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The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) is the primary accreditation agency for charter schools in Florida. Charter schools are accredited as public schools.
SACS CASI accredits more than 13,000 schools and school systems in the United States and overseas. It recently joined the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE) as AdvancED, a single, unified organization that will serve as a national leader for quality education.
Today, AdvancED, including SACS CASI and NCA CASI, is the largest accrediting agency in the world. SACS CASI is one of only six agencies recognized by the federal government. SACS CASI accredits both public and nonpublic educational institutions, preK-12 through grade 12 and adult education (non-collegiate).
FCPCS strongly encourages all charter schools to seek accreditation from SACS CASI. Accreditation is a sure way for charter schools to improve their standards of operation and their public image. Accreditation is extremely valuable to charter schools for the following reasons:
- Accreditation is one of the requirements for charter schools to receive capital outlay funds
- The large majority of charter schools seeking SACS CASI accreditation consequently achieve measurable improvements in student achievement through the SACS CASI school improvement plan
- Accreditation is an excellent marketing tool to inform the community-at-large that your school has met and/or exceeded quality educational standards
- Accreditation is an important factor for charter high school students. Most colleges and universities require students to graduate from regionally accredited high schools. In addition, students who apply for sports programs, federal state grants and scholarships, and military programs must graduate from an accredited school.
Charter schools accredited by SACS CASI also enjoy the benefits of belonging to an extensive network of accredited institutions, including access to numerous resources designed to support and facilitate school improvement.
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The process of accreditation begins with an external and internal review, and culminates in a five-year comprehensive school improvement plan that is approved by SACS CASI. The process is very similar to the Continuous Improvement Model used in Florida, in which the continuous use of data analysis determines classroom instruction.
After application for accreditation:
- The first step involves a visit from a SACS CASI representative to conduct an inventory of every aspect of the school’s operations. This is called the “readiness visit.” The representative meets with the school administration to review the vision, mission and current goals and objectives of the school to determine if they are appropriate.
- Based on the information gathered once the readiness visit is completed, the school develops a comprehensive school improvement plan that covers the school’s vision, profile, plan, and results. This encompasses aspects of the school’s operations, including student achievement, instruction, professional development, financial management, business operations, and parental involvement.
- Once the school’s governing board approves the plan, the SACS CASI review committee returns to the school. During this visit, the committee conducts additional interviews with administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents, business partners, and other stakeholders, and gives a presentation to the school on its findings.
- Soon after this visit, the SACS CASI review committee recommends the school for accreditation for the next five years or requires the school to make improvements to its plan. The school is put on probation until the improvements are made. If a school is put on probation, an additional visit by the SACS team might be required.
- The criteria for improvement include FCAT student achievement data and/or plans for interventions that will lead to improvement. If the school fails to continue to meet the SACS CASI standards, the school will receive deficiencies and could be placed on a status of Warned or Probation. until those issues are resolved.
Please contact the SACS CASI Florida Council state office directly to learn how your charter school can begin the accreditation process at 1-800-865-9068.
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