Commission announces DV accreditation

Welcomes six newly accredited Pike County schools WESTFALL n Six schools in Pike County have received accreditation through Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools (MSCSS). Dingman - Delaware Primary School, Delaware Valley Elementary School, Shohola Elementary School, Dingman - Delaware Middle School, Delaware Valley Middle School and Delaware Valley High School earned accreditation following an intensive three-year process, culminating with a three and one-half day visit to each school by a volunteer validation team of educators appointed by Middle States. During the visit, the Middle States team met with and interviewed stakeholders of the schools including teachers, students, parents and administrators, as well as representatives of the Boards of Education. Team members toured the facilities, studied the districts’ strategic plans for improvement and other documents related to the schools’ work, and observed teaching and learning in classrooms. “These six schools join a prestigious network of Middle States accredited schools committed to a more fair and comprehensive assessment of achievement and success that goes beyond standardized test scores and students’ performances to encompass programs, services and facilities,” said MSCSS President and Executive Director Henry Cram, Ed.D. “These school communities should be commended for their commitment to becoming model academic institutions.” To become accredited through a MSCSS protocol, a school must meet the Middle States Association’s standards for: mission/beliefs/objectives, governance and leadership, organizational design and staff, educational programs, learning media services and technology, student services, student life and activities, facilities, health and safety, finances, assessment of student learning and planning. According to Cram, school quality is best measured by individual student growth over time and the value added to each child by the educational experience the school provides. “Accreditation can help a school and its community to understand better not only how it is doing, but more importantly, learn what it needs to do to improve, a key element of most state assessments,” said Cram. The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools accredits public, non-public and charter middle, intermediate and secondary schools as well as non-degree granting career and technical postsecondary institutions, special purpose schools, supplementary education centers, educational service units and distance education institutions. Through a Committee on Institution Wide Accreditation (CIWA), the Commission offers accreditation to PreK-12 education institutions and through partnerships with special accreditors offers joint accreditations to schools seeking both special purpose and CSS’ Gold Standard accreditation. To learn more about the Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools, visit www.css-msa.org <http://www.css-msa.org>. Based in Philadelphia, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is the internationally recognized leader in the accreditation of schools, universities and colleges in the mid-Atlantic region and around the world. The association’s commissions accredit more than 3500 schools in Delaware. Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S.Virgin Islands and overseas schools primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Subcontinent of Asia. The association has three commissions - Higher Education, Secondary and Elementary and a Committee on Institution-Wide Accreditation.