As part of its initiative to receive district-wide accreditation, Rockford Public Schools will host an AdvancED Quality Assurance Review Team from March 21-24, 2010.
In 1991, the Rockford Public Schools began the process for traditional accreditation of each of its schools through the North Central Association, the largest accrediting association that monitored schools in the United States. By 2005, all of RPS’ buildings had received Outcomes Accreditation through the NCA.
In 2006, the NCA, along with the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE), came together to form one strong and unified organization, AdvancED. In 2007, an agreement between the Michigan Department of Education and AdvancED was reached to satisfy State requirements while also meeting AdvancED accreditation standards. AdvancED is the world’s largest education community, representing over 23,000 public and private schools and districts in 30 states and 65 countries. Through AdvancED, NCA has defined shared research-based accreditation standards that cross state, regional, and national boundaries. Accompanying these standards is a unified clear and powerful accreditation process designed to help schools continuously improve.
A visit by the QAR team is one component of earning and maintaining District Accreditation through AdvancED. In addition to hosting a visitation every five years, districts must: adhere to the AdvancED Accreditation Standards for Quality School Systems; engage in ongoing self-assessment and continuous improvement; document results of improvement efforts; complete a Standards Assessment Report between six weeks and six months prior to the Quality Assurance Review; act on the Quality Assurance Review Team’s recommendations; and submit a progress report two years following the Quality Assurance Review.
“We look forward not only to showcasing our district during the comprehensive QAR visitation, but receiving feedback from the team on what we can do to improve our district,” said RPS Superintendent Dr. Shibler. “Continuous improvement has been and will continue to be the key to our success.”
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