February 17, 2006- For Immediate Release
Columbia County Schools - 6430 Pollards Pond Road, Appling,
GA 30802
For more information contact 541-0650
Columbia County
School
Only three other school systems in
After 18 months of preparation for the 3-day review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI), the Columbia County Board of Education received the recommendation by the SACS CASI Quality Assurance Review Team that Columbia County Schools be awarded district accreditation as a quality school system.
The SACS-CASI Quality Assurance Review Team consisting of nine educators from five states (LA, MS, AL, GA, MI) and chaired by Dr. Lucy Hayden, visited eight of our schools and interviewed 281 people including the Superintendent, the Board of Education, school and county administrators, parents, teachers, counselors, media specialists, business partners, community members, government officials, and students.
SACS-CASI District Accreditation is a national protocol that is being emulated by other accreditors and of great interest by several state departments of education. District accreditation requires a commitment from the district’s leadership and Board of Education. A district is invited to apply but must meet certain eligibility requirements. Every school in the district must be individually accredited, must have a quality strategic planning process focused on improving student learning, and must meet the 10 accreditation standards for Quality School Systems. These 10 accreditation standards are: 1) Beliefs and Mission, 2) Governance and Leadership, 3) Curriculum, 4) Instructional Design, 5) Assessment, Measurement, and Effectiveness Results, 6) Resources, 7) Student Services, 8) Staff and Stakeholder Communications and Relationships, 9) Physical Facilities, and 10) Continuous Process of Educational Improvement.
On day 1, the SACS team interviewed Board members, district personnel, and community members. On day 2, the SACS team continued with interviews in mini-teams with school personnel and school community members at Grovetown Middle, Lewiston Elementary, Greenbrier High, North Harlem Elementary, Greenbrier Middle, Martinez Elementary, Evans High and Euchee Creek Elementary. During the interviews, the SACS team sought a district perspective, examined the context and capacity of the district in relation to its vision, mission, and beliefs and applied the 10 accreditation standards. On day 3, the SACS CASI Quality Assurance Review Team summarized their findings and reported to the Columbia County Board of Education their recommendation that Columbia County Schools be awarded district accreditation as a quality school system.
“We expect to receive a written report of their findings within 30 days, but the recommendations for district accreditation are an affirmation of the good things we have going on in Columbia County Schools. Many challenges of growth and the changing needs of students may face us in the next five years, and we have in place a school improvement planning process that will help us monitor and continue to improve on the excellent education we already provide our students,” said Dr. Lauren Williams, Associate Superintendent of Student Learning.
As noted by Dr. Mark Elgart, Chief Executive Officer of SACS CASI, “The capacity of any organization to improve is directly related to its ability to recognize, acknowledge, and act on its strengths and limitations. The SACS CASI District Accreditation process provides a vehicle for assisting school districts to effectively identify its strengths and areas needing improvement, as well as for providing external experienced professionals who through a structured onsite visit assess the capacity of the district to meet the criteria for accreditation, commend worthy accomplishments, and recommend strategies that hold promise for systemic improvement.”
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