Education Slideshow
Each state has its own accreditation policies and systems aligned to federal mandates. There are also national and regional accreditation agencies for PK-12 institutions that can be school or program-based depending on the institution’s designation as public, independent, faith-based, or international. There are similarities and differences between accountability and accreditation and their requirements depending on the school or institution and the state’s Department of Education requirements.
Instructions
You will create an engaging and informative PowerPoint presentation file to provide an overview of the accountability and accreditation for a selected PK-12 school or institution to an audience of teachers. Examples can be a public, charter, independent, faith-based, or international school, an early childhood center or a career and technical education center.
Complete the following steps to prepare for this assignment:
Select a school.
Review the school’s or district’s/institution’s website and begin to trace the school’s accreditation pathway.
Review the school’s state Department of Education to determine the accountability systems in place for the school, which may depend on the school’s designation as well as any accreditation requirements or options.
Next, go to the applicable accreditation agency based on what you have found. Five of the major accreditation agencies were included in the lesson’s content but there may be more.
Review the accreditation requirements of the selected regional accreditation agency that are applicable to your selected school.
For this assignment, include the following recommended slide content (this may vary depending on the information you find):
Title Slide
PK-12 School Information: Name and description of the selected school, location, and accreditation.
State Department of Education: Provide an overview of the accountability system and requirements for accreditation (as applicable)
National or Regional Accreditation: Provide an overview of the accreditation agency or agencies, then summarize the requirements and standards for accreditation for each accreditor (as applicable).
Sample Solution
Accountability
Accountability is a system that is used to measure and improve the performance of schools. It typically involves collecting data on student achievement, graduation rates, and other factors, and then using that data to make decisions about how to improve the school.
In the state of [State], accountability for public schools is overseen by the [State Department of Education]. The [State Department of Education] sets standards for student achievement, and then collects data on student test scores and graduation rates to measure how well schools are meeting those standards. Schools that are not meeting the standards may be subject to sanctions, such as being required to make changes to their curriculum or staff.
Full Answer Section
[School Name] is a public charter school, which means that it is not subject to the same accountability system as traditional public schools. However, [School Name] is still required to collect data on student achievement and graduation rates. The school also has to submit to a review by an independent accrediting agency, which will assess the school's performance against a set of standards. Accreditation Accreditation is a process that is used to ensure that a school meets certain standards of quality. It is typically conducted by a non-governmental organization that is recognized by the state or federal government. There are a number of different accreditation agencies that accredit PK-12 schools. Some of the most well-known accreditation agencies include:- AdvancED
- Cognia
- Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)