WASC Visiting Team Report

Schoolwide Areas of Strength

1. The school provides a superior academic program.

2. The staff is well-qualified and seeks enhancement through consistent professional development.

3. The school and preschool provides a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment that reflects the school’s purpose though the designated ESLRs.

4. The collegial spirit and camaraderie amongst the administration and faculty enhance the educational environment of holistic student learning.

5. All stakeholders are committed to the purpose of the school as identified by the ESLRs and the dedication of resources to support the school’s goals.

6. GIS teachers actively employ their professional development workshops, trainings, and reading in improving academic programs and classroom management.

7. GIS provides a variety of learning experiences in the classrooms and through annual enrichment activities and events.

8. Granada Islamic School’s focus upon the unifying spiritual and cultural focus of Islam for the Granada community generates an exceptional learning environment.

9. The school makes significant improvement in the curriculum, particularly in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science, based on assessment results.

10. The Language Enrichment Program aids struggling students.

11. The school created teaching assistant positions to tutor students during and after school hours.

12. The Arabic language program employs differentiated instruction.

13. The MCA, administration, parents, and teachers have created and support a holistic learning environment.

14. The diverse, international community is united in their support of the school.

15. The governing authorities work together in providing financial resources for the school.

16. The leadership allocates resources on programs and facilities that help students be high academic achievers.

17. The school’s administration and staff are involved in budget allocation.

18. The school has improved the facility to accommodate growth in its classes and programs without incurring any debt.

Schoolwide Critical Areas for Follow-Up

1. The proposed changes to the governance structure need to be reviewed and presented to the general assembly for their consideration.

2. Salary schedule and benefits should be increased to recognize the staff’s dedication and professionalism and to provide appropriate compensation commensurate with the local cost of living.

3. The school should create and implement a program that addresses students’ social assimilation into the high school setting.

4. GIS needs to continue its growth in differentiation instruction and pedagogical techniques.

5. The physical education program warrants analysis, and a realistic plan should be implemented based on present facilities and/or offsite necessity.

6. The teachers need to continue their work in aligning the studies of the Qur’an and Islamic Studies.

7. The preschool staff needs to advance the development of their academic curriculum.

8. Benchmarks are needed for the measurement of students’ progress towards non-academic ESLRs.

9. GIS needs to explore and expand opportunities for physical education and an organized sports program.

10. Due to an enormous growth in the after-school program, an administrative structure needs to be developed.

11. GIS needs to help students develop more outreach and leadership skills to prepare them to participate in the Muslim and mainstream communities.

12. The salary scale for administration, faculty, and staff needs to be reflective of comparable positions at local schools and to recognize their standard of excellence.

13. The school should create a financial plan that consistently pays for standard operating expenses.

14. The school’s tuition needs to be restructured to provide more appropriate financial support for the school’s operating budget.

15. The outside play area needs to be remodeled to meet the needs of preschool-aged students.

16. The MCA, GIS Board, and the school’s administration need to create a long-term strategic plan to guide future development

Welcome to Granada Islamic School