Stonington High earns reaccreditation

Report gives good marks to teachers and school pride

Stonington — The New England Association of Schools and Colleges has voted to continue the accreditation of Stonington High School.

The association has also issued a 105-page report that commends the school for the things it is doing well while recommending improvements in other areas.

The decision culminates an 18-month process that involved an extensive self-study and a four-day visit to the school in March by a 16-member NEASC team that sat in on classes, examined student work, met with school board members and interviewed teachers, administrators, students and residents. The reaccreditation process takes place every 10 years.

In announcing the results of the process, Principal Mark Friese said “We feel that the Committee’s decision confirms the results of the extensive self-study which our faculty and administration conducted for 18 months. We are convinced that the findings of our self-study, coupled with recommendations of the Committee on Public Secondary Schools visiting committee, will assist us in developing priorities for further improvements in the school.”

Friese added that NEASC’s Committee on Public Secondary Schools requires that accredited schools submit progress reports after the evaluation to update the organization on the improvements the school is making.

“In anticipation of these progress reports, the professional staff and administration will immediately begin a follow-up program to review the self-study findings and the visiting committee report to establish the order in which recommendations will be carried out,” he said.

Among the many commendations the school received in the report was: “The dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive process informed by current research-based best practices used by the school to identify and commit to its core values and beliefs about learning.”

Another was “The dedication and willingness of the teachers to continue to work independently or with colleagues in the development of a written curriculum.”

It also commended “the high level of involvement and attendance by staff, students, and parents at athletic and arts events that demonstrates a strong sense of community and school pride” as well as “the open communication between and among the administration, board of education, and board of finance that assists in streamlining the budget approval process.”

Among its recommendations was to address congestion and safety concerns at the entrance to the school, identify options for funding capital improvements and develop plans for maintenance and upgrading technology and equipment.

NEASC is a voluntary membership organization comprised of more than 2,000 schools that works with member schools “to improve the quality of education through a continuous process of evaluation and accreditation.”