The Middle States Accreditation Process

Schreiber High School

What is Middle States?

Middle States is an organization founded in 1920 that promotes the improvement of secondary education.

Member schools go through an evaluation process and, if they meet Middle States standards, are granted accreditation.

What Does Accreditation Mean To Us?

Accreditation is the affirmation that a school provides a quality of education that the community has a right to expect and the education world endorses.

Accreditation is a means of showing confidence in a school's performance.

The chief purpose of the whole accreditation process is the improvement of education for youth by evaluating the degree to which a school has attained worthwhile outcomes set by its own staff and community.

What Did Schreiber Do?

Principal attended orientation sessions in Philadelphia

Appointed two Internal Coordinators

Sent the Internal Coordinators to Philadelphia for training

Constructed a Planning Team Met with the Planning Team

and established timetable and plan

Worked cooperatively with the Compact Committee

Who Was on the Planning Team?

Jay Lewis – Principal David Miller – Assistant

Principal* Lauren Giliof - Teacher* Dr. Charles Piemonte –

Assistant Superintendent Jeffery Lesser – Mathematics

Chairperson Joan Lisecki – English

Chairperson Trish Burr – Special Education

Chairperson Mark Rothman – Social Studies

Chairperson

Andrea O’Brien – Science Teacher

Nancy Zove – LOTE Teacher Kris Murphy – Art Teacher Amy Prochaska – Special

Education Teacher Valerie Seiner – Math Teacher Julie Gross – Parent Eileen Zupnick – Parent Sidney Ginsburg – Student Jason Lifton - Student

* Denotes Internal Coordinator

What Was Our Process?

The faculty and all planning team members met in committees to conduct a self study of the Middle States standards.

A survey of all Schreiber parents was conducted. A survey of all Schreiber students was conducted. Survey data was collected and shared with the staff,

the planning team and compact committee.

Process Continued…

Objective committees were created to formulate ideas for school-wide objectives based on the survey feedback.

The planning team analyzed the results of the objective committees and created three objectives.

The internal coordinators edited the objectives and developed baseline data.

Objectives and baseline data were submitted to Middle States and consequently approved.

Process Continued…

The objectives were submitted to and endorsed by the faculty and planning team.

Committees devised action plans which were reviewed by the planning team and edited by the internal coordinators.

Activity steps were designed by departments and interdisciplinary committees for each action plan element.

Documents will be gathered, and information published, over the summer to prepare for the validation team visit.

What Are Our Objectives and Action Plans?

By the year 2014 students at Schreiber High School will demonstrate academic improvement by earning an increased number of advanced Regents diplomas, an increase in the number of students achieving mastery on Regents examinations and an increase in enrollment in elective courses.

•Develop activities specifically designed to improve Regents test scores.•Align curriculum and standards via horizontal articulation.•Improve students’ study skills and organizational techniques.•Create and deliver staff development programs designed to assist teachers in enhancing student performance.•Increase awareness of elective programs to students and parents.•Increase student parental and student awareness of the advantages of taking an additional science and foreign language course culminating in a Regents exam.•Increase parental and student awareness of the requirements and advantages of an Advanced Regents Diploma.•Improve communication between the school and parents regarding student academic progress.

Action Plan

Objective #1

•Develop a set of school wide information literacy standards. Create grade level benchmarks for designated information literacy standards.•Create assessments designed to assess student mastery of designated information literacy standards.•Develop departmental and interdepartmental programs designed to improve student information literacy.

Objective #2

Action Plan

By the year 2014, Schreiber High School students will gain proficiency in information literacy as measured by grade level assessments of information literacy standards.

•Increase the number of students participating in community service activities.•Development and implementation of a comprehensive character education program.•Investigate alternative disciplinary consequences and the efficacy of the schools current discipline procedures.•Exploration and possible development of additional activities for students during unscheduled time.•Raise student awareness about the importance of respect for themselves, each other and the operation and maintenance of a clean and orderly school.•Assess the level of students’ respect for themselves, each other and the operation and maintenance of a clean and orderly school.•Development of staff development programs designed to assist all staff in dealing with classroom management issues.•Conduct regular analysis of data pertaining to assignments of formal disciplinary consequences and share this data with appropriate school staff.•Development of a program(s) designed to remediate at risk behaviors that lead to formal disciplinary consequences.

Objective #3

By the year 2014 Schreiber High School students will show an improved understanding of integrity, conduct and civic responsibility.

Action Plan

Our Middle States Plan…

Recognizes the importance of Academic excellence

Expects that our students become concerned, committed and active members of society

Demands that students are prepared to meet the technological challenges of the 21st century

Middle States Validation Team Visit

October 24, 25, 26 and 27th. Opening Dinner: October 24th in the

Schreiber Library (Time TBA) Interviews with Board of Education Members

during the team visit (Times TBA). Oral report of Visiting Team Chairperson:

Friday, October 27th (Time TBA)