1. AIM Implementation
Training
2013

2. This presentation was prepared for NAIS by:
Cheryl Gardner
Meridian Solutions
301-587-3385
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3. Introductions
 Names
 Roles in AIM process
 Initial questions
 Materials needed for this session
 AIM User’s Manual
 School Self Assessment document
3

4. AIM Training Agenda
 Background
 Implementation Requirements
 School Self Assessment
 Online Climate Survey
 Assessment Report
 Post Implementation Evaluation
4

5. Background
5

6. Assessment components
 Climate Survey
 All constituents including students ages 12 and older
 Younger students ages 9 – 11
 School Self Assessment
 Resources
 AIM User’s Manual
 Guide to Understanding/Evaluating AIM Results
. . . Background
6

7. AIM plans at your school
 Why is your school undertaking AIM?
 How do you plan to use the results?
 Do you plan to implement all aspects of the
assessment?
 What is your tentative schedule?
. . . Background
7

8. AIM meets current needs
 AIM designed to evaluate / assess –
 Diversity
 Multiculturalism
 Congruence with NAIS Principles of Good Practice for
Equity and Justice
 Implemented as
 Stand alone
 Self-study element in accreditation review
 Part of strategic planning process
. . . Background
8

9. Entire school community participates
 Affirm a school’s progress in meeting diversity
and multicultural goals
 Identify effective diversity and multicultural
initiatives
 Facilitate meaningful and constructive dialogue in
the school community using appreciative inquiry
 Support positive community-building process
. . . Background
9

10. Potential benefits
 Gather information on school climate
 Discover what is most effective for advancing
inclusiveness and multiculturalism
 Find areas that need more work to ensure steady
progress
 Use a common language to facilitate discussion
 Gain additional benefits unique to your school (?)
. . . Background
10

11. Implementation
11

12. Process Overview and Action Steps
 See flow chart on pages 2 & 3 of User’s Manual
 Includes references to sections in Manual
 Suggests related tasks
. . . Implementation
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13. Important considerations
 Staff time required
 Confidentiality
 Terms and definitions
. . . Implementation
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14. First steps . . .
 Choose an AIM coordinator
 Form Steering Committee
 Familiarize yourself with AIM materials
 Prepare an AIM implementation schedule
. . . Implementation
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15. AIM coordinator role
 Review materials and know how to proceed
 Keep process on schedule
 Schedule committee meetings
 Check in with assessment committees
 Coordinate production of assessment report
15
. . . Implementation

16. AIM coordinator role
 Prepare definitions for the affiliation/constituent
categories
 Prepare total number of potential survey
participants by affiliation category
 Implement outreach plan for climate survey
 Share experiences
16
. . . Implementation

17. Steering committee role
 Oversee assessment process
 Work with coordinator to develop schedule
 Prepare plan for the self assessment
 Choose discovery committee facilitators
 Ensure self assessment includes all questions of
importance to the school
 Write final report
. . . Implementation
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18. Prepare schedule including tasks
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. . . Implementation
Task / Activity
Form committees
Conduct self assessment
Implement outreach plan
Administer climate survey
Review survey results
Complete report
Participate in debrief
Due Date

19. School Self Assessment
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20. Self Assessment questions
 A. School governance and leadership
 B. Policy and administration
 C. Admissions and financial aid
 D. Faculty / teacher
 E. Teaching and learning
. . . School Self Assessment
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21. Self Assessment questions (cont.)
 F. Student life
 G. School publications and environment
 H. Staff involvement and life
 I. Parent / guardian involvement
 J. Alumni/-ae involvement and investment
. . . School Self Assessment
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22. Process steps will guide assessment
. . . School Self Assessment
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1. Appoint steering committee
 3 to 6 members
 Oversees assessment
 Completes Section K
1. Meet to review process
2. Appoint discovery committees
 Focus groups of 8 to 10 members
 Should include diversity and expertise

23. Process steps (cont.)
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. . . School Self Assessment
4. Convene discovery committees – each one
 Considers the questions in assigned sections
 Reaches consensus decisions
5. Write summary report
 Facilitator will write with help of recorder
 Considers survey and discovery data in light of
Section K data

24. Climate Survey
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25. Things to consider
 Younger Student survey
 Instruments in other languages
 Optional Paper surveys
 Distribution of survey via . . .
 E-mail link and/or
 Link on school website
. . . Climate Survey
25

26. Preparation for climate survey
 Prepare outreach plan
 Prepare information for Insightlink
 Define affiliation groups
 Determine # of potential respondents in each group
 School logo for first survey page
 Spanish / Mandarin / Korean survey
. . . Climate Survey
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27. Constituents = affiliation groups
 Students – ages 12 and older, ages 9 - 11
 Trustees
 Administrators
 Faculty / teachers
 Staff
 Parents / guardians
 Alumni / -ae
. . . Climate Survey
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28. Available for all constituents
 Involves all members of school community
 Assesses how they experience the school
 Uses appreciative inquiry approach
 Provides for confidentiality
 Helps to identify priority initiatives
. . . Climate Survey
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29. Important to generate wide participation
 Prepare outreach plan for your school
 Include reminders during survey administration
 Set goals for participation by constituent groups
 Enlist many in outreach activities
 Share results with the school community
. . . Climate Survey
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30. Parent permission issues
 Existing school policy
 Voluntary survey thus written permission not
required, but parent can opt out for child
 Student survey questions available for parent
review if requested
. . . Climate Survey
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31. Climate Survey Results
 Summary Report
 Benchmarks for comparisons
 Data Tables
 By affiliation groups
 Request others if needed – by age, gender,
race/ethnicity, years with the school
 Verbatim Comments
. . . Climate Survey
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32. Assessment Report
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33. Value of assessment report
 Highlights big picture
 Documents key learning
 Creates basis for moving forward
 Provides “road map” for next time
. . . Reporting
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34. Preparation for report
 Gather discovery committee reports
 Review climate survey data
 Participation rates
 Question scores
 Composite scores
 Verbatim comments
 Benchmarks
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. . . Reporting

35. Data Analysis
 Guide to Understanding/Evaluating AIM Results
 Factors for each constituent group
 Composite scores for each factor driver
 Cross-reference to discovery group questions
 Compare results for each part of the assessment
 See report outline in User’s Manual
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. . . Reporting

36. Assessment Evaluation
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37. Make notes of experiences
 What worked well
 What didn’t work well
 Value and usefulness of information gathered
 How much time was invested in self assessment
 Response to climate survey
. . . Assessment Evaluation
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38. Data gathering for evaluation
 Debriefing will include –
 Review of AIM coordinator notes
 Review of your AIM report
 Teleconference with selected staff
 Preparation of report with recommendations
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. . . Assessment Evaluation

39. Share what you learned
 With other schools
 Process
 Experience
 With NAIS
 Process
 Experience
 Final report (sharing is optional)
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. . . Assessment Evaluation

40. AIM Support Team
 NAIS Documentation & Payment
 Tina Wood, NAIS
 wood@nais.org / (202) 973-9762
 Climate Survey Set-up & Delivery
 George Gillies, Insightlink Communications
 gillies@insightlink.com / (1-866-802-8095 x701)
 Implementation Support & Questions
 Cheryl Gardner, Meridian Solutions
 cagardner@meridiansolutionsinc.com / (301) 587-3385 40
. . . Assessment Evaluation

41. Final questions / concerns
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 What final questions do you have?
 Contact your AIM Support person
(listed in Appendix of AIM User’s Manual)
 Next steps