Colstrip School District Recieves National System Accreditation

Shared by Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

Cognia System Accreditation

On June 29, 2021, Cognia Accreditation Commission announced that  Colstrip Public School District has earned system accreditation by Cognia™, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers. 

 

Cognia, formerly AdvancED, nationally recognizes districts that meet rigorous standards that focus on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation that meet the needs of learners, and effective leadership. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that the system and all of its schools are accredited, and that Colstrip Public School District is recognized across the nation as a school system that meets Cognia Standards of Quality, and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement.

 

“Systems accreditation as conferred by the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission provides Colstrip Public School District a nationally recognized mark of quality for our school system and each school within our system,” shared Superintendent Bob Lewandowski.  “It demonstrates to our community our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.” 

 To earn accreditation from Cognia, a school district also must implement a continuous process of improvement, and submit to internal and external review.  Colstrip Public Schools went through their review during the week of April 19 through April 23, 2021. During that time, teachers, staff, administrators, board members, parents and community members were interviewed.  School systems in good standing can maintain their accreditation for a five-year term. 

Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, stated, “Cognia System Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system and its community on the primary goal of preparing lifelong learners in engaging environments where all students can flourish.  Colstrip Public School District is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards, is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning.” 

 

Cognia is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). Parents and interested community members can learn more about the Cognia Accreditation at cognia.org. 

 

About Cognia

Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning, and improvement services to institutions and other education providers. The result of the merger of AdvancED and Measured Progress, Cognia was formed to bridge the gap between school evaluation and student assessment. As a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, our 36,000 institutions serve and support nearly 25 million students and five million educators every day. Cognia serves as trusted partner in advancing learning for all learners.  Find out more at cognia.org. 

All Means All: Creating Healthy School Culture

by Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

Anthony Muhammad, PhD, presenting to Colstrip faculty and staff.

The District hosted Anthony Muhammad, PhD, one of the most sought-after educational consultants in North America on Monday, September 24, 2018 for a full day of Pupil-Instructional-Related (PIR) activities.

Creating a healthy school culture was the focus of the PIR. His prescription for a healthy school culture is based on  1) Commitment, 2) Refection and 3) Prescription (see table). Muhammad's presentation provided additional clarity for many of the details that are currently in place in our District.

Muhammad said that it is a hard fact that "You can't hold people accountable for what hasn't been made clear and explicit. To this end he said change in a healthy culture requires Transformational Leaders. He asked our staff and participants to identify ten leadership qualities that are essential for good leaders?

After identifying and reviewing the ten qualities he suggested that these are also the qualities that should be expected of teachers and staff alike, adding that no person can meet all of the identified expectations, but all people can be transformational leaders and collectively provide the stated qualities. He said that "instead of looking out the window at others, the transformational leader must look in the mirror."

Muhammad went on to identify Transformational Leader Essentials:

• Model integrity and fairness
• Set clear goals
• High expectations
• Encourage others
• Provide support and recognition
• Stir people's emotion
• Encourage people to look beyond their self-interest
• Inspire people to reach for the improbable: Bass (1985).

Muhammad quoted a number of authors and research that aligns with transformational leadership by adding to the list above saying that in Jim Collins' book Good to Great (2001), also contributes to the essentials of transformational leadership in that transformational leaders should seek and confront the "brutal facts." In point of case, he said that "Crucial Conversations" are needed when stakes are high, but often avoided because of strong emotions and opposing opinions (2011; Patterson, et.al, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High). Muhammad encouraged us to run toward our challenges and not away from them.

He suggested that healthy school cultures should limit "Adult Drama;" saying "Adult Drama" should be avoided as it results in dysfunctional social interactions between adult professionals within a school environment and interfere with the proper implementation of important policies, practices, and procedures that support the proper education of students.

Muhammad then referenced his book Transforming School Culture (2009) that outlines his study of 34 schools and their culture. From his research he was able to categorize the teaching culture into four types of professionals.

1. Tweeners
2. Believers
3. Survivors
4. Fundamentalist

Through the examination of each type's characteristics, Muhammad provided our staff the opportunity to look in the mirror to see which category might align with their beliefs and actions.

His concern was that "Fundamentalist" pose the biggest and critical challenge for schools to create a healthy culture, and that education is too critical to our society for leaders to allow a group of individuals who refuse to embrace substantive change to hijack it. His book says the "Fundamentalist might not have malicious intent, but their actions threaten to stunt the growth of the schools that serve our most needy students" (2009, p. 97).


 The implications of the training aligned with Muhammad's study of school culture in his book Transforming School Culture, in so much as, the schools studied that were able to create and maintain a healthy school culture were also able to eliminate the human distractions and focus on a collective purpose (p. 119).

Colstrip Public Schools has a Core Purpose. Perhaps it may serve as a systematic and school wide focus on learning for  collaboration needed to maintain a healthy school culture. A Core Purpose is vital to a healthy school culture (p. 121).   


Core Purpose of the Colstrip School District is to effectively focus on learning and growth for all students in a safe, healthy, caring and collaborative environment that ensures each student achieves intellectual and personal excellence and is well prepared for college and career pathways.

In review of the day's activities and information shared, our District is extremely thankful for Dr Muhammad and the time he spent with our educators. He was able to cover so much information in a short amount of time. Point of fact, the information included in this post represents a fraction of the that of which was covered in Dr. Muhammad's presentation. With that said, I was very proud of our staff and their participation and focus during this training. A number of compliments were shared and even though I have had the privilege of listening to Dr. Muhammad in other national venues, I was even more impressed with his direct impact on our staff.

Thank you Anthony Muhammad, PhD, for "Making Dust" with our educators here in Rosebud County. Our professional development was superb.

GO COLTS! GO FILLIES! 

MAKE DUST OR EAT DUST!

"Get out in front and stay there!"

A Purpose-Driven Education Through Strategic Planning

By Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

Just short of seven years ago, on April 13, 2009, the Colstrip Board of Trustees formally adopted its new Strategic Plan.  Colstrip Public Schools’ Board and Staff Leadership Team embraced the method of strategic planning as a continual and ongoing process to set the direction of the District for years to come.  This is not a "strategic planning project" that is completed. Adoption of a strategic plan is an affirmation of the general intent and direction articulated by the Core Ideology, Envisioned Future and Goals and Strategic Objectives. It is understood that progress toward achieving strategic objectives will be assessed annually, and the plan will be updated based on achievement and changes in the needs of the children served by the Colstrip School District. 

Strategic Planning allows Colstrip Public School District to create a direction for the school district that strategically focuses its resources on identified wants, preferences, and needs of its community. As part of this process, Colstrip Public Schools has begun a strategic planning and thinking process which will lead to a stronger and more vital school district.  This process has been ongoing as Colstrip Public Schools moves into the future.  This strategic plan is intended to help Colstrip Public Schools in focusing its resources in a manner which will best benefit the children enrolled in Colstrip Public Schools.  

The Colstrip Board of Trustees and Staff Leadership Team began the strategic planning and thinking process necessary to amend its current educational goals to better fit with its commitments to children, to community engagement, and to knowledge-based decision making processes. The Board and Staff, through this process, to date have discussed at length how it could best meet the present and future needs of the students of the Colstrip Public Schools.  Point of fact, the School Board monitors Strategic Planning processes at every monthly meeting to assure the direction set are being met or are meeting the needs of our students 

One of the first  items the board and community determined in the strategic planning process was the Core Ideology of the District. The Core Ideology describes a school district's consistent identity that transcends all changes related to its relevant environment. The Core Ideology consists of the following two elements: 

1)   Core Purpose - the school district's reason for being (see slide above).

2)   Core Values - essential and enduring principles that guide a school district (see slide below). 

The Core Ideology and Purpose provide a foundation for purpose-driven governance. The framework used by the Colstrip School District for its strategic planning process was adapted from a model developed by Jim Collins, author of “Built to Last” and “Good to Great.” The Board focuses on five different planning horizons, starting with the long term issues first to provide focus to shorter term efforts. 

Follow up posts to this blog will further explore the strategic planning process and the District's Envisioned Future and the process associated in developing the District's Big Audacious Goal and Vivid Descriptions. 

GO COLTS! GO FILLIES! 

MAKE DUST OR EAT DUST!

"Get out in front and stay there!"