SJK Receives Outstanding Results from CAIS & IB!
SJK Innovates as First School in Canada to Combine CAIS Accreditation and IB Continuum Evaluation!
Please view the following video featuring Karen Baird, SJK's Director of Teaching and Learning to learn more about the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum synchronized accreditation and evaluation process that SJK underwent during the 2017-18 academic year.
Hugh Burke, CAIS Accreditation Visiting Committee Chair and Head of School at Meadowridge School, British Columbia
“The teachers in the school have infused their teaching with innovation, both pedagogical and technological. As one of only a few Continuum International Baccalaureate schools in Canada - and only a few hundred in the world - the teachers are central to making the IB curriculum come alive. They have overlaid the IB curriculum with an ethic of care, of constant reflection and improvement, of collaboration, and of constant communication with families.”
At St. John's-Kilmarnock School (SJK), we pride ourselves on being a reflective community where we frequently engage in the process of ongoing internal review to identify our strengths and consider opportunities for continued growth and whole-school improvement.
This cycle of learning and growing helps us to generate our future goals and next steps. We believe that we are keenly aware of what we are doing well and we have a comprehensive plan leading to future growth.
To affirm this belief, we value and welcome third-party assessment and recommendations from objective professionals. Therefore, every five to seven years, we participate in a comprehensive external evaluation process.
In preparation for the dual accreditation/evaluation visit, faculty and staff collaborated for 18 months to develop a 357-page report that outlined an internal review of SJK's performance as it relates to CAIS and IB standards, respectively.
In February 2018, a visiting committee that was comprised of 14 individuals who represented CAIS or IB arrived at SJK for a four-day accreditation and evaluation on-site visit. The visit entailed formal and informal conversations with and observations of staff, faculty, parents, students, alumni and board members alike. The objective was to evaluate SJK against the internal report that was written by SJK faculty and staff, as well as measure how well SJK adheres to the standards and practices of both CAIS and IB. Our visit was the first time that the CAIS and IB accreditation process has been combined into a synchronous experience.
In February 2018, a visiting committee that was comprised of 14 individuals who represented CAIS or IB arrived at SJK for a four-day accreditation and evaluation on-site visit. The visit entailed formal and informal conversations with and observations of staff, faculty, parents, students, alumni and board members alike. The objective was to evaluate SJK against the internal report that was written by SJK faculty and staff, as well as measure how well SJK adheres to the standards and practices of both CAIS and IB. Our visit was the first time that the CAIS and IB accreditation process has been combined into a synchronous experience.
Hugh Burke, Chair of CAIS Accreditation Visiting Committee
"St. John’s-Kilmarnock has clearly become a rising star in independent schools in Canada…. It is always good to visit an excellent school. The Visiting Committee of CAIS learned a lot from our visit. The spirit of SJK was inspirational and left us all wanting to “go beyond” in our lives as well.”
The CAIS Accreditation and IB Evaluation are both rigorous processes that require a strong commitment to reflecting on current practices, school improvement, the School's ability to meet National and International Standards, and participation in research and professional development. Using the National and International Standards and Practices developed to provide a framework of quality and excellence, the purpose of the visit was to verify and measure SJK's progress towards meeting these prescribed Standards and Practices. We are pleased to confirm that SJK's results from this process are exceptional!
SJK's CAIS-IB Accreditation At A Glance
List of 6 items.
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18
Months of Internal Review -
357
Pages of Internally Prepared Documents -
4
Days of On-Site Evaluation -
14
People on the Visiting Committee -
49
Total Pages in Visiting Committee Feedback Reports -
2
Very Successful Synchronous Evaluations
Hugh Burke, Chair CAIS Visiting Committee
“The students in the School are a delight. They are most respectful, polite, and thoughtful. They are also lively learners who were fully engaged in the life of the school, demonstrating that school culture really does help to shape the children, who will collectively shape our future.”
At SJK, we teach students to reflect on and improve their performance. It is this same concept that we embraced as we prepared for this accreditation and evaluation. Self-reflection and informed, connected responses are essential elements in the journey of continuous school improvement to provide the best possible learning experience and environment for SJK students and families.
SJK is proud to share that the feedback reports received from both CAIS and IB contained no surprises. The recommendations given to SJK were in line with the areas of growth that the School is already in the process of addressing and had been identified on the School's Action Plan.
SJK is proud to share that the feedback reports received from both CAIS and IB contained no surprises. The recommendations given to SJK were in line with the areas of growth that the School is already in the process of addressing and had been identified on the School's Action Plan.
The Findings and Feedback
Below, you will find the summation of the CAIS and IB Feedback Reports. The commendations, recommendations and an overview of the roadmap forward are outlined below (click the dash to read more).
Please view the video below as Mr. Ian Watt, Interim Head of School, shares the path forward for SJK.
Please view the video below as Mr. Ian Watt, Interim Head of School, shares the path forward for SJK.
Commendations
List of 1 items.
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We were commended for:
- Collaborative culture
- Innovative thinking
- Open communication
- Growing partnerships in the local community
- Strong leadership
- Strength of teacher-student relationships
- Stimulating learning environment
- Commitment to international mindedness
- Development of the IB Learner Profile Attributes as integral part of school culture
- Nurturing culture of respect and understanding
- Commitment to providing choice and flexibility
Recommendations
List of 1 items.
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Suggestions included:
- Continue to develop student leadership opportunity
- Continue to build opportunities for community engagement
- Further develop risk management policies and procedures
- Enhancing support for English Language Learners
- Increasing depth and breadth of inquiry approaches to teaching and learning
- Incorporating use of technology in learning
Moving Forward
List of 1 items.
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Actions in progress:
- Integrated technology in the form of iPads in classrooms
- Design Lab campus enhancement in progress
- Hiring of dedicated Alumni Relations staff member
- Appointment of dedicated English Language Learning staff
- Increase community engagement - in learning, volunteering, partnerships and donations
- Develop more environmental awareness - stewardship, outdoor and indoor experiences
SJK would like to take this opportunity to thank all faculty, staff, parents, students and board members for their dedication to the journey that has been this dual accreditation process, which has genuinely been the embodiment of going beyond! The values and beliefs of the SJK community at large are guiding principles for the faculty and staff without which this reflective process would not be possible.
St. John's-Kilmarnock School
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