2006-07 was a year of transition for NCA as we began to prepare ourselves and our schools for the changes in the accreditation process.  We have been working with schools who will host Quality Assurance Review (QAR) visits in 2007-08 and have begun training external chairs to lead those teams.  In August 2007, we will begin contacting schools scheduled for a QAR visit in 2008-09 to help them prepare.

     We encourage all schools to review the new standards and to self-assess how you are meeting them.  A tool to use for this is the Standards Assessment Report, which is available online at www.advanc-ed.org.  This report serves as the basis for the visit, and schools must complete this report at least 6 weeks prior to their QAR visit.  It is also an excellent way for schools to monitor their progress in becoming better schools.

     The Accreditation Standards for Quality Schools booklet was mailed to all schools last fall.  If you want additional copies, you can download them from www.ncacasi.org or www.advanc-ed.org  These new standards are strongly founded in the growth model research.  You may download The Technical Guide To School and District Factors Impacting Student Learning at www.nsse.org to read the research. 

     This year, we saw more schools move from what we term a compliance mentality (aka doing-just-enough-to-get-by-the-state-requirements) to a true commitment to educational excellence.  School improvement is all about change, which is not always easy and seldom comfortable.  The commitment to change means taking risks and most importantly believing in the power of the process, not just hoping that somehow the product will improve. 

     District Accreditation, a systems approach to improvement, continues to gain ground in Indiana and throughout the thirty AdvancED states.  As of July 1, 2007, 30 districts have formally applied to pursue this level of accreditation, which is double the number a year ago.  

     Our commitment to the Indiana educational community is to provide high levels of support to enable you to reach high standards and increase student learning.

Learn more about the new Accreditation Process by attending one of the Meeting the Standards, Improving Schools workshops and more about our systems approach at one of the District Accreditation: A Systems Approach to Improvement workshops.  These are free workshops.  See the workshop link for more details!

Last Updated:  May, 2007

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