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Introduction - Public School Accreditation
An introduction to Public School Accreditation
Public schools are under constant demand to improve. The primary goal of the NEASC public school accreditation process is to provide support and opportunities to develop realistic improvement and growth plans to enhance teaching and learning in order to maintain a quality education for the entire student population.
Accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges indicates that an educational institution has completed a community-wide self-assessment process and has hosted a visiting team of peer reviewers who evaluate the institution in terms of its own stated goals and the Standards for Accreditation of the NEASC Commission on Public Schools.
The Standards for Accreditation are a research-based set of practices and concepts reflective of best practices which provide a template for school communities and visiting teams to identify the unique strengths and needs of each school, district, center, and program participating in the accreditation process. Considered to be living documents, the Standards of Accreditation are reviewed and revised, as necessary, every five years. The Standards reflect current trends in research on public education without espousing one particular mode of thought. The award of Accreditation signifies that the school has met the Standards for Accreditation at an acceptable level and is committed to maintain those Standards.
NEASC accredits a wide range of comprehensive technical high schools and career centers throughout New England. Career and Technical Education (CTE) in New England is delivered through a variety of models, including but not limited to: comprehensive technical high schools, technical career centers, vocational, and agricultural high schools, agricultural high schools, Job Corps Centers, and vocational aquaculture centers. A common pedagogy unites all CTE approaches: a belief that students are most engaged when teaching is personalized, inquiry-based, applied to real world situations, and problem/project-based. A key feature of CTE is on-the-job experiential learning. CTE programs are STEAM based (science, technology, engineering, arts, math), aligned with career pathways, and combine rigorous academic and technical curriculums that lead students to earn stackable credentials, licensure, and hours toward state apprenticeships.