← Chapter 4: Self-Study Analysis - Category B2
(Chapter IV: Self-Study Findings)
CATEGORY B: CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT
B2. How Students Learn Criterion
The professional staff a) uses research-based knowledge about teaching and learning; and b) designs and implements a variety of learning experiences that actively engage students at a high level of learning consistent with the school’s purpose and schoolwide learner outcomes.
Indicators with Prompts
Research-based Knowledge
B2.1 Indicator: The administrators and teachers use a variety of approaches to remain current in research-based professional knowledge and apply the knowledge to improve teaching and learning. All students regardless of background and ability are actively involved in the learning that is based on the schoolwide learner outcomes and academic standards.
B2.1 Prompt: Provide a range of examples that demonstrate teachers are current in the instructional content taught and research-based instructional methodology.
Planning Processes
B2.2 Indicator: The planning processes, including the use of formative assessment results, focus on the engagement of all student activity at a high level of learning consistent with the academic standards and schoolwide learner outcomes.
B2.2 Prompt: Comment on the planning processes, including the use of formative assessment results, to engage all students actively at a high level of learning consistent with the academic standards and schoolwide learner outcomes.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| IOWA Assessments replaced the SAT 10 tests in SY 2017- 2018. Teachers use this assessment to evaluate student’s learning and modify their yearly plans and lessons accordingly. The IOWA Assessment is consistent with objectives of the yearly plans. | IOWA Assessments results |
| Formative Assessments are created by teachers to match the lessons that are taught to students within a given amount of time. They are used to evaluate how much knowledge the students have attained and enable teachers to decide whether students need more time on a concept or if they can move on. | Copies of Teachers’ Formative Assessments |
| Mid-Quarter Progress Reports and report cards identify students who are struggling, helps the teachers pinpoint the problem, find solutions and implement them in their lesson plans. | Mid Quarter Progress Reports Quarterly Report Cards |
Professional Collaboration
B2.3 Indicator: Administrators and teachers use various collaborative strategies to examine curricular design and student work to improve learning and teaching, including demonstrating critical thinking, problem solving, knowledge, and application. This would include examples of the selection of the instructional approaches based on the learning purpose(s) desired.
B2.3 Prompt: Comment on how administrators and teachers use various collaborative strategies to examine curricular design and student work to improve learning and teaching, including demonstrating critical thinking, problem solving, knowledge and application. Include examples of the selection of the instructional approaches based on the learning purpose(s) desired.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| In Math, many teachers use the demonstration, modeling and the constructivist approach. With this approach, students follow the teacher’s demonstration, and try to solve problems until they get it right. | Lesson Plans |
| Power Point presentations are some projects teachers have students create. They compare the ongoing lessons with other teachers’ similar lessons and refine their lessons. | Lesson Plans Photos |
| Maris Stella School spends a week for orientation at the beginning of the school year. During this week, teachers go over the School Handbook, familiarizing students with routines and procedures. | School Calendar Teachers’ meetings minutes |
| Teachers from 6th – 8th grade teach different classes in each grade. They communicate with each other to understand where students are and how they address their learning needs. This helps with consistency between teachers and with students which improves learning and teaching in the classroom. | Observation of 6th-8th grade teachers. |
| During SY2017-2018 and SY 2018-2019, when students fall short of the requirements of the school, they are referred to the Dean of Students. The dean has a procedure where each child identifies the problem, the reason for the problem, and suggests solutions to the defined problem. They are then asked to pray for divine intervention. This demonstrates critical thinking, problem solving, knowledge and application. When results do not show suitable progress, parents, teachers, and students meet to discuss development. | Dean’s Report sample |
| Students diagnosed with special needs are referred to a Special Education teacher from the Ministry of Education for thorough evaluation. The Special Education teacher then works with the grade level teachers to address those needs. | Special Education Independent Study Learning Needs form. |
| Educational Talent Search Program with Palau Community College is offered for students who need more time or extra tutoring after school. The program is offered from 3:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.. The Educational Talent Search tutor communicates with the homeroom teachers about the needs of the students who receive tutoring. | Educational Talent Search |
| For students who are learning English as a second language, lesson plans are created at a different level to meet their needs. Collaboration between the Palauan teachers and English teachers is necessary for progress of these students in English and Palauan. | Students’ work samples |
Professional Development
B2.4 Indicator: The school uses ongoing professional development to enhance the curriculum and improve learning and teaching.
B2.4 Prompt: Comment on how the school uses ongoing professional development to enhance the curriculum and improve learning and teaching.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Annual Ministry of Education Convention | MOE Educational Convention packet |
| JICA Volunteer teachers update progress of students using Math Hero and other teaching strategies. They also have classroom observation of teachers and give critical feedback. Math Hero and Singapore Math strategies have been integrated to improve learning and teaching. | Math Hero Singapore Math books Photos of observations |
| MSS teachers retreat. Teachers have a religious retreat every year to evaluate their spiritual growth and the effect they have on students. This helps improve learning and teaching. | Photos |
| Other professional development opportunities are offered by Ministry of Education during the school year. | School Calendar |
Challenging and Varied Instructional Strategies
B2.5. Indicator: The teachers strengthen student understanding and achievement of the learning outcomes through the use of a variety of instructional strategies that are selected on the basis of the learning purpose(s) and effectively engage students at a high level of learning. This includes the integration of multimedia and technology as appropriate.
B2.5. Prompt: Provide a range of examples from examining students working and their work that give insight to the degree to which all students are actively engaged in learning to achieve the academic standards and the schoolwide learner outcomes. This includes students demonstrating critical thinking, problem solving, knowledge and application and the development of a wide range of technological skills.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Students use the computer lab to do research for projects such as writing informational texts and analyzing poetry. They also create power point presentations to present their findings to the class. When students are involved with computers and researching for materials that they are interested in, they are engaged at a high level of learning. | Samples of writing and power point presentations. |
| Students are actively engaged to achieve academic standards and school-wide learning outcomes when they are exposed to different school and community activities such as Catholic School’s Week, the Christmas Pageant, Earth Day Week, Independence Day. | Photos Program of Activities |
| In addition to regular homework, classwork, quizzes and tests, students are asked to work in groups and to do a project in all classes every quarter. This strengthens collaborative learning, peer communication and engages students at a high level of learning. | Handbook Conversations with teachers |
| During the morning assembly, students pray, sing the national anthem, recite the Catholic Mission Statement and listen to or make announcements. | Observation |
| Class Officers have responsibilities in the classroom. Some of them require leading the class in the right direction, protecting people in the class, keeping track of schedules for the class and keeping track of the class finances. The class officers also have had opportunities to add ideas to the Catholic School’s Week plans. This is a form of higher learning. | List of Class Officers |
Technological Integration
B2.6. Indicator: Teachers systematically integrate technology within the school so that all students develop a wide range of technological skills.
B2.6. Prompt: Comment on the integration of technology within the school so that all students develop a wide range of technological skills.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Teachers systematically integrate technology within the school so that all students develop a wide range of technological skills. Since the installment of internet and Wi-Fi, teachers have been using the internet to teach students, to have students apply their knowledge, to research information for writing. Teachers also use the internet to stay updated with current trends in education. |
www.tekinged.com google algebraic expression www.khanacademy.org |
| Donation of computers, printers, and projectors to Math and Science teachers enabled the teachers to relay information via technology. It has proven to be easier and more effective than writing on a blackboard. The use of online materials complements digital age children’s capacity to immerse themselves in digital information. | Teacher conversations |
| Students are asked to bring their flash drives to school for writing projects. The projects they work on at the computer lab are then saved to their flash drives. With this flash drive, they can continue to work at different computers at different times. The externality of this class requirement is that students consequently learn how to use the keyboard, save, copy, open documents in Microsoft word or power point. They also learn how to use search engines for research. | Teacher conversations |
| Teachers have reserved time in the computer lab. This gives them an opportunity to integrate technology into their lesson plans. If she is not teaching a class, the computer lab manager may also give typing lessons or computer software lessons. | Computer Lab Schedule |
Evidence of Results based upon Challenging Learning Experiences
B2.7. Indicator: Students working and their work demonstrate critical and creative thinking, problem solving, knowledge attainment, and application skills.
B2.7. Prompt: Comment on the student work and how it demonstrates critical and creative thinking, problem solving, knowledge attainment, and application skills.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Students in the 6th grade write biographies, personal narratives, informational texts and poetry. Then they vote for work that was most interesting, most well written, best illustration and funniest. This involves critical thinking which involves students to make judgments of other people’s work according to a measurement. The work in itself requires creative thinking for they have to write according to a standard and yet be interesting enough for their audience. | Writing Samples Certificates |
| Students work in math demonstrates critical thinking, problem solving, knowledge attainment and application skills. | Students Math work sample |
| Students participation in nationwide sports demonstrates problem solving and application skills. | Sporting Events Photos |
| Students participation in the school wide science fair demonstrates critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, knowledge attainment and application skills. | Photos of Science Fair |
| Students are asked to work in groups and do projects every quarter. Teachers plan criteria for standard performance in these groups and projects. Students are expected to fulfill the conditions. Some examples for projects are that they are neat and organized and everyone in the group contributed something to the groupwork. The groupwork and projects require critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving skills, knowledge attainment and application skills. | Example of groupwork Example of project Example of rubric |
| When students are referred to the Dean, the dean practices a procedure where students define the problem, explain the reasons for the problem, and offer solutions for the problem. They are then asked to pray for divine intervention and expected to apply what they have learned from this procedure. Results demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving skills, knowledge attainment skills and application skills. | Dean’s report |
| Participation in nationwide competitions have standards that are consistent with academic objectives in the classroom. Students are expected to use critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving skills, knowledge attainment skills to apply in these competitions. | List of winners |
Student Understanding of Learning Expectations
B2.8 Indicator: The students know the standards/expected performance levels for each area of study.
B2.8 Prompt: Examine and evaluate the extent to which students know the standards/expected performance levels before beginning a new area of study.
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| At the beginning of each year, teachers spend a week helping students understand expectations of behavior and academics for the year. | Teachers Lesson Plans at the beginning of the year |
| The school has a Homeroom Parent Teacher’s meeting where teachers impart important information for parents to know about what their children have to know before school begins. | School calendar |
| At the beginning of each lesson, teachers are expected to ensure that students understand what they are learning, how they are going to learn it, and the expected standards at which they are to perform. | Sample Lesson Plan? Evaluation of an effective teacher |
Student Needs
B2.10 Indicator: Teachers address student needs through the instructional approaches used.
B2.10 Prompt: How do teachers address the variety of ways in which students learn and their individual needs through instructional approaches appropriate for the subject?
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Special Education Teachers are offered through Ministry of Education. There is a process that teachers and students have to go through before being accepted into the program. When accepted, the special education teachers observe and evaluate the needs of the student, create a plan and share it with teachers involved with the student. | Plans for Special Needs Students |
Student Use of Resources
B2.11 Indicator: Students use resources for learning beyond the limits of the textbook such as effective use of collaborative activities, technology, library/media resources, and community resources.
B2.11 Prompt: To what extent do students use resources for learning beyond the limits of the textbook such as effective use of technology, collaborative activities, and community resources?
| Findings | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Field Trips involve governmental agencies, environmental agencies and various other institutions who support the nation in different fields. Exposing the children to these agencies educates the students on different community resources available for them. | Field Trip Objectives |
| Computers are available for student use after school. They are available in the computer lab and the library. Some classes have a personal computer in their classroom. Students use them to finish projects or researches. | Computer Lab Schedule |
| The library is open until 5:00 pm. It is available for students’ use. The students check out books for book reports. They also use the library to study or watch movies. | Library schedule |
| Outreach programs show students how institutions such as hospitals, the jail, and the Old Age Center serve the nation. Community elders are shown respect when children participate in outreach programs that requires them to visit and pray with them. Children use these programs to learn how to help those organizations. | Outreach programs |
| Retreats allow students to use parish churches for spiritual growth activities. | Retreat schedules Religion schedules |