Why Accreditation? “There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters. Our goal is to ask: ‘What’s possible?’ not ‘What’s wrong?’”. -Margaret Wheatley

New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Public Elementary and Middle Schools The Accreditation Process

New England Association of Schools and Colleges NEASC CPEMS CPSS CIHE CIS CTCI CAISA K-12 Private/ Independent Public Secondary Career and Technical Overseas Schools Higher Ed Public Elementary and Middle Established schools

Accreditation Process Goals School Improvement through Self Assessment Is your school a good school? How do you know? How do you measure yourselves? Against what? Do you have any documented proof? So, how do you really know?

The Process: Measuring Yourself Against the Standards Do you meet the standard? How well do you meet the standard? Identify your strengths and needs in this area. What do you need to do to meet the standard better? Develop an action plan to meet the needs

The Self Study A Snapshot of Who You Are

The Self Study Is school specific Is faculty driven Requires parental and community input Requires reflection, discussion, consensus and back-up Tells the story of how and how well the school meets NEASC standards for good schooling

What Committees Will We Need? Mission Curriculum Instruction Assessment Leadership School Resources Community Resources Meeting Today Learning Areas

What Committees Will We Need? Self Study Instruction Assessment Curriculum Community Resources Leadership Mission and Expectations School Resources

Reads the self study Spends three and one half days watching the school in action Meets and discusses the self study with members of the school’s community The Peer Review Team Provides objective assessment of the conclusions of the self study Determines the degree to which the school meets the standards Develops the final report which includes perceptions, commendations and recommendations Makes a recommendation about accreditation to CPEMS

The Follow Up Prioritize the recommendations found in the Visiting Committee Report Identify the responsible people and develop action plan Establish a timeline Develop strategies, adopt and adapt them, and assess the results Prepare appropriate reports Two Year Report Special Progress Reports Five Year Report Celebrate the accomplishments

Accreditation Cycle Self Study months On-site Peer Review Visit Two Year Update Special Progress Reports Five Year Summary Establish Mission and Expectations 10 Year Cycle Visiting Committee Report

So, What Do We Get Out of This? Self Awareness Self Evaluation Planning Opportunities Upholding Standards Quality Control Public Accountability School Approval School Improvement

What’s Your Job? Volunteer for committees Provide honest and appropriate input Take a good snapshot and evaluate it from all angles Work toward finding solutions Be involved with all phases of the process

Any Questions???

What Do You Do If You’re Stuck? Call CPEMS at Fax us at or at