Copyright Middle States Association ADDING EDUCATIONAL VALUE An Accreditation Project of the...

Copyright Middle States Association

ADDING EDUCATIONAL VALUE

An Accreditation Projectof the

Education Industry Association and the

Middle States Association’s

Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools

Your Presenters

Hank Cram, Ed.D. Kenneth Kastle, Ed.D.

President Chief of [email protected] [email protected]

Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools

3624 Market Street, 2 WestPhiladelphia, PA 19104(267) 284-5000


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

The Middle States Association

•The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) was established in 1887

•It is a non-governmental, nonprofit, peer-administered organization.


The Middle States Association

•Today, the Association’s Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools provide, through their accreditation and improvement services, leadership in ensuring a high quality of education throughout the world.


The Middle States Region

MSA-CESS accredits over 3,500 schools in over 85 countries

Questions for Today’s Session

• What is accreditation?

• What is the value of accreditation?

• What are the roles and responsibilities of the “key players” in the MSA accreditation (or reaccreditation) process?

• How does an organization become accredited using the MSA-CESS self-study and accreditation process?

What Is Accreditation?• The activity now known as

accreditation is traceable to the guild orientation of the medieval academic communities.

• The word “accreditation” is derived from middle French, Old Italian usage. The first meaning of its root term is “trustworthiness.”


What Is Accreditation?

• Accreditation responds to the public’s demands for improved quality and greater accountability for schools and other education organizations serving society’s needs.


What Is Accreditation?• Accreditation agencies enjoy a unique

“public trust” role in the United States.

• In other words, accredited schools and organizations can be trusted by the public to be what they claim they are and to do what they claim to do. Whatever an accredited institution says about itself has both the sanction and the confidence of the profession.

•


What Is Accreditation?

• A given field such as education uses its experts to define standards of acceptable operation and performance for the schools and education organizations within it. Thus, accreditation refers to a standard setting and review process.


What Is Accreditation?• Accreditation by the Commissions is

voluntary, and it is a volunteer driven process, i.e., a process by which member institutions provide the accreditation services to each other.

• The Commissions are institutional accreditors in that they accredit entire institutions, not their educational components, elements, and services.


How will accreditation benefit your school or

organization?

“We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.”

R. Buckminster Fuller

What Is the Value of Accreditation?

• Accreditation encourages and facilitates educational growth and improvement…..

– Accreditation fosters excellence and ongoing growth and improvement in an accredited institution.

– The question is not if we want a better school or organization, but how we will assure continuous improvement.


• Accreditation encourages and facilitates growth and improvement…..

– Accreditation provides a systematic process that requires a school or organization to ask why it exists, to establish a vision of its future, and to determine specific objectives for reaching that vision.


• Accreditation encourages and facilitates educational growth and improvement…..

– The information surfaced through the accreditation process serves as a sound basis for educational growth and improvement, strategic planning, restructuring, and staff development.


• Accreditation provides a means for public accountability…..– Accreditation assures that a school or

organization meets rigorous and internationally recognized standards of quality.

– The accreditation process validates to the public the integrity of a school’s or an organization’s program and/or services.


• Accreditation fosters stakeholder involvement and commitment…..

– Accreditation provides opportunities for grass roots, broad-based involvement of stakeholders in charting the direction of the school or organization.


• Accreditation fosters stakeholder involvement and commitment…..

– The accreditation process involves key people in creating a vision of the future and a plan to achieve that vision, rather than letting the future happen to the school.


• Accreditation builds positive public relations…..

• Accreditation provides opportunities to emphasize the positive and show how strong and effective the school or organization is.


• Accreditation builds positive public relations…..

– Willingly submitting a school or organization to public scrutiny and evaluation builds commitment and a deeper understanding of the school’s/organization’s efforts.

Accreditation is About Efficacy and

Commitment…• Focusing on performance• Emphasizing continuous improvement• Using data to make decisions• Planning to overcome constraints• Monitoring frequently to assess

progress• Involving representative stakeholders• Sustained implementation of the plan

for improvement…the Belief that We Can Make a Difference

What Does MSA-CESS Accredit?

• Early age schools• Elementary schools• Middle schools• Intermediate

schools• Secondary/high

schools• PK-12 schools• Special education

schools• School systems

• Career and technical schools

• Educational service agencies

• Supplementary education organizations

• Learning services providers

• Job Corp centers


What Does MSA-CESS Accredit?

• Public• Independent• Church-related• Proprietary

institutions• Distance

education institutions

• Within the United States

• Outside the United States

• Representing different cultures, religions, admissions processes, educational philosophies, and pedagogical delivery systems


Resources for MSA-CESS Accredited

Institutions• Self-study and accreditation protocols

– Different protocols for different types of schools/organizations

– Designed with flexibility to meet the needs of the school/organization

• Technical support by the Commissions’ staff

Resources for MSA-CESS Accredited

Institutions• Opportunities for professional

development

• Opportunities to serve on accreditation teams to other schools/organizations

• Protocols for Schools

– Strategic Planning

•Accreditation for Growth•Excellence by Design

(Handout #1)

The Middle States

Accreditation…One size doesn’t fit all!

• Protocols for Schools

– Traditional

•Reflections on Standards of Quality

•Designing Our Future•Reflections on Standards of Quality for Career and Technical Schools

(Handout #1)

The Middle States


• Protocol for School Systems

– Excellence by Design (Systems Version)

• Protocol for Career and Technical Institutions

– Reflections on Standards of Quality (C/T Version)

(Handout #1)

The Middle States


• Protocol for Supplementary Education Organizations

– Enhancing Student Performance

• Protocol for Learning Services Providers

– Adding Educational Value

(Handout #1)

The Middle States


What are the Requirements for

Accreditation?• Self-Study• Foundational Documents• Profile of the School/Organization• Profile of Performance• Profile of Organizational Capacity• Identified Priorities for Growth and

Improvement• Plan for Growth and Improvement



Accreditation?• A thorough and complete self-study

that has involves appropriate stakeholders of the school/organization

• Using an MSA-CESS self-study and accreditation protocol, or

• An approved protocol of a cooperating agency


Cooperating Agencies

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges

• Northwest Association of Accredited Schools

• Education Industry Association

• National Council for Private School Accreditation

• American Montessori Society

• Association of Christian Schools International

• Association of Christian Teachers and Schools

• Christian Schools International

• Association of Independent Maryland Schools

• Association of Waldorf Schools of North America Center for Leadership in School Reform

• Comision Acreditadora de Instituciones Educativas

• Commission on Accreditation of the Accrediting

• Association of the Seventh-Day Adventist Schools,

• Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf


Cooperating Agencies

• Council on International Schools

• District of Columbia Public Charter School Board

• Distance Educational Training Council

• Mennonite Education Agency

• National Accreditation Board of the Central Organization for Jewish Education

• National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped

• National Independent Private Schools Association

• National Lutheran School Accreditation

• New Jersey Association of Independent Schools

• New York State Association of Independent Schools

• Pennsylvania Association of Private Academic Schools

• School Alliance for Continuous Improvement

• Tri-State Consortium



Accreditation?• Foundational Documents that govern

the manner in which the school/organization does its business:

– Mission

– Core Values or Beliefs

– Profile of Successful Students or Clients



Accreditation?• A

• A Profile of the school/organization that describes its

– Organizational structure and staffing

– Students or clients

– Educational programs and/or services

– Results of an External Scan



Accreditation?A Profile of Organizational Capacity that demonstrates the degree to which the school/organization meets the appropriate Middle States Standards for Accreditation and their Indicators of Quality


Standards for Accreditation for Schools/School

Systems/SEOs• Philosophy/

Mission• Governance and

Leadership• School

Improvement Planning

• Finances• Facilities• School Climate

and Organization

• Health and Safety• Educational

Program• Assessment and

Evidence of Student Learning

• Student Services• Student Life &

Student Activities• Information

Resources & Technology


Standards for Accreditation for

Learning Services Providers• Philosophy/

Mission• Governance and

Leadership• Improvement

Planning• Finances• Facilities

• Climate and Organization

• Health and Safety• Programs and

Services• Assessment and

Evidence of Performance


Example Standard• The Governance and Leadership Standard:

The school is chartered, licensed, or authorized by a state, nation, or authority that operates in the public interest. The governance and leadership ensure the integrity, effectiveness, and reputation of the school through the establishment of policy, provision of resources, and assurance of a quality educational program. The governance and leadership act ethically and consistently to assure an atmosphere of mutual respect and purposeful effort on behalf of students and their learning. School leaders foster a productive environment for teaching and learning, timely and open communication with stakeholders, and the vision necessary for day-to-day operations and long-term planning.


Example Indicators of Quality

• The governance and leadership work cooperatively to establish and maintain clear, written policies and procedures that are consistent with the school’s philosophy/mission. These policies and procedures are implemented at all times and reviewed regularly.

• The governance and leadership provide appropriate opportunities for education of the trustees/board, including orientation and training sessions so that all members understand their responsibilities and roles.

• The governance and leadership appropriately recognize the accomplishments of staff and students.



Accreditation?• Priorities for growth and

improvement in the school’s/organization’s performance and its capacity to produce the levels of performance its expresses in its mission and profile of students or successful clients.



Accreditation?

• A plan to grow and improvement the priorities identified for growth and improvement that includes:

– Measurable goals

– Multiple assessments to determine achievement of the goals, and

– Multi-year action plans to achieve the goals


What Is the Accreditration Process?

• Registration: Notifying the Commissions of the school’s/organization’s interest in accreditation by CESS-MSA

• Determination of Appropriateness: Is the school/organization within the Commissions’ scope and categories of accredited institutions?



• Report of Candidacy Visitor: Documentation that the school/organization meets the Standards fo Candidacy and has the ability to become accredited.

• Offer of Candidacy

• Acceptance of Candidacy



• Commence self-study process– Attend MSA-CESS workshop

• Complete self-study and prepare a self-study report

• Host an Accreditation Visting Team


Hosting the Visit

• One day pre-visit by Chair

• 3 ½ day visit

• Modest welcoming reception

• In schools, numerous short, informal classroom visits

• Interview with stakeholders

• Review of evidence

Hosting the Visit

• The Visiting Team will…

– Review adherence to the MSA Standards for Accreditation

– Review adherence to the requirements of the protocol and the quality of self study

Hosting the Visit

• The Visiting Team will…

– Review the Plan for Growth and Improvement

– Offer an accreditation recommendation


• Visiting Team submits a written report

• Report and accreditation recommendation undergo a multi-step review process

• The Commission(s) takes an accreditation action


Hosting the Visit…


Middle States Takes Action…

Implementing the Plan for Growth and Improvement…

The Accreditation Action

• Accreditation Actions for Candidate Institutions (not previously accredited by MSA-CESS)

– Accreditation (with or without Monitoring Issues)***

– Accreditation with Stipulations (with or without Monitoring Issues)***

– Probationary Accreditation– Denial of Accreditation


The EIA – MSA-CESS Agreement

• Purposes for EIA:

– Expand and operationalize the missions of the members of EIA to help their constituents deliver the highest quality education services possible through a rigorous process of continuous quality improvement;




– Provide for the education industry organizations that are members of the Education Industry Association a means for obtaining an internationally recognized accreditation by the Middle States Commissions; and




– Provide an accreditation option that capitalizes on the operations and resources of the members of the EIA that is efficient and practical in terms of the time, energy, and resources required and provides an added value to the EIA and its members through the accreditation process.



• Purposes for MSA-CESS:

– Further the mission of the Commissions of ensuring quality across diverse service providers/organizations, and

– Provide opportunities for members of the EIA to earn the Commissions’ accreditation imprimaturs, which are recognized and respected for ensuring high quality education and education serves throughout the world.


Questions and Answers


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