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 Welcome Back to School! I would like to take this time to welcome back schools and school systems. As we start this new school year, there are a lot of great changes on the horizon for implementing continuous improvement and accreditation in our state. We’re excited about the new school year ahead and the new AdvancED Standards, Protocol, and ASSIST enhancements available to schools and school systems. We know that with these new resources and tools, you are empowered to make positive impacts!
At the beginning of the year, we are encouraged by the eagerness of our students to learn and are reminded of why we are fully committed to ensuring students achieve academic excellence. Although every fall is a new beginning, we understand the importance of taking what we have learned from the previous year and using it to build upon our continuous improvement journey. The new AdvancED Standards, Protocol, and ASSIST are the perfect trio of tools and resources to help guide you on that journey. We hope you will take advantage of these tools today to accelerate your operational effectiveness for the ultimate benefit of your students. It’s important for you to know that these tools are available for you year round and regardless of the year of your External Review (formerly known as Quality Assurance Review). If you have questions about our continuous improvement resources or accreditation protocol, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you every step of the way, and it is our honor to do so. Again, welcome back and best wishes for a successful school year!
Best!
Becky Densmore
Director
AdvancED Illinois | | New Accreditation Protocol and ASSIST™ |
AdvancED launched the new AdvancED Accreditation Protocol and new components for the AdvancED Adaptive System of School Improvement Support Tools (ASSIST). These tools and protocols, coupled with the AdvancED Accreditation Standards launched last fall, mark a new generation of accreditation and school improvement. Congruent with these new resources, AdvancED Illinois will begin this fall to schedule and conduct two-day on-site External Reviews to assure an in-depth study of your school and its operations. The new AdvancED Protocol creates a stronger alignment between internal and external diagnostic review, stakeholder feedback, and student performance results. The result is a performance-based accreditation process that provides each institution with a comprehensive analysis to drive continuous improvement.
Additional components of ASSIST also have been released. In addition to the school improvement planner launched last fall, ASSIST now provides the tools to guide your next internal and external review for accreditation, including Surveys, Student Performance Diagnostic, and Stakeholder Feedback Diagnostic tools.
When you schedule the External Review (formerly Quality Assurance Review) this school year and beyond, your school is required to use ASSIST to submit its Accreditation Report. The report includes: Standards Self Assessment, Executive Summary, Student Performance Diagnostic, Stakeholder Feedback Diagnostic, Improvement Plan, and Assurances. The Stakeholder Feedback Diagnostic and Student Performance Diagnostic are optional for reviews scheduled this fall. ASSIST offers a high quality school improvement planner, or you may submit an existing plan by attaching it in the Assurances section of ASSIST.
Even if you don’t have an External Review scheduled in the coming year, you can begin exploring and using the new offerings to support your continuous improvement work. If you have questions about the new Accreditation Protocol or ASSIST, please contact the state office. |
Check Your Contact Information |
Please login to the AdvancED website to confirm we have your school or school system's correct contact information on file. Our office’s primary communication vehicle is through e-mail. As result it is crucial that we have your current contact information on file. To review this information, login at www.advanc-ed.org using your e-mail address and password. After logging in, mouse over to the Accreditation tab, and click on Demographics Update. If you have not previously accessed the website or require assistance, please contact Amy Blue-Short at ablueshort@advanc-ed.org for assistance. |
AdvancED Transparency Policy |
While the AdvancED policy regarding transparency has not changed, the practice we use to make reports available to the public has changed. External Review reports and other reports are no longer automatically posted to the AdvancED website. The intent of the policy is not to limit the opportunity for schools and school systems to interact with their stakeholders. Therefore, when a stakeholder (e.g. parent, member of local community, etc.) requests a report through AdvancED, we will ask the person to contact your institution directly. Our Transparency Policy requires that institutions within the AdvancED network provide a copy of reports when requested. Should our office be informed of any refusals to provide reports, AdvancED will contact the institution, verify the request, and, if necessary, further explain the policy. In the unlikely event an institution continues to refuse to provide reports, AdvancED will provide online, public access to the reports. We appreciate your support of our policy and efforts to keep the public informed of your commitment to operational and student excellence. |
AdvancED has gone social with the launch of a Facebook page and YouTube channel, as well as two Twitter handles. You now can connect with AdvancED online in a variety of ways to learn more about recent activities and news. Be sure to connect with us at:
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AdvancED, the home of NCA CASI, NWAC, and SACS CASI, is dedicated to
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