A we update before the blog post!
It's been a long time between the last blog post and this one - over year! A lot has happened. After finishing my doctorate I decided I wanted to try something a new in education, having spent almost 20 years in education in NZ, I had always wanted to go to international teaching and the time now seemed right. In July 2023 I left NZ for China. I'm at a fantastic school with amazing students, educators and staff. The world of international teaching is new to me and education outside the NZ context has at times been a learning curve. I love learning and this new chapter has so far been interesting and exciting.
One area that is quite different to NZ is accreditation. The school I am at is accredited with both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). IB and NEASC offer a joint accreditation process called the CLP. In December we had our first NEASC visit. There are 10 Learning Principles that, "encourage schools to be reflective learning communities able to design learner-focused futures that may transform both learners and schools" (NEASC)
Each week I write a blog post for our school faculty newsletter, and this was published back in December 2024:
NEASC accreditation is about developing learners, and the
term learners includes everyone in the community. It is an integrated approach
to learning and recognises that learning, as we know is not confined to just
the classroom. Or school is about to start the internal reflection which will take
12-18 months. One of the areas we will look at is ‘what is high quality
learning’ and building a shared understanding of high-quality learning. To
build this understanding of high-quality learning we need to be clear on the
aspirations we have for our students (NEASC CLP workshop, 2024).
When I conducted my doctoral research one of my questions
was in relation to creating a future focused school. Often when a school is
looking to create change, the school will focus on three key areas, pedagogy, curriculum,
and systems. The findings of my research showed that there was a fourth key
area that needed to be addressed first: Character and Culture,
It is essential to recognize the integrated approach to
learning that NEASC accreditation promotes. This approach emphasizes the
importance of understanding our community's unique character and culture. The
first step in the NEASC process is a clear understanding of our aspirations and
this is related to understanding our Character and Culture,
“The uniqueness of a school is
based on the people within, the students, the teachers, support staff and wider
community. Over time, the Character and Culture may change. This could be due
to such things as changing demographics in the area and turnover of staff,
because it is the people who make up the Character and Culture within a
school…By having a clear understanding of the Character and Culture of the
school and the future direction, it is then possible to examine and plan for
change with the other three components: systems, curriculum and pedagogy.”(T. Yuill Proctor, 2022, p88)
Whilst all four components are interrelated, a school’s
ability to have a clear understanding of its unique character and culture is
necessary to create alignment, cohesion and synergy. Gaining this understanding involves
an in-depth examination of the school’s philosophy based on our mission and
values, followed by mapping it out (T. Yuill Proctor, 2022). During the NEASC
CLP workshop on Thursday, we were introduced to a NEASC framework that helps
schools understand their character and culture before moving into pedagogy,
curriculum, and systems.
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| Figure 2: NEASC 9 Steps |
The 9 steps in the diagram above is a backwards mapping tool where we can look at the impacts and evaluate the learning that is happening. We can then ensure that these are relating to our guiding statements and the qualities we hope to develop in our learners. This approach aligns with the schools holistic understanding of high-quality learning, as emphasized during the NEASC visit. By reflecting the community's unique character and culture, we can better understand our highest aspirations and the qualities needed to achieve them. For example, if one of our guiding statements is around Peace, we might identify empathy as a necessary quality. From here, we can identify what this looks like in different contexts with the school and incorporate daily practices that foster empathy in our learners.
In conclusion, the NEASC CLP accreditation process is not just about meeting standards but about fostering a holistic understanding of high-quality learning. By focusing on our unique character and culture, we can create a cohesive and synergistic learning environment that aligns with our guiding statements and the qualities we hope to develop in our learners. This integrated approach ensures that we are not only preparing our students for academic success but also nurturing their overall development as individuals and working towards our mission and values.
Final Note