Executive Summary. Nashville International Academy. Mrs. Berthena Nabaa-McKinney, Principal 7335 Charlotte Pike Nashville, TN

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1 Mrs. Berthena Nabaa-McKinney, Principal 7335 Charlotte Pike Nashville, TN Document Generated On March 19, 2013

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 4 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 5 Additional Information 6

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? (NIA) is an Islamic school founded in 1995 due to the need to establish Islamic education in Nashville. NIA is located on the west side of Nashville, TN in the Bellevue area. NIA was originally a portable campus established on 10.9 acres of land. In 2008, the Islamic Center of Nashville (ICN) built a new school building which 10 classrooms, resource and conference rooms, computer and science labs, and a cafeteria. Several of the existing portables where to remodeled to use as prayer halls and a library. The campus also has a playground, soccer field and basketball court for recreational activities. While NIA is affiliated with the Islamic Center of Nashville (ICN), it is organized as a separate, nonprofit educational entity with its own governing body. NIA is the largest Islamic school in the area, and students come from many surrounding communities within Middle Tennessee. The Middle TN area is home to a large Muslim immigrant and refugee population. The community has five major Islamic Centers, not including one in Murfreesbooro, TN and one in Franklin, TN. It also has a host of other smaller Muslim religious centers. Our school draws students and teachers from all of the different Muslim communities listed above. Currently, NIA serves 105 students in grades Pre-K through Sixth. Our enrollment population consists of 40% (42) male students and 60% (62) female students representing more than 25 different nationalities. Due to NIA's small school population, it is supervised solely by the principal who reports to our Board of Directors (School Board). The principal has a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision, K-12. Over the past three years, the school administration has made efforts to recruit, hire, and retain qualified teachers and staff. All of our lead teachers possess a Bachelor's or Master's Degree and NIA maintains low teacher to student ratios. NIA has had some challenges in retaining qualified teachers as a result of our lack of accreditation. We hope that by pursuing accreditation, our staff recruiting and retention rate will increase. Also, due to the large population of recent immigrants and refugees, many of the students that we serve come from low income households. While most of our funding is generated through tuition and fees, NIA still relies heavily on fundraising activities to allow the school to perform at high levels. The School Board hosts two annual fundraisers; fall and spring. Of those fundraisers, one is dedicated toward student scholarships. NIA is a inclusive and supportive school community. Our diverse student and teacher population add value to the school community while enhancing appreciation for and celebration of cultural diversity. NIA parents seek a spiritually grounded, academically strong, and educationally sound program for their children within an Islamic environment. Our shared values and beliefs aim to cultivate in all of our students a life-long love of Allah(God) and His creation through an understanding of our scripture (the Holy Qur'an) and the examples of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). We also emphasis a love of learning, and the pursuit of academic and moral excellence. We make every effort to incorporate these commitments in all aspect of our partnership between NIA and the families we serve. Page 2

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6 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. (NIA) is an inclusive and supportive school community. NIA has a commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of school life. We believe that every child is unique and has the potential to bring those special qualities to our community. Our goal at NIA is to nurture the potential in every child while promoting both educational excellence and spiritual development. We believe that strong communication between home and school creates the foundation needed and is an essential component in student success. We also believe in a holistic approach to creating a positive learning environment. Our shared vision is to create a positive learning environment where students are committed to the teaching of the Holy Quran, and the example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through academic excellence, good character, service and leadership. Our mission is to provide an Islamic environment where children acquire the academic, emotional, social, and spiritual growth necessary to contribute positively in a diverse society. Our school motto "Nurturing Independent Achievers through Islamic Education" encompasses our values and commitment to student achievement. Among the many initiatives that embody of core values and beliefs, NIA has made seeking accreditation an imperative process to school improvement. The governing body (School Board) has worked to establish formal policies and procedures to ensure effective administration of the school. All stakeholders collaborated to review, and revise our school's purpose and direction. We posted the revision throughout the school building and communicated it using various methods. The school principal and staff have worked to foster a culture consistent with our new mission and vision. Many of our programs reflect our our core values/beliefs, and seek to engage all stakeholders in the learning process for student success. NIA updated the ELA curriculum in PreK - 2nd grade to support a stronger literacy program (Superkids Reading) for our diverse student population. NIA has implemented IOWA interim assessments to track data on student progress, and use it as our guide to make necessary adjustments in individual student learning. NIA strengthened our hiring process to obtain more qualified teachers. NIA increased communication with parents by implementing an online grading program (Gradelink), monthly newsletters, regular grade level parent meetings, Monday Bulletins, automated parent notification system (SchoolReach), etc. NIA updated it's computer lab, and added new LCD projectors to several classrooms. NIA offers supplemental programs to enrich student learning in ELA (Accelerated Reader) and Math (Adaptedmind). NIA has adopted the Six Pillars of Character through the Character Counts program and use it as a framework to teach Islamic values through directed weekly activities. NIA partnered with a local nonprofit (Plant the Seed) to offer a successful school garden and outdoor classroom. NIA provides ample opportunities for student to demonstrate excellence in the learning process such as Science and Reading Fair, Spelling Bee, Hadith and Quran Contest, etc. Extended student learning programs such as our Community Helpers Day, Hajj Simulation, etc. Also, NIA provides after programs such as Lego League robotics, Quran Memorization, Taekwondo, Fitness Club, etc. Page 4

7 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Notable Achievements: - Improved governing policies and procedures - More qualified staff - Increase student enrollment (75 to 105 students) - Low student to teacher ratios - New ELA textbook adoption in K-2 (SuperKids) - New Arabic and Islamic Studies program (BIAE) - IOWA Interim Assessments - AR/ Adaptedmind Supplemental Programs - New physical education program - School Garden and outdoor classroom Areas of Improvement - Continuous improvement in technology resources - Lack of a gymnasium - Textbook adoption across upper elementary grade levels - Outdated reference materials, children's books, and Islamic stories. More allocation in funding library resources. - Extensive and rigorous professional development plan - More training on data analysis and implementation - Lack of funding for teacher resources Page 5

8 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Over the past few years, NIA has made significant changes to improve the learning environment for all students and are very proud of those achievements. We improved the requirements for hiring qualified teachers, including a physical education teacher. Our staff have worked tirelessly to provide our students with the highest quality of education in a safe Islamic environment. We have invested in new curriculum for our lower grades, a school-wide Arabic program, as well as, supplemental reading and math programs. We also invested in a new computer, online school management and automated phone messaging system. NIA is proud to have remained fiscally responsible and work within a limited budget over the past three years. We are enthusiastic about our growth in student enrollment, and value the level of support and commitment our families have shown for our programs. We have seen great success in our exchange programs with other private schools. Local universities are sending more students to participate in observation visits at NIA as part of their universities' cultural diversity initiatives. We continue to make strides in improving NIA's image in the Muslim community toward academic achievement and excellence. We have been encouraged by the overwhelming financial and moral support from the community. Furthermore, NIA embraces our diverse student and teacher population, and make every effort to foster pride in our diverse school community through programs such as International Day. We continue to improve on the number of students who qualify for academic magnet schools each year. 100% of our graduating classes over the past two years have met or exceeded ITBS standardized test scores. NIA staff is continuously working to ensure students achieve a high level of academic expectations set by the school. We have successfully instilled strong moral and spiritual foundations in the students that matriculate from our school. We have students who have mastered the Arabic language and memorized the Quran which are essential components of worship for Muslims. Our graduates are proud Muslims and high functioning citizens within the society. We expect to continue making these positive contributions to the Nashville and Muslim communities at large. Page 6