HE TANDARD T SFrom the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools Fall 2013 What is the value of Accreditation? INSIDE THIS ISSUE: It’s about getting things done! What is the value of Message from the President Henry G. Cram Ed.D Accreditation? It’s What have you been able to get done? about getting things As president of the Middle States Association’s Commissions on The accreditation process helps keep done! Elementary and Secondary Schools our best intentions front and center and increases the probability that we The Berkeley I am often asked about the value of accreditation. The short answer can will realize them. Institute be found in the results of our most It’s about organization recent member survey in which 91% Standards for of the respondents reported that Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing Accreditation for accreditation improved their school’s how to get things done. Having a plan Schools Revised performance. But the added value is that builds a critical mass of individuals 2013 much more than that. The accreditation within the school who not only agree process is a catalyst for change on what it is that needs to be done but Fall 2013 and improvement; an organizational also have the skills needed to get it structure for getting things done; and done is essential. The accreditation Accreditation process helps develop that consensus, Actions a system of accountability that builds public support and sustains continuous provides the organizational framework Sister Shaun improvement. for action and provides the knowledge Thomas Callahan- and skills needed to get things done. I’m not just the president of CESS. Sustaining Before coming to work at Middle States, It’s about support Excellence in I served as a teacher, administrator Maintaining a focus and sustaining Education for Over and superintendent of schools and as commitment is indispensable when a volunteer for MSA. Those collective Thirty-Five Years it comes to school improvement. experiences allowed me to experience Monitoring progress and being firsthand the value of the process and Long Time MSA publically accountable and transparent how as an educational leader the with the school community is Volunteer, Former process helped me get things done. critical. The accreditation process Commissioner and It’s about time promotes accountability and helps Associate Director to build community awareness and Announces His Every year we begin a new school year communications that provide that Retirement hoping to improve school performance. support. It externally validates the But as the school year unfolds and school’s improvement process, as well Dr. David Montroni the challenges of the day to day as celebrating its success. to Join CESS operations demand our attention our best intentions are overwhelmed and It’s about focus The F. Laird Evans too infrequently not fulfilled. As you are There are lots of things competing for reading this message more than a third and Susan K. the limited time, energy and resources of the “new” school year has gone by. that each of us has to devote to Nicklas Outstanding Volunteer Awards (continued on page 3) 1 The Berkeley Institute The Berkeley Institute, located in were denied access to all the Pembroke West, Bermuda, is a very other secondary schools on unique school with a proud history the island which had been of providing quality education to the founded for the education of children of that island nation. only the White community. The first class of students Many schools spend a lot of time consisted of 15 boys and and effort gathering and reporting 12 girls. Significantly, one data to prepare for accreditation or of the boys was white while re-accreditation. During the self- all other students were study period, schools compile data Bermudians of color. to demonstrate how well they are Second, the long history of performing and the progress they The Berkeley Institute’s facility, opened in 2006. are making towards their strategic the Institute has resulted objectives. For many schools, in a rich legacy among the of Governors of the Society tracking down and compiling this island’s citizens and is known by receives an annual grant from the data is a stressful event that requires everyone as “the Berkeley legacy.” government of Bermuda to operate a lot of energy. But there is a It is indeed rare to find a school the school, but all aspects of the relatively simple way to significantly that has a legacy of 116 continuous school’s programs, services, and reduce that stress. Make data years of service to children. This activities are managed by the Board collection, reporting and analysis legacy greeted the recent Middle of Governors. a part of your routine operations States Visiting Team from the very moment it stepped onto Bermudian The institute’s new and modern rather than a once every few years school facility was paid for by the crisis. soil. From the taxi drivers, the bellmen at the hotel, the parents, Bermuda government. The facility First, the Institute’s uniqueness the teachers, and many others with provides an environment that is can be seen in a long and storied whom Team members interacted extremely conducive to learning history. The Institute’s founders there came a very strong sense and teaching and that presents no were members of the Berkeley of pride and identification with this obstacles to the community’s efforts Society and, when Berkeley first legacy. Residents said so very to achieve the Institute’s mission. opened its doors on September proudly, “I am a Berkeleyite!” or “My Everyone who has served on a 6, 1897, it became the first school child is a Berkeleyite!” Middle States visiting team knows on the island to offer a racially A strong identification with the that one of the questions team mixed education for Whites and members always ask a school’s non-Whites, thereby ensuring that Berkeley legacy can also be found in the Institute’s current students. students is: If they could, what one non-Whites would be able to have thing would they change in the access to a good education as they They know about the legacy; they know the standard to school? At Berkeley, this question which they are expected was asked of students selected by to perform to preserve that the school to be interviewed and legacy; they accept that students selected randomly by the challenge willingly; and they Team. To the Visiting Team’s great challenge each other to surprise, and for the first time in the demonstrate the same level Team members’ vast experience of commitment. serving on visiting teams, the majority of the students said that Third, Berkeley is a private they would not change anything. school—owned by the Nothing! The Team took this as a Berkeley Society—that is resounding endorsement of the funded by the government educational opportunities being of Bermuda as provided provided by the Institute. Unlike student parking lots in the U.S., mopeds are in the Berkeley Institute the preferred form of transportation for Bermudian Act of 1933. The Board (continued on page 8) teens. 2 Standards for Accreditation of Schools Revised 2013 The Standards for Accreditation of the Middle States For example, here is how one subset of Indicators Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools for the Educational Program Standard is stated and (MSA-CESS) form the very heart of the Commissions’ organized: accreditation process. The Standards are statements INDICATORS OF QUALITY FOR ALL SCHOOLS that reflect the quality expected in an accredited The governing body and leadership ensure that the school’s educational program, services, activities, and school: operations. As such, they provide the foundation for all 8.1 Has and implements policies and/or procedural accreditation actions taken by the Commissions. guidelines and criteria for regularly reviewing MSA-CESS Policy 5.1 directs the Commissions and revising programs of study/courses, on Elementary and Secondary Schools to conduct developing new programs of study/courses, a comprehensive review of their Standards for and eliminating programs of study/courses that Accreditation every five years unless other factors are determined to be no longer effective or that warrant a more frequent review. no longer contribute effectively to achieving the school’s mission and goals for student The Commissions have now completed a yearlong learning. review of the Standards for Accreditation for Schools 8.2 Publishes for all students and their families an and, at their April 2013 meetings, they approved revised overview of the school’s educational program Standards for Schools. and its programs of study. The revised Standards reflect: The revised Standards for Schools also reflect a change • New developments in educational research that in the names of two Standards: pertain to the areas addressed by the Standards; • The Philosophy/Mission Standard is now the • New developments in best practices for schools; Mission Standard for Accreditation. • The experiences of the schools and the • The Information Resource and Technology Standard Commissions in applying the previous Standards is now the Information Resources Standard. in the accreditation process; and • Reorganization and rephrasing of the Standards The revised Standards for Accreditation for Schools will and Indicators to improve logic and clarity; and be effective for schools entering into self-study on or • Identifying specifically who or what group within a after September 1, 2014. The Standards can be viewed school is responsible for ensuring the school meets on the Commissions’ website at: http://msa-cess.org/ the requirements of the Indicators. RelId/606537/ISvars/default/Standards.htm; What is the value of Accreditation? It’s about getting things done! (continued) (continued from page 1) improving our school’s performance.