ADDITIONAL ST. LOUIS HIGH SCHOOLS SEEKING INDEPENDENT ACCREDITATION
Six high schools already accredited

St. Louis – Six St. Louis high schools have submitted their applications to become independently accredited by the North Central Association – Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA), including Beaumont, Carnahan, Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, Gateway I.T., Northwest Transportation and Law Academy, and Vashon. The schools are now considered NCA candidacy schools.

High schools that are already accredited through NCA include Central VPA, Cleveland @ Pruitt NJROTC, Metro, Roosevelt, Soldan, and Sumner.

To earn accreditation, schools must meet NCA’s high standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school, and implement a continuous school improvement plan focused on increasing student performance. The accreditation process is voluntary.

“NCA accreditation is recognized across state lines, which not only eases the transfer process as students move from accredited school to accredited school, but also assures parents that the school is meeting regionally and nationally accepted standards for quality and successful professional practice,” said Superintendent Diana Bourisaw. “This is the accreditation standard that most colleges and universities rely upon when admitting students,” she added.

Accreditation provides an external mark of quality and a focus on continuous school improvement. Bourisaw says, “the real value of NCA accreditation is the focus on improvement. The accreditation process focuses the school staff on analyzing student performance data, identifying areas of weakness, and developing clear goals and plans for improvement. We regularly assess and measure our progress in all goal areas, and NCA will hold us accountable for demonstrating growth. The process keeps everyone in the building focused on raising student achievement.”

Parents and interested community members can learn more about NCA accreditation at www.ncacasi.org.