The Coweta County School System is inviting parents, students and staff to participate in school surveys throughout October as a part of the district’s upcoming effort to achieve five-year district accreditation.
Parent surveys by AdvancEd are available online at http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/section/response/begin?surveyConfigId=463836
Elementary, middle and high school students, and system staff, are taking surveys in their schools as a part of the effort.
Schools will provide paper copies of the parent surveys upon request.
The survey takes about 10 minutes, and assesses opinions on school purpose and direction, governance and leadership, teaching and student assessment, school resources and support systems, and continuous improvement efforts. The surveys are school-based, and all responses are anonymous.
AdvancED will compile survey results, which will be used for continuous improvement and as a part of the school system’s five-year re-accreditation process. On-site visits by an AdvancED team will take place in February, 2016.
AdvancED is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides accreditation for Pre-K-12th grade schools and school systems, through rigorous on-site external reviews. The organization was formed by the merger of a number of accreditation agencies, including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Accreditation is a voluntary evaluation process that schools and school systems undergo in order to maintain high standards in educational quality. Accredited status distinguishes schools and systems for adhering to educational standards and for demonstrating a commitment to self-evaluation, improving student learning, and raising student performance on a continual basis. AdvancED accreditation is accepted by colleges and universities world-wide
The Coweta County School System has been awarded system-wide accreditation twice, in 2005 and 2010. The school system current accreditation – which applies to all district schools – covers the period from 2011 through 2016.
The benefits of AdvancED accreditation include:
• Reciprocity of credits, courses, and grade level placements among similarly accredited schools and institutions, easing the transfer of credits from one school to another.
• Greater access for students to federal loans, scholarships, postsecondary education and military programs that require students attend an accredited institution.
• International recognition of quality and assurance of public trust and recognition as an accredited school in an internationally available registry.
• Development of a continuous school improvement process based on comprehensive quality standards, the best policies and practices of the regional accrediting commissions, and regular review of a school by a team of outside professionals.
