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 Increasing numbers of Arkansas school systems are implementing the AdvancED District Accreditation Process designed specifically to strengthen the capacity of leaders at all levels. District leaders, school board members, principals, and teachers work collaboratively to ensure that continuous student improvement is occurring. By the end of the 2011-2012 school year, 99 school districts in Arkansas will have implemented the District Accreditation Process. The AdvancED Arkansas State Office sincerely appreciates the tremendous support and commitment that we have received from educators all over the state. Your willingness to dedicate and commit your valuable time for the AdvancED school/district processes is phenomenal! Director, AdvancED Arkansas | | AdvancED Arkansas Fall Training Conference |
The AdvancED Arkansas Fall Training Conference will be held September 22, 2011, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock. The conference will begin with Arkansas Department of Education Commissioner, Dr. Tom Kimbrell, providing an update on current issues and initiatives. Additionally, this conference, which will primarily be general sessions, will provide an overview of the new standards and protocols that will become effective for schools and districts hosting Quality Assurance Review
(QAR) visits during and after the 2012-13 school year. At the Recognition Luncheon, we will recognize the 2011 AdvancED Arkansas Excellence in Education recipient and the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 districts that have attained the status of District Accreditation. Presentations also will be made to schools that have maintained 50 and 75 years of continuous accreditation, among other recognitions. To register for this conference, click here. |
Preparing for the AdvancED School QAR Workshop |
Will your school be hosting an AdvancED QAR visit during the 2011-2012 school year? If so, there will be a workshop entitled Preparing for the AdvancED Quality Assurance Review (2011-2012) from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on July 28, 2011. The workshop will take place at the AAA Building located at 3920 Richards Road in North Little Rock. At least two people from all schools that will be hosting a QAR Visit during the 2011-2012 school year are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop to: Explore the benefits of being an AdvancED Accredited school Understand the process for school accreditation - from start to finish, including how to access and complete your reports on-line Discuss exactly what happens when the QAR Team comes to your campus Learn how to have a successful visit and stay on the road to continuous improvement.
Please watch your e-mail for the registration invitation. If you do not receive the e-mail please contact our office. |
New Generation of Standards on the Way |
For the past two years, consistent with AdvancED’s policy that Standards be reviewed every five years, AdvancED Accreditation Standards have been under review and subsequent development. The current Standards have been in place since 2007. So, just as schools and districts are subject to a rigorous process of review and continuous improvement, our AdvancED Standards have undergone a similar process. The review of these Standards allowed AdvancED to look at current education quality and research, as well as the knowledge gained from everyday application by schools and districts, and make appropriate updates. In February, the AdvancED Accreditation Commission approved the new Standards for schools and for school systems, effective for the 2012-2013 school year. Members of the AdvancED staff are hard at work updating support materials including new Self-Assessment tools for schools and school systems. We also are developing training for our schools and schools systems on the new Standards, which will be rolled out in fall 2011. We will provide accredited institutions with the tools and resources needed to smoothly transition to the new Standards. More information will be available as the process continues. If you have questions, please feel free to contact our office. |
ASSIST to Re-shape School Improvement |
AdvancED is preparing to launch a new innovation that will re-shape the continuous improvement process. AdvancED Adaptive System of School Improvement Support Tools (ASSIST) is the future of school improvement. ASSIST joins a world-class array of knowledge resources, practical implementation tools with interactive screens to create a fully integrated web-based system. This new technology can help schools ensure no compliance detail or improvement activity is missed during the improvement process. Districts, state agencies, and partner organizations also will benefit from ASSIST by harnessing the ability to aggregate and review, for the first time, how the practical work of school improvement is conducted at the local level. ASSIST allows schools and districts to gain a better understanding of past successes and opportunities and confidently build and implement a solid, research-based plan for the future. Read more by visiting the News section of the AdvancED Arkansas Web page. |
Are Your School/District Demographics Current? |
As one school year draws to a close and another begins, many schools and districts will see a change in administration. In order for us to maintain an accurate database, it is imperative that the demographic information contained in the AdvancED Accreditation Management System be reviewed and updated, as needed. The demographics report includes such information as the head of institution, mail and e-mail addresses, along with phone and fax numbers. It also includes the number of students and full time equivalent staff, as well as, correct billing addresses and other vital information. To ensure that you are receiving all mail and e-mail communications from the state and regional AdvancED offices, please make sure your information is current! To update your demographics, go to www.advanc-ed.org and log-in with your e-mail address and password. After logging in, place your mouse over the Accreditation tab, and click on Demographics Update. If you have not logged into the Web site before or if you need assistance, please contact our office. |
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