Caldwell County School system receives recommendation for National Accreditation

LENOIR, NC (April 26, 2017)…The Caldwell County Schools recently hosted an AdvancED Quality Assurance Review Team that visited the district and a cross section of its schools to evaluate the district’s adherence to the AdvancED accreditation standards which, after three days of reviewing artifacts, visiting schools, interviewing teachers, parents, community leaders and volunteers, the team highly recommended the Caldwell County School System for national accreditation.

“Accreditation demonstrates to our students, parents and community that we are focused on raising student achievement toward excellence, providing a safe and inspirational learning environment, and maintaining an efficient and effective operation staffed by highly qualified educators,” said Dr. Steve Stone, Superintendent.

The evaluation team comprised of six trained professionals from across the state and nation, reviewed district documents and performance data; interviewed nearly 300 district, school, and community stakeholders; conducted site visits at different schools; and observed district and school practices.

“The accreditation process supports continuous improvement in the school district,” said Dr. Stone. “In preparation, we conducted a self-assessment, surveyed stakeholders, and reviewed processes and procedures within the district.”

The Quality Assurance Review Team commended the district for strong community ties, parent and family outreach, responsiveness to community needs and the pride, mutual trust and respect that exists within the stakeholders.

“The relationship with this Board and the community is quite remarkable,” said Lead Evaluator Dr. David Barnett. The evaluation team gave accolades to the Board of Education and the central office leadership team for their support leadership at all levels and the respect of autonomy shown to educators.

Overall, the team praised the school system for its positive connectivity to parents and the community, well behaved and articulate students, and the strong leadership that exists throughout the district, ranking the school district above the national scoring process of accreditation, factoring in more than 34,000 schools accredited worldwide.

Parents and interested community members can learn more about the District Accreditation Process at www.advanc-ed.org. AdvancED is the parent organization for the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, and the National Study of School Evaluation.