the standard - MSA-CESS

THE STANDARD
Spring 2013
From the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools
This is Not Your Father’s
Accreditation!
Message from the President Henry G. Cram Ed.D
Although the Middle States Association celebrated its 125th anniversary in
2012, tradition has not kept the organization from keeping pace with changes in
education or the accreditation landscape. Responding to the feedback from its
members, the emergence of new educational venues and the growing demand for
both accountability and improvement MSA’s accreditation protocols, procedures
and new services are keeping pace.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
This is Not
Your Father’s
Accreditation!
Sustaining
Excellence: A New
Protocol
Spring 2013
Accreditation
Actions
Make Data Habit,
not a Crisis
John Plesha Moves
to the Golf Course!
Middle States has redesigned its accreditation protocols to reflect a developmental
sequence of accreditation processes designed to advance a school’s capacity
for strategic planning and continuous school improvement. Believing that the
accreditation process should be a professional development experience and
improve a schools capacity for self-reflection, planning and improvement, the
available protocols are matched to the schools developmental stage.
The recommended protocol for initial accreditation (Designing Our Future)
focuses more comprehensively on the traditional aspects of the accreditation
process establishing a baseline for the school and Middle States to measure
future growth. Subsequent accreditation protocols (Accreditation for Growth and
Excellence by Design) are less prescriptive, build on the previous accreditation
cycle and are designed to further improve the schools capacity for continuous
reflection and growth. The new capstone protocol (Sustaining Excellence-see
related article) currently being piloted and scheduled for release in 2014 is an
action research project centered on a systemic improvement, the results of
which are to be shared with the larger educational community. MSA also offers
a systems version of its accreditation process.
Additionally, MSA has a credential program which allows schools with outstanding
specialties to apply for recognition by MSA. These specialty credentials are
currently available to accredited institutions for International Education, World
Languages, Service Learning, Music, Visual Arts, 21st Century Skills, Guidance
Services and Early Childhood Education (a STEM credential is being developed).
The application process can also serve as an excellent program assessment
instrument for schools looking for world class standards in the specialty areas.
Our standards too are being revised (scheduled for release in late 2013) to reflect,
within the traditional 12 standards, new and revised indicators for institutions that
are proprietary, faith-based, distance learning, career and technical or serving
students with special needs.
(continued on page 5)
1
Sustaining Excellence: A New Protocol
For
Excellence
Protocol
must be committed to
establishing and sustaining
a planning ethic within the
school and that it becomes
part of the school’s culture.
Additionally, the protocol
requires
vision-driven
processes,
continuous
clarification of the school’s
mission, and long-term
strategic
action
plans
that integrate programs,
services, facilities, and
support to address the
school’s growth objectives.
schools effectively
growing, improving, and
sustaining high levels of
student performance, what
is the next step in pursuing
continuous improvement?
This was the question
buzzing through MSACESS Associate Director
Art Albrizio’s mind as he
was driving back from
visiting one of those “high
performance” schools. Mr.
Albrizio had recently been
introduced to a protocol
What is the next step
used by the Elementary
Albrizio and his MSACommission
–
“The
in pursuing continuous
CESS colleagues believe
Project.” He began to think
improvement?
this protocol will serve as a
that this protocol – with
catalyst to empower school
some modifications and
communities to dedicate resources to expanding and
additions – would have merit for all schools.
to raising student achievement.
Consulting with colleagues, Albrizio enlisted their
assistance in transforming “The Project” into an action “This is a more creative way of approaching and
extending the concept of continuous improvement,”
research protocol re-named, “Sustaining Excellence.”
says Albrizio, “it is empowering the schools to engage
students, faculty, administration, parents, local leaders
The New Protocol
in developing an initiative that will lead to quantifiable
The Sustaining Excellence Protocol provides an improvement.”
optional protocol to schools that have consistently
The Pilot Phase
demonstrated high levels of student performance or
consistent growth in student achievement. MSA-CESS
Albrizio says the Commission recruited schools
envisions schools qualifying for this protocol as those
it thought might be interested in participating in a
that are not satisfied with the status quo. Sustaining
pilot. MSA-CESS was looking for schools that had
Excellence helps a school:
a sustained history of accreditation a solid record of
• Discover how current research informs efforts growth and performance. The response to the invitation
to grow and improve an aspect of the school’s to become involved in the pilot was excellent and CESS
educational program, services, and/or learning was able to engage a representative cross-section of
public, private, international and faith-based schools to
environment;
• Develop a proposal for an action research participate in the pilot:
• American Community School, Athens Greece
project to demonstrate application of that
• Central HS, Philadelphia
research in the living laboratory of the school;
• Christian Brothers Academy - NJ
• Implement
the
research
project
and
• Colegio de San Ignacio – San Juan, Puerto
documenting the results of implementation;
Rico
and,
• East Brunswick HS - NJ
• Share what was learned from the implementation
• High Technology HS/Monmouth County
with the broader education community in the
Vocational Schools-NJ
form of a colloquium.
• Holmdel High School - NJ
Schools seeking accreditation by using the Sustaining
• Julia R Masterman HS, Philadelphia
(continued on page 6)
2
Spring 2013 Accreditation Actions
At
their Spring 2013 meetings,
the Middle States Commissions on
Elementary and Secondary Schools
took the following actions:
Actions Taken by the
Commission on Elementary
Schools
Accreditation Ten Years
Haddonfield Friends School, Haddonfield,
NJ
Peck School (The), Morristown, NJ
Accreditation Seven Years
Armenian Sisters Academy, Radnor, PA
Children’s Learning Center at Morningside
Heights (The), New York, NY
Good Shepherd Catholic Regional School,
Ardsley, PA
Holy Redeemer School, Ellwood City, PA
Holy Rosary School, Duryea, PA
Holy Sepulcher School, Butler, PA
Home Away From Home Academy,
Aberdeen, NJ
John H. Woodson Junior High School,
Kingshill, St. Croix, VI
Lititz Area Mennonite School, Lititz, PA
Nazareth Academy Grade School,
Philadelphia, PA
North American Martyrs School,
Monroeville, PA
Northern Cambria Catholic School,
Nicktown, PA
Norwood-Fontbonne Academy,
Philadelphia, PA
Our Lady of Good Counsel School,
Moorestown, NJ
Our Lady of Good Counsel School,
Southampton, PA
Pilot School Incorporated (The),
Wilmington, DE
Providence Heights Alpha School, Allison
Park, PA
Qatar Academy Al-Khor, Qatar
Queen of Peace Elementary School, North
Arlington, NJ
Red Balloon Day Care Center, New York,
NY
Saint Agnes Cathedral Elementary School,
Rockville Centre, NY
Saint Aloysius School, Pottstown, PA
Saint Anne School, Bethlehem, PA
Saint Anne’s School, Garden City, NY
Saint Anselm School, Philadelphia, PA
Saint Boniface School, Kersey, PA
Saint Charles Borromeo School,
Cinnaminson, NJ
Saint Edmund’s Academy, Pittsburgh, PA
Saint Irenaeus School, Oakmont, PA
Saint Jane Frances De Chantal School,
Easton, PA
Saint John the Evangelist Catholic School,
Bellefonte, PA
Saint John Vianney School, Orchard Park,
NY
Saint Luke School, Erie, PA
Saint Malachy School, Coraopolis, PA
Saint Michael School, Loretto, PA
Saint Patrick School, Bay Shore, NY
Saint Rose of Lima School, Altoona, PA
Saint Theresa School, New Cumberland,
PA
Saint Wendelin School, Butler, PA
Saints Peter and Paul School, Beaver, PA
Sheridan School, Washington, DC
Twin Parks Montessori Schools, New York,
NY
Villa Maria Academy, Immaculata, PA
Accreditation Six Years
Forcey Christian School, Silver Spring, MD
Accreditation Five Years
Bethany Christian School, Fort Lauderdale,
FL
Blake School, Plantation (The), Plantation,
FL
Liberty Christian School, Owings Mills, MD
Rochester Christian School, Inc.,
Rochester, NY
Accreditation Removal of
Stipulations
Chesterbrook Academy Elementary
School-West Chester, West Chester, PA
Mount Aetna Adventist Elementary School,
Hagerstown, MD
Probationary Accreditation
Centreville School, Centreville, DE
Far Brook School, Short Hills, NJ
Recognition of Accreditation by
Another Agency
Pinewood Christian Academy, Middleburg,
FL
Additional Grades
American International School of Libreville,
Gabon
American International School of Lome,
Togo
Hillcrest Christian Academy, Bethel Park,
PA
International Community School, Abuja,
Nigeria
Orchard Friends School, Riverton, NJ
Actions Taken by the
Commission on Secondary
Schools
3
Accreditation Ten Years
Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Flourtown,
PA
Shady Side Academy, Pittsburgh, PA*
Accreditation Seven Years
Bangor Area High School, Bangor, PA
Calvert Hall College High School,
Baltimore, MD
Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh,
PA
Christ the King Preparatory School,
Newark, NJ
Delone Catholic High School,
McSherrystown, PA
Emmaus High School, Emmaus, PA
Frederick Douglass High School, Upper
Marlboro, MD
Frisch School (The), Paramus, NJ
Gunston School (The), Centreville, MD
Henry Snyder High School, Jersey City, NJ
Holy Family Academy of Bayonne,
Bayonne, NJ
Holy Redeemer High School, WilkesBarre, PA
Liberty High School, Eldersburg, MD
Martin Luther School, Maspeth, NY*
MMI Preparatory School, Freeland, PA
Monsignor Scanlan High School, Bronx,
NY
North Shore Hebrew High School, Great
Neck, NY
Northside Urban Pathways Public Charter
School, Pittsburgh, PA
Pinelands Regional High School,
Tuckerton, NJ
Pinelands Regional Junior High School,
Tuckerton, NJ
Saint John’s College High School,
Washington, DC
Saint Joseph By-the-Sea High School,
Staten Island, NY245
Saint Mary of the Assumption High School,
Elizabeth, NJ
Saints Peter and Paul High School,
Easton, MD
Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE
Sleepy Hollow High School, Sleepy Hollow,
NY
South Brunswick High School, Monmouth
Junction, NJ
Syosset High School, Syosset, NY
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy,
Elizabeth, NJ
Accreditation Five Years
Advantage Career Institute, Eatontown,
NJ*
Chapelgate Christian Academy,
Marriottsville, MD
(continued on page 6)
Spring 2013 Accreditation Actions (continued)
(continued from page 5)
Accreditation Remainder of Term
Boonton High School, Boonton, NJ
Cardinal Spellman High School, Bronx, NY
Colegio San Jose Superior, Caguas, PR
Elizabeth Seton High School, Bladensburg,
MD
Fairmont Heights High School, Capitol
Heights, MD
Saint Andrew’s School, Middletown, DE
United States Senate Page School,
Washington, DC
Accreditation Removal of
Stipulations
Carson Long Military Academy, New
Bloomfield, PA
Gonzaga College High School,
Washington, DC
Irvington High School, Frank H. Morrell
Campus, Irvington, NJ
Our Saviour Lutheran School, Bronx, NY
Windsor School (The), Flushing, NY
Award of Credentials-Music
Calvert Hall College High School,
Baltimore, MD
Probationary Accreditation
ASaint Joseph High School, Frederiksted,
VI
Removal of Accreditation
Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes, DE
Delcastle Technical High School,
Wilmington, DE
Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High
School, Camden, NJ
Greenburgh-North Castle Union Free
School District, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Middletown High School – South,
Middletown, NJ
Montgomery High School, Skillman, NJ
Springfield Township High School,
Erdenheim, PA
Wyomissing Area Junior - Senior High
School, Wyomissing, PA
Recognition of Accreditation
Bass Memorial Academy, Lumberton, MS
Customized Education Design, Yakima,
WA
Ibero High School, San Nicolas, Aruba
Actions Taken by the
Commissions on Elementary
and Secondary Schools
Accreditation Ten Years
American Creativity Academy, Kuwait
Loudonville Christian School, Loudonville,
NY
Rye Country Day School, Rye, NY
Accreditation Seven Years
American School of Kuwait, Kuwait
American School of Valencia, Spain
Antilles School, Saint Thomas, VI
Baldwin School of Puerto Rico, Bayamon,
PR
Benjamin Franklin International School,
Spain
Chapel Hill Academy, Lincoln Park, NJ
Colegio Calasanz, San Juan, PR
Colegio San Conrado, Ponce, PR*
Commonwealth-Parkville School, San
Juan, PR
Country Day School, Costa Rica
Cupey Maria Montessori, San Juan, PR
Dostyk American International School,
Kazakhstan
Dupont Park Adventist School,
Washington, DC
Hillcrest School, Nigeria
Kimberton Waldorf School, Kimberton, PA*
Lahore American School, Pakistan
Modern English School, Cairo, Egypt
Nardin Academy, Buffalo, NY
Quakerbridge Computer Learning Service,
Lawrence, NJ
Saudi Aramco Schools, Saudi Arabia
SciCore Academy for Science and the
Humanities, Hightstown, NJ
Tatnall School (The), Wilmington, DE
Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing, NJ
West-Mont Christian Academy, Pottstown,
PA
Wilson Christian Academy, West Mifflin, PA
Accreditation Six Years
Huntington Learning Center DP0,
Dunwoody, GA
Huntington Learning Center LZ0,
Peachtree City, GA
Huntington Learning Center PA1,
Huntersville, NC
Huntington Learning Center VZ0,
Wyomissing (Reading), PA
Huntington Learning Center XR0, Tampa,
FL
Kendall Park Learning Center, Kendall
Park, NJ
New Hope Christian Academy, Inc.,
Thomasville, NC
Accreditation Five Years
Calvary Christian Academy, Philadelphia,
PA
Accreditation Remainder of Term
American School of Barcelona, Spain
Colegio Nuestra Senora de la Providencia,
San Juan, PR
Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, DE
Accreditation Removal of
4
Stipulations
Colegio Evangelico Capitan Correa,
Arecibo, PR
International School of Athens, Greece
Lab School of Washington (The),
Washington, DC
Accreditation Removal of
Probation
Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy,
Huntingdon Valley, PA
Probationary Accreditation
New International School, Japan
Recognition of Accreditation
Alamance Christian School, Graham NC
Evangelical Christian Academy, Madrid,
Spain
International School of Choueifat-Doha
(The), Doha, Qatar
Schaumburg Christian School,
Schaumburg IL
Wake Christian Academy, Raleigh NC
Removal of Accreditation
Clinton Christian School, Upper Marlboro
E. T. Richardson Middle School,
Springfield, PA
Grant C. Madill Elementary School,
Ogdensburg, NY
Harvey C. Sabold Elementary School,
Springfield, PA
John F. Kennedy Elementary School,
Ogdensburg, NY
Lincoln School, Ogdensburg, NY
Ogdensburg Free Academy, Ogdensburg,
NY
Scenic Hills Elementary School,
Springfield, PA
Sherman School, Ogdensburg, NY
Springfield High School, Springfield, PA
*Accredited with Stipulations
Make Data a Habit, not a Crisis
By Brian Bedrick
Many schools spend a lot of time and effort gathering and reporting data to prepare for accreditation or re-
accreditation. During the self-study period, schools compile data to demonstrate how well they are performing
and the progress they are making towards their strategic objectives. For many schools, tracking down and
compiling this data is a stressful event that requires a lot of energy. But there is a relatively simple way to
significantly reduce that stress. Make data collection, reporting and analysis a part of your routine operations
rather than a once every few years crisis.
When I help schools create online data dashboards, my first step is to walk the school through a process that
helps them identify what data they should be collecting, how it can be regularly monitored, and how it can inform
decision-making. The core elements of this process are:
• Clarity - Align your data with your mission, vision and strategic goals. Review these guiding documents
and determine what data will help you track how well you are doing.
• Context - Display your data so that it ‘tells a story’. Establish a baseline and show trends over time.
Compare yourself to world averages, peer schools or internal targets. Add a narrative that interprets and
explains the raw data.
• Consistency - Don’t design your metrics and reports and then forget about them. Use them in your staff
and Board meetings. Keep constant metrics and formats so that people are instantly familiar with what
they see. Review and analyze the data regularly so that it becomes a habit.
You don’t need a dashboard or other specialized tools to follow the basic principles described above, so anybody
can do it. And these actions are closely aligned with the self-study process so if you do it now and practice it
consistently, a major part of your self-study will already be done!
MSA-CESS realizes the value of this kind of thinking and is ‘walking the walk’ by using an online dashboard to
track their own internal goals and objectives. The dashboard is reviewed regularly and is a valuable tool for
monitoring progress, communicating results, and guiding decisions. So when MSA-CESS encourages you to
use data as an integral part of your self-study and ongoing action plans, keep in mind they are following that
same advice as well.;
Brian Bedrick is the Managing Director of Interactive Data Partners, a
company dedicated to helping schools make more effective use of their
data using dashboards and other data visualizations tools. Interactive
Data Partners is an Associate Business Member of the Middle States
Association.
This is Not Your Father’s Accreditation! (continued)
(continued from page 1)
Regardless of how education is changing, we know that quality will continue to count and MSA is committed to be
there to help schools grow, improve and change, and to recognize through our accreditation services educational
quality wherever it exists.
We are not your father’s accreditation!
For more information about MSA services visit www.msa-cess.org and follow us on Facebook or on our blog
ED CRED.;
5
John Plesha Moves to the Golf Course!
Dr.
John Plesha, former MSA-CESS Associate
Director, is still focused on education, despite his recent
retirement – but now it’s his education and it’s related
to his golf swing!
Life’s a lot different for John now that he has retired to
a golf course community in South Carolina after his 10
years at Middle States and his time before that as a
high school principal. And, although he’s excited about
the opportunity to “take the time to do things I never
had time to do and relax for awhile,” John will miss
Middle States.
“Middle States is a group of very dedicated and
determined professionals,” says John. “They are very
interested in their jobs. They are self-motivated and
determined to do the best they can for our members.
They are friends as well as colleagues,” John explains,
“and I’ll miss them.”
while the other only completes18 of those 32 chapters!”
He says that Middle States Accreditation makes a
school “constantly look at itself and get better. They’ll
grow. They’ll ask themselves, ‘what kind of quality
programs are we offering, should we be offering?’ and
they will improve.”
John will be missed, too, by his colleagues and the
member schools with whom he worked for more than a
decade. As Rebecca Cunningham, Assistant Principal
for Grades 9 and 10 at the Fox Chapel Area High
School notes, “Having Dr. Plesha as a guide for the
Middle States Accreditation process was extremely
valuable – his knowledge, expertise, and experience
on everything from the beginning orientation to the final
recognition was treasured and respected by everyone
on our team.”
But John notes that much is dependent on the leadership
at the school in question. “Are they willing to do more
than just sit on their past laurels and reputation at the
school? They can’t be just a ‘maintainer’, they must
change and grow!”
Despite retirement, John still strongly believes in Middle
States Accreditation. “Middle States brings credibility –
whether it’s a public or private school, it doesn’t matter.
Your child takes Algebra II and gets all As at XYZ School
– is it the same as taking Algebra II and getting all As at
ABC school? One school completes 28 of 32 chapters,
What’s next for this dedicated man? He says he’s ready
for the next phase of his life, but he acknowledges that
he “can’t golf all of the time”, and he has to be careful
to “not get on my wife’s nerves!”
Enjoy John!;
Sustaining Excellence: A New Protocol (continued)
(continued from page 2)
• Magnet High School/Union County Vocational
Technical School – NJ
• Marine Academy of Science and Technology/
Monmouth County Vocational Schools - NJ
• Marine Academy
of Technology
and
Environmental
Science/Ocean
County
Vocational Schools - NJ
•
•
•
•
North Hunterdon Regional HS - NJ
Rumson Country Day School - NJ
Saint Dominick’s Elementary School - PA
Visitation Elementary School - PA
Albrizio stresses that although the protocol is being
piloted and not yet “public”, “early results have exceeded
our expectations.”;
6