ADDING EDUCATIONAL
VALUE
An Accreditation Project
of the
Education Industry Association
and the
Middle States Association’s
Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools
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Your Presenters
Hank Cram, Ed.D.
President
hcram@cess-msa.org
Kenneth Kastle, Ed.D.
Chief of Staff
kkastle@cess-msa.org
Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary
Schools
3624 Market Street, 2 West
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(267) 284-5000
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The Middle States Association
•The Middle States Association of
Colleges and Schools (MSA) was
established in 1887
•It is a non-governmental, nonprofit,
peer-administered organization.
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The Middle States Association
•Today, the Association’s Commissions
on Elementary and Secondary Schools
provide, through their accreditation
and improvement services, leadership
in ensuring a high quality of education
throughout the world.
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The Middle States Region
MSA-CESS accredits over 3,500
schools in over 85 countries
Questions for Today’s
Session
• What is accreditation?
• What is the value of accreditation?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of
the “key players” in the MSA
accreditation (or reaccreditation) process?
• How does an organization become
accredited using the MSA-CESS selfstudy and accreditation process?
What Is Accreditation?
• The activity now known as
accreditation is traceable to the guild
orientation of the medieval academic
communities.
• The word “accreditation” is derived
from middle French, Old Italian usage.
The first meaning of its root term is
“trustworthiness.”
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What Is Accreditation?
• Accreditation responds to the public’s
demands for improved quality and
greater accountability for schools and
other education organizations serving
society’s needs.
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What Is Accreditation?
• Accreditation agencies enjoy a unique
“public trust” role in the United States.
• In other words, accredited schools and
organizations can be trusted by the
public to be what they claim they are and
to do what they claim to do. Whatever an
accredited institution says about itself
has both the sanction and the confidence
of the profession.
•
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What Is Accreditation?
• A given field such as education uses
its experts to define standards of
acceptable operation and performance
for the schools and education
organizations within it. Thus,
accreditation refers to a standard
setting and review process.
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What Is Accreditation?
• Accreditation by the Commissions is
voluntary, and it is a volunteer driven
process, i.e., a process by which member
institutions provide the accreditation
services to each other.
• The Commissions are institutional
accreditors in that they accredit entire
institutions, not their educational
components, elements, and services.
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How will accreditation benefit
your school or organization?
“We are called to be architects of the
future, not its victims.”
R. Buckminster Fuller
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation encourages and
facilitates educational growth and
improvement…..
– Accreditation fosters excellence and ongoing
growth and improvement in an accredited
institution.
– The question is not if we want a better school
or organization, but how we will assure
continuous improvement.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation encourages and
facilitates growth and
improvement…..
– Accreditation provides a systematic process
that requires a school or organization to ask
why it exists, to establish a vision of its
future, and to determine specific objectives
for reaching that vision.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation encourages and
facilitates educational growth and
improvement…..
– The information surfaced through the
accreditation process serves as a sound basis
for educational growth and improvement,
strategic planning, restructuring, and staff
development.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation provides a means for
public accountability…..
– Accreditation assures that a school or
organization meets rigorous and
internationally recognized standards of
quality.
– The accreditation process validates to the
public the integrity of a school’s or an
organization’s program and/or services.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation fosters stakeholder
involvement and commitment…..
– Accreditation provides opportunities for
grass roots, broad-based involvement of
stakeholders in charting the direction of the
school or organization.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation fosters stakeholder
involvement and commitment…..
– The accreditation process involves key
people in creating a vision of the future and
a plan to achieve that vision, rather than
letting the future happen to the school.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation builds positive public
relations…..
• Accreditation provides opportunities
to emphasize the positive and show
how strong and effective the school or
organization is.
What Is the Value of
Accreditation?
• Accreditation builds positive public
relations…..
– Willingly submitting a school or
organization to public scrutiny and
evaluation builds commitment and a deeper
understanding of the school’s/organization’s
efforts.
Accreditation is About
Efficacy and Commitment…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Focusing on performance
Emphasizing continuous improvement
Using data to make decisions
Planning to overcome constraints
Monitoring frequently to assess progress
Involving representative stakeholders
Sustained implementation of the plan for
improvement
…the Belief that We Can Make a Difference
What Does MSA-CESS Accredit?
•
•
•
•
•
Early age schools
Elementary schools
Middle schools
Intermediate schools
Secondary/high
schools
• PK-12 schools
• Special education
schools
• School systems
• Career and technical
schools
• Educational service
agencies
• Supplementary
education
organizations
• Learning services
providers
• Job Corp centers
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What Does MSA-CESS Accredit?
•
•
•
•
Public
Independent
Church-related
Proprietary
institutions
• Distance education
institutions
• Within the United
States
• Outside the United
States
• Representing
different cultures,
religions, admissions
processes,
educational
philosophies, and
pedagogical delivery
systems
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Resources for MSA-CESS
Accredited Institutions
• Self-study and accreditation protocols
– Different protocols for different types of
schools/organizations
– Designed with flexibility to meet the needs
of the school/organization
• Technical support by the Commissions’ staff
Resources for MSA-CESS
Accredited Institutions
• Opportunities for professional development
• Opportunities to serve on accreditation teams to
other schools/organizations
The Middle States
Accreditation…
One size doesn’t fit all!
(Handout #1)
• Protocols for Schools
– Strategic Planning
•Accreditation for Growth
•Excellence by Design
The Middle States
Accreditation…
One size doesn’t fit all!
(Handout #1)
• Protocols for Schools
– Traditional
•Reflections on Standards of Quality
•Designing Our Future
•Reflections on Standards of Quality
for Career and Technical Schools
The Middle States
Accreditation…
One size doesn’t fit all!
(Handout #1)
• Protocol for School Systems
– Excellence by Design (Systems Version)
• Protocol for Career and Technical
Institutions
– Reflections on Standards of Quality (C/T
Version)
The Middle States
Accreditation…
One size doesn’t fit all!
(Handout #1)
• Protocol for Supplementary
Education Organizations
– Enhancing Student Performance
• Protocol for Learning Services
Providers
– Adding Educational Value
What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Self-Study
Foundational Documents
Profile of the School/Organization
Profile of Performance
Profile of Organizational Capacity
Identified Priorities for Growth and
Improvement
• Plan for Growth and Improvement
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What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
• A thorough and complete self-study that has
involves appropriate stakeholders of the
school/organization
• Using an MSA-CESS self-study and
accreditation protocol, or
• An approved protocol of a cooperating
agency
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Cooperating Agencies
• Western Association of Schools
and Colleges
• Northwest Association of
Accredited Schools
• Education Industry
Association
• National Council for Private
School Accreditation
• American Montessori Society
• Association of Christian
Schools International
• Association of Christian
Teachers and Schools
• Christian Schools International
• Association of Independent
Maryland Schools
• Association of Waldorf Schools
of North America Center for
Leadership in School Reform
• Comision Acreditadora de
Instituciones Educativas
• Commission on Accreditation
of the Accrediting
• Association of the SeventhDay Adventist Schools,
• Conference of Educational
Administrators of Schools and
Programs for the Deaf
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Cooperating Agencies
• Council on International
Schools
• District of Columbia Public
Charter School Board
• Distance Educational Training
Council
• Mennonite Education Agency
• National Accreditation Board
of the Central Organization for
Jewish Education
• National Accreditation Council
for Agencies Serving the Blind
and Visually Handicapped
• National Independent Private
Schools Association
• National Lutheran School
Accreditation
• New Jersey Association of
Independent Schools
• New York State Association of
Independent Schools
• Pennsylvania Association of
Private Academic Schools
• School Alliance for
Continuous Improvement
• Tri-State Consortium
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What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
• Foundational Documents that govern the
manner in which the school/organization
does its business:
– Mission
– Core Values or Beliefs
– Profile of Successful Students or Clients
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• A
What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
• A Profile of the school/organization that
describes its
– Organizational structure and staffing
– Students or clients
– Educational programs and/or services
– Results of an External Scan
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What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
A Profile of Organizational Capacity that
demonstrates the degree to which the
school/organization meets the appropriate
Middle States Standards for Accreditation
and their Indicators of Quality
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Standards for Accreditation for
Schools/School Systems/SEOs
• Philosophy/Mission
• Governance and
Leadership
• School Improvement
Planning
• Finances
• Facilities
• School Climate and
Organization
• Health and Safety
• Educational Program
• Assessment and
Evidence of Student
Learning
• Student Services
• Student Life & Student
Activities
• Information Resources
& Technology
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Standards for Accreditation for
Learning Services Providers
• Philosophy/Mission
• Governance and
Leadership
• Improvement Planning
• Finances
• Facilities
• Climate and
Organization
• Health and Safety
• Programs and Services
• Assessment and
Evidence of
Performance
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Example Standard
• The Governance and Leadership Standard: The
school is chartered, licensed, or authorized by a state, nation,
or authority that operates in the public interest. The
governance and leadership ensure the integrity, effectiveness,
and reputation of the school through the establishment of
policy, provision of resources, and assurance of a quality
educational program. The governance and leadership act
ethically and consistently to assure an atmosphere of mutual
respect and purposeful effort on behalf of students and their
learning. School leaders foster a productive environment for
teaching and learning, timely and open communication with
stakeholders, and the vision necessary for day-to-day
operations and long-term planning.
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Example Indicators of Quality
• The governance and leadership work cooperatively to
establish and maintain clear, written policies and procedures
that are consistent with the school’s philosophy/mission.
These policies and procedures are implemented at all times
and reviewed regularly.
• The governance and leadership provide appropriate
opportunities for education of the trustees/board, including
orientation and training sessions so that all members
understand their responsibilities and roles.
• The governance and leadership appropriately recognize the
accomplishments of staff and students.
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What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
• Priorities for growth and improvement in
the school’s/organization’s performance and
its capacity to produce the levels of
performance its expresses in its mission and
profile of students or successful clients.
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What are the Requirements
for Accreditation?
• A plan to grow and improvement the
priorities identified for growth and
improvement that includes:
– Measurable goals
– Multiple assessments to determine
achievement of the goals, and
– Multi-year action plans to achieve the goals
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What Is the Accreditration
Process?
• Registration: Notifying the Commissions of
the school’s/organization’s interest in
accreditation by CESS-MSA
• Determination of Appropriateness: Is the
school/organization within the
Commissions’ scope and categories of
accredited institutions?
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What Is the Accreditration
Process?
• Report of Candidacy Visitor:
Documentation that the school/organization
meets the Standards fo Candidacy and has
the ability to become accredited.
• Offer of Candidacy
• Acceptance of Candidacy
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What Is the Accreditration
Process?
• Commence self-study process
– Attend MSA-CESS workshop
• Complete self-study and prepare a selfstudy report
• Host an Accreditation Visting Team
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Hosting the Visit
• One day pre-visit by Chair
• 3 ½ day visit
• Modest welcoming reception
• In schools, numerous short, informal classroom
visits
• Interview with stakeholders
• Review of evidence
Hosting the Visit
• The Visiting Team will…
– Review adherence to the MSA Standards
for Accreditation
– Review adherence to the requirements of
the protocol and the quality of self study
Hosting the Visit
• The Visiting Team will…
– Review the Plan for Growth and
Improvement
– Offer an accreditation recommendation
What Is the Accreditration
Process?
• Visiting Team submits a written report
• Report and accreditation recommendation
undergo a multi-step review process
• The Commission(s) takes an accreditation
action
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Hosting the Visit…
Middle States Takes Action…
Implementing the Plan for
Growth and Improvement…
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The Accreditation Action
• Accreditation Actions for Candidate
Institutions (not previously accredited by MSA-CESS)
– Accreditation (with or without Monitoring
Issues)***
– Accreditation with Stipulations (with or without
Monitoring Issues)***
– Probationary Accreditation
– Denial of Accreditation
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The EIA – MSA-CESS
Agreement
• Purposes for EIA:
– Expand and operationalize the missions of
the members of EIA to help their
constituents deliver the highest quality
education services possible through a
rigorous process of continuous quality
improvement;
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The EIA – MSA-CESS
Agreement
• Purposes for EIA:
– Provide for the education industry
organizations that are members of the
Education Industry Association a means for
obtaining an internationally recognized
accreditation by the Middle States
Commissions; and
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The EIA – MSA-CESS
Agreement
• Purposes for EIA:
– Provide an accreditation option that
capitalizes on the operations and resources of
the members of the EIA that is efficient and
practical in terms of the time, energy, and
resources required and provides an added
value to the EIA and its members through
the accreditation process.
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The EIA – MSA-CESS
Agreement
• Purposes for MSA-CESS:
– Further the mission of the Commissions of
ensuring quality across diverse service
providers/organizations, and
– Provide opportunities for members of the EIA to
earn the Commissions’ accreditation
imprimaturs, which are recognized and
respected for ensuring high quality education
and education serves throughout the world.
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Questions and Answers
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