For Immediate Release

Monday, Feb. 25, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

New England Association of Schools and Colleges to Conduct Accreditation Visit at Rockland High School

Final Step in Voluntary National Accreditation Process

ROCKLAND — Superintendent Alan Cron is pleased to share that the Commission on Public Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) will hold a reaccreditation visit at Rockland High School this March.

Rockland Public Schools is one of more than 2,000 public schools, colleges and universities, independent schools, and vocational, technical, and career institutions that hold a volunteer membership with the NEASC, a nonprofit organization that decides accreditation in the context of research driven standards.

Rockland High School was last accredited in 2011.

National accreditation is an involved process that ensures a school is meeting NEASC’s ever-evolving “Standards for Accreditation” focused on five key areas: Learning Culture, Student Learning, Professional Practices, Learning Support and Learning Resources. Click here to learn more about the standards.

Across New England, more than 725 schools have been accredited through the NEASC’s Commission on Public Schools. Those schools and school districts undergo a lengthy and voluntary process of accreditation and ongoing monitoring in an effort to constantly improve as an institution.

Schools that become members of the NEASC also undergo a self-reflection process that allows educators to analyze the curriculum, facility, and other features of their school and come up with ways to improve those offerings. After the self-assessment, educators within NEASC visit the school during a collaborative conference and share their own insights on how educators might better support and enhance student learning.

“The purpose of this collaborative conference is to review and determine from an outside, professional viewpoint the extent to which the school is aligned to the standards for accreditation and identify priority areas for growth and improvement,” said Rockland High School Principal John Harrison. “As part of the conference, the team will meet with school constituents, review the school’s self-reflection, visit a number of classes, and examine examples of student work submitted by the school.”

The on-site collaborative conference visit at Rockland High will be conducted by four NEASC educators from the Massachusetts area, and will take place March 28-29.

“The members of the visiting team are contributing their services to the school,” Principal Harrison said. “This spirit of professional collaboration is one of the noted features of the New England Association. The goal of an accreditation visit is to stimulate a continuing drive for improvement in the school.”

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