Standards - 2017 Process

There is congruence between the school’s stated mission and core values and its actual program, policies, planning, and decision-making at both the operational and governance levels.

Suggested Indicators:

1.a.    The mission of the school is stated clearly.

1.b.    The mission of the school is embraced by all constituencies and linked to all aspects of school operations.

1.c.    The mission statement is reviewed regularly, using a process that involves representatives of major constituencies of the school, as appropriate.

1.d.    The school community is engaged in reflecting on ways to enrich the application of the mission in all aspects of the program.

1.e.    The school’s climate and culture support an effective educational program, consistent with its stated mission.  

1.f.    Requirements and expectations of students, parents, faculty, trustees, and employees clearly reflect the values and mission of the school.

1.g.    The culture of the school reflects a commitment to implementing the mission of the school.

The admissions process assures that those students who enroll are appropriate, given the school’s mission, and are likely to benefit from their experience at the school.

Suggested Indicators:

3.a.    The school in its public relations materials presents an accurate description of its mission, organization, staff, program, and facilities.

3.b.    The mission of the school is reviewed with prospective families.

3.c.    The school has clearly stated procedures for the admission of students, which are developmentally appropriate at different levels.

3.d.    The school has developed a profile of its student body that defines the range and type of students suitable for admission.  

3.e.    If tuition assistance is offered, there are clearly stated policies and procedures for the application for and award of grants which are consistent with the mission of the school.

3.f.    The school uses information concerning the performance of students and graduates in evaluating admissions procedures.

3.g.    The school undertakes an analysis of the reasons students depart prior to graduation and uses the results to inform admissions procedures and program revisions.

3.h.    Those responsible for admissions communicate with those responsible for the program of the school to assure that necessary resources are available to meet the needs of individual students who are admitted.

3.i.    The admissions staff communicates regularly with the teaching faculty about the specific talents/strengths/skills/needs of newly enrolled students.

The school actively considers individual students and has developed plans, policies, programs, and pedagogy to nurture, support, and encourage all students to reach their potential and to participate in the life of the school.

Suggested Indicators:

5.a.    The school recognizes differences within the student body such as gender, learning style or ability, race, age, ethnicity, family background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and religious practice, and actively responds to students’ and adults’ positive or negative experiences.  

5.b.    Time is made available on a regular basis for teachers to plan together and to discuss students (both individuals and groups).

5.c.    Time is made available on a regular basis for teachers to learn ways in which their backgrounds help and/or hinder their ability to work with students, parents, and other adults in the community.

5.d.    There is a procedure in place to assess and report on how individual students are meeting the goals of the program with regard to both personal and academic growth.

5.e.    There is a process in place to see how the school’s program needs to change to reflect the diversity of cultural experiences and to identify adults and/or students who will need additional support to function effectively in a pluralistic environment.

5.f.     Resources are available to faculty (in-school or through outside consultants) to assist in identifying and meeting the needs of individual students.

5.g.    There is a process in place to identify students who might benefit from a modification of the program.

5.h.    There is a process in place to identify students for whom the school is inappropriate and a supportive process for counseling those students.

5.i.     Counseling, advising, and guidance procedures and personnel address the needs of the students.

5.j.     College or school placement counseling, as applicable, addresses the needs of the students.

5.k.    Information is systematically gathered regarding students’ experience at the school and is used to inform program planning.

5.l.     The school promotes an equitable, just, and inclusive community that inspires students to respect and value diversity and to be active and responsible citizens, and has ways to insure that this objective is met.

5.m.   The school assures that, if students take or the school offers online courses, the design and delivery of the online courses meet the needs of the students and support student-to-student and student-to-faculty interactions.

The Early Childhood Program* enriches the social and intellectual development of its students by providing comprehensive programs and appropriate staffing, resources and facilities.

*For NEASC accreditation, Early Childhood is defined as three-year and four-year old children. NEASC does not accredit Early Childhood Programs that serve children under the age of three. However, if schools enroll children younger than three years old, they must provide documentation attesting that those programs meet health and safety regulations/guidelines as required in your state.

Suggested Indicators:

7.a.    Materials, routines, and procedures are so organized as to protect the health and safety of young children.

7.b.    The school communicates and collaborates with parents of children in a manner addressing the needs of this community.

7.c.     Staff who work directly with children in the Early Childhood Program are trained in the field of early childhood education/child development. Their numbers are sufficient in relation to numbers and ages of children in each early childhood grouping to perform tasks effectively and safely.

7.d.    The school has curricular and extra-curricular programs in place which specifically and effectively address intellectual and developmental needs of children in the Early Childhood Program and are consistent with the school’s stated mission.

7.e.    Facilities provided for the Early Childhood Program, including instructional, activity and play spaces, and supporting resources such as lavatories and dining areas, are adequate in construction, space provided per child, and maintenance to meet the needs of the children in the program.

7.f.    Those sections of the Early Childhood Program that serve children under the age of three meet health and safety regulations/guidelines as required in your state.

There is a sufficient number of appropriately qualified faculty to carry out the mission of the school and the school follows a comprehensive and defined program of professional development that supports continued enhancement of teachers’ skills.

Suggested Indicators: 

9.a.    The school has a procedure for recruiting professional staff who are the best available for the tasks to be performed and for the mission of the school, and also has a procedure for screening and interviewing candidates and providing them with necessary background information about the school.

9.b.    Academic personnel are qualified by education, training, or experience in the areas to which they are assigned.

9.c.    Academic personnel are regularly trained in the areas of skills, content, and the context of a multicultural society.

9.d.    The school has a shared understanding of teaching excellence.

9.e.    The school has a defined program for the evaluation and supervision of teachers.

9.f.     Personnel practices provide ethical treatment among all faculty, administration, and staff with respect to compensation, workloads, and working conditions.

9.g.    The school demonstrates a commitment to staff development by providing opportunity for and expecting participation in professional growth and development.

9.h.    The faculty are treated with respect and the school sets clear expectations for their professional behavior.

9.i.     If the school offers online courses, faculty responsible for providing these courses are appropriately qualified, trained, supported, and evaluated. 

The school engages in forms of programmatic assessment consistent with fulfilling its mission and core values.  This data is used to inform decision-making and planning.

Suggested Indicators:

11.a.    The school conducts annual program review and revision based on assessment of student performance.

11.b.    The school uses some form of longitudinal assessment of student performance (such as portfolio assessment).

11.c.    The school conducts exit interviews of students and faculty and uses the data to inform admissions and program planning.

11.d.    The school has procedures to follow-up on the experiences of alumni/ae and uses the data to inform admissions and program planning.

11.e.    The school brings in consultants and/or visitors from other schools to participate in the periodic evaluation of programs.

11.f.     The vitality/influence of the mission in the life of the school is assessed.

11.g.    The school participates in state sponsored learning results activities, as appropriate.

11.h.    The school carries out programs for supervision and evaluation of all personnel that are understood by all concerned.

11.i.     Those responsible for leadership engage in periodic self-evaluation of their performance.

11.j.     The school develops and publishes a policy and plan on diversity and difference, derived from its mission and core values that it uses to evaluate the status of the school in this regard and to guide planning to achieve goals.

11.k.    If applicable, the school’s plans for developing, sustaining, and expanding online courses are integrated into the overall planning and evaluation procedures of the school.

The school maintains effective systems of external and internal communication and record keeping that inform all constituents and facilitate participation where appropriate.

Suggested Indicators: 

13.a.    The school maintains complete and accurate records for both current and former students that are protected against loss by fire or theft and are available only to authorized persons.

13.b.    The school publishes current school policies and procedures in handbooks or makes them readily available in other forms to the affected constituencies, and effectively implements the policies as published.

13.c.    The school has a mechanism in place for input from staff into decision-making regarding personnel policies, budget preparation, and other areas, as appropriate.

13.d.    Information regarding the financial responsibilities of the parent/guardian or student to the institution is clearly stated in writing and is made available prior to enrollment.

13.e.    There is a procedure for determining equitable adjustments in tuition and other financial obligations existing between the parent/guardian and the institution.

13.f.    Appropriate channels are available for parents to reflect their concerns and interests to school personnel.

13.g.    Student progress is reported regularly to parents in a clear and comprehensive manner.

13.h.    The school structures ways to work with parents/guardians proactively.  The school is aware of the ways in which families from diverse backgrounds and socio-economic status are affected by school policies and programs.

13.i.    The school maintains complete and accurate records for staff and faculty members that are available only to authorized persons and are protected against loss by fire, theft, or technological failure.

13.j.    There is an internal communication system to distribute minutes of meetings, give notice of decisions, and inform the school community of events and other news.

The school is fully committed to institutional improvement and to the process of accreditation.  The school completed an inclusive self-study, conducted in a spirit of full disclosure and following Association guidelines; responds to Commission recommendations and the requirement to meet all standards; and participates fully in the peer review process, hosting a visiting committee and sending personnel to serve on visiting committees to other institutions.

Suggested Indicators:

15.a.    The school has completed a thorough self-study in accordance with NEASC policies, including Part II:  Reflection, Recommendations, and Issues for Further Discussion.

15.b.    Administration, professional staff and those with governance responsibilities have actively participated in and are familiar with the self-study and its findings.

15.c.    The school has in place a procedure for follow-up on plans and strategies found in its own self-study and on recommendations in the Visiting Committee Report and to integrate improvement plans resulting from the self-study into the school’s multi-year plan.

15.d.    The school participates in the Association’s peer based accreditation process and is represented on visiting committees to other schools.