This past spring, Catholic High received SACS/CASI (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Council on Accreditation and School Improvement) accreditation renewal. For a school to earn and maintain a five-year term accreditation, it must adhere to the AdvancED Standards for Quality Schools and follow a detailed accreditation process, which involves a commitment to ongoing self-assessment and improvement. Accreditation is not a week or month-long event. It is a continuous process of change and accessing those changes.

Follow up:

Using recommendations from the accreditation review team visit, data collected during the self-study, and AdvancED standards and benchmarks, the Catholic High School Improvement Team has determined the following focus areas for school improvement:

1. Mission and vision
2. Using assessments to steer instruction
3. Curriculum integration of NETS (National Education Technology Standards) for teachers and students
4. School crisis plan and team
5. Professional development
6. Living the vision
7. Horizontal and vertical curriculum alignment
8. Access to interactive technologies
9. Communication with community stakeholders
10. Building expansion
11. Department and school organization

Progress in areas 1-5 has already begun during the current school year. The remaining areas will be in full motion during the next 2-3 years. According to AdvancED, “Schools are accredited because of the way they move, not the way they stand.” Catholic High School is committed to moving toward goals that improve student learning and school effectiveness.