Rochester Community Schools is proud to be awarded district-wide accreditation through AdvancED, a leader in school improvement services. The accreditation is granted for a period of five years.
“Previously, only our high schools went through the accreditation process, but we wanted to ensure coherency across the district,” said Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Carrie Lawler. “It’s not about competition. It’s about our children and how we can ensure they are receiving the best possible education to learn and grow.”
In collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education, AdvancED uses a set of rigorous research-based standards and criteria to examine the policies, programs, practices, learning conditions, and cultural context of the organization, and to determine the organization’s level of success in meeting the needs of all students.
“The improvement process is a journey. We want to learn about our strengths, but in order to ensure all children at all levels are receiving the best possible education, we also need to learn about areas where we can improve. That’s a critical part of the process,” said Karen Gelardi, director of school improvement, global initiatives, and grants.
The six-member AdvancED accreditation team visited the district October 1-2. Members spent two hours at eight randomly selected schools, where they conducted 20-minute classroom assessments using the Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool. The schools that were visited include Brewster, Brooklands, Hugger, McGregor, Hart, Reuther, Rochester and Stoney Creek. Following the review, the team provided district leadership with feedback to assist with the improvement process.
“There are so many people to thank, from our support staff and teachers, to our administrators and board of education, to our community stakeholders,” said Superintendent Robert Shaner, Ph.D. “During the exit interview, the overwhelming observation from the accreditation team focused on our systemness. The observers also commented on how our staff deeply cares for all our students and how our teachers are devoted to tailoring instruction in order to connect with each and every child.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of our community and the important work we are doing as an interconnected team for our students. Rochester Community Schools represents what’s great about public education when the community is behind it and the stakeholders are involved.”
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