Summary of OLA School Limited Institutional Assessment

March 24, 2000

The actual report is a lengthy document which contains much educational and administrative background material, and specific recommendations of a purely administrative nature.  The following summary was prepared Fr. Tom Welbers in consultation with Ms. Lujan and Mr. Richard J. Burke.

The Final Report of the Limited Institutional Assessment prepared by Catholic School Management, Inc., for Our lady of the Assumption School, December 8, 9, and 10, 1999, identified a number of strengths, as well as several recommendations for future stability and development.

The report noted the following as significant strengths that were observed, as listed on page 7:

1.      Our Lady of the Assumption School is blessed with a core group of parents who are clearly committed to Catholic education and who are willing to assist in whatever ways the principal, Elida Lujan, deems appropriate.

2.      The pastor, Father Tom Welbers, is clearly committed to Catholic education in general and to Our Lady of the Assumption School in particular.  His support for both the school administration and staff was clearly evident during our onsite visit.

3.      The pastor and principal enjoy a very good working relationship.  It is clear that there is mutual respect and support.  It was also clear that they have been able to work very well together when dealing with difficult issues.

4.      The school has recently been awarded a six-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).  It is impressive that the principal, Elida Lujan, was able to effectively guide the school community through the self study and accreditation process during her first year as principal.

5.      There is an impressive array of athletic offerings provided for students.  In addition, the apparent quality of the athletic programs is most impressive.

In other parts of the report, additional strengths were noted:

“[F]or the most part, parents and teachers had a good sense of OLA as a Catholic, parish-based school, serving not only Our Lady of the Assumption parish, but other parishes in the region as well.  We also note that the WASC accreditation visiting committee commended the stgatement of philosophy, goals and objectives which were prepared as part of the self study.  Having reviewed the documents, we concur with this commendation.” (Page 9)

With regard to the school administration and the teaching/learning environment, the following points were noted (pages 10-11):

1.      The current principal, Elida Lujan, has been chief administrator at Our Lady of the Assumption School for only 1.5 years.  Moreover, she was brought in to administer the school during a most chaotic period of time.  . . .

2.      Ms. Lujan is currently working with a faculty which is almost entirely new.  Seven members of the faculty are currently in their first year of teaching, while thirteen have under three years of teaching experience.

3.      Recognizing that the curriculum was questioned in some areas, Ms. Lujan began a curriculum review process including a detailed review of the math curriculum in all eight grades.

4.      A vice-principal, Bernadette Boyle, has been hired. . . .  Both Bernadette Boyle and Elida Lujan are working to establish an administrative team which can effectively oversee day-to-day operations in the areas of student affairs, academic affairs, and faith community affairs.

5.      At the time of Ms. Lujan’s arrival, it was generally recognized that the school was incurring expenses far in excess of the ability of tuition and fundraising to support those expenses.  Over the past year and a half, Ms. Lujan has reined in out of control spending and has created an atmosphere of tight fiscal controls.

6.      Both group interviews and our own observations revealed that Ms. Lujan has made a genuine effort to get to know the children. Many students expressed delight with Ms. Lujan’s care and concern for them and her willingness to spend time individually with them.

7.      During her first year of administration, Ms. Lujan successfully guided the school through a self study process leading to a six year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

In the area of business affairs and finances, it was noted that the parish (and school) are currently debt free, but have very limited reserve funds (under $250,000).  Both the parish and school currently have a positive cash flow, and Ms. Lujan has been most successful in controlling spending and turning from a deficit to a break-even operation.  The bookkeeping/accounting system is based in the parish office, and the parish finance council does school budget oversight.  This appears to be a successful working arrangement for unifying accounting and oversight of  the whole spectrum of parish finances, while still allowing the principal to manage school finances directly and independently. (Pages 15-16)

Major concerns and recommendations focused on the areas of curriculum and administrative communications.  Specific recommendations were of an administrative nature, and are being acted upon by Ms. Lujan and Ms. Boyle in consultation with Fr. Tom Welbers.  Particularly in regard to curriculum review and staff development outside professional resources will be of great help. (Pages 11-12)

The report recommends that a mission statement review and clarification process be undertaken so that a clear, well-articulated and unifying vision can help to guide the school’s future development. (Page 8)

There appears to be a lack of clear understanding among school board members with regard to the role and responsibilities of the board in relation to the pastor and the principal. The school board should also establish and maintain a fully functioning and active committee structure.  In addition the board should be expanded both in numbers and increased membership from the non-parent community.  The revised roles and responsibilities of the board should be communicated regularly and frequently to the faculty, parents, and community. (Pages 9-10)

The report also believes that clarification of roles is needed regarding relations with the finance council and the parish administrator. (Page 10)

The report recommends that OLA School develop a marketing posture in order to improve its image, attract and retain students, attract additional funding, build an endowment, and attract resources to repair and/or replace buildings. (Pages 13-14)

The report recommends that a comprehensive development program be designed and implemented after the parish strategic plan is implemented and work has been done on curriculum and communication improvement, probably in the 2001-2002 school year.  Meanwhile, efforts need to be made to build and enhance relationships with virtually all constitutive publics.  “People respond to people, not to institutions.” (Pages 14-15)

The report recommends that a long-range financial plan be prepared as soon as possible, incorporating a variety of “what if” scenarios which can assist in effective planning and decision making.  There is a concern that the school may be currently under funded and that the per pupil expenditure may not be sufficient to provide needed resources to maintain and improve quality. (Page 16)

The report noted that the school/parish facilities are aging and less than ideal in many ways.  The layout of the school is difficult to administer.  While day-to-day custodial service and maintenance is adequate, many major repairs and improvements have not been made.  The report recommends a facility master plan be developed, in conjunction with the parish, which would take into account extensive deferred maintenance and the need to renovate, repair, or replace multiple facilities. (Page 16)

 

In preparation for this assessment, requests for written confidential narratives were sent to approximately sixty (60) individuals within the school community.  Seventeen (17) were returned, including, the pastor, school administrators, faculty members, parents, and alumni.  The questions focused on (a) perceived strengths of the school, (b) concerns and apparent problems, and (c) hopes for the future of the school.

In addition, individual and small group interviews were held on December 8 and 9, 1999, by Richard Burke, Marcia Durgan, and Sr. Anne Guerin with the following:

Fr. Tom Welbers, Pastor :Elida Lujan, Principal; Bernadette Boyle, Vice-Principal
Mary Hall, Secretary; Bing Macavinta, Parish Business Manager
Local Area Pastors: Msgr. James Loughnane (St. Denis, Diamond Bar); Fr. Peter Covas           (Ss. Peter and Paul, Alta Loma)
All Faculty
School Board Members
Parent representatives from each class
PFA Officers
OLA Booster Club Officers
Parish Finance Council
Mary Jean Neault, Director of Parish Administration
Random selections of 7th and 8th grade students
Student Council Officers