Summary:SelfStudyFindingsAndConclusions

Thissummarysectionshouldbewrittenaftertherestoftheselfstudyworkhas
beencompletedthroughthebroadinvolvementofmembersoftheschool
communityinexaminingandassessingalloftheessentialcomponentsofthe
schoolseducationalprogramandoperations.Thisisanopportunityfortheschool
tosynthesizetheresultsofitsdeliberationsandwritingintoanoverviewthat
capturesthebroadestandmostsignificantinformationandunderstandingsthat
emergedfromtheselfstudyprocess.Pleaserespondtothefollowingquestions.

1.Whatemergedfromandwassubstantiatedbytheselfstudyprocessasthe
schoolsareasofgreateststrength?

Toalargedegree,thisselfstudyhasfunctionedtoaffirmthevalueswetakepride
inandhavelongtreasuredinourcommunity.Whatfollowsarethemainstrengths
reflectedinthevarioussectionsofourselfstudy:
Wedeeplyvaluethe

autonomyembeddedinPunahousculture.Acrossall
constituencies,wearecollectivelyapassionate,independent,talented,
selfdirected,inspired,caringcommunity.
Punahouscultureistheresultofourunfailingdedicationtothemission

of
ourschooltoaffirmtheworthanddignityofofallofourstudentswhile
preparingthemforthechallengesfacingthemnowandinthefuture.
Wehavecarefullycuratedincredibleresources

tosupportourschool:
visionaryleadership,dedicatedandtalentedfaculty,staff,studentsand
parents,generousfunding,anddeeppartnershipsinourlocal,nationaland
globalcommunity.
Wethriveonthecreativetensionresultingfromourtraditionof175yearsof
excellenceandourmissiondrivenimperativetoinnovate.Whilemotivated
toexploreandcreate,wearegratefulforthecheckandbalanceprovidedby
ahistoryofsuccessfuleducationalprogramsandpractices.Asweremain
attentivetotransitionandchange,wemaintainourrelevanceintheservice
ofourstudentstopreparethemforarapidlychangingworld.

 Althoughweareoftenchallengedbythedilemmaofunderstandingand
managingthedepthandbreadthofourschool,weacknowledgeandare
gratefulforthegiftofPunahoussize,diversityandcomplexity.

2.Whatnewandusefulinformationabouttheschoolwasgeneratedby
researchordiscussionsassociatedwiththeselfstudyprocess?Whatdidthe
schooldiscoveraboutitself?

Theanswertothisquestionhasbeenhighlyanticipated.Asidefrombeingan
opportunitytovalidateourperceptionsonthestrengthsandneedsofourschool,
wehopedtheselfstudywouldprovideuswithvaluablenewinformation.What
followsaresomeofthenewandusefulinsightsgeneratedfromtheselfstudy:

CommonsensetoldusPunahouwasamissiondriveninstitution.Itwas
surprising,however,toseehowconsistentlythiscommonsensewasupheld
andhowdeeplyrootedweareinourschoolsmission.Mostpeoplecant
recallitsexactwords,butateverylevel,ineachdepartment,withinall
constituenciesofourschool,ourmissionguidesourdailydecisionmaking.
Punahousmissionisournorthstar.
Weweresurprisedbytheexpressedneedfromourcommunitytoexplore
ourrelationshipwithdata.Acentralquestionthatemergedwas:Whatdo
weunderstandandwhatisstillunclearabouthowwecurrentlycollect,
curate,synthesizeandusedata?Ourcommunityrepeatedlyaffirmedthe
needforgreaterunderstandingabouthowtoeffectivelydevelopandusedata
toinformourdecisionmakingandguidethedevelopmentofourschool.
Beforewebegantheselfstudy,theneedforbettercommunicationwas
expressedinavarietyofcontexts.Wenowknowmoreaboutthespecific
areasfromwhichthisneedisexpressedandthereasonsbehindour
communityscallforclearer,increasinglycoherentandtimely
communication.Thesereasonsincludethedesiretoimproveservices,efforts
toreducemisperceptionsandmisinformation,andthehopethatclearand
opencommunicationwillincreaseourabilitytominevaluefromdiverse
perspectives.

 Weintuitivelyknewourcommunitywasfeelingstretchedbyanabundance
ofactivitiesandopportunitieswithinaculturethatstrivesforexcellencein
allwedo.Wenowknowthisconcernforbalanceinlifeisrecognizedbyall
ourconstituencies,causingustopauseandconsiderwhetherweneedto
collectivelyquestionwhatitmeanstoleadabalancedlife.Wewillcontinue
toexplorethedefinitionofsuccessinourlives.
Ourschoolleadershiphasclearlycommunicatedthegoaltocontinueto
developourschoolintoacohesiveK12unit.Ourselfstudyrevealedthisis
alsoagrassrootsgoalfromourteacherswithstrongsupportfromother
schoolconstituencies.Questionsfromourcommunityalsosurfacedabout
whatitmaytaketobecomeacohesiveK12unit.Willweneedtogiveup
someofourautonomytocreatemorecoherence?Willthisbroaderemphasis
diminishthesmallerneighborhoodswehavecreatedoncampus?What
resourcesandsupportwillbeneededforustobecomeacohesiveK12unit?
Throughtheselfstudy,wehaveabetterunderstandingofthedesire,the
needandthechallengesofthisgoaltocreateamorecloselyknitK12
school.

3.Indrawingupontheanalysisofissuesandtheidentificationoffuturework
containedinthevariousselfstudychapters,whatwouldtheschoolnow
designateasitsmostimportantfivetoeightinstitutionalstrategicpriorities
forthenextseveralyears?

Synthesisoftheissuesandinsightsfromtheselfstudyindicatesourschoolwould
benefitfromaddressingthesestrategicpriorities.Eachpriorityisfollowedbya
samplingofrelatedquestionsandreferencestosupportingsections:

DevelopK12connectivity:
Punahouwouldbenefitfrommoretime,
resources,andopportunitiesforK12communicationandcollaboration.A
sharedunderstandingoftheK12visionisequallyimportant,andthe
missionoftheschoolshouldbeatitscore.Theschoolsleadershipwillneed
tocontinuetopromoteacultureofcollaborationwherefacultyandstafffeel
empoweredtoworktogetherasasinglesystem.AK12schoolhasthe

potentialtoprovideanenvironmentwherestudentscanfullydevelop
throughallaspectsofPunahousmission.
HowmightwebringourAcademyandJuniorSchooltogether
throughtheexplorationoftheLearningCommonsasaparadigmfor
thefutureofeducation?
HowmightweembracethedilemmaofPunahoussize,diversity,and
complexityandbuilditasanopportunity?
Howmightwecreativelyaddressthechallengesoffindingtimeand
opportunityforK12connectivity?
Formoreinformation,pleaseseethefollowingsections:
Mission,Question5
Administration,Question8andQuestion9
EducationalProgram,Question8
StudentLearning,Question4andQuestion9
FacultyandPedagogy,Question10
ClimateandCommunity,Question1
Harnessthecreativetensionbetweenautonomyandcoherence:
We
deeplyvaluethe

autonomyembeddedinPunahousculture.Aswework
towardsbecomingamorecohesiveK12school,wewillalsoneedto
acknowledge,valueandexpect
topdowndecisionmakingasacomplementary
strengthtoourdistributedleadershipstyle.
Howmightwemaintaintheautonomywevaluewhileattendingto
clarityandfocus?
Howmightwerefineorredesignsystems,processes,and
communicationwithinandbetweenthemanydivisionsofourschool
toimprovecohesivenessandefficiency?
Howmightwemovebeyondpoliteacceptanceortoleranceofthe
creativetensionresultingfromdiversethinkinganddoing,to
embracingandharnessingitasadynamicelementofinnovation?
Formoreinformation,pleaseseethefollowingsections:
EducationalProgram,Question8
StudentLearningExperience,Question4andQuestion9

 FacultyandPedagogy,Questions3,8and10
ClimateandCommunity,Question1

Expandourunderstandingandapplicationofpersonalizationand
SocialandEmotionalLearning(SEL)inourschool:
Ourschools
missioncallsustovalueandnurturethepromiseandgiftsofeach
individual.Itisthereforeimperativeforustocontinuetoembracecampus
diversityandseekwaystopersonalizeourservicestomeettheneedsof
individuals.
Howmightwebestsupporteachlearnerspersonallearningstyle?
Howmightwedevelopinnovativewaystoprovideclearanddiverse
meansofcommunicatingwithourconstituencies?
Howmightwedeveloparobustprofessionaldevelopmentprogram
thatsupportsthediverselearningneedsofteacherswhileproviding
clearfocusoncriticalinstitutionalgoals?
Formoreinformation,pleaseseethefollowingsections:
Mission,Question5
EducationalProgram,Question8
StudentLearningExperience,Questions4,5and9
FacultyandPedagogy,Question9andQuestion10
ClimateandCommunity,Question5
Addressthechallengesofandleveragetheopportunitiesintransition
andchange:
Ourrapidlychanginginternalandexternalworldsescalateour
needtofocusonevolvingoursystems,processesandprogramstobestserve
theneedsofourstudentsandotherschoolconstituencies.
Successionplanning
Howmightwebothmanageandfindopportunityinour
intergenerationalchallenges?
Howmightwecreateleadershipopportunitiesandcapacities?
Agilityandfluencytofuelinnovation

 Howmightwebalanceacceleratingcurricularinnovationto
matchthefastpaceofachangingworldwithlessonslearned
from175yearsofsuccessfuleducationalpractice?
Howmightweredesignourcurrentoperationstoefficiently
supportinnovationwhileaddressingexistingchallenges?
Increasingdiversity
Howmightwecontinuetoresourceourcommitmentto
needblindfinancialaid?
Howmightweleveragelearnerdiversity?
Formoreinformation,pleaseseethefollowingsections:
Mission,Question5
EducationalProgram,Question8
StudentLearning,Question4andQuestion9
FacultyandPedagogy,Question10
ClimateandCommunity,Questions4,5and9
Health,Safety,andWellness,Question1andQuestion3
SelfAssessment,DecisionMaking,andChange,Question3
Developourabilitytocreate,curate,analyzeandcommunicatedatato
makeinformeddecisions:
Ourunderstandinganduseofdatacanbe
deepenedwithadeliberatefocusonconsideringwhatwemeanbydata,
howandwhywecollectandusedata,andhowwecanensurethevalidity,
accuracyandreliabilityofdata.Conversely,weshouldalsoconsidermeans
forencouragingpeoplewhoareunaccustomedtousingdatatobeopento
consideringhowdatacanhelpallofusmakeinformeddecisions.
Howmightwedetermineifweareassessingwhatwevalue?
Howmightweusedatatounderstandingtheefficacyofourteaching?
Howmightweusedatatoprovideobjectiveclarityinour
decisionmaking?
Formoreinformation,pleaseseethefollowingsection:
SelfAssessment,DecisionMaking,andChange,Questions1,
2,4,and7
StudentLearningExperience,Question4

 Createandimplementaschoolwideplanforanongoingformative
selfstudy:
Ledbyourpresidentandprincipals,ourschoolcommunityhas
theopportunitytocontinuetorefineourongoingselfstudypractices.If
successful,wewillbeengagedinaformative,reflective,iterativeselfstudy
processthroughouttheyearsbetweenaccreditationvisits,resultinginlittle
needforextensiveadditionalresearchandsynthesisayearortwobeforethe
nextaccreditationvisit.
Howmightweseektocontinuetheworkofthe2016Accreditation
SelfStudytoguidethedevelopmentofourschool?
Howmightwedesignandimplementthisinitiativetoachieveits
ultimatemeasureofsuccess:tobenearlyaccreditationreadybythe
nextAccreditationSelfStudyvisitwithlittleneedforadditional
extensiveresearchandsynthesis?
Whatkindsofsystemsandresourceswillweneedtoachievethis
goal?
Formoreinformation,pleaseseethefollowingsections:
SelfAssessment,DecisionMaking,andChange,Question6
AccreditationSelfStudyProcess