C. Lessons Learned and Actions Taken Based on Accountability
Information
1. Important Lessons Learned from School’s Accountability Processes
The Carlos Rosario School continues to learn from and improve its accountability processes. In
School Year 2007-8, the School hired a database manager to help develop and improve existing data
management systems to increase data gathering and processing efficiency.
2. Problems Encountered in Implementing and Managing Accountability Plan
The School’s greatest challenge related to managing its Accountability Plan is collecting, aggregating,
analyzing and formatting the school’s final data at the end of the school year within the short timeline
required for submission of the annual report. Compounding the challenge is the School’s registration
which must take place in August and requires the support of all staff and faculty to successfully register
over 1,600 students.
3. Problems Identified and Program Changes Considered as a Result of Accountability Plan Data
School administration carefully monitors accountability plan data as it is available throughout the year.
This data-driven program management contributed to the School exceeding each of its ambitious accountability plan targets this school year.
For example, after analyzing the prior school year’s data, administration worked with Citizenship faculty
to ensure that all students were issued the mock USCIS exam prior to exiting the class. This measure
ensured that students would no longer exit the class mid-semester in order to take the official USCIS
exam and then miss taking the mock exam on which the School is evaluated.
In addition, as a result of mid-year accountability plan data this school year, the School emphasized the
importance of the student support services workshop quizzes to staff and students which increased attention to quiz preparation and ensured workshop presenters followed the agreed upon content outline.
This collaboration helped ensure the School met this target.
4. Recommended Changes in Accountability Plan and Process
No changes are recommended other than allowing more time to complete the annual report.
D. Reporting Accountability Information to Students, Teachers,
Parents, and the Public
Information is disseminated through school newsletters, assemblies, board meetings, and annual reports as well as through the participation of staff and students at City Council hearings. Information has
also been distributed through public service informational spots on television channels 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and
30 and through radio broadcasts on Radio America.
The School distributes documents including the Program Development Review, Compliance Review,
and Annual Reports to the Charter Authority, all board members, staff and faculty in order to ensure
stakeholder awareness of Carlos Rosario’s program priorities and to facilitate an interchange of
suggestions for program improvements.
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