Newspaper Page Text
THE ISLANDER, OCTOBER 13, 2008, PAGE 5
SACS District cred
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for the school system.
'Individual school accreditation'
means the school system has met SACS
'Accreditation Standards for Quality
Schools.'
'District accreditation' means a
school system meets SACS 'Accredita
tion Standards for Quality School Sys
tems,' a more extensive program.
Kathy Sergeant, chairman of the
quality assurance review team, pre
sented her group's findings on the dis
trict accreditation process to the Glynn
County Board of Education (BOE) and
administrative staff in a 2:00 p.m.
called meeting on Wednesday, Oct.
8 in the Egmont St. administration
building.
"Our recommendation," Sergeant
told the large group of educators, "will
be that the Glynn County school sys
tem receive District Accreditation."
The visiting team's recommendation
will be forwarded to the SACS Georgia
State Council for validation.
Then it goes to the Accreditation
Commission and Board of Trustees of
AdvancED for final approval.
Sergeant said the Trustees meet
twice a year and the next meeting is
in January. She said if her team's rec
ommendations are approved, January
is when the Glynn school system will
receive their District Accreditation.
Sergeant stressed that the review
team's findings are in draft form and
that a written report would be submit
ted to the school board and administra
tion in 30 days.
"Our recommendation reflects a lot
of hard work by a lot people here," said
Sergeant, "and we want to acknowl
edge your work and say congratula
tions on a job well done."
In her presentation, Sergeant
explained that district accreditation is
a "national protocol for school systems
committed to systemic, systematic and
sustainable improvement."
"District accreditation ensures that
all people, processes, departments
and operations of the (school) system
work in concert," said Sergeant, "It
strengthens efforts to meet account
ability requirements, encourages
growth beyond compliance to achieve
excellence and promotes continuous,
not episodic, improvement."
Commenting on what the review
team found as the Glynn County school
system's strengths, Sergeant cited a
"culture of data driven decision making
that exists throughout the district."
Other strengths include:
• The board has worked diligently to
be recognized as a Board of Distinction
by the Georgia School Board Associa
tion;
• Evidence of a commitment to "cut
ting edge" instructional practices sup
ported by innovative technology exists
within the district; and
• Allocation of resources are aligned
to the district and individual school
improvement plans.
Sergeant's list of commendations
was even longer.
In their report for district accredi
tation, the quality assurance review
team commended the Glynn school
district for:
• the BOE working in a collabora
tive manner with the superintendent
and district personnel, displaying a
high level of trust, confidence, profes
sional ethics and support in achieving
district objectives;
• a culture in the district in which
there is a heightened accountability for
students, teachers, staff, administra
tors and the BOE; "There is height
ened accountability for everyone," said
Sergeant, "and it did not come without
some pain, but it is here."
• the passage of the ESPLOST (Edu
cation Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax) has had a positive impact
and energized the educational com
munity, serving evidence that the com
munity is supporting the work of the
school system. Current construction
projects are progressing in a timely
fashion, which will result in improved
and updated facilities across the dis
trict; "There are exciting days ahead
with these new schools under construc
tion," Sergeant said.
• student achievement gains are
observed particularly at the elemen
tary and middle school levels most
notably effecting subgroups. Gains in
graduation rates are also noted in the
high schools;
• schools cite tremendous support
from the central office with regard to
financial and human resources;
• the district promotes transparency
of their policies, practices and results
through the use of a comprehensive
website, that Sergeant called "fabu
lous"; and finally
• M.A.G.I.C. - "We feel the
M.A.G.I.C." Sergeant said referring to
Dr. Bull's 'Making Achievement Gains
In Classrooms' program, "Dr. Bull said
we would. This is a powerful tool for
students and staff."
And with the words of praise about
the school districts strengths and its
commendations, came a few challenges
for the school board, Dr. Bull and his
staff to work on.
They include:
• provide additional opportunities
that would engage all stakeholders
in the decision making process that
impacts student learning; "You are
doing this," said Sergeant, "but talk
to those who are not being asked. Be
relentless in this."
• continue to review the district's
vision seeking input particularly from
under represented stakeholders, includ
ing students; "We heard a lot from the
students," Sergeant explained, "don't
forget to talk to them." and
• ensure sustainability of successful
programs and practices as a part of the
culture of the district. "The programs
that are working need to continue to be
part of they way you do business. You
need to own them and make them your
own so they don't fall apart," Sergeant
advised.
In the end Sergeant had some rec
ommendations for the Glynn BOE and
school district:
"Continue to recruit minority can
didates for teaching and administra-
Turn to Page 15
SACS District cred
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