6003 - School Accreditation

Windsor Locks Board of Education

Manual of Policies, Regulations, and Bylaws

Section: INSTRUCTION Definition: POLICY

Title: School Accreditation Number: 6003

  Page: 1 of 1

Adopted: October 1978

Revised: May 1986

Replaces:

The Windsor Locks Board of Education approves of the concept of school accreditation and supports the process of evaluation and accreditation of its high, middle and elementary schools by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Evaluation is a process during which a school conducts a comprehensive self-study and then hosts a visiting team which assesses the school in terms of its stated educational mission and the standards of membership of the sponsoring organization. Standards of membership are intended to apply to a school’s stated educational philosophy and objectives and are written to promote excellence in schools by encompassing all facets of a school’s composition, uniqueness and flexibility in meeting school needs. Standards address the following topics to various extents at the different school levels: philosophy and objectives, community support and involvement, curriculum, pupil performance, educational media services, facilities, school atmosphere, and student activities and services. Accreditation signifies that a school has met the stated standards, is committed to maintaining those standards, and is willing to strive to improve its educational offerings by implementing valid recommendations generated through a self-study and visiting committee experience.

Six national accrediting agencies fulfill the need to measure school programs against standards of excellence. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is an independent, nongovernmental league of educators, educational institutions and interested public members dedicated, as stated in its by-laws, to “the establishment of cooperative relations among the colleges and schools of New England and to the development, maintenance and improvement of sound educational standards, and to promote the interests common to both colleges and schools.” The nation’s oldest accrediting association, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges has a membership of more than 1100 public schools, colleges, and universities in the New England states.

School membership in the Association reflects the Board’s commitment toward continual selfevaluation, maintenance of standards and improvement of its programs. The Board further notes a relationship between evaluations conducted by the Association and the legal mandate, which charges the Board with general supervision and control of the educational interests of the State.

References: National Study of Secondary School Evaluation, “Evaluative Criteria”

Committee on Public Elementary Schools, “Evaluation Handbook”

National Study of School Evaluation, “Middle School - Junior High School Evaluative Criteria”

New England Association of Schools and Colleges, “Evaluation Handbook”