Culture Focus Group Report, 2011-2012

2011-2012 Report | Student Objectives Review | Profile | Progress Report | Focus Group Reports | Plan | Process

Culture: An organizational culture which reflects board-approved values (faithfulness, caring, collaboration, diversity, excellence, and stewardship) and is aware of and responsive to demographic trends.

That’s the type of organizational culture CAJ strives to have—one that reflects board-approved values and is aware of and responsive to demographic trends. Why? Because that’s the kind of culture CAJ needs to equip students to impact the world for Christ.

Strengths and Growth Areas

Strengths

1. CAJ demonstrates care, concern and high expectations for students in an environment that honors individual and cultural differences and is conducive to learning.
2. Mutual respect and high expectations are evident between CAJ staff, parents and students.
3. CAJ’s improvement process is broad-based and collaborative.
4. CAJ has effective processes for the regular involvement of parents and the community, allowing them to actively partner in the teaching/learning process.
5. Students, parents and staff enjoy coming to CAJ because it is a safe, healthy and nurturing place.

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Growth Areas

1. Although the improvement process is broad-based and collaborative, it has not been fully implemented with all the stakeholders having equal levels of commitment.
2. CAJ has high expectations for students, but it is difficult to measure/quantify how that affects students’ self-esteem.

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Summary of Findings

Environment

1. CAJ demonstrates care, concern and high expectations for students in an environment that honors individual and cultural differences and is conducive to learning.
2. CAJ fosters student self-esteem through high expectations for each student and mutual respect.
3. Mutual respect and communication is evident between CAJ staff, students and parents.
4. There is a high level of support for staff to try innovative approaches.
5. CAJ has policies, procedures, and resources to ensure a safe, healthy, nurturing environment that is conducive to learning, as required by board policy.

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Improvement Process

1. CAJ’s improvement process is broad-based and collaborative, with stakeholders having a range of commitment levels.
2. CAJ’s schoolwide improvement plan targets increased student learning through curriculum planning and development, professional development, and technology integration.
3. CAJ’s school improvement, professional development, and teacher evaluation are aligned.
4. CAJ supports the schoolwide action plan in terms of time, finances, personnel and material resources.

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Parent/Community Involvement

1. CAJ has effective processes for the regular involvement of parents and the community, allowing them to actively partner in the teaching/learning process.
2. CAJ effectively uses professional services and speakers from our immediate community and beyond.
3. CAJ uses a variety of ways to ensure that the parents and school community understand student achievement of the student objectives through the curricular/co-curricular program.

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Findings

Environment

1. CAJ demonstrates care, concern and high expectations for students in an environment that honors individual and cultural differences and is conducive to learning.

The Board Policy 1.0 1.3 mandates that CAJ reflect board values of caring and excellence while being aware of and responsive to demographic trends.

CAJ students are greeted each morning by a Leadership Team member at the front gate. The maintenance team members act as crossing guards at the main road near the train tracks, and staff members are on duty on the playground before and after school to supervise the elementary students.

Staff members coach and attend co-curricular activities that honor individual and cultural differences and allow students to excel in areas outside of the classroom as provided for by Board Policy 2.4.1.8. Students are encouraged to experiment in directing musical groups and drama productions (discussion with Fine Arts Coordinator; observation) where often the staff member will participate as a member of the group performing. High school students are encouraged to develop coaching skills by coaching middle school sports. Middle school and high school students are encouraged to participate in peer tutoring activities through the Learning Resource Center (LRC).

The Board Policy 2.3.2.1 also mandates that the headmaster show respect to CAJ families and perspective families. Overall students, parents, and staff believe that CAJ demonstrates care, concern, and high expectations for students (see 2010 High School Student Survey, 2010 Parent Survey, 6, 8, 19, 22, 32, 36, 48, 52; and 2011 Staff Survey, 40-49). Parents agree that in the classroom, resources (counseling, ESL support, Resource room support) are provided to help students succeed and that generally there are high expectations for students (2010 Parent Survey, 15, 19, 32, 48).

CAJ provides an environment where cultural differences are honored by routinely publishing the Knight Sounds (the PTA monthly publication) and sometimes the Community Bulletin in two languages, English and Japanese. CAJ employs an international staff with 13 countries represented.

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2. CAJ fosters student self-esteem through high expectations for each student and mutual respect.

CAJ staff have high expectations (2011 Staff Survey, 44) for students. Teachers believe in their students and expect their students to use their gifts for God and others. Teachers provide rigorous assignments and assessments and believe the students have a “can-do” attitude that will result in above standard work. Students are encouraged to help one another through peer editing and by sharing expertise in the classroom, on the sports field or on the stage. Student work is displayed in the hallways, in classrooms, at Parent-Teacher Conferences and at public performances on and off campus. Student artwork from all divisions is displayed at Artscape. Middle and high school students are encouraged to participate in Solo and Ensemble Festivals. Many high school students who participate in the CAJ music programs are encouraged to audition for the KPASSP honor band, honor orchestra and honor choir. Parents (2010 Parent Survey, 19, 32 and 48) and high school students generally agree that CAJ staff has high expectations for students.

Student self-esteem is fostered through a variety of systems for recognizing student success in academic areas. National Honor Society (NHS) members are recognized on the plaque in the atrium. Juniors are eligible for the EARCOS Global Citizen Award. PTA provides awards from each department to graduating seniors. Other awards are also available for graduating seniors. High school students with a GPA 3.6 or higher are recognized as on the Honor Roll. Students with a GPA 3.2 - 3.59 are recognized on the Merit Roll.

High school and middle school students who pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test are recognized in the Daily Bulletin. Middle and high school students also have opportunities to participate in Brain Bowl and Math Field Day. Students from all divisions are encouraged to participate in World Maths Day.

High school students who participate in co-curricular activities are recognized at the end of each season at a Co-curricular Dessert Evening. Varsity letters and pins and other awards are presented at that time.

Middle school students are recognized for academic and character awards at Middle School Awards Night in the spring. Middle school students also receive recognition for character traits on the middle school Wall of Honor once a month. Middle school students participate in middle school science event each year.

Some elementary classes have “Student of the Week” to help students share individual accomplishments. The elementary school art program has a calendar contest each year where all students and staff vote for their favorite artwork done by elementary students. The top 3 winners in each grade level are recognized and given a prize by the Art Department.

For elementary, middle, and high school students taking private piano lessons with on-site teachers, there is a recital held near the end of the year. These recitals showcase the piano teachers’ students in solo performances, and often are attended by family, friends, and CAJ staff members.

Elementary school students involved with the elementary choir have special performances at both the Christmas concert as well as the Easter performance. Although not entirely a “select” group, being part of the group requires rehearsal outside school hours. But the benefits of being in this group help enable these elementary school students to further their understanding and capability in choral music. Elementary school students who successfully complete a level on a string instrument will perform in their class with the orchestra conductor.

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3. Mutual respect and communication is evident between CAJ staff, students and parents.

Respect is seen between staff: Staff members are invited to join staff devotions before school each day. Staff members can share and view prayer requests for staff members. Weekly staff meetings allow opportunities for staff members to communicate in various groups; divisional meeting, headmaster meeting, focus group meeting, PLC meeting.

Respect is seen between parents, teachers and the staff: There are multiple electronic means for parents, teachers and students to communicate effectively related to daily academic or co-curricular activities. Many of these may be accessed on-line, including: viewing current assignments by subscribing to their teacher’s daily calendar, periodic posting of grades online several times per month instead of quarterly reports only, and listing of missing assignments. In addition, many teachers have their own web-based class site for students to access materials that they may have missed when they were absent. Some teachers even have web-based blogs that can be accessed to see student work and class information. Elementary teachers send out weekly newsletters to parents and other elementary staff members (conversation with elementary head teacher).

Parents are given opportunities to meet with principals at parent meetings. They also have a monthly Parents in Prayer meeting and a weekly community prayer meeting. Many parents help to prepare and work at Thrift Shop which also provides opportunities for parents to interact with one another and build community ties.

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4. There is a high level of support for staff to try innovative approaches.

School Without Walls (SWOW), the Physics/6th grade science class field trip to Toshimaen, and exchanges with Japanese schools at the elementary, middle school, and high school level are some of the ways staff are trying innovative approaches to enhance student learning. The PTA purchase of 5 iPads for the Japanese Department to use for learning kanji has led other departments (elementary, music and English) to borrow the iPads to enhance student learning. The purchase of more laptops to provide a third laptop cart in 2011 makes it easier to share among the three divisions. An elementary technology facilitator has been added to support classroom teachers encouraging them to integrate technology and enhance student learning.

Overall, staff agree (2011 Staff Survey, 49) that CAJ supports and encourages teachers to develop professional growth plans (SMART Goals) in order to become more effective in addressing CAJ’s student objectives by using innovative approaches to support and enhance student learning ((2011 Staff Survey, 31, 32, 34). These plans may incorporate innovative approaches, research based interventions, higher education or multiple levels of certification. In addition, CAJ has all-staff professional development activities throughout the year such as weekly all-staff meetings, in-service days and opportunities to attend conferences and workshops outside of CAJ.

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5. CAJ has policies, procedures, and resources to ensure a safe, healthy, nurturing environment that is conducive to learning, as required by board policy.

CAJ addresses safety and health: The majority of parents (2010 Parent Survey, 6) and staff (2011 Staff Survey, 40) believe CAJ has a safe, healthy environment. CAJ has policies for a range of issues, including universal precautions, pandemics, health screenings, harassment, crises, and child protection that ensure a safe and healthy environment. CAJ routinely practices the following drills (fire, earthquake, shelter-in-place, and lock-down) to help ensure that staff and students feel safe and will be able to respond appropriately in an emergency.

CAJ has an environment that is conducive to learning: Procedures for addressing learning needs are provided to help all students succeed. To support mental and emotional health, the Guidance Office provides counseling and classroom instruction. Elementary, middle, and high school handbooks include behavior guidelines regarding a range of issues, including dangerous items, drugs and alcohol, and cheating. A Health Center where students and staff can go for first aid treatment is staffed by a full-time nurse. Parents, students and staff can also go to the Health Center for information about health services available in the community.

CAJ has an environment that is nurturing to parents and students: All new families are invited to an orientation day prior to the start of school. Parents and students are given a tour of the facilities, an opportunity to meet teachers and a chance to hear from the divisional principal, PTA and Guidance Department. As a way to enfold new high school students, the day before school begins, all high school students came to pick up textbooks and have a student council social.

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Improvement Process

1. CAJ’s improvement process is broad-based and collaborative, with stakeholders having a range of commitment levels.

CAJ’s improvement process, developed in 2008-2009, involves stakeholders (students, parents and staff) in collaborating on school improvement through prayer, talking together, giving input through annual surveys (student, parent, staff) and by giving suggestions, developing reports, and reading reports. According to the school improvement process, stakeholders are in professional learning communities (PLCs), for example, academic departments, student council, Parent Cafes, and the PTA Executive Committee. PLCs collect and use school improvement data, and pass that data on to the focus groups, currently composed of staff members. Focus groups develop and submit reports to the Advisory Council which makes collaborative decisions about school improvement.

All stakeholders demonstrate their commitment levels through their participation in the school improvement process. Staff are currently more involved than students and parents. Overall, staff believe that they are involved in school improvement at a higher level than parents (2011 Staff Survey, 50 and 51).

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2. CAJ’s schoolwide improvement plan targets increased student learning through curriculum planning and development, professional development, and technology integration.

The Curriculum Planning and Evaluation System, including a review and evaluation cycle, is written by, and guides the work of, the Learning Team and is approved by the Leadership Team. K-12 teachers use Rubicon Atlas mapping software and the Understanding by Design framework to create and revise unit maps that include fields for benchmarks, enduring understandings, essential questions, content, skills, assessments, and resources. Staff anecdotal data indicates that curriculum mapping has increased student achievement of the student objectives. The Learning Team and staff continue to work on grade-level learning targets for all subjects K-12 and to increase their understanding and use of the “Understanding by Design” framework.

Most CAJ staff agree that CAJ's Professional Development Plan, as a facet of the school improvement plan, has resulted in increased student learning (2011 Staff Survey, 68). CAJ's Professional Development Plan is a collaborative effort between the Leadership Team and Learning Team. The administration and department chairs work together to set yearly and long-range goals that are periodically re-evaluated. Staff are also encouraged to set personal SMART goals that support the school wide professional development plan. A variety of opportunities are provided on campus as well as funding for off campus training.

CAJ has a plan to increase technology integration in the classroom. The Technology Department is working on writing K-12 learning targets. During the 2011-2012 school year, the elementary division is focusing on technology integration, and a technology facilitator is providing in-class and out of the classroom support. Each grade level is expected to integrate technology into 3 units this year. The technology facilitator has set up a blog for the teachers to share their unit ideas. Several classrooms have also set up blogs for the students, teachers and parents to collaborate. Seniors now have a 1-to-1 program in place, and there are 3 mobile laptop carts, 30 netbooks, 5 iPads, 2 computer labs and several computers available in the library. There are 20 classrooms with digital data projectors. All teaching staff have a laptop provided by the school. There are projectors, laptops and flip cameras available for check out in the library.

CAJ is developing its ability to use data regarding student achievement of the student objectives to generate improvement plans.

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3. CAJ’s school improvement, professional development, and teacher evaluation are aligned.

The school improvement plan, which guides CAJ’s work (2011 Staff Survey, 52), addresses curriculum development and technology integration. To support the achievement of the improvement plan, CAJ provides professional development (2011 Staff Survey, 71) and evaluates teachers in terms of contributing to school improvement (for example, curriculum and technology).

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4. CAJ supports the schoolwide improvement plan in terms of time, finances, personnel and material resources.

The Board mandates (Board Policy 2.4.3) that the school improvement process should be sustainable and ongoing. CAJ has created a school improvement process that is ongoing and sustainable. The school improvement process was developed in the 2008-2009 school year. Focus groups have been meeting since 2009-2010 school year and the Advisory council has been meeting from 2010, although there was some disruption because of the natural disasters that took place in March 2011. Along with a long-range timeframe, staff members have been given time to work on the gathering and reviewing of data and writing of reports at focus group meetings. The headmaster has allocated several of his “headmaster meetings” from the fall of 2011 for the purpose of working on the reports (see iCal). Focus group leaders have been allowed to take time away from other duties to work on the reports (Substitutes have been provided when asked for.)

The CAJ budget provides significant funds for staff professional development. Most staff agree that they receive the resources necessary for professional growth (2011 Staff Survey, 71).

Heavy emphasis has been placed on the use of capital budgets to increase the use of technology in the classroom. We took the first step toward a 1-to-1 laptop program by giving each senior their own laptop. If successful, that program will be extended to all 4 years of high schoolers receiving their own laptops. All teachers have been provided with their own laptops to make it easier for them to use technology at home or in the classroom. All focus groups became collaborative when we began using google docs this year. This is made possible because we provided individual laptops to all teachers. We have been investigating the availability of electronic textbooks. We plan to be ready to make that shift when electronic textbooks go mainstream.

Staff from various departments and divisions are part of each focus group, with the leaders of the focus groups also coming from different departments and divisions. One staff member, Michael Essenburg, is the school improvement coordinator.

Information about the improvement process and improvement plan is available to all staff members through SOPHIE.

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Parent/Community Involvement

1. CAJ has effective processes for the regular involvement of parents and the community, allowing them to actively partner in the teaching/learning process.

According to the school improvement survey completed by parents in 2010, CAJ responds well to parental concerns (2010 Parent Survey, 7). At Back-to-School Day parents are given an opportunity to meet staff and other parents as well as get an overview of the curriculum. On that day elementary and middle school parents are encouraged to volunteer to be involved in class activities. Attendance at Back-to-School Day continues to rise. New Family Orientation is held the day before classes begin in August to give new families an opportunity to tour the school, meet teachers and hear important information.

Parents are active partners in the teaching/learning process through parent/teacher conferences and student-led conferences in every division. When they have any questions, they are encouraged to make an appointment with the teacher.

Parents have opportunities to be involved in school-day activities including substitute teaching, field trips, planning elementary classroom parties, helping in the dining hall, monitoring the Wednesday morning study hall, giving presentations in classrooms and chapel and assisting with middle school activities such as the Egg Drop Contest and Science Fair.

Parents are regularly involved with activities at CAJ. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) supports the ministry of Christian Academy in Japan. Parents work together to put on a large-scale Thrift Shop which raises money for projects that support student learning. Parents meet regularly in Parents in Prayer groups to pray for the students and the school. PTA communicates with parents using an online newsletter called Knight Sounds. Parents volunteer to make Christmas goodies to share with merchants near the campus and also listen to students who have memorized passages from the Bible over the summer.

Parents are invited to attend many school events including concerts, drama, athletic events, parent/teacher conferences, and student-led conferences.

Parents are invited to be involved in ad hoc committees such as the Dress Code Committee.

Parents have opportunities to give financially to the endowment fund, college scholarships, tuition assistance, various scholarships, and designated gifts, as well as gifts-in-kind.

Regularly scheduled communication between parents, students and teachers unifies and enables a team effort (parents and teachers) that fosters student learning. All families receive a weekly email called the Community Bulletin. Parents receive a glossy printed newsletter called the Chronicle which gives an overview of what is happening on campus. Parents can click on the CAJ Community Website at any time to read about what is coming up and other important information.

• Elementary: Parents of elementary students receive weekly newsletters from classroom teachers giving information about upcoming studies, test dates, and project due dates. Recently, some teachers have been creating classroom blogs as another means of communication. The elementary principal sends out periodic communication and regularly conducts Parent Cafes to empower parents to work effectively with their children. Parents are asked to sign homework notebooks in grades 2-5 to ensure they are current on their children’s homework. Parents receive portfolios 3 times a year and report cards 2 times a year.
• Middle School: Parents of middle school students periodically receive a newsletter called Middle School Minders from the middle school principal. Middle school students have homework planners that need to be signed daily by parents in grades six and seven. Teachers may write notes to parents in these planners. Major due dates of assignments and grades are online for parents to view. The online grades have detailed information regarding each assessment. Middle school students receive report cards two times per year. The middle school principal also holds meetings for parents called Middle School Hallways. Parents of eighth graders come to see their child’s middle school culminating displays at E Cubed (Eighth Grade Encapsulating Extravaganza.)
• High School: Parents of high school students are able to check their students’ grades online at anytime. They receive report cards two times per year, and high school newsletters. The high school principal periodically holds meetings for parents called Parent Conversations.

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2. CAJ effectively uses professional services and speakers from our immediate community and beyond.

Procedures are set up for teachers to invite community members to speak in their classrooms and for chapel. Guidelines inform teachers on how to make arrangements and provide remuneration for these speakers. Parents come to classes to give presentations in their areas of expertise and to speak in chapel.

The Guidance Office and the PTA cooperate to bi-annually bring in a speaker who specializes in working with Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Professional speakers meet with students to help them understand themselves as children who have grown up in a cross-cultural environment, which in turn affects their worldview and where they find their sense of belonging. The Guidance Office and PTA cooperate to also offer a seminar for the CAJ community and parents to discuss TCK issues using the same professional who speaks to the children.

One more aspect of the three-day TCK seminar event is a special session off campus for juniors and seniors for a pre-departure seminar. The focus is to assist students in making a successful transition from one culture to another. A professional speaker teaches the students how to leave well and prepare to leave by “building a RAFT.”

During the TCK seminar event, any students who anticipate moving away from CAJ within the next year can meet with the seminar speaker to discuss transition issues. (Interview with Academic Guidance Counselor 9/23/2011)

To inform students about Christian post-secondary education opportunities, CAJ hosts a Christian College Fair sponsored by NACAPP bi-annually. This one-day event provides opportunities for students to meet and talk with representatives from numerous Christian colleges and universities. Representatives are provided a space and a table for displays and literature. The college representatives give general seminars on financial aid and other topics of concern for college-bound students. High school students interested in speaking to a college representative are also given opportunities as the occasion arises. (Daily bulletin announcements when a rep will be on campus).

In addition to the Christian college fair that we host, 30 students were taken to the yearly Kanto Plains College Fair in 2010. (Only 14 students attended in 2011 due to a tennis match schedule conflict.) In the 2011-2012 school year the fair was held at St. Mary’s School on September 16, and 70 schools from 7 countries were represented at the fair (email from academic guidance counselor 9/23/11; Daily Bulletins on 9/12-14/2011; CAJ Community Bulletin). CAJ uses community medical resources. The school nurse uses the local emergency medical services to help students when the needs arise. She has access to lists of community medical resources for families that want this information (interview with School Nurse 9/23/2011).

CAJ has a Support Team to assist students with special needs. Referrals are given to families for educational psychometric testing. We referred 9 students last school year, or 2% of the student population. Some financial assistance to pay for the testing is given to qualifying families who apply for it (interview with Support Team Coordinator 9/23/2011).

The Guidance Office and Support Team provide a list of counselors that families can contact when student needs are more extensive than we can handle with our counselors. Many students have benefited from services offered at Tokyo English Life Line.

The Academic Guidance Office provides Naviance, an internet-based program containing a variety of resources for students related to college and career. CAJ high school students are trained in how to access this program as part of the guidance curriculum.

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3. CAJ uses a variety of ways to ensure that the parents and school community understand student achievement of the student objectives through the curricular/co-curricular program.

The CAJ website lists the student objectives in a variety of places (Student Objectives page, the CAJ School Profile and in the elementary, middle, and high school handbooks.

The student objectives are also communicated narratively in the web resource Understanding a Christian-Focused, Western-Style Education which is also given in brochure form to interested and applying parents. This narrative description is seen as a way that CAJ communicates the student objectives to parents (conversation with headmaster, Sept. 23, 2011).

At this time the method of communication to parents regarding student achievement of student objectives is through the different schools’ report cards. It is understood that the assessment reflects the student’s achievement of student objectives (conversation with school improvement coordinator, Sept. 23, 2011). At this point the CAJ elementary report card format allows for expression of student achievement in terms of student objectives. The middle school and high school report cards do not show achievement in terms of the student objectives. Rubrics that are used for grading assessments in middle school and high school have direct links to the specific student objectives.

The majority of parents surveyed understand CAJ’s educational goals and agreed they have opportunities to know how their children are doing. A December 2010 online survey (see item 14) most parents understood CAJ’s educational goals.

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