North Central Association Accreditation
May 9, 2003
Mark Riccobono announced that WSVH earned accreditation for the 2002-2003 school year from the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). The Association recognized the school on April 8, 2003, at its annual meeting held in Chicago. WSVH joins over 9,000 schools across a 19 state region that were honored for attaining accreditation.
To achieve accreditation, schools must meet NCA CASI's quality standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school, and engage in continuous school improvement focused on increasing student performance. The accreditation process is voluntary and must be renewed each year.
"Accreditation demonstrates to our students, parents, and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing a safe and enriching learning environment, and maintaining an efficient and effective operation staffed by highly qualified educators," stated Mark Riccobono. "NCA CASI accreditation is recognized across state lines, which not only eases the transfer process as students move from accredited school to accredited school but also assures parents that the school is meeting regionally and nationally accepted standards for quality and successful professional practice."
Accreditation provides an external mark of quality and a proven process for school improvement. Mark Riccobono, who leads the school's improvement team, stated, "The real value of NCA CASI accreditation is the school improvement process, which focuses the school staff on analyzing student performance data, identifying areas of weakness, and developing clear goals and plans for improvement. We regularly assess and measure our progress in all goal areas, and NCA CASI holds us accountable for demonstrating growth. The process keeps everyone in the building focused on raising student achievement."
Parents and interested community members can learn more about NCA CASI accreditation at www.ncacasi.org.
The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement is a non-governmental, voluntary association of public and private elementary and secondary schools in 19 states, the Navajo Nation, and the Department of Defense Dependents' Schools worldwide. NCA CASI accredits more than 9,000 schools, challenging them to prepare all students for success as they move from home to school to higher education and/or careers.
For more information, please contact Mark Riccobono at 800.832.9784, or Jill Clark Hawley, NCA Director of Marketing, at 303.722.6019.
And remember, NCA CASI values Research Based Change, External Reviews, Accountability, Continuous Improvement, High Standards, Equity, and Data - Driven Decision Making.
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