DOCUMERT RESUME ED 132 647 EA 008 921 TITLE Principles and Standards for Accrediting Elementary and Secondary Schools: and List of Approved Courses--Grades 7-12. Revised. INSTITUTION Texas Education Agency, Austin. REPORT NO TEA-Bull-560 PUB DATE Oct 74 NOTE 85p.; Not available in hard copy due to small print size of original AVAILABLE FROM Texas Education Agency, 201 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas 78701 ($2.00) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 Plus Postage. HC Not Available from EDES. DESCRIPTORS *Accreditation (Institutions); Courses; Educational Legislation; *Educational Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; *State Boards of Education; State Curriculum Guides; State Departments of Education; *State Legislation; *State Standards IDENTIFIERS *Texas ABSTRACT This booklet presents _fficial school accreditation principles and standards for elementary and secondary schools and lists of approved courses for grades 7-12, as revised by the Texas State Board of Education in October 1974. The booklet is organized in four sections that present principles and standards for elementary and secondary schools, procedures for accreditation of elementary and secondary schools, lists of approved courses for grades 7-12, and selectetliegal provisions from the Texas. Education Code. Most of the booklet is devoted to the revised accreditation principles and standards. A total of 11 general principles are presented, each followed by a number of more specific standards. (JG) * Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not * * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. * ************************************ ********************************** Principles and Standards For Accrediting Elementary and Secondary Schools And List of Approved Courses- Grades 7-12 Texas Education AgencrAustin,Texas.October1974 After the original Pee thstribution of this bulletin, additional copies may be purchased foT E2.00; hariV-01VeT with the incrsasinu demand for educational material, the supply at times may be exhausted. Since Texas Education Agency publications are not copyriqhted, any or ad sections of this bulletin may be duplicated. Official distribution of Agency Bulletins to the offices ef school district and county superintendents it made as propaly of those offices and is not to be considered as pemonal property of the individuals who receive them Division of Accreditation Texas Education Agency 201 East 11th Street Austin, Texas 78701 t_ COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE VI, CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AND THE MODIFIED COURT ORDER, CIVIL ACTION 5281, FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT. EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, TYLER DIVISION Reviews of local education agencies dor-Wining tO compliance with Title VI Civil P+ohts Act of 1964 and +Ai:1th specific requirements of the Mcidified f.-.++iirt Order, Civil Action No. 5281, Federal District Coun, Eastern L +,,,rict of Texas, Tyler D;visian are conducted periodicaPy by staff repreentatives of the Texas Education Agency, The-, reviews cover at least the fo(lowing policies and practices: acceptance policies on student tranatera front Other districts (7) operation of school hut routes or runs on a noniseqeeatod basis: (3! nonoscrimination in extracurricular activities and the of school facilities; (41 non-discriminatorypracticesin thehiring, asSigning, pro- moting, paying, demoting, reassigning or dismissing of faculty and staff members who work with chddren; (5) enrollment and assignment of students without discrimina- tion on the ground of race, color Or national origin; (6) nomthscriminatory practices relating to the use ol a student's first language; anq (7) evidence of published pqoce ores ?or hearing complaints and grievances. In adthtion to cor+dvcting resie, the Texas Education+ Agency staff eiorientatives check complaints of discrimination made by a citizen or citizens residing in a school district where itis alleged discriminatory practices have or are occurring. Where a violation of Title V! of the Civil Rights Act Is found, the findings are reported to the Office forCivilRights, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, If there be a direct violation of the Court Order in Civil Action No. 5281 that cannot be cleared through negotiation, the sanctions required by the Court Order are applied. FOREWORD The basic ob ctive of school accreditation is to soe that every schoo Iin the State operncs go as to meet minimum standards and at the same tim tahligheg a goal of performance that exceeds the minimum requirements. Erich ircditcd school accepts the responsibility of knowing and cunpving with the standards in this bulletin. All standards are intended to be descriptions of minimiim achievement, abd each school should exceed them when possible. Interpretative stritocnts are placed under crest standards. Those statements are provided to asstst school officials in evaluating school Programs. Schools are not expected to comply with interpretations that are not ap- plicable to local operations. When conditions warrant, schools may use alternate interpretations to meet local conditions when, bv sodein further school improvements are ensured. M. h. Commissioner of Pdooit ion In TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY Austin, Texas STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Vernon Baird, Fort Worth James M. Bmion, Abilene Joe Kelly Butler, Houston Carlisle Cravens, Arlington W. H. Fetter, La Marque Omar Garza, M.D., Edinburg Joseph C. Gathe, M.D., Houston E. R. Gregg, Jr., Jacksonville Mrs. Johnnie Marie Grimes, Seretary, Dallas George C. Guthrie, San Antonio Jesse Herrera. San Antonio Ben R. Howell, Chairman, El Paso E. M. Huggins, Jr., Fulshear Dr, William N. Kemp, Houston Paul Mathews, Greenville Dr. Stanley B. Mc Caleb, Richardson Duane J. McCullough, Corpus Christi Carl E. Morgan, Jasper Frank M. Pool. San Angelo Glen L. Smith, Waco rAMRonald Smith, Fort Worth Mrs. Jane H. Wells, Austin James H. Whiteside, Lubbock Herbert O. Willborn, Vice Chairman, Amarillo M. L. Brockette, Commissioner of Education (Executive Officer of the State Board of Education) Alton O. Bowen Deputy Commissioner for Educational Administration Services L. Harlan Ford Deputy Commissioner for Programs and Personnel Development H. E. Phillips Director, Division of School Accreditation Jack Mayberry Educational Program Director Chief Consultants Consultants Me liton L. Gonzalez Myron W. Blankfield Ione Stewart Keith Harding Ben H. Branch Nancy Ruff iv CONTENTS Prioctitles anti Stt Ltd I Pf r redit.111011 4'6 73 Lkt o pproved Grik 12 ... .. ziI P tuns . ........................ -3 78 PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS l'ISINU111.1-: I There -rimontoit -,LL iii unduri ve Lu the up.aL lull lu;di qualittedu- rational ructionh ine community has a financial plan in 2,2r- tion which ensures adequate support for the educational program. The superin endont and the board of truarce hue developed a budget to provide an adequate educational program, with a tax prooran of valuation and collection that brinns in the amount of money needed to ensure the program outlined. The funds are expended as budgeted. The community -upnort a financial pl. educAtional program with an adequate tax rate, a realist_c percentage of property value for tax purposes, and period' examination of property valuation. Contributions and donatians hy indit civic groups are not considered as a substitute far u.equute financial support. Alliotirt ea of tax money may be considered as a providing adequate financial support. The community gives active support, in addition to financial, to the school and its program, fostering good school-community relations. Thert i evidence that the public is kept informed on the achool program. The communit en _uraged to participate activities. Members of the faculty are encouraged to part ipAte in civic affairs. Meetings of the hoard of trustees are open to the public except for executive sessions. The public, r, related, and private sch Is in the community exchange in -latien needed to develop a uned effort for the education of youth. The schools concerned policie ansfer ucient5from one school to another. Although schools operated for profit are not eligible for accreditation, nonpublic Schools which meet accrtl-ditation standards may be accredited. To he rlieiblrfor accreditation nonpublic schools operate ett in the gularlv eatabliahed ghurch g orroent under the direction of a duly tablished. nonsalaried, nonProfessiona] c!ov,rnLm4 Priva l .Ontarahols are not tiih1e for aeredl 'ion nra a-co cchols A "-ix-erade program cf instruction PIIINCIITEII operated in aceordimee %%all all constitutional and Ammon' Ilevou,ilnlit, for intenircting the,c proNi,ionlies with the hoard of tru,tee, eeept %%here formal interpretation of sueli provisions has been made 11% thy%VIM, Or other eulti -4 I KtLed autioiriti,. hoard of tru-tee, function, AwnsRS a1,ohlr\ -rookinu and ajpraietI hod, s"1%\uiill I. The board of trustees has developed, codified, duplicated, and made available to all school employees and to the public the policies that cover the operation of the school. 9 2 In aiPition to the general and specific policies required tor , hool operation, attehtion is directed to the following -*standards: