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Board of Public Education Approves Variance
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At a meeting of the Montana Board of Public Education on September 12 in Billings Montana, the board unanimously approved four AdvancED/Northwest Accreditation Commission accredited schools to use the AdvancED continuous improvement process in exchange for the state continuous improvement process for a two-year variance. These four schools had been previously been recommended for the variance by the Montana Accreditation Interim Committee and State Superintendent Denise Juneau. Two other schools will be considered at the November Board of Public Education meeting. This is a major development for AdvancED/NWAC accredited public schools in Montana and clears the way for other schools to apply for this variance.
Schools that are interested in applying for a variance in the future, contact Montana Director Daniel Sybrant.
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Over 80 people attended the AdvancED/NWAC Montana Fall Conference that was held in Bozeman on September 23 and 24. Dr. Donna James, State Director from North Carolina and Len Paul AdvancED Regional Director provided outstanding training on using the AdvancED Standards and Protocols for school and school system improvement. School officials from the Bismarck Public Schools in Bismarck, North Dakota provided an peer-to-peer workshop on how their school system of 23 schools uses the AdvancED Accreditation Process to improve student achievement through system accreditation. In addition, a half-day pre-conference highlighted the “nuts and bolts” of preparing for an External Review. Montana State University and the University of Montana provided sponsorship for the conference. The Montana Office of Public Instruction and School Administrators of Montana were represented at the conference. We would like to thank those entities for partnering with us.
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Schools Use New Standards and Protocols
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Seven Montana schools are busy preparing for External Reviews this year using the new AdvancED Standards and Protocols. Schools that have External Reviews this year are Sidney High School, Intermountain Children’s Home, Trapper Creek Job Corp, Sylvan Learning Center Missoula, Beaverhead County High School, Seeley Lake Elementary, Arlee High School and Nelson Academy of Agricultural Sciences Online. Although there were three pilots using the new Standards last year, this is the first year of full implementation.
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Montana Council Meeting Slated
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The AdvancED Montana Council will hold its fall meeting at the Holiday Inn Express in Missoula, Montana on December 1-2. Meetings will begin at 4 p.m. on December 1 and from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on December 2. Accredited schools that are in the area are welcome to attend. Council members are as follows:
- Al Buerkle - Superintendent, Sweet Grass County High School (State Chair)
- Dr. Dan Zorn - Assistant Superintendent, Kalispell Public Schools
- Paul Furthmyre – Principal, Anaconda High School
- Ron Kautzman – Owner, Sylvan Learning Centers (Butte and Helena)
- Chris Stout – Superintendent, Seeley Lake Elementary School
- Jacob Francom – Superintendent, Troy Public Schools
- Bob Moore – Principal, Manhattan High School
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Thanks to Karen Underwood and Anne Dodge
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Please join me in thanking retiring council members Karen Underwood and Anne Dodge. Both Karen and Anne served many years on the council, and Karen also served on the Northwest Accreditation Commission regional board. We really appreciate your years of service and wish you well.
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Accredited School Growing
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Currently there are 84 Montana schools that are AdvancED/NWAC accredited. Of these schools, 52 are public schools. Of these public schools over 70% of all Montana High School students graduate from AdvancED/NWAC accredited schools. To learn how your school can become accredited, contact Daniel Sybrant, AdvancED Montana Director at 888.413.3669, ext. 5776 or dsybrant@advanc-ed.org.
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AdvancED, the home of NCA CASI, NWAC and SACS CASI, is dedicated to
advancing excellence in education worldwide.
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