Ms. Claudia Cuadra, Director Km 5 1/2 Carretera a Masaya Managua00000 Document Generated On July 31, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 4 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 5 Additional Information 9
Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. <br><br> The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? ColegioTeresiano is located on Avenida de la Unión Europea, Km 5 highway to Masaya; it is surrounded by middle-class residential areas, entertainment and shopping malls, and it covers an area of 24.7105381614 acresof land which is distributed into green areas and infrastructure built for school instruction. Currently there are 1,176 students from pre-school to eleventh grade, from which 721belong to the Spanish Program and 456to the bilingual one; these are distributed as follows: - A classroom pre-kindergarten-1and pre-kindergarten-2 with a number of 50 students in total, and an average of 25 students per class. - Kindergarten with 28students - Two classrooms from first to third grades in the Bilingual Program with 142students thus showing an average of 24 students per class. - A classroom for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the Bilingual Program with an average of 32students per class. These classes have a greater number of students now because they were small separate groups in the past, but they are now a whole fused class. - Classrooms from seventh to eleventh grades in the Bilingual Program with 139students, and the average number of students per class is28. - Two classrooms for first and second level of preschool with a whole number of 48students and an average of 24students for each class. - Two classrooms for third level of preschool in the Spanish Program with a whole number of 53students and an average of 26 pergroup. - Two classrooms for first and second grades in the Spanish Program with a whole number of 116students and an average of 29students for each group. - Two classrooms for third to sixth grades in the Spanish Program with a whole number of 222students and an average of 28 students per group. - Two classrooms from seventh to eleventh grades with a whole number of 282students and an average of 28 students per group. Students' population belongs to middle class citizens, and they all come from different areas of the capital and the provinces of Masaya, Granada, and Carazo. Most of these students' parents have obtained a college degree and they both work out of home. Professional personnel (teachers) are distributed as follows: - From preschool to second grade,in the Spanish program there are 23 teachers, and from these, there is a Program Director (coordinator), four assistant teachers, coordination's assistant, a psychologist, and an instructor who is in charge of helping out students with reading and writing (Reinforcement) - From third to sixth grade, in the Spanish Program, there are 23 teachers, and from these, there is a Program Director (coordinator), coordination's assistant, and a psychologist. - In the Spanish High SchoolProgram, there are 28 teachers, and from these there is a Program Director (coordinator), a psychologist, the coordination's assistant, and a an instructor who is in charge of helping out students with mathematics (Reinforcement) - From preschool to 3rd grade, in the Bilingual Program, there are 21teachers, and from these, there is a Program Director (coordinator), three assistant teachers for preschool, coordination's assistant, a psychologist, and an instructor who is in charge of helping out students with the English subject (Reinforcement) Page 2
- Middle School is made up of 11 teachers, and from these, there is a Program Director (coordinator), coordination's assistant, and the support of the psychologist that assists the Spanish Program from 3rd to 6th grades. - Finally in the Bilingual High School Program there are 9 teachers and from these there is a Program Director (coordinator), a psychologist, and the coordination's assistant A Professional Development Program was created in order to benefit teachers and consequently strengtheneducational practices at school. The main purpose of the program is to target training workshops for the classroom setting performance through Action-Reflection-Action workshops, interactive groups, psychomotricity, inclusive education, TICs workshops, among other trainings offered, so that teachers can be capable of creating and motivating activities where students can explore high-level thinking activities as well as new strategies for the development of their capacities and skills. There is a follow-up and a close coaching for new teachers regarding: teaching methodology, evaluation system, and guidelines for becoming a new teacher at, and this is stressed from subject areas and coordinations in order to guarantee the new personnel'squalificationin teaching methodology, technology, and human relations. For many years the school offered an ESL (English as a Second Language) year course to students who came from the Spanish Program of from other schools and wanted to enroll in seventh grade of the Bilingual Program; this was tailored to strengthening these students' writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills in the Foreign (English) Language. This course benefitted the new students' development of skills for the language use and for the permanence in High school successfully. On the other hand, the personnel supporting the educational process and management are made up of two receptionists, two employees in the registrar's office, and a secretary at the school head office. The school also has four librarians located in three libraries within the school. The school Administrative staff is organized as follows: five employees in the administrative office for attention and management, there is also a bookstore, three professionals in the IT Support, a nurse, a driver, five people who work for maintenance, 17 housekeepers, 8 landscapers, and 5 security guards. The school also has a shuttle service that offers transportation where most of the students live. Page 3
School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. The school has confirmed purpose and management where the idea of becoming a learning community is expressed. This purpose and management is committedto a transformational humanizing education. In order to achieve this goal, contextualized educational practices are developed to strengthen the respectful relations about each person's dignity and favor other training processes for all members. We set ourselves the goal of offering and guaranteeing quality education as well as meaningful learning which teaches students to learn from learning. Likewise, in order to accomplish the objective of a quality, relevant, and contextualized education, we want to ensure a process-centric management of significant learning, encourage dialogue, reflection and enhance leadership and the development of critical-reflective consciousness, to shape citizens committed to justice, peace and the transformation of their reality. We are incorporated as a Learning Community, and from this approach actions are being developed to link the different stakeholders: students, parents, faculty, and administrative staff and service, in order for them all to be involved as participants and persons in the projects carried out at school. Similarly, to ensure the effectiveness of educational processes, the school has a practice of systematic support to different learning experiences generated within the school and classroom in which students are directly involved.these processes aim to promote the students' learning skills and capacities regarding leadership. Monitoring of students' academic performance is done in order to assess the impact of the strategies implemented in the educational setting for the sake of students' success. In order to develop open participation processes with all stakeholders, different surveys, offering constructivist criticism and assessment of relevant topics and processes, have been undertaken in the school, and the results are data we must stress for continuous improvement. The institutional management supports processes favoring everyone's reflection, analysis, and fraternal relations, the close support of the various areas (faculty, students, parents) and the decision-making through dialogue, listening and consensus in order to ensure the purpose and school management. Based on our School's Educational Proposal, we seek the development of the individual in all his/her life's dimensions by promoting the experience of different cultural, human and civic valuesencouraged every month thus favoring spaces for the internalizing and relation with God; similarly, opportunities for the analysis of reality and commitment to the transformation of society are created. Page 4
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. During the last three years the school has implemented an infrastructure improvement plan based on its long-term Master Plan. The construction of two preschool classrooms, a library, a computer room and video have been made.along with Parents Association, the cafeteria was remodeled in order to provide a better care for students at recess and lunchtime. Besides, most toilets have been remodeled for students in Preschool, elementary and High school areas. The library service in preschool, elementary, and High Schools has been extended, and readers' club and book fair projects are encouraged. Furthermore, these libraries have been equipped with technological tools in order to be more accessible to students and to encourage research spaces and interaction with technology. The nursing service has been provided at school for more than four years; it supports students' health care and quality of life within the school. In order to facilitate students' interaction with technological means,we have installed Light-N computing terminals in the computer lab from elementary school; similarly, to promote pedagogical practice, teachers have access to teaching equipment such as mimios, MimioView, power strip and several data shows that support them while teaching. The institutional e-mail is a tool that fosters communication within the school and parents; thus it ensures the linkage within and outside the school. We are trying hard to strengthen communication at school, and for this purpose, we have the school web page and a Facebook account which may be used by all persons in contact with the school. In there we can see general and specific information about the school and this gives benefits to parents to keep in touch or to access needed information and alternatively participate in activities encouraged by the school. In recent years the school has implemented the application of standardized tests in third, fifth, seventh, and ninth grades and this has served to compare the academic performances among different groups. Students participate in various activities such as debates, intercollegiate contests, science fairs, and math contest organized by other schools or colleges. The school has excelled in the debate UAM (American University) XV Competitive Intercollegiate Debate Contestwhere our school students have achieved victories in consecutive years. Another achievement for students' development is the additional roomfor the artistic subjects for high school youth who now can take drawing and painting as a new subject choice aside of music and dance. As part of these new subjects,they will prepare and present a drawing and a painting project annually where their skills during the school year will be reflected. As part of the learning experiences implemented in different subjects,there are educational trips devoted to strengthen students' processes.for children: Apoyo Lagoon National Park, Masaya Volcano National Reserve, Zoo, and Museo del Agua (Museum of water); and for older students: Cathedral of León, Water Treatment Plant, and city of Granada, among others. Also, extracurricular activities have been strengthened as the school has excelled in sports and dance through participating in Movistar sports cups, Talentos Movistar (Movistar Talents), American Nicaraguan School Cup, Colegio Centroamérica Cup, Universidad Americana Cup, and in artistic shows we are invited by different dance schools. An ecology Projectwhere students have been involved, by encouraging all the learning community about the importance of environmental Page 5
stewardship, and a campaign in moral values encouraged by students' parents from grades two to seven in order to foster respect, friendship, and inclusion, have been implemented and they have given positive results for both students and parents' involvement. On the other hand, throughout the school year 2013 a teaching practice called Action-Reflection-Action was developed and put into practice in our school. This activity s objective was to motivate teachers to investigate and reflect in order to begin a process of continuous renovation and updating of their teaching practice. This process lasted 12 weeks, between the months of July to October. Some Elementary Spanish Program teachers and a High School teacher were part of this process, a teacher representing the main subjects in which students tend to show more difficulty with (Math, Spanish, Science and Social Studies in Elementary) and Math and Chemistry in High School, there was also one person in charge of accompanying the whole process. Because of the importance of this project and the positive results from last year s experience, currently there is a team of pedagogical leaders and some teachers that are developing this Project (from March to August). From first to fifth grade there was a different teaching practice developed, called Interactive Groups, its objective was to involve family members in children s educational process so they could also know and be aware of the teaching methodology implemented in the classrooms. For this activity parents and other family members presence was required. This process lasted 6 weeks, between the months of August to October parents came to the school twice a week and actively participated in the activities proposed by the teachers. There was a good response from behalf of parents and family members, every time there were about 6 members per group. Last year a curriculum analysis was conducted in the school from September to November. This evaluation took place only in the bilingual program. In this process was evaluated the alignment of the curriculum design and development with the school's purpose and direction. This curriculum revision consisted of two phases: In the first one was analyzed the curriculum design and in the second the curriculum development. In the first phase, the curriculum design was reviewed to determine the level by which this design is in accordance with the purpose and direction of the school and if its elements were adjusted to accomplish the kind of education to be achieved. In the second phase, the curriculum development was evaluated to figure out how the curriculum design is putting into practice in everyday learning and teaching processes. At the end of the analysis process, a final report was given to the school's board in order to specify the findings and the recommendations for improvements. In order to strengthen the Bilingual Program, the school adapted the Spanish and Bilingual Programs' curricula for the students who entered the bilingual one and the ones who had been in such a program for long since kindergarten with the aim of overlapping both curricula and respond to national needs and expectations as well as the bilingual schools. With the objective of providing quality teacher performance and commitment to the educational process, arevision process of each teacher's workloadhas been done, and it has been stated that the number of teachers' class hours and planning time will be the same including teachers' office hours for parents' attention. Similarly, the Psychology Department's staff has increased from 3-5 psychologists to assist students from different ages. A digital evaluation system was implemented three years ago and it has helped to the collection of academic data: the assessment criteria per subject and student, the total average per grade and classroom of all subjects, the statistics per grade, subject, and criterion, and the graphic of statistics presented. This system has enabled a fastand effective analysis of the results obtained bystudents in both the academic Page 6
and formativeaspects. From the analysis done by faculty, Pedagogical Support Team (accompanies), and Coordinators, various strategies and remedial plans have been designed to reach a common and primary goal to achieve and maintain academic quality. As stated in the Continuous Improvement Plan, at the school we have to achieve the objective of integrating all members of the learning community in the various activities that are driven from school. Parents integrate with a quick involvement in activities such as Kermis, Bingo, Family Day, Feast of St. Teresa, Talent Show with teachers' participation, Independence Day celebration, trainings, meetings to give out the students' report cards, as well as in recreation; the latter is alsosupported by the maintenance staff with the aim of creating community mingling with all members of the learning community. The parents' Association (APAFECT) does its work by giving recognition to outstanding and academic-excellence students within the School awards policies program, the scholarship system, the Kermis, Bingo, and infrastructure remodeling projects such as the cafeteria, chapel, and parking lot, among others. Graduate students of have been able to enter college in most cases; similarly, the ones who apply for an overseas scholarship obtain it, and they are known for their leadership in local and foreign colleges. Former students outstand in local colleges for their academic achievement, artistic performance, and commitment to solidarity. The organization and management of the school ensures the achievement of all these processes. Different committees ensure effective management: coordination, pedagogical support, administration, pastorallife, APAFECT, Students' Council, and Teacher's Council. We recognize our Areas of improvement, and to overcome them we have the following projects: the conditioning of administrative and faculty building, the preschool playground and the implementation of a data project. It remains a challenge to achieve greater involvement from parents in school life. Similarly, Challenges also arise when strengthening the leadership of the Students' Council and leadership from rest of students in their classrooms. Within the self-study process, it has been recognized important, strengthening the system of using the results from surveys for continuous improvement, making a revision process of the Stanford Standardized Tests, assessing evidence MAP (Measure of Academic Performance) tests, doing research, valuing the update of textbooks, and implementing a virtual library system. The direction of the School is ensuring the addition of a greater recognition to students with outstanding performance in different areas, strengthening communication system with the different stakeholders especially with parents, and continuing to accompany the processes of monitoring and evaluation reports to ensure the coordination and consistency in following up the recommendations from the observations. On the other hand we believe that we must continue working at the school to strengthen the students' quality of learning by paying attention to the update of the Curriculum Project and the useand management of data for decision-making. Regarding the use of resources and support systems, we recognize we need to keep investing in the upgrading of technology and computer resources (computer equipment, data structured network, applications, and software), improving the infrastructure and sanitation system at school, and ensuring quality nursing services, cafeteria, maintenance services (gardening, maintenance, cleaning, security), recreational areas, and recreational and sport areas. From the Psychology Department it is necessary the evaluation of counseling programs as well as of educational recommendations and vocational guidance. Page 7
Similarly,it is a must for the school to continue working on improvements to the playground and guarantee impact material under all climbing equipment and swings to ensure the children's safety. As school, we have assigned some investment budget for this remodeling. To continue to strengthen the use of data for continuous improvement, a workshop and training plan about assessment, interpretation, and use of data will be given to all the professional and support staff. Page 8
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. At school, there is an essential transverse axis as part of the Teresiano's education, and it istoinfluence in the reality to transform it, and its aim is for students, educators and parents to commit themselves with their surrounding to influence it positively. For this purpose, we are developing a project named Educating for a Culture of Life, with a brainstorming workshop on one of the following axis: Justice, Peace, Solidarity and Ecology, and it ends with a solidarity experience where the whole group participates. (Students get to put into practice what they have learned by the end of the project) Students participate in these experiences and get in contact with the disadvantaged reality, and feel committed with it. As a result of this experience and documentary research in the Spanish subject, a group of students From eleventh grade created a movement named "MovimientoVentana" https://www.facebook.com/movimientoventana?fref=ts and a volunteering program named "VoluntariadoVentana" https://www.facebook.com/mov.ventanathe latter is still working after three years of existence,and it is encouraged and coordinated by young former students, who invite students from the school to participate in their activities to make students promoters of mental health. Similarly, the school has projection in a slum in the north of the city wherevolunteer students and teachers and / or members of the MTA (MovimientoTeresiano Apostólico - Apostolic Teresian Movement) go once a week to develop religious and recreational activities for children and their mothers. Likewise, the students from eleventh grade achieve a 30-60- hour community service depending on their program, Spanish or bilingual, or with a project of their choice. Senior students participate in national collections with a social benefit purpose such a TECHO, TELETON, or CONANCA. The TECHO project aside from merely collecting, seeks partners formation team that relate to the project and seek the promotion of social leadership in students. Thus, the graduating students made a gesture of solidarity with disadvantaged reality before the end of their high school life. Page 9