the Mission Statement.

The classrooms have daily schedules written on the board, giving students a predictable day. The daily
schedule is very compact to allow for all of the things that need to be covered; however, it did not seem to
allow for transition to get from one class to the other, “shorting” some activities, such as P.E.

The commitment to ongoing improvement and use of technology is observed through library, science, and
other resource classes.

The administration encourages teachers to lead in investigating and developing new comprehensive
curriculum planning across subject and grade level areas. This gives teachers the flexibility to acquire
equipment and training necessary, and to adjust schedules to meet the program needs.

The parent population expressed their satisfaction and belief that their children’s’ needs are being met.
They are happy and secure in the fact that ongoing practices of the school will continue to support their
children.

Overall the team was impressed with the school program and the way it aligns with the school’s mission
and philosophy.

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 September 2010 version

TIPS: Gathering, Reviewing, and Analyzing Data/Information

OBSERVATION:

IN
INSTRUCTIONAL
SETTINGS
AND
SCHOOLWIDE...


 What the students are doing. Receiving information? Applying skills? Practicing newly acquired
skills? Synthesizing and evaluating information? Are the students task-oriented? Are they engaged
in their work?
 What is the range of activities taking place from acquisition of factual knowledge to the use of
higher level thinking skills?
 How students are applying the skills of reading, writing, speaking, computing and thinking.
 How the students are challenged to think and to communicate their thoughts orally and in writing.
 How students with special needs are participating in the classroom activities.
 How the instructional settings are varied according to the needs of the students and/or what is to be
learned.
 How students are supported, recognized, and rewarded.
 Note the interactions among and between staff, students and parents.

INTERVIEWS
(INDIVIDUAL
AND
GROUP):
KEEP
IN
MIND...


 There is no one "right way" to interview; there is no one correct format.
 LISTEN to responses; be an active listener.
 Explain purposes of questions and double check understanding.
 Use clear and concise language appropriate to the interviewee.
 Keep initial questions simple/non-threatening.
 Use open-ended questions that are unbiased.
 Ask questions to verify, add missing pieces of information, and stimulate thinking about next steps.
 Ask questions which do not imply the answer or reflect bias.
 Allow adequate time for responses and give appropriate feedback to responses.
 Do not push for answers at the expense of the interviewee.
 Be alert to "clues" of interviewees and follow-up what is not being said.
 Do not make comments that reflect personal opinions/biases.
 Begin/end on time. Arrange participants in a circle so that everyone can see and be seen.
 Elicit responses from everyone in the group. Do not allow a few people to dominate the interview.
 Thank people for attending and contributing to the interview.

SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
FOR
INDIVIDUAL
AND
GROUP
DIALOGUE

Starter Questions:
 We understood from the self-study that...
 What factors contributed to these results?
 Is this characteristic of...
 How did the school/group learn from…
 Where can evidence be found that...
 What evidence is there that the students are able to...
 What process did the school/group use to...
 What elements of the student/community profile are related to...
 What impact has _________ had on attainment of the learning results?
 Has the school/group considered...
 Students have certainly benefited from...
 How does the school/group know if this work meets the needs of...

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 September 2010 version

 What reasons guided...

 What questions did the school/group ask about...
 What led to the school/group's conclusion about...
 Help me to understand…
 To what extent is the observable evidence representative of what all students are doing and
producing?
 How does the evidence analyzed accurately reflect the current school's program and its
effectiveness?
 To what extent does the evidence analyzed provide information about the degree of quality
accomplishment of the expected school wide learning results by all students?
 To what extent is the school institutionalizing the strategies to assess the school program and
student learning? (e.g., conversations about the quality of student work and growth over time.)
 How did the evidence support the school's identified growth areas? How were these areas
prioritized?
 How are the teachers, support staff, administration, students, and the school community working
together to ensure that the shared vision of desirable learning results for all students is the basis for
all school improvements?

SAMPLE
ASSESSMENT
TOOLS

• Portfolios of student work • Oral/group projects
• Open-ended problem-solving situations • Self/peer assessments
• Short/long-term projects/research • Hands-on activities
• Student/teacher/parent conferences • Performance activities
• Criterion-referenced/teacher-made tests • Standardized test results

GENERAL
INFORMATION
TO
KEEP
IN
MIND

 Avoid jargon; use full names of courses/programs, few abbreviations. Be consistent in terms, e.g.,
faculty, administration.
 Verify the facts before writing either a commendation or recommendation.
 When writing recommendations: Avoid the use of "continue to" and verbs such as "consider, study,
explore," etc.
 Seek quality not quantity of recommendations. A question visiting committee members should ask
themselves:
Would the implementation of an effective solution to this recommendation enhance student
learning and improve the quality of the educational programs of the school?

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 September 2010 version

SUGGESTED
TERMS
FOR
COMMENDATIONS
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS


accelerate incorporate require

accept increase restructure
achieve inform revise
acquire initiate revise the sequence
add inquire reveal
adhere install review
adjust institute review procedures
administer insure review the number & quality
adapt integrate schedule
adopt investigate secure
agree involve seek means
align mainstream seek new resources
alleviate maintain seek ways
allocate manage set direction
allows measure share
analyze meet stress
analyze the potential impact minimize support
apply participate synthesize
appraise plan take
arrange place emphasis test
articulate prepare translate
assess present try
assign practice use
allocation probe update
assume responsibility progress upgrade
assume leadership role promote work
begin promote and support work toward
employ propose work toward developing
encourage provide
ensure provide resources
equip provide leadership
establish questions
estimate rate
evaluate recognize
examine record
exercise redesign
expand reexamine
express reevaluate
focus reinstate
form relate
formulate relocate
foster report
fulfill restate
give retain
implement replace or repair

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