April 2012

Professional Development Opportunities

AdvancED Nebraska will be offering four School Improvement Workshops in the 2012-13 school year.  These workshops are open to all Nebraska schools and are intended for leaders at both State Accredited and NCA CASI Accredited schools.  The workshops are co-sponsored by NDE, NCSA, and the ESUs and are scheduled for:

Sept 20-21 - Holiday Inn Express, 300 Holiday Frontage
      Road, North Platte
Oct 8-9 - ESU 10, 76 Plaza Blvd, Kearney
Oct 25-26 - Lifelong Learning Center, 801 East Benjamin,
      Northeast Community College, Norfolk
Oct 29-30 - DC Centre, 11830 Stonegate Drive, Omaha

Day One will provide an in-depth look at the Accreditation Standards for Quality Schools and Using Data.  Day Two will offer registrants the opportunity to select one of four sessions on topics such as: 

• Working through School Improvement Processes (Profiles, Data Analysis, Target Goals, Continuous Improvement Plans)
• Obtaining Technical Assistance (Work on Data Analysis/Planning with assistance from NDE and ESU personnel)
• Using the ASSIST Program
• Hosting an External Review Visit

Online registration for these workshops will be available later this summer.

Gwen Ifill Named Moderator at Summit

Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for NewsHour, will moderate the Tuesday morning plenary session at the AdvancED International Summit 2012.  This panel discussion, focused on student learning, will offer insights into new and innovative ways students, practitioners and education leaders are redefining the classroom experience.

The AdvancED International Summit 2012 will engage experts in education, policymakers and practitioners in a robust dialogue regarding the future of education. Critical areas for discussion include: institutional quality, the role of the educator, and student learning. Summit participants will not only hear from the experts, but will also interact with colleagues and session leaders to share what’s working, what’s not, and how to move forward.   Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation and leadership in education!  Click here to learn more, and register today!

We Need to Hear from You

It is once again that time of year to log in to the AdvancED web site and update the demographic information for your school or district.  To update your demographics, please go to www.advanc-ed.org.  Log in with your e-mail address and personal password.  After logging in, place your mouse over the Accreditation tab, choose My Accreditation, and click on Demographics Update.  If you need assistance please contact our office.

Northwest Transition to AdvancED Begins

The Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) Board of Trustees voted at its Annual Meeting in December to approve new bylaws for NWAC to officially become an accreditation division of AdvancED.  The transition will begin immediately. 

NWAC will continue to accredit under the NWAC name so that their brand recognition is maintained.  The Northwest Accreditation Commission, established in 1917, is one of the six regional accrediting bodies in the United States and serves seven states including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.  NWAC also accredits schools internationally.  By joining together, AdvancED and the NWAC expand their capacity and resources to deliver accreditation and school improvement services throughout the network and provide added support to schools committed to continuous improvement.  AdvancED recently opened the AdvancED Northwest Regional Office in Las Vegas, Nevada to support the transition and NWAC State Offices as well as the education providers they serve.  Leonard Paul has been named Regional Director for this office.

The Northwest Accreditation Commission joins the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) as an accreditation division of AdvancED.  With the addition of NWAC, AdvancED now serves nearly 30,000 public and private schools and districts in over 70 countries.  Please feel free to contact our office if you have questions about the transition.

System Accreditation Institute Scheduled

If you missed it, today’s your lucky day!  AdvancED is again offering a System Accreditation Institute to help school systems realize the benefits of the System Accreditation process and maximize their impact on student learning and organizational effectiveness.  The institute will be held
May 16-17 at the AdvancED Global Headquarters in Alpharetta, GA.

The training offers systems a great opportunity to deepen the understanding of the requirements, benefits, and expectations of System Accreditation in a comfortable and interactive setting.  Also, if you have an upcoming External Review (formerly called the Quality Assurance Review – QAR) visit scheduled for the 2012-2013 school year, then you will definitely want to plan on attending.  Visit the AdvancED web site to learn more about the institute and to register today.