Presented by:
Kelly Coxe & Mary Greene Thomasson

Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools Council on Accreditation and School
Improvement


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Provides the district with a comprehensive
framework for continually improving student
achievement.
Supports a powerful systems approach to
improving student performance results and
organizational effectiveness over time.
Recognizes that increasing student achievement
is a result of how well all the parts of the
education system-the district, school, and
classroom-work together to meet the needs of
students.
"The capacity of any organization to improve is directly
related to its ability to recognize, acknowledge, and act
on its strengths and limitations.”
 The District Accreditation process provides a vehicle for
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 assisting school systems to effectively identify their strengths
and areas needing improvement;
 providing external experienced professionals who, through a
structured onsite visit
▪ assess the capacity of the system to meet the criteria for accreditation
▪ commend worthy accomplishments, and
▪ recommend strategies that hold the promise of important systemic
improvements.
Dr. Mark Elgart, President/CEO
AdvancED
To earn and maintain District Accreditation
from SACS CASI, school systems must:
1) Meet the AdvancED Accreditation Standards
for Quality School Systems and ensure that
their schools meet the AdvancED Standards
for Quality Schools
2) Engage in continuous improvement
3) Demonstrate quality assurance through
external review

The standards require that the district and its
schools…
 have a clear vision and purpose;
 have effective and responsive leadership;
 have a rigorous curriculum taught through sound,
research-based methods;
 collect, report, and use performance results;
 provide adequate resources and support for its
educational programs; and
 value and communicate with their stakeholders.

To demonstrate continuous improvement,
the district and its schools must…
 implement an improvement plan based on
student performance and school/community data,
and
 document growth in student performance and
organizational effectiveness.
Districts must be evaluated by a team of
professionals from outside the district on a
periodic basis.
 The team serves to

 engage the district staff in a healthy, professional
dialogue about district improvement efforts;
 validates that the district meets the standards for
accreditation; and
 provides feedback and makes recommendations
concerning future efforts to improve student
performance and organizational effectiveness.

There are 7 Standards
 The Standards are comprehensive statements of
quality practices and conditions that research and
best practice indicate are necessary for schools to
achieve quality performance and organizational
effectiveness.
Standard 1: Vision and Purpose
The system establishes and communicates a
shared purpose and direction for improving
the performance of students and the
effectiveness of the system.
Standard 2: Governance and Leadership
The system provides governance and
leadership that promote student
performance and system effectiveness.
Standard 3: Teaching and Learning
The system provides research-based
curriculum and instructional methods that
facilitate achievement for all students.
Standard 4: Documenting and Using Results
The system enacts a comprehensive
assessment system that monitors and
documents performance and uses these
results to improve student performance and
school effectiveness.
Standard 5: Resources and Support Systems
The system has the resources and services
necessary to support its vision and purpose
and to ensure achievement for all students.
Standard 6: Stakeholder Communications
and Relationships
The system fosters effective
communications and relationships with and
among its stakeholders.
Standard 7: Commitment to Continuous
Improvement
The system establishes, implements, and
monitors a continuous process of
improvement that focuses on student
performance.
The District Accreditation Advisory Committee
consists of the Executive Leadership Team
Members.
Dr. Earlean Smiley, Superintendent
Mamie Banks
Jackie Brown
Dewey Carey
Kelly Coxe
Luella Crosby
Rebecca Fuller
John Greene
Geraldine Morris
Roni Scott
Mary Greene Thomasson

Additional Committees will be needed and
your assistance will be required as we strive
to obtain District Accreditation.
For further information of the SACS CASI
District Accreditation process visit:
http://www.advanc-ed.org/accreditation/standards/advanced_district_standards.pdf
Or
Contact Kelly Coxe or Mary Greene Thomasson
852-2435
coxek@mccormick.k12.sc.us
thomassonm@mcormick.k12.sc.us