The Southern Association of Independent Schools announced the reaccreditation of Salisbury Academy.
This marks the second re-accreditation of the 20-year-old co-educational, independent school.
“The process of preparing for accreditation is arduous and long, but the collaboration of school constituents is community-building,” said Head of School Diane Fisher.
“Hearing commendations from a group of respected educators is rewarding, and receiving their recommendations is inspiring. It is affirming to know that Salisbury Academy is on a good path,” she added.
In today’s world of accountability in education, accreditation serves as a critical component of a school’s demonstrated effectiveness and ability to provide successful schooling for children. A school that is able to achieve accreditation demonstrates a commitment to a process that requires the school to meet a set of rigorous standards; to engage in a program of continuous school improvement and to demonstrate quality assurance to its stakeholders through self-evaluation and peer-review.
Southern Association of Independent Schools accreditation provides schools access to an integrated network of services and technical assistance that supports every school’s ability to identify and meet its goals for improving the teaching and learning process and mission-focused outcomes for students.
The Southern Association of Independent Schools’ accreditation process is a voluntary self-evaluation process that encourages schools to focus on continuous improvement that reflects compliance with required standards and indicators.
As part of the process, Salisbury Academy faculty and staff complied with quality standards, were evaluated by an outside group of peer professionals and implemented a school plan focused on strategic improvement and student performance in accordance with the school’s mission.
The Southern Association of Independent Schools accreditation team was made up of educators from other Southern Association of Independent Schools schools, who visited Salisbury Academy in March.
Their recommendation for reaccreditation came with more than 20 commendations, including creating and cultivating a welcoming, nurturing and educationally challenging culture for its students, committing to a climate of collaboration among the faculty and staff, commitment to professional development, expanding and incorporating problem-based learning throughout all the grades and within the content areas and creating a comprehensive strategic plan that provides clear and attainable goals.
“The school is a gem. It’s a great place to work, a great place to learn and a great place to grow up,” said Southern Association of Independent Schools accreditation team Chairman Daniel Teitelbaum, who addressed the faculty and staff on the final day of the team’s visit. “Keep shining the gem because it’s going to shine bright for a long time.”